Abstract
Rabbits are one of the world’s most recently domesticated animals, having been domesticated for food and fur in the first millennium after Christ. The idea of keeping rabbits as pets did not gain widespread acceptance in Europe and North America until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In the late twentieth century, the house rabbit movement emerged, whereby rabbits graduated from outdoor, caged pets to indoor household companions, gaining a status among some which now approaches that of cat or dog. At this time, rabbits began to be kept more commonly as pets in areas outside of Europe and the USA as well; in particular, rabbits are extremely popular pets in Australia (even though they are banned in some states) and Asian countries like Japan and Singapore. This chapter looks at the issues facing rabbits as pets outside of the USA, and makes some predictions for the future of rabbits as companion animals.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Veterinarian Medical Association. (2007). 2007 U.S. pet ownership and demographics sourcebook. Schaumburg, IN: Center for Information Management of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Carneiro, M., Rubin, C. J., Di Palma, F., Albert, F. W., Alföldi, J., Barrio, A. M., et al. (2014). Rabbit genome analysis reveals a polygenic basis for phenotypic change during domestication. Science, 345(6200), 1074–1079.
Clutton-Brock, J. (1987). A natural history of domesticated mammals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cook, A. J., & McCobb, E. (2012). Quantifying the shelter rabbit population: An analysis of Massachusetts and Rhode Island animal shelters. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 15(4), 297–312.
Crook, S. (1985). Lop rabbits as pets. Neptune City, NJ: TFH Publications.
Davis, S., & DeMello, M. (2003). Stories rabbits tell: A natural and cultural history of a misunderstood creature. New York: Lantern Books.
Edbom, M. (2011). Kaninhållning för sällskapsbruk (Rabbit group behavior). First cycle, G2E. Skara: SLU, Department of Animal Environment and Health.
Edgar, J. L., & Mullan, S. M. (2011). Knowledge and attitudes of 52 UK pet rabbit owners at the point of sale. Veterinary Record-English Edition, 168(13), 353.
Ezpeleta, A. (1996). Rabbits everywhere. New York: Harry N. Abrams Publishers.
Flux, J. E. C. (1990a). The hares and jackrabbits. In J. A. Chapman & J. E. C. Flux (Eds.), Rabbits, hares, and pikas. Gland, Switzerland: International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
Flux, J. E. C. (1990b). Exotic populations. In J. A. Chapman & J. E. C. Flux (Eds.), Rabbits, hares, and pikas. Gland, Switzerland: International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
Fox, R. (1994). Taxonomy and genetics. In P. J. Manning, D. H. Ringler, & C. E. Newcomer (Eds.), The biology of the laboratory rabbit. New York: Academic Press.
Grier, K. (1999). Childhood socialization and companion animals: United States 1820–1870. Society and Animals: Journal of Human-Animal Studies, 7(2), 95–120.
Harriman, M. (1985 [1995]). House rabbit handbook: How to live with an urban rabbit. Alameda, CA: Drollery Press.
Hinds, L. A., Cooke, B. D., Robinson, T. J., & Williams, C. K. (1996). Rabbits-prospects for long term control: mortality and fertility control. Prime Minister’s Science and Engineering Council, 13.
Howell, T. J., Mornement, K., & Bennett, P. C. (2015). Companion rabbit and companion bird management practices among a representative sample of guardians in Victoria, Australia. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 18(3), 287–302.
Ledger, R. A. (2010). The relinquishment of rabbits to rescue shelters in Canada. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 5(1), 36–37.
Leyvraz, A. M., McBride, A., & Bishop, F. L. (2009). Management and behaviour of pet rabbits in Switzerland. In Proceedings of the 14th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology & 5th Annual Meeting of the European College of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine-Companion Animals, European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology, 42.
Milford, H. S. (Ed.) (1975). The poetical works of William Cowper. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mullan, S. M., & Main, D. C. (2006). Survey of the husbandry, health and welfare of 102 pet rabbits. The veterinary record, 159(4), 103–109.
Mullan, S. M., & Main, D. C. (2007). Behaviour and personality of pet rabbits and their interactions with their owners. The veterinary record, 160(15), 516–520.
Podberscek, A. L., Paul, E. S., & Serpell, J. A. (2005). Companion animals and us: Exploring the relationships between people and pets. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rabbit Welfare Association. (n.d.). A hutch is not enough. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm
Rogers, P. M. (1994). The rabbit in continental Europe. In H. Thompson (Ed.), The European rabbit: The history and biology of a successful colonizer. New York: Oxford University Press.
Rooney, N. J., Blackwell, E. J., Mullan, S. M., Saunders, R., Baker, P. E., Hill, J. M., et al. (2014). The current state of welfare, housing and husbandry of the English pet rabbit population. BMC Research Notes, 7, 942.
RSPCA. (2015, February 3). Is your rabbit a happy bunny? RSPCA News.
Salman, M. D., New Jr., J. G., Scarlett, J. M., Kris, P. H., Ruch-Gaille, R., & Hetts, S. (1998). Human and animal factors related to the relinquishment of dogs and cats in 12 selected animal shelters in the United States. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 1(3), 207–226.
Schepers, F., Koene, P., & Beerda, B. (2009). Welfare assessment in pet rabbits. Animal Welfare, 18(4), 477–485.
Taylor, J. (1986). Beatrix Potter: Artist, storyteller, and countrywoman. London: Frederick Warne.
The American Pet Products Association. (2010). 2009–2010 pet owners survey. Retrieved June 30, 2015, from http://media.americanpetproducts.org/press.php?include=140291
Ulfsdotter, L. (2013). Rehoming of pet rabbits in Sweden. Master Thesis presented to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Environment and Health.
Veldkamp, E. (2009). The emergence of “pets as family” and the socio-historical development of pet funerals in Japan. Anthrozoös: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, 22(4), 333–346.
Welch, T. (2015). Motivations for and thoughts toward rabbit ownership and factors contributing to companion-rabbit owners’ knowledge. Master Thesis presented to The University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2016 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
DeMello, M. (2016). Rabbits Multiplying Like Rabbits: The Rise in the Worldwide Popularity of Rabbits as Pets. In: Pręgowski, M. (eds) Companion Animals in Everyday Life. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59572-0_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59572-0_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-59571-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-59572-0
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)