Adopt a Senior Bun!
People often shy away from adopting buns "of a certain age." However, senior rabbits can be equally delightful companions as younger bunnies. In fact, Petfinder.com has designated November as Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month, to draw attention to the many older animals that are seeking homes.
While rabbits can live 12 years or longer, homeless rabbits as young as 5 years old can be overlooked by adopters. Most commonly, we hear that it would be too hard to lose them soon. But none of us come with any guarantees of how long we will be around. A younger bunny is more likely to live a long life, but some die very young, too. And as one of our volunteers recently put it — it hurts the same whether it has been 10 days, 10 months, or 10 years.
Why consider an older rabbit? Older buns are generally more laid back than they were in younger years. While they will still leap with joy, these displays are less frequent — but just as special. Older bunnies are very curious, but most have learned that certain behaviors are not appreciated by their human companions. Many older buns also are more appreciative of attention than they were in their more energetic days. In fact, rabbits that have been given up at an older age sometimes seem extra appreciative of the "second chance" their new home offers them.
Perhaps you have an older rabbit already or a bunny that has recently lost a partner. Older buns make excellent companions. They are generally easier to bond than younger buns, in part because they appreciate the companionship more than they care about the "small stuff."
Older rabbits deserve to be adopted, too. Would you consider offering an older bunny an opportunity to be spoiled for the rest of his or her life?
