Is keeping Rabbits bad for the environment?

Question

I'm thinking about getting a couple of rabbits from a rescue centre. I kept rabbits when I was younger and remember the huge amounts of sawdust and hay we had to buy and throw away while keeping them. Surely this can't be good for the environment can it?

I'll be keeping them regardless of this because they'd still get through the same amount in a rescue shelter but is there an environmentally friendly way of keeping them?

They'll be outside during the day when the weather's good so they won't soil any sawdust etc then but at night they'll need bedding.

I was thinking shredded scrap paper could be used but the ink probably wouldn't be good for them and then it couldn't be recycled afterwards so again, waste.

Any ideas? Thanks :o)

Answer 1

We have two bunnies, great for using up vegetable scraps from the kitchen.  They love hay.  Ours are litter trained, (very easy to do, just watch where they do their business and put a tray there), you can buy compostable, biodegradable litter in pet shops.  The soiled bedding, droppings and litter all go in my compost bin.  Newspaper is fine to use also, again, just put it in your compost bin. (if you have got a compost bin, or space to house one, see if a friend wants the litter - it really makes the first class compost!)

Answer 2

I am sure its not bad for the generic environment however it's important to ensure their own environment is adequate. There are some guidelines from the RSPCA on the space required for bunnies. Indoor or outdoor, the bulk of their food shoul be hay supplimented with all in one pellets rather than the mixed bunny food one can get. Special treats include spinach and broccoli and green peppers. Dandylion leaves (but not too many and not the flowers) and carrots and celery on occassions. Do not give them ordinary lettuce such as iceberg as its not very good for them and bunnies have sensative tummies. Apparently romaine lettuce is ok. I have had numerous bunnies over the years and just got two sisters recently. They are lovely Rex rabbits so the epitome of the velveteen rabbit (if you have read the story as a kid).

Thinking about the bedding etc... I use wood shavings (these are bodegradable) just in their litter area and straw as bedding with tons of hay to munch. Anyway enjoy them when you get them :)

Answer 3

NO

Answer 4

Sawdust is is a waste product so you are recycling by using it.  It is probably compostable.

Answer 5

rabbit litter is organic I dig it into my flower garden I also use a organic litter called 'sweat scoop' it is made from grain husks and is very green friendly and can be dug into the garden as well and is better than kitty litter or clay based litters.We feed ours apple peelings,carrot peelings,cucumber peelings they are sort of  composting units.PS my flower garden is the talk of the neighbourhood and people don't believe it is due to the bunnies p**p

Answer 6

You and a couple of rabbits cannot effect the climate or harm the environment.

Have fun and enjoy the hassenpfeffer.

Answer 7

Rabbits can easily be litter trained like a cat. They have litter boxes for rabbits and you use cat litter. All of the rabbits i've owned used a litter box. It makes things a lot easier :-)

Answer 8

are you keeping them inside or outside?? hey or shredded newspaper would probably work well as bedding. (i don't think you need to worry too much about ink) when i had rabbits, we used hey which is natural and decomposes, it also kept them warm in the winter ( we kept ours outdoors)

anyway rabbits are MUCH more environmentally friendly than cats or dogs because rabbits are herbivores and so their f***s makes wonderful manure and decomposes easily into the ground. (to be more eco-friendly dig a hole in your backyard to compost their waste - newspaper scraps and hey can go there also to decompose.  Landfills get too much waste everyday (too many are full these days) and things don't decompose well in them becasue landfills are airtight disrupting air from assisting naturall decomposition.)

Feed your rabbits veggie table scraps - left over carrots, lettuce, things from your salad, veggies from your garden(if you have one)  remember - the food you purchase used lot's of resources to be grown, packaged, and shipped.

enjoy your rabbits!! :)

Answer 9

Pet rabbits are not bad for environment but I find their lack of freedom distressing. This is why I have stopped keeping them. I did have "house" rabbits once but they chewed up the walls  Do you want a rabbit hutch?