Held on the fourth weekend of September every year, International Rabbit Day celebrates the rabbit and encourages its protection. Rabbits are playful, sensitive animals that build relationships with one another.
While domestic rabbits are popular pets, wild ones are viewed as pests by many. Thousands of rabbits are killed each year from hunting for meat and fur, and thousands more spend their lives in captivity, used for cosmetic and medical testing.
The House Rabbit Society maintains that “Domestic rabbits are companion animals and should be afforded at least the same individual rights, level of care, and opportunity for longevity as commonly afforded to dogs and cats who live as human companions.”
Quick rabbit facts
- Baby rabbits are called kittens
- Like kittens, rabbits pur when they are happy
- Rabbits are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk
- Unlike other household pets, rabbit’s teeth and nails don’t stop growing
- Rabbits like their space, and get irritable if you encroach on it
