The Bunny Basement

04/26/2025

Bernie has an announcement:.

Only 8 Days Left to Get Your Tickets!
Join us for our Wire and Beads Class– a fun, creative way to support a great cause!

So far, only 4 tickets have been sold, and we still need to sell 16 more to make this event a success.

Events like this not only raise much-needed funds for our rescued rabbits, but also strengthen our connection with the community.

Your ticket purchase helps us:
- Support our rescue efforts
- Host more creative events in the future
- Build lasting community relationships

Let’s make it happen—grab your ticket today and spread the word.

What happens when events don’t sell out:

When events like our Wire and Beads Class don’t sell out, it impacts more than just attendance numbers. It means:

- Lost funds that would’ve gone directly toward caring for rescued rabbits—food, medical care, housing, and enrichment.

- Fewer opportunities to host fun, community-building activities in the future, because each event needs to at least cover its costs.

- Wasted resources, like materials and volunteer time, that were prepared in hopes of making the event a success.

Even if you can’t attend, sharing the event,sponsoring a ticket for someone else, or just spreading the word makes a huge difference. Every bit of support keeps our mission strong.

📅Sunday, May 4th 1:00 - 3:00 PM
📍984 County Road 7 Unit B

https://store89579101.company.site/products/Wire-and-Beads-Class-Tree-of-Life-p736169449

04/08/2025

03/26/2025

My yearly reminder....

03/24/2025

Every year, countless rabbits are bought as Easter gifts—only to be abandoned or neglected when the novelty wears off. Rabbits are a 10+ year commitment, not a holiday toy. This Easter, choose chocolate, not a live bunny—and if you're ready for a rabbit in your life, adopt, don’t shop!

03/24/2025

Great post!

Easter and the following months are the hardest time of the year for bunnies and bunny rescues. Please do not add to the problem.

Rabbits are wonderful companions for the right person, but they require commitment and education, and should never be an Easter impulse.

WHY ADOPTING A RABBIT REQUIRES SERIOUS THOUGHT

Every year, thousands of rabbits are purchased as Easter gifts, only to be abandoned or surrendered to rescues when the novelty wears off (or worse - they are abandoned outside). Rabbits are not low-maintenance pets, are generally not suitable for children, and require specialized care. Many people realize this too late, especially around Easter.

🐰Children, while often enthusiastic about having a pet, are not developmentally equipped to provide the consistent and responsible care that bunnies (and other animals) require. Young children lack the necessary understanding of an animal’s physical and emotional needs, including proper handling, feeding, exercise, and veterinary care. Their attention spans, impulse control, and sense of long-term responsibility are still developing, making it easy for them to lose interest or forget essential tasks like feeding or cleaning. Additionally, they may unintentionally mishandle or stress an animal, leading to injury for either the child or the pet. Because of this, an adult should always be the primary caregiver for any family pet, ensuring its well-being, safety, and long-term care. While children can certainly participate in supervised pet care to learn responsibility and compassion, the ultimate responsibility must fall on a committed adult who understands the lifelong needs of the animal.

🐰 Rabbits Are a 10+ Year Commitment

🐰Rabbits are not easy-care pets
- They require hay 24/7, clean water daily, daily fresh greens, and pellets
- Their litter box needs daily cleaning
- They need plenty of space to roam and play
- They need a proper home base - no cages
- Bunnies need socialization and exercise every day
- Bunnies are destructive, they dig and chew - it is just their nature, so they need lots of enrichment

🐰 Rabbits and young children generally don’t mix well
- Rabbits are fragile and easily injured if picked up incorrectly
- They dislike being held, which can frustrate young children
- If scared, they can kick, scratch, or bite - not because they’re mean, but because they’re prey animals and get scared.

🐰 Rabbit care is expensive
- Veterinary care for rabbits is specialized and costly - not all vets treat rabbits! Finding a rabbit-specific exotic vet is absolutely necessary
- Spaying/neutering is essential to prevent health issues and behavioral issues

🐰 Rabbits should be indoors as a family member and not in a hutch outside
- Outdoor rabbits are at risk from predators, weather, illness, loneliness, parasites, etc.
-Rabbits are social animals and need interaction with their family
- They need temperature-controlled environments (too hot or cold can be fatal)

🐰 Rabbit health needs are unique
- Their teeth never stop growing and require proper diet & chew toys to stay healthy
- They are prone to digestive issues, which can be life-threatening if untreated. Learning all about G.I. Stasis is necessary.

🐰 Rabbits naturally dig and chew. They need plenty of enrichment and ways to burn energy, and safe places to run and play, in rooms that are bunny-proofed, by blocking off areas with cords, using cord covers, keeping unsafe items off of the floor, etc.

A SAD REALITY

🐰 Rabbits are the 3rd most surrendered pet in shelters after dogs and cats

🐰 Thousands of Easter rabbits are abandoned each year
- Many are released outdoors, where they cannot survive -domestic rabbits do not have the skills of wild rabbits.
- Others are surrendered to shelters, which often do not have the resources to care for an influx of unwanted rabbits.

🐰 According to the House Rabbit Society, 80% of Easter rabbits don’t make it to their first birthday due to neglect, improper care, or abandonment.
- Many shelters report a 30-50% increase in rabbit surrenders a few months after Easter.
- In some cities, rabbit abandonment spikes by 60% in the months following Easter.

WHAT CAN YOU DO INSTEAD OF BUYING A RABBIT FOR EASTER

💙 Give a stuffed bunny
🧡 Take time to learn about bunnies - read books, websites, and articles from rescues
💙 Support rabbit rescues – donate, engage on social media, volunteer
🧡Learn about fostering a rabbit to see what it is like to have one in your home
💙 Adopt, don’t shop – If you’re serious about getting a rabbit, adopt from a rescue, not a pet store or breeder! Every rabbit rescue is already overflowing with bunnies that need homes.

03/17/2025

03/13/2025

03/07/2025

Come join us on Saturday, 03/08/2025, at RMHRR Binky Boutique and stock up on your favorite treats, toys and hay! 🐰💕

100% of the proceeds from the Binky Boutique are used to care for the rabbits in our shelter and in foster care.

🛒To order online, please visit:
https://store89579101.company.site/products

*All online orders are for local pickup only. Pickup details are available at checkout. Orders will be filled on Saturdays between 10AM - 2PM. Once your order is filled, you’ll receive an e-mail with your order total and pickup instructions.

*Bulk hay must be purchased during our store hours.

Please have your online order in by Friday at 5:00 PM.

🛒To shop in store, the hours are: Saturday 10AM - 2PM.

📍 984 County Road 7, Erie, Colorado 80516

03/01/2025

🐰 New Blog Alert! 🚨 Advanced Rabbit Training Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide is live! 🎉

Ready to take your bunny’s training to the next level? From trick training to litter habits and even agility courses, this guide covers everything you need to know to keep your rabbit engaged and learning!

📖 Read now: https://www.thebunnybasement.com/post/advanced-rabbit-training-techniques-a-comprehensive-guide

What’s your bunny’s favorite trick? Tell us in the comments! ⬇️

Many assume that rabbits are simple, low-maintenance pets with limited trainability, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Rabbits are highly intelligent, social creatures capable of learning complex behaviors, tricks, and commands—just like dogs and cats. With the right positive reinforc...

02/27/2025

Other than keeping your cables out of reach, what products or techniques do you use to keep your bunny safe?

02/24/2025

02/24/2025

I see these a lot online and in person when watching bunnies. Although bunnies love them, they can cause digestive issues. Try apple twigs instead.

We were contacted by a lady reporting that her rabbit had passed and she would like to donate his items as she no longer wanted another rabbit.
Even though our bunnies are vaccinated we disinfect any donated toys and avoid opened food, and we always ask the cause of death of said bunny.
The lady mentioned that according to the vet her bunny died from bloating. 💔
As you know bloating is a life-threatening condition in rabbits that occurs when their stomach/cecum become distended with gas.
Even though it can be caused by several factors, such as :
🔺Hairballs - Rabbits groom themselves and often ingest hair, which can form hairball that can block their digestive tract.
🔺Dietary changes: - inappropriate foods can lead to an imbalance in gut bacteria and gas production.
🔺Gastrointestinal stasis: A condition where food doesn’t move through the digestive system, allowing gas to accumulate.
In the case of her bunny the vet believed that the high ingestion of bamboo sticks was the cause of his death. 💔💔😞
The "sweet bamboo" chews found commonly on the internet are actually dried sugar cane stalks rather than true bamboo; as such they are heavier in sugars than a plain wood chew.
Sugar ferments easily and fermentation produces gas. 💔😞
If a rabbit consumes too many easily fermentable sugars and starches, the cecum can become overloaded, leading to excessive fermentation and potentially harmful byproducts leading to gas and bloating, gut stasis, diarrhea or even toxin-producing bacteria leading to illness.
Unfortunately rabbit food is not regulated and just because they have a picture of a bunny in their package doesn’t mean their product is safe.
Please be diligent about what you feed your bunnies.

02/22/2025

I know this isn't a bunny but he may be one of the cutest piggies I've ever seen. 🥹

*MISSION ACCOMPLISHED*

Mr. Dobson agreed to help with fundraising this morning. First person to donate $25 will get a personalized song from him 🥰😉

Venmo: Natalie-Raymond-5
PayPal: [email protected]
Zelle: 8473800553
Cashapp: $caviesandcanines

We are officially a 501(c)(3), your donation is now tax deductible! 🎉

Thanks for donating Ashley Weiler!