Originally published in Pet Partners^® Newsletter, Vol. 8, No. 5, 1998

by Liz Teal

Pet Partner Diane Orr visited a men's prison with a basket tucked under her arm. When she told the inmates what was in the basket, they all broke out…laughing in disbelief! Next, her partner Chloe sat up and began to nonchalantly wash her face. This brought the house down! You've heard the saying, "laughter is the best medicine." This was especially true for a population which rarely laughs at all. But rabbits as visiting pets? What do they really do and how do the do it?

Partly because of the mythology that surrounds them, and because they are prey animals rather than predators, rabbits may provoke less anxiety in visiting situations than cats and dogs. According to Diane, "Rabbits are non-threatening…their soft coat, their gentle eyes, their breathing patterns…all portray vulnerability and innocence."

Rabbits are at home in therapeutic settings or activities and educational settings, and are an excellent choice for any population where touch is an issue. Everyone from burn patients to rape survivors benefits from the softness of a rabbit's fur. For example, Diane Orr and Chloe (a giant Angora) visit a pediatric unit, alleviating the stress and pain suffered by children undergoing cancer treatments.

Rabbits can be utilized to address quality-of-life issues such as stress, loneliness and the ability to give and receive love. In institutional settings where everything is done for you, rabbits fulfill a vital role with those that need to give and receive nurturing.

Smaller mammals used in pet visits often do not have their needs met with the same degree of effectiveness as do their canine counterparts. Like all Pet Partners, rabbits and their handlers must pass the Pet Partners Team Evaluation. If you are considering visiting with a bunny, you must be sure that the bunny wants to! To do otherwise is not just cruel, it can be fatal. Rabbits can go into shock when the stress level is more than they can tolerate. When asked to give advice about rabbits, Diane summarized the Pet Partners philosophy: "Make sure that you understand its personality. Not just any bunny can be a therapy bunny, nor can just any bunny go for visits. You must be able to anticipate what your rabbit may or may not do, be able to interpret its body language, and recognize when it is stressed and needs to be removed from the environment."

Visiting with rabbits is not without hazard. Like other small pets, bunnies should visit in baskets, cuddler beds or towels. Why should they be kept under wraps? For the safety of the bunny as well as the person being visited. Even a small dwarf can deliver quite a bruise if accidentally frightened, and a Flemish Giant can literally break ribs if he decides to leave the "lap of luxury" in a hurry. Surrounding rabbits in something secure helps keep them confident and relaxed as they get passed from one person to the next. It also ensures that they have a steady ready-made lap, as often the participants do not! While baskets are the cuter options as well as the cooler one, cuddler beds have a lot to recommend them. A cuddler bed is a covered foam circle or oval with padded sides – very soft when placed on someone's lap. Unlike baskets, they are easy to disinfect; just toss them in the wash. In some cases, wrapping the bunny in a towel provides a greater feeling of access for the participant. (If you use a towel, be aware that rabbits can overheat easily.)

Because rabbits are prey animals, people forget that rabbit teeth can be dangerous. To be fair, so do most rabbits! But inone instance where a resident put her finger in a rabbit's mouth and drew it across the teeth. The resident immediately began to bleed and screamed "Bunny bite!" There were enough witnesses to verify the handler's word that no bite took place, but it stands as a word of caution to all handlers. Rabbit teeth are quite sharp, especially when the skin of the population you visit is quite fragile.

With care and attention to their unique needs, rabbits can be effective and fulfilling Pet Partner teammates.