Rabbits are the third most surrendered animal in American shelters and just about the least understood. Waffles is here to correct the record.
He arrived last winter when his family moved to a rental that did not allow pets — the single most common reason any animal ends up with us. He was two years old, litter-trained, and profoundly unimpressed by shelter life.
What people get wrong about rabbits
Almost everything, honestly. Rabbits are not low-maintenance starter pets for small children. They are intelligent, social, deeply opinionated animals that live eight to twelve years, require unlimited hay and a rabbit-savvy vet, and dislike being picked up by nearly everyone.
They are also, if you meet them on their terms, extraordinary company. Waffles comes when called. He performs a full-body twist mid-jump — a "binky" — when he is delighted. He has strong architectural opinions about cardboard boxes and will rearrange any structure he finds insufficiently rigorous.
People walk past the rabbits looking for a dog and have no idea what they're missing. A house rabbit with free roam of your living room is one of the funniest roommates you will ever have. — Priya Raman, Director of Operations
Going home
Waffles was adopted in March by a graphic designer who had grown up with rabbits and knew exactly what she was signing up for. She spent a full weekend bunny-proofing the apartment — cable covers, baseboard guards, a strategic retreat on the subject of the rug — before he ever came through the door.
He now free-roams the entire flat. He supervises her work from a cardboard castle of his own design and takes his meals of cilantro and hay with the seriousness they deserve.
Thinking about a rabbit?
Come talk to us first. We will be honest about the work involved, and we run a free Rabbit Basics session for anyone considering it. Small animals wait longer than any other species in our care — and they make wonderful, wildly underrated companions.