It’s a Bunderful Life

By Sarah Phillips

Do I own a bunny or does a bunny own me? This is the question many bunny owners ask themselves in their mess of hay, chewed walls and mounting vet bills.

I got a bunny in college because something felt like it was missing. I grew up around animals and even had a job back home taking care of animals. So, a big factor in choosing Stephens was their pet-friendly policy. However, I couldn’t bring my dog because, unfortunately, he is an insane little thing with an attachment to my mom and I couldn’t bring my cat because she was old and sickly. So I ended up without a pet. I mean, my roommate had a cat and a lot of my friends had animals but I didn’t feel like enough. I wanted something that was unequivocally mine. Something that would be the first thing to comfort me when I broke down into sobs (which at that point, happened quite frequently).

The suggestion to get a rabbit came from one of my friends. They knew I was lonely without a fluffy companion and a rabbit seemed a perfect medium between something small and fragile like a hamster and something big and needy like a dog. So with the idea planted in my mind, I went on Petfinder to look for a new friend.

Among the sea of tiny, furry creatures I found a listing for a chunky white and black spotted rabbit taking a nap in her litter box. Her name was Honey Bunches of Oats and she was eight pounds. I immediately applied for her, not expecting to be approved because of living in a tiny dorm room and being a college student. Her foster mom reached out the next day and within the week I was meeting her for the first time.

At her foster house, she was a chunky ball of white splayed out on the floor of her X-pen. Perfect. There was even a cat in the house she coexisted with peacefully which gave me hope for her getting along with my roommate's cat, Yoshi. The first time I approached her she laid out her little head for me to pet. After a while, she got stressed and retreated into her little ball of fur. However, when I moved away again she chased after me in an effort to get me to pet her again. It was kismet. After some consideration, I officially adopted her.

Many things I bought for her at first I didn’t end up using too much. For example, I bought her a cage but soon learned that rabbits shouldn’t be kept in cages and should be free to roam as dogs and cats would. So as soon as I was able to I invested in an X-pen, a less restrictive cage. I also soon learned the true cost of having a rabbit. She constantly chewed everything from my walls, charging cords, books and even my clothes and shoes. Not to mention how I was buying her bags of hay every week and a consistent stream of chew toys. Eventually, I learned to get thrifty with my spending by buying her a forty-pound bag of horse litter for $7 at Tractor Supply instead of the measly and expensive litter they offer specifically for rabbits. Along with employing many tricks to make enrichment toys with my own two hands with things I already own (ie. hay in paper towel rolls).

Rabbits get very bored easily and when they're not munching on their hay or dashing about the room they're chewing on walls, books and anything they can sink their large teeth into. Having a rabbit taught me nothing is sacred and sometimes you have to put your pets well being over your own. This life isn’t for everyone, which is why I suggest caution when getting a pet, especially in college. College is a time for self-discovery and that can be hard with an eight-pound nuisance who loves chewing drywall and has everybody who watches her run away screaming.

However, I can’t say having a rabbit wasn't completely part of my self-discovery. I grew mature in caring for another living being, in waking up and knowing I had something to do, something to care for. At this point, my rabbit is part of my life and I simply can’t imagine my life without her.

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