Pros and Cons to Having a Rabbit as an RV Pet

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. Our youngest daughter Edith and I were engorging ourselves on caramel-drizzled, cornflake crusted french toast at our favorite brunch spot while Tosha nibbled on her avocado toast. Most importantly, there was a really good special on mimosas. After mimosa number three for me, we somehow got into a discussion about pets. It had been a few years since we’d had any animals in the house (our last few pets being cats who were tragically picked off one-by-one by roving coyotes), and Edie had been lobbying for a rabbit.

Frankly, we didn’t know the first thing about rabbits. I knew I liked them a lot because they were adorable, plus I figured they probably didn’t require much upkeep or attention. Put it in a cage, give it food and water and walk away… right? Despite our lack of knowledge or even research, on that Sunday morning - our judgment impaired by champagne and OJ - we made a commitment to Edie that she could have a rabbit. Hours later, we were at the local farm supply store picking a fluffy little harlequin bunny out of a litter. Edie was smitten with them all at first sight but she had her eye on one bun in particular and she scooped him out of the steel tub. 

I inquired with the kid helping us about what we may be getting ourselves into:

“How big will it get?”
“I donno.”
“Okay, how long do these things live?”
“I’m not really sure, people just bring these things in and we sell ‘em. Most people buy them to eat or feed their snakes and stuff.” 

That last sentence was all it took for me to blurt out “We’ll take it”! We proceeded to go on a buying spree, loading a pen, litterbox, feeder, water bottle, hay, pellets and litter onto a cart before heading home as a newly (hastily, ill-prepared) rabbit family.

Edith with "Bella" on April 28, 2019, on our ride home from Atwoods.

It’s nearly impossible to identify the sex of a tiny rabbit but I gave it a go anyway. I turned the little… erm, thing, upside down and spread all the fur out of the way. “Gotta be a girl” I said. Edith disagreed. “He can’t be a girl! He’s definitely a boy! He has a mohawk!” We all laughed but she was awfully convinced. Finally she gave in and came up with a girl’s name: Bella.

Since we were in our house at the time, we placed Bella’s cage near the foot of Edie’s bed. Bella stayed in the cage most of the day although we would get her out to play quite frequently. She grew fast, but she learned potty training very quickly too. The first months with Bella were going great - we really enjoyed the little personality of this animal and found that she was easy to care for. She didn’t stink, she didn’t eat too much, she didn’t bark or meow at all hours of the night, and she didn’t take up too much space! Heck, even if she pooped all over the house you just picked up the cocoa puffs and tossed them in the trash! Bella was adapting well and we were in love with her. Then the life changes came.

Time to Travel

A few months into our rabbit journey it became evident that we were going to begin traveling full-time in an RV. There were, of course, so many facets of our lives to consider when we made the decision: school, possessions, logistics, a mailing address, what to do with our house, which RV to buy, the list goes on and on… oh and what about Thumper? WAIT! Who’s Thumper? Well, turns out Bella got a little infection in the downstairs region and when I went to check her out I discovered that the boys had dropped, if ya know what I mean. When we broke the news to Edie she very nonchalantly pointed out that she had already told us he was a boy and knew all along. She dubbed him Thumper almost immediately. That name has since evolved into several variations including Big Thumps, Thumps, The Dude, Potato, The Loaf, and four or five others I can’t think of offhand. But anyway…

Sad to say, with everything happening in such a short amount of time we really didn’t have much time to think about Thumps or how he would take to the smaller space and all the travel. Frankly I didn’t think much about it at all. In my mind we would be riding in luxury, gliding down the road in our motorhome with all the civility and grace of a 747 cruising at altitude. Boy was I wrong. Our Thor Outlaw motorhome is, shall we say, not comfortable at speed. It’s loud - wind noise, tire noise and engine noise all cumulate in a symphony from hell. It’s also bumpy and wallows all over the road especially in windy conditions, which means everyone on board is subject to sudden nausea at any given time. When Tosha and I flew down to Florida and drove the RV back on a 25-hour trip we suddenly realized this might be a stressful living situation for The Dude. 

The good news is we did think a lot about where Thumps would stay in the rig. Because our RV is a toy hauler with a garage area in the back, we simply placed his cage in there. And since the garage floor is a rubber mat, we would leave the cage open and allow him free range of the entire back area. This was actually a big upgrade from his current “90% cage” lifestyle. We also had time to acclimate Thumps to travel. We took him on some car trips to Kansas and Texas during which we found that while he didn’t freak out, he wasn’t necessarily stoked about it either. We just needed to make him as comfortable as possible and hope for the best!

Evolution of the Accommodations

We’ve now been 2.5 years full-time in the RV with Thumps along for the ride. To say that we’ve learned A TON would be an understatement! I actually feel bad knowing that Thumper’s living conditions could have been so much better all along. Whereas we started with his metal 3x3’ cage with a metal grate floor and small gravity straw water bottle, he now has almost 100% free range of the whole RV! 

These days we’ve done away with the cage completely and instead use a full size litter box filled with wood pellet bedding and fresh hay. We buy $1.69 scrap carpet rugs from Walmart to place around his area which he really enjoys, and once they get too gross we simply toss and replace them! He also has a full size food dish (with a new diet of .5 cups of pellets/day) and automatic fresh water dish. Since his cage was his safe haven (albeit not a comfortable one) we keep his soft mesh carrier on the floor to give him some privacy when he wants to retreat. This is also helpful when we go on trips in the pickup, because he still feels like he has his “home” going along with him.

We also discovered pretty quickly that the garage area is the least insulated - and therefore loudest - part of the RV when we’re on the road. The cage was rattling loudly and the garage door tension spring clangs around over every bump. It’s a stressful area even for a human to be in! I did some soundproofing in the garage but we also try to convince Thumps to come up front during travel. Alas, he still prefers the back garage. It’s just where he feels safe. When it’s very hot he will sometimes lay up front near our seats, soaking up the dash A/C.

Cons of the RV Bunny

By this time you may be thinking about running out and buying a rabbit of your own to accompany you on your travels. It’s not quite that simple. Take it from us, you really need to consider how you plan to house your bunny (cage/free roam/combination?) and where you will put said accomodations in the rig. If you have a trailer setup this may be an especially difficult situation since you’ll either need to keep buns in the trailer during travel (unsafe and maybe a little cruel since buns will be alone and you don’t really know how loud and bouncy it is inside there) or up in the cab of the truck. The back-and-forth of going from the cab and trailer can create stress in-and-of-itself, although if you don’t move camps very frequently this is totally doable.

So you’ve got the bunny accommodations figured out! Now what can you expect from your RV pet? 

Well, they’re not perfect. In fact, they can be quite destructive little punks! Rabbits are constantly chewing, and they will find their own things to satisfy that need especially if they’re left without hay or food! [A timely note, as I was typing that sentence I had to stop and remove Edie’s drawing pad from Thumper’s mouth before he digested her artwork!] The biggest issue is that many rabbits (ours included) have a real taste for rubber and wiring. As you may know, RVs are full of wires and all of them are pretty dang important! We’ve had some wires under our dash snipped by Thumps, and our emergency brake pedal has felt the wrath of those chompers too (although that’s just superficial damage). Some rabbits also chew woodwork such as door edges, cabinetry, baseboards, etc. We have a few chomps out of our wall corners and cabinets here and there but thankfully our boy doesn’t seem to care too much for wood. 

The destructive nature of rabbits is certainly something to be aware of however it shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. Owning a rabbit in an RV is no different than owning one in a house in that sense - you simply have to be a diligent rabbit parent and bunny proof your home as much as possible. Keep toys, hay and chewables available at all times. Gate off any areas where the rabbit might do some especially serious damage (such as a driver’s area or under a power stair). Finally, invest in a foldable panel pen (X-pen) which can allow you to put the rabbit outside. This will give them some much-needed fresh air and natural foraging time. I also cannot downplay the importance of spending time with your rabbit as much as possible. Rabbits are “colony creatures'' and crave family and attention (even if at times they act like they don’t want it). They get bored and lonely quickly, so be prepared to commit!

The most important thing to remember when considering a rabbit in an RV however is their tolerance to travel. As I said we got quite lucky that Thumper tolerated travel in general, and even more so that he quickly adapted to the RV. Not all rabbits are this chill. In fact, the stress of travel can be so taxing on rabbits that it can make them physically ill or even kill them. By their nature, rabbits are a fragile and skittish animal who always thinks the worst of any situation. They’re built to be food and they know it. With that in mind, any new situation you would place your rabbit in should be done with great care. Adapting a bunny to the RV life should be done slowly and methodically. Only when you find the rabbit 100% comfortable with the RV and chaos of travel should you consider taking them along full time.

Why I think a rabbit is the perfect RV pet

Every pet has a pros and cons list, but I feel that the rabbit’s cons are awfully light when compared to the return in benefits! We have friends who carry their cats and dogs around with them and I gotta say, that just looks like a huge headache. Both cats and dogs also take joy in destroying stuff but usually to a much greater extent than a rabbit. Cats’ litter boxes stink almost instantly (and they just love dropping a bomb in that freshly-changed litter!). Dogs have to be walked and let out to do their business all the time. Both of them eat a ton more food than a rabbit too, which means more expense.

That’s enough with the comparisons to other animals - let’s focus on the underrated awesomeness that is the rabbit! 

Rabbits are super unique in the sense that they can be caged or free roam, they can be litterbox trained, and they have really neat personalities. They’re also not something you see every day! I’m always happy to see visitors’ faces light up when they poke their head into our RV and see Thumper. “OH MY GOSH YOU HAVE A BUNNY?!”... It never fails. Then they pet him. “OH MY GOSH HE’S SO SOFT!” We really enjoy sharing him with our friends and fellow campers. Kids all over the campground start to murmur about the family with the bunny and before you know it they all want to come see The Dude. 

I do have one more comparison to make to another animal: When people ask me what it’s like to have a pet rabbit, I always explain that it’s like having a cat. Like cats, most rabbits demand attention on their terms when they want it but don’t necessarily love it when you track them down looking for cuddles. Rabbits like to be in charge, too. In his own little mind, Thumps runs this household. He comes sliding in from the garage onto the laminate flooring like Kramer entering Seinfeld’s apartment, then he makes his rounds nudging each of our ankles looking for some pets or treats. *nudge nudge*  Nothing from that hooman. On to the next. * nudge nudge*... You put your hand out to pet him and he forces his head deep under your hand, which is a rabbit’s way of saying “I’m the boss, now groom me”. And we always do. As a side note, I must say that our Dude is a huge stress reliever for me. I’m prone to an occasional panic attack but when I feel one coming on I just sit on the floor and pet our rabbit. If I sit cross-legged he will lay his head in my lap and enjoy the pets. He grinds his teeth lightly, which is a rabbit’s way of purring and my stress melts away.

Again, when supplied properly rabbits’ litter does not stink. I’ve tried a lot of different things from cardboard to cedar (which is, come to find out, very bad for rabbits!) but I recently discovered wood bedding pellets thanks to a Facebook group and I’m absolutely floored at how well they hold down the pee scent. Not only do the wood pellets keep the bad smells down, they smell like fresh cut wood for over a week even without attention. Food wise, a half cup of pellets gets the job done along with a few handfuls of hay each day.

Choosing your bun

We highly recommend adoption if you are seeking a rabbit as a pet. There are many great agencies across the country which specialize in rabbits. Regardless of where you decide to get your rabbit you should try to spend some time around it before taking it home. Unless the rabbit is in very unfavorable conditions, it is best to acclimate the animal to you and your family before plucking it up and changing its life. I also recommend larger breeds for a few reasons: first, the larger the rabbit the more mellow the temperament (generally speaking). Second, there are lots of little nooks and crannies in an RV for a small animal to get into - some of which move! Imagine losing your rabbit in a slideout and unknowingly crushing her to death when retracting! Lastly, you can free roam a larger rabbit much easier than the smaller breeds which typically need a cage. 

Hopefully this blog was helpful in making your decision whether or not to try a rabbit as a pet in your RV! I’m not sure what we would do without Big Thumps clickety-clacking his way up and down the center or our rig every day.