JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: This is Smokey, my pet rabbit.

Rabbits are the third most popular pet in the world, after dogs and cats.

But if you want a bunny buddy, there are some things you should know.

(Music) KENNEDY: I think I want to get a rabbit for a pet.

PAIGE: But you don't know anything about rabbits.

KENNEDY: Well, I bet Joan could help me.

Joan, could you teach me more about rabbits?

CARTAN-HANSEN: You bet.

Let's go to expert.

Dr. Marcie Logsdon is an exotic animal veterinarian and teaches at Washington State University.

DR. MARCIE LOGSDON: So, a lot of the things that people think about with rabbits are things that are relatively unique to rabbits.

So, of course, the big thing is they're really big ears.

Rabbits have very, very good hearing, and part of that is as again, a predator escape mechanism.

They want to be able to hear if anything is coming up on them, and so they can actually turn their ears to help locate where that sound is coming from.

It's kind of like turning a satellite dish.

They're just trying to funnel the sound more directly and down to their inner ears so they can hear it better.

CARTAN-HANSEN: And each ear can turn independently.

The next special thing about a rabbit: its nose.

LOGSDON: Their nose is absolutely adorable, and a lot of people absolutely love their nose because they will, they're so expressive with it.

CARTAN-HANSEN: Rabbits have soft fur.

It helps them stay warm, so pet rabbits need to get out of the heat of the summer.

Rabbits don't sweat like we do.

They cool off using blood flow in their ears.

And unlike cats and dogs, rabbits have a short little tail.

Rabbits have long, strong hind legs to help them run fast.

And their teeth.that's the reason why rabbits are not considered to be rodents.

LOGSDON: They actually have a couple of extra teeth hiding behind those two front upper incisors, and those teeth are called peg teeth, and that's something that no rodents have.

CARTAN-HANSEN: Rabbits' teeth continue to grow their whole lives, so they need to chew on things to keep their teeth worn down.

Their eyes are set high and on the side of their heads so they can see in almost all directions, even behind and above.

Their only blind spot is directly in front.

And rabbits have an extra clear eyelid, so sometimes it looks like a rabbit is sleeping with its eyes open.

LOGSDON: Another interesting thing about bunnies is that they produce two different kinds of poop.

So, one is your typical little dry round pellet that most people think of when they think of bunny poop.

They're essentially the very, very end, the last bit of the digestion where there's not any sort of nutrients left to be had.

The other kind of poop that bunnies make are called cecotropes.

And these are, they look like small little bunches of grapes.

They're produced in the secum, and they have nutrients still left to be consumed.

CARTAN-HANSEN: Rabbits are very clean and can be litterbox trained.

What else do you need to know?

KENNEDY: How do rabbits communicate?

CARTAN-HANSEN: Rabbits do make a few sounds, but mostly rabbits communicate with body language.

LOGSDON: If a bunny is curious and it's coming up towards you, wiggling the ears, wiggling the nose, those are all signs that they're relatively comfortable and that they want to kind of engage or that they think you're getting ready to give 'em a treat.

Tense body language is going to be a sign that a rabbit is a little bit more concerned or upset as opposed to you kind of picture your bunny of when they flop out on their side and they're all super relaxed.

So, a lot of body language, some little bit of body language too, kind of up in the face, but that can be harder to see are their cheeks really tight?

Are there ears kind of pinched and held back?

And those are some of the signs that they might not be super happy.

And too, whether or not they're moving towards or away from you or another rabbit is another big sign.

CARTAN-HANSEN: Happy bunnies also do something called a binky, as demonstrated by YouTube bunny star Sanbei.

LOGSDON: So, a binky is when they jump up into the air and they kind of kick their feet out at the same time.

KENNEDY: That looks great!

So, what do I need before I adopt my bunny?

CARTAN-HANSEN: You need a large enough space for them to live.

Some people let rabbits free roam about their house or part of their house.

But you do need to bunny-poof that space.

Because rabbits will chew on things like wood and wires.

They need their own litter box.

And rabbits need clean bedding and their own food and water bowls.

LOGSDON: One of the biggest challenges is making sure that they are getting an appropriate diet.

And so, to keep those teeth healthy, they really need to be eating a lot of high-fiber stuff like hay.

Hay is a really, really big component of their diet if they're being kept as a pet.

CARTAN-HANSEN: Rabbits need their nails trimmed periodically and should be spayed or neutered.

Rabbits need company, so you should plan to spend some time with your bunny each day.

But rabbits don't like to be picked up.

Instead, they like to come to you for a head scratch and an ear rub.

LOGSDON: I like rabbits because they've got a lot going on that's not necessarily apparent.

A lot of people think that bunnies are just these cute little fluffy passive things, and really that's not the case.

They have tons and tons of personality.

Every rabbit is an individual, they definitely have ways of telling you what they think about a certain situation, and so you have to work to gain the affection of a bunny.

KENNEDY: Okay, I think I know what I need to have in order to adopt a pet bunny.

PAIGE: Well, if you're going to hold the rabbit, you really need to support its feet and hold it carefully.

Rabbits have fragile spines and could hurt themselves if they fall.

KENNEDY: How did you know that?

PAIGE: I was listening to the Science Trek podcast, duh.

CARTAN-HANSEN: If you want to learn more about rabbits, check out the Science Trek website.

You'll find it at Science Trek dot org.

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