Rescues Rock is a weekly feature that celebrates rescue animals and their forever homes! Check back often for a new pet
success story. Special thanks to the rescue groups all over
the Inland Northwest and the work they do that makes
stories like these possible!

Most of the animal residents here at the Spokane Humane Society are dogs and cats, but occasionally we get exotics like a tortoise or a snake or a bearded dragon – or a rabbit like Amber, a 3.5 year old mostly black Netherland Dwarf.

Amber is the cutest little bunny with a charming round face and big, dark eyes. She can be a little shy at first, until she gets to know you, but she warms up quickly to treats like carrots or fresh greens. She loves to sit in the crook of your arm and just watch the world go by.   

She doesn’t weigh more than a couple of pounds and she’s litter box trained.

Yes, that’s right, you can litter box train your rabbit as long as you provide a box it’s easy for the little bunny to get in and out of, and of course keep it clean.

February is National Adopt a Pet Rabbit Month so it’s the perfect time to learn more about rabbits.  

In the wild, rabbits live to be 2 maybe 3 years old, but did you know that in captivity they can easily live to be 7 or even 10 years old? Getting a rabbit is a big commitment but it’s worth it because rabbits are playful and fun companions with a big personality.

You should always get your rabbit spayed or neutered because all those jokes about rabbits reproducing quickly have some truth to them: a healthy female rabbit is pregnant for about a month and can have a dozen kits in a litter – so she could have 12 litters a year if left intact!

Also: unaltered rabbits all too often end up living a lonely life confined to a hutch because they don’t get along with other rabbits.

Because rabbits are social by nature they are great companion animals. The smaller breeds are usually more active than the large breeds and need more space to run and chase and have fun. When a rabbit is doing the “zoomies” it’s called binky – running around in circles and jumping up in the air – and it means your rabbit is very happy and content.

Some rabbits like to get their fur brushed, but all rabbits need their nails trimmed on a regular basis. Did you know that rabbits’ teeth never stop growing? That comes in handy in the wild where good chompers are vital to rabbit survival, but perhaps not as handy around your living room furniture. To keep the teeth in check, make sure your rabbit has plenty of alfalfa or grass hay and also wooden branches to chew on.

Amber is up for adoption here at the Spokane Humane Society for just $35 – she’s spayed and ready to go to a good home with lots of hay, carrots, and warm sunny spots to nap in. Please come up and meet her at the shelter located at 6607 N. Havana Street – we open at 11 a.m. every day. Visit our website at www.spokanehumanesociety.org

Submitted by Pia H., The Spokane Humane Society