Are rabbits easy first-time pets?

Unfortunately, rabbits are often mistaken as easy first-time pets. They are, in fact, not exactly low maintenance at all!

Rabbits can get sick easily and requires immediate attention. A common health issue in rabbits is stasis – if a rabbit stops eating for more than 12 hours, it is life-threatening and is considered an emergency. For more information: What is an emergency?
Rabbits require a specific diet. A rabbit with a poor diet can get sick easily. Please read ‘What do rabbits eat?‘ for more information.
Rabbits require exercise time. It is outdated and not recommended for rabbits to live in small hutches anymore. Rabbits require at least 4 hours of free-roam/exercise time to keep them active and healthy!
Rabbits need grooming and regular health checks. Regular grooming is important as rabbits cannot cough up fur balls like cats and can get sick from ingesting too much fur. It is recommended for rabbits to obtain a health check and vaccination every 6 months with a rabbit-savvy vet.
Rabbits are chewers. You need to bunny-proof your house. That means tucking away and creating barriers to places where you don’t want your rabbit to have access to. Rabbits particularly love chewing expensive cables, such as phone charging cables, laptop cables and headphones cables. They often mistaken them as ‘spicy’ hay!

But with a responsible and knowledgeable owner who has a lot of love, a pet rabbit is so worth it!