I’m an animal lover, so I follow SPCA on facebook. I’ve noticed recently that they’re posting more and more about small animals up for adoption, guinea pigs, chickens, roosters... But I noticed that a lot of their posts were of bunnies looking for homes. I knew cats, dogs and hamsters growing up, but nothing about rabbits.
Being a family photographer who photographs people with their furry friends, I was really curious to find out more and got to help out SPCA in Mangere Auckland make some new photographs for the bunnies’ adoption profiles.
Having a bunny is certainy different than a cat or dog… but I can see they’re pretty cool!
Will a bunny be a good fit for your family?
fun facts
Is it rabbit or bunny? Rabbits and bunnies are the same thing. ‘Bunny’ is just a cuter, more loving word for a rabbit.
Did you know, bunnies don’t have paw pads like cats and dogs? Their feet are covered in fur, so they certainly won’t like being on a slippery floor. They like to be on surfaces they can sink into like grass or carpet.
Bunnies are prey animals, so they are naturally fearful of getting attention from above or sudden sounds or movements. I never thought of this. They’re certainly an animal worth getting to understand and know better.
It’s possible (and quite easy) to toilet train a bunny.
What you need to know
Bunnies like company. So you’ll need to have two bunnies.
Bunnies need to date first before they are bonded. You need to house them seperately. Read more on this here. So interesting!
1x Male and 1x female bunny usually works best together. Problem with this is that you’ll get more bunnies looking for homes and there is an influx of bunnies so make sure your bunnies are desexed. They can make bunnies from a very early age.
A hutch you buy in the petstore is far too small for a bunny to live in. You need a hutch enclosure that is atleast 3m x 1.5m x 0.75m. You rabbit also needs a run, a safe area for his exercise and being active. It’s a good idea to do more research. Do you know a bunny could actually live inside with you? This article has a lot of good advice.
Bunnies need to be groomed, their nails clipped, vaccinated and taken good care of to have a healthy happy life.
These are some of my favourite photographs I made for the SPCA
Head to this page to see the kinds of small animals that are available for adoption and waiting for their furever homes. Note that, it takes time to update the website, so there could be cute furry animals waiting that are not on there, so head to your nearest adoption centre for a visit.
I usually photograph families with their dogs. Head over here to see more of my every day work.
PS I’m looking to expand my creative work and am really keen to photograph you with your unusual pet, even if it’s a mallard duck. Write me at [email protected]. Depending on the nature of your pet I’d love to offer you a discount code to use towards your booking fee.
Chat soon
-Salome