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Rabbit Rescues in Minnesota

Rabbits are the pet most often taken on as an easy first animal and least often researched first — they're social, long-lived, and they need a vet who actually treats rabbits.

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4 rescues

What a house rabbit actually needs

Rabbits get adopted on the assumption that they’re a small, quiet, low-effort animal. They are small and they are quiet. The rest of it depends on how much you know going in — and the good news is that the things worth knowing are short, specific, and all sourceable.

Find the vet first

Rabbits count as exotics, and plenty of perfectly good small-animal clinics don’t treat them. The House Rabbit Society’s advice is to find a rabbit-savvy veterinarian before you need one, and they maintain a finder for exactly that. A rabbit that stops eating is an urgent problem, and that is not the evening to start phoning around.

Space, and a lot more of it than you’d think

The modern setup is a pen in a room people use, not a hutch in a corner. The House Rabbit Society’s guidance is that a rabbit should get the opportunity to exercise at least four hours a day — around thirty hours a week — and they make the case for keeping rabbits indoors. Bunny-proofing is a real project. Cables, in particular, are chewable and fascinating.

They’re social animals

“Rabbits are social animals. They need relationships to thrive,” is the House Rabbit Society’s summary, and their position is that the vast majority of rabbits want the company of another rabbit. Bonding two rabbits is a gradual, occasionally frustrating process, which is why an already-bonded pair is worth asking about.

RHDV2 in Minnesota

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 is highly contagious and kills 70 to 90 percent of the rabbits it infects. It has been confirmed in Minnesota — the Board of Animal Health reported a case in Ramsey County and authorized licensed veterinarians to order and administer a vaccine.

It spreads by direct contact, and also indirectly: on clothing, on footwear, and on surfaces including cages, feed, water and bedding. There’s no risk to humans. The Board’s standing advice to rabbit owners is to practise good biosecurity, and its rabbit hemorrhagic disease page is where the current guidance lives. Whether to vaccinate is a conversation with your vet.

Before you apply

Rabbit rescues set their own adoption requirements, and some will want to talk about your housing setup in detail. We’re an independent directory and we’re not affiliated with any organization listed here, so check the specifics with them.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a special vet for a rabbit?
Effectively, yes — rabbits are exotics, and not every small-animal practice treats them. The House Rabbit Society's advice is not to wait until you have an emergency before you start looking, and they keep a finder for rabbit-savvy vets. Sorting this out before you bring a rabbit home is the single most useful thing on this page.
Should my rabbit live indoors or outside in a hutch?
The House Rabbit Society makes the case for indoors, and a pen in a shared room is now the common setup rather than a cage. Their guidance is that a rabbit should get the opportunity to exercise at least four hours a day, or around thirty hours a week — which is a lot easier to give a rabbit that lives in the house with you.
Should I adopt one rabbit or two?
The House Rabbit Society's position is that the vast majority of rabbits want the companionship of another rabbit. Introducing two isn't instant, though — bonding is a gradual process and it can go sideways, so it's worth asking a rescue whether they have a pair already bonded rather than assembling one yourself.
What is RHDV2, and does it affect Minnesota rabbits?
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 is a highly contagious rabbit disease that kills 70 to 90 percent of the rabbits it infects, and it has been confirmed in Minnesota — the Board of Animal Health reported a case in Ramsey County and authorized licensed veterinarians to order and administer a vaccine. It spreads on clothing, footwear and surfaces as well as by direct contact, and it poses no risk to humans. Ask your vet whether vaccination makes sense for your rabbit.

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