How to Find a Good Rabbit Sitter
By: Cait Reizman and Matt Cummins
Leaving your rabbit at home when you travel can be a stressful experience for both you and your bunny. Here are some tips to help you find care you can trust.
Use Social Media
Search your socials for rabbit lover groups in your area. For example, we’ve found great bunny sitters through the Rabbits of the Bay Area Facebook group. Get creative with your searches—try looking for vet tech groups, pet care forums, or even community college job boards. Nextdoor is another good app to try.
Try Rover
Rover is a website and app that helps pet owners find sitters in their area. You can filter your search based on whether you want drop-in visits, house sitting, or boarding. For each sitter, it will show you reviews from other pet owners who’ve hired them, and at no extra charge, the sitter will come to your home for a meet-and-greet before you leave. Their website is set up only with dogs and cats in mind–in fact, you will need to say you have a cat when you register because there’s no bunny option. But it’s very easy to make it clear in your profile pictures and description that you actually have rabbits. Similarly, many pet sitters will identify if they have rabbit experience in their profile bios, and you can find proof in the comments left by reviewers. One downside we've encountered with Rover is that sitters aren't required to find a substitute if they cancel last-minute—which once left us scrambling. Something to keep in mind!
Leverage Work Social Channels
If your workplace has Slack channels or email listservs for special interests, post a message there. Even if there’s no dedicated rabbit group, general pet lovers might be interested—or know someone to recommend. A coworker is likely to take earning your trust seriously, making them a safer choice than a total stranger.
Consider Boarding
Many rabbit shelters offer boarding services for around the same cost per day that a pet sitter might charge for a single drop-in visit. You can rest easy knowing that your bun is in the full-time care of rabbit experts. Low-cost grooming services are often offered as add-ons during their stay–an extra win if you dread cutting your rabbit’s nails. You also get to know that the boarding fee you’ve paid goes to supporting the shelter. Boarding does mean your rabbit will be in an unfamiliar environment, which can be stressful for some bunnies. Also, shelters often book up quickly, especially around holidays, so it’s smart to reserve a spot well in advance.
Be a ‘Bunny Person’ Loud and Proud
Wear a bunny t-shirt, carry a rabbit-themed tote, or put a rabbit doormat at your front door—you’ll be amazed how many fellow rabbit owners will find you! Getting to know these other bunny lovers in your area can lead to swapping pet-sitting services with people who truly understand rabbit care.
