Marie adopted Otus from Rabbitats in July 2018 because she was looking for a bunny companion for her female bunny Rook. Otus was born at Rabbitats, while his mom was in foster care with us.
Q: What made you decide to adopt from Rabbitats?
A: I have a lot of respect for the incredible amount of work that everyone at Rabbitats does, and their activism. Rabbitats aligns with many of my core beliefs and passion. When we were looking for a companion for Rook, it made sense to reach out to Rabbitats.
Q: What is your Otus’ personalities like?
Otus is a very submissive gentleman. He gives so much love to Rook, and tolerates her quirkiness. I love his smile as his munches away on his hay and how he very gently takes his treats. His absolute favourite treats are Nutrinoms. When Otus is getting cuddled by us, he often pulls himself up to our shoulders and burrows into our neck. If we are on the floor or couch he is happy to relax next to us. He has a very sweet and gentle deposition, but his moods are also hard to read!
Q: What are some things that having bunnies has taught you?
Watching Otus and Rook bond reminded me of gentleness, being in the moment, and how sweet love is between living beings. Otus and Rook cuddle, they love, they have disagreements, they play. I love how they lean into each other when resting, and how they groom each other. They just LOVE!
Q: What is your favourite part of having bunny companions?
The endless amount of sweet moments. Otus and Rook are just so cute, happy, and in love. I just love being a bunny mom.
Q: What has been the most challenging or unexpected thing that potential adopters should look out for?
This is hard because I don’t want to scare anyone away, but it would be my husband’s allergies! He thankfully loves the bunnies so much, and has found some medications to help manage his allergies. We have air purifiers, a good vacuum and try to keep the space clean. Orchard grass hay helps a lot to compare to Timothy hay.
Secondly, finding bunny savvy vets and being prepared for unexpected costs (for example, one rabbit that we didn’t adopt from a shelter but got as a baby cost $800+ or more to neuter, vaccinate, and have a checkup!) I thought vet costs would be similar to a cat, this is not the case!
Lastly, be prepared for a bunny to steal your heart more than you could imagine. They are hilarious, you will fall in love, and the rabbit community is a real thing. Just don’t wear your favourite clothes around them, make sure to rabbit proof!
