February is celebrated as National Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about rabbit adoption and the importance of providing loving homes to rabbits in need. This month-long observance shines a spotlight on rabbits as intelligent, affectionate, and unique pets while encouraging adoption from shelters and rescue groups rather than purchasing from breeders or pet stores.
Why February? As the month of love, February is the perfect time to emphasize compassion and care for animals. Additionally, it helps counteract a common trend: many rabbits are bought impulsively as Easter gifts in the spring, leading to high surrender rates when new owners realize the commitment required. By promoting adoption in February, organizations aim to educate potential owners about the responsibilities of rabbit care before the Easter season.
Goals of Adopt A Rabbit Month
According to National Today, Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month was started in 2002 by the ASPCA. It was celebrated in July until 2004 when it was changed to February.
Raise Awareness: Highlight the thousands of rabbits in shelters and rescues waiting for homes. The worldwide plight of domesticated rabbits is one of overpopulation, neglect, and misunderstanding. This has become a growing global crisis over the past several decades. Pet rabbits are being abandoned and overlooked due to a huge lack of education. The only way to combat their silent suffering is through advocacy for better lives and worldwide animal welfare changes including promoting adoption over purchasing from breeders and pet stores.
Promote Education: Educate potential owners about the long-term commitment and responsibilities of rabbit care, including their lifespan (8–12 years), dietary needs, housing requirements, and socialization and dispel myths about rabbits being low-maintenance pets or ideal for small children. Help create or participate in educational programs within schools, libraries, scouting programs etc…
Discourage Impulse Purchases: Encourage thoughtful decisions about pet ownership by showcasing rabbits as long-term commitments. Create campaigns that stress the importance of researching rabbit care before adopting or purchasing. Offer free or low-cost resources, such as care guides, online tutorials, and community workshops.
Support Shelters: Increase funding and resources for shelters to care for rabbits and promote adoption. Provide training for shelter staff to better handle the unique needs of rabbits. Build rabbit-specific facilities to meet their unique housing, dietary, and social needs. Ensure rabbits are given proper veterinary care, socialization, and enrichment. Develop foster programs to alleviate overcrowding in shelters and provide rabbits with temporary homes. Offer resources and training for foster families to ensure the rabbits’ well-being. Shelters create a webpage with each rabbit and their medical needs with an option for direct monetary sponsorship for those who cannot foster or adopt.
Advocacy: Advocate for adoption over breeding or buying, reducing the demand for unethical breeding practices. Irresponsible breeding not only exacerbates the overpopulation crisis but also diminishes the quality of life for countless rabbits. Addressing this issue requires collective efforts from breeders, pet owners, animal welfare organizations, and lawmakers.
How to Get Involved
Adopt/Foster: If you’re ready to welcome a rabbit into your life, visit your local shelter or rabbit rescue. You can always start by fostering a rabbit. Many rescues will give the supplies needed as long as you can provide space, food, love and socialization. It also allows space within the rescue for another rabbit needing a place to stay. After a time of fostering, many have fallen to what is known as “foster fail”…falling in love with their new pet and officially adopting.
Volunteer: Support rabbit-focused rescues by volunteering your time or fostering rabbits in need. Maybe you have time and resources, but not the space within your home for a rabbit. Rescues are always in need of volunteers to help with cleaning, feeding and laundry, go to adoption events, carpool to the vet, make DIY toys for the rabbits, participate in fundraisers and more.
Donate: February is the perfect time to give a monetary donation to your favorite rabbit rescue or sanctuary. Shelters often need funds for food, medical care, and supplies for rescued rabbits. Many rescues also have the option to sponsor a specific rabbit. Maybe you have seen one that you just connect with, but don’t have the space or time to give to him or her. You can sponsor that specific rabbit’s medical and daily care until he or she finds a home.
Fundraise: Host a fundraising event such as organizing an on-line social media fundraiser or a supply donation drive. Other options could be to organize a bake sale, craft fair etc… then purchase shelter needed items with the proceeds. This is a great idea would for girl or boy scout troops to teach them about giving to animals in need.
Educate: Spread awareness about rabbit adoption and care through social media or community events.
The Benefits of Rabbit Companionship
Companionship: Rabbits are social animals that form strong bonds with their owners. They are affectionate, curious, and can be surprisingly interactive, making them wonderful companions. Rabbits can be excellent pets for people of all ages, including children, teens, and seniors, provided proper supervision and guidance in handling them are given.
Quiet Pets: Unlike dogs or some other pets, rabbits are naturally quiet. This makes them ideal for apartments or homes where noise levels need to be kept low.
Unique Personalities: Each rabbit has its own personality, ranging from shy and gentle to bold and playful. Rabbits are endlessly entertaining with their zoomies, binkies (joyful leaps in the air), and playful antics. Watching them explore and interact with their surroundings is heartwarming.
Care: Many rabbits can be litter-trained, making them relatively easy to care for and maintain indoors. A well-trained rabbit can roam freely in your home under supervision.
Lifespan: With proper care, rabbits can live 8–12 years or longer. This makes them a long-term companion, offering years of love and joy to their adoptive families
Why Adopt?
A pet rabbit is magical because they bring a unique combination of charm, curiosity, and tenderness into your life. Adopting one saves two lives, the pet you are bringing home and the one that will take its place at the shelter in order to find its own home!
Adopting a rabbit is a rewarding choice that not only enriches your life but also gives a deserving animal the chance to thrive in a loving home. Rabbit adoption helps shelters manage their populations better and ensures rabbits receive the care they need. You would be supporting shelters rather than breeding operations, including those that contribute to overpopulation. Many shelters and rescues are overwhelmed by the number of surrendered rabbits, often exceeding their capacity.
There are fewer resources and less public awareness for rabbits, making it harder for shelters to rehome them. Adoption can also be seen as an educational opportunity for families. From visiting a rescue to becoming educated on rabbit care, the overall experience will not only teach responsibility and compassion, but allow children to see what happens to abandoned and relinquished pets.
10 Adorable Facts About Rabbits
Super Social Creatures
Rabbits are capable of forming strong connections with their humans. They’ll greet you, follow you, and even “flop” beside you when they feel safe and happy. Because rabbits are naturally cautious, earning their trust feels profoundly special. Rabbits are incredibly social and love spending time with other rabbits as well.
Tiny Housekeepers
Rabbits are naturally clean animals and can be litter-trained, much like cats. This makes them low-maintenance when it comes to hygiene.
Gentle Personalities
Rabbits are sweet and gentle creatures full of surprises—they’ll explore every corner of your home, do silly things with their toys, or make adorable little mischief. Their playful antics and unique personalities make them a delight to have around.
Bunny Zoomies and Binkies
When rabbits are happy, they perform joyful leaps called “binkies” and dash around the room. It’s a spontaneous, unfiltered display of joy that can instantly brighten your day.
Expressive Faces
Rabbits have endlessly adorable and expressive features—from their twitching whiskers to their big, curious eyes. Their noses are always twitching, which is not only adorable but helps them sense their surroundings. It’s like their way of saying they’re curious and alert.
Healing Touch
Their fur is incredibly soft, making them irresistible to cuddle. A rabbit’s calm energy has a soothing effect, making them a perfect stress-reliever.
Unique Communication
Rabbits communicate in subtle, magical ways—through gentle nose twitches, soft purring sounds, and expressive body language. Their quiet companionship can make your home feel peaceful and cozy. Rabbits will purr when content (a soft teeth-grinding sound) and flop over on their sides when they feel completely safe and relaxed.
Your Inner Child
Rabbits awaken a sense of wonder and joy in their human companions. Their playful antics and peaceful nature remind you to savor the small, magical moments in life.
Garden Companions
Rabbits produce a nutrient rich waste that is considered the perfect fertilizer for your home grown garden.
Endless Entertainment
Rabbits are curious and playful. They enjoy exploring, playing with toys, and even doing tricks with a bit of training. Watching their antics is a constant source of joy.
Final Thoughts…
Why not be part of the solution?! By celebrating National Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month, you can make a difference in the lives of rabbits, helping them find forever homes while promoting compassionate and responsible pet ownership. This February, consider making a difference in a rabbit’s life by choosing adoption over purchase. By providing a loving home, you not only give a rabbit a second chance, but also gain a devoted companion who will fill your days with joy and warmth. Let this month of love be the perfect time to start a journey of care and connection with a bunny who’s waiting to hop into your heart.
