7 Reasons why Rabbits are Eco-Friendly Family Pets

Rabbits are adorable little creatures and they are a pleasure to have around. Bunnies are amusing characters, they are clean and they are quiet which are just some of the traits that make them one of the most popular family pets ever. Rabbits are also extremely eco-friendly pets to share a home with and below are seven reasons why this is so.

Growing Rabbit Food is Easy & Fun

One of the great things about keeping a rabbit (or two) whether they are house pets or kept in outdoor hutches, is the fact you can grow much of their food yourself. During the summer months you can grow lots of greens for your pets in the back garden and if you have a heated greenhouse, there's nothing to stop you growing vegetables for your bunny all year round.

Rabbits also like to eat lots of different weeds, which includes dandelions leaves and the flowers, so when weeding a garden, you can feed these to your bunny during the summer months and the bonus is dandelions are full of vitamins and healthy nutrients. By growing a lot of their food, you are effectively doing your bit for the environment because you are not buying food which has been packaged, shipped and then sold in stores.

Recycled Paper Litter is a Great Option

If you use recycled paper for their litter you can add this to a compost heap along with your bunny's droppings. This makes fantastic fertiliser for use on your garden which in turn means your plants and flowers will look brilliant. Rabbit droppings are very rich in nitrogen and phosphorus which are both extremely good as fertiliser for both flowers and fruit. You get to fertilise your garden using a natural product without having to buy in any other ones!

Buying Local Products Supports Farmers in Your Region

If you are not into gardening or you live in an apartment, you can always buy all the grass hay you need for your bunny from a local farmer which not only supports farming in your region but cuts down on carbon emissions and everything else that's associated with shipping commercially produced feeds you would have to buy from a pet store.

Rabbits are the Best Natural Paper Shredders on the Planet

Getting rid of documents that contain sensitive personal information is never a problem if you own a rabbit. They are the best natural paper shredders on the planet and will chew on any paper you put their way. You have to make sure you don't give them any newspaper though because the ink used in them is toxic! However, when you need to destroy any documents, your bunny will do a very good job of this for you.

Rabbit Toys are Found Around the Home

You don't have to go out and spend a fortune on toys for your pet bunny because many of the things they love best are ones that are commonly found in your home. This includes the following:

• The inside of toilet and kitchen rolls
• Cardboard boxes of any shape or size

You may succumb and buy your pet a few toys, but the chances are they would enjoy playing with the packaging more than they would the toy!

Getting Rid of Rabbit Litter is Never an Issue

Unlike cats, soiled rabbit litter is never a problem to get rid of. You can use it in your compost heap without worrying about any nasty bacteria forming and contaminating the ground around it. Unlike dogs, you don't have to scoop your garden for dog poo either because rabbit droppings are actually very good for lawns and gardens in general.

Keeping a House Rabbit is a Healthy Option

If you keep a house rabbit, you'll find they are amazingly clean creatures by nature and they actually live relatively healthy lives which means there's far less chance of them suffering from many conditions which includes catching fleas or other nasty parasites! As such you don't usually have to buy lots of chemicals or other treatments to use on your pet to keep these nasty bugs at bay.

Conclusion

Keeping bunnies as family pets has been a firm favourite for decades but it is only very recently that more people have decided to keep them as indoor pets. Rabbits make wonderful house pets and are incredibly clean. The only thing you have to watch out for is the fact they love to chew on things and this includes furniture legs. The way to overcome this problem is to ensure your rabbit has lots of other things to gnaw on – namely the inside of toilet rolls and lots of cardboard boxes.