Believe it or not, rabbits, just like a lot of animals, can make wonderful therapy pets. Lots of our customers claim that it is very therapeutic to groom an Angora rabbit. It is also a wonderful companion pet. Not every rabbit or even English Angora rabbit makes a great pet. This is why we are selective on which bunnies we recommend using for this program.
I’m sure there are other rabbit breeds that are friendly but the English Angora breed of rabbit is known for their sweet temperaments and the original “puppy dog bunny”.
We have many requests for bunnies to be used for therapy pets. This is sometimes just for family pets or someone purchases one for a family member or friend to be used as their therapy pet. Some people request a therapy bunny so they can travel with it to places like nursing homes to bring joy to the elderly. Some even want a bunny to travel with them while they work.
How do you train a bunny to be a therapy pet? For the English Angora breed, it is really more simple than you would think. They are exposed to a lot more than most of our rabbits and we spend a lot more individual time with the therapy bunnies. Not all bunnies have good personalities. One very important thing to note is that some rabbits mature at 6 months of age and can change in personality due to hormones. It is a very good idea to have your bunny altered (spayed or neutered) at 5-6 months of age so they can stay calm and friendly without aggressive hormonal behavior affecting their personality. I highly recommend altering therapy bunnies!
Since it takes extra work to train a therapy bunny, there can be higher costs in purchasing them. Some people love raising therapy bunnies. It is very rewarding to know that your bunnies are putting a smile on someone’s face that otherwise would be dealing with possible depression or sadness. This is just one more benefit to own the English Angora breed…their kindness rubs off.
