In the past, animals wearing custom-made clothing might have been something people would have casually thought of as a joke. Imagine a few ranchers sitting around a fire, tossing around a joke about a cow wearing another rancher’s hat better than he could.
In today’s modern age, animals can wear clothing and other suitable items, whether for fashion or utility. However, the real question is, can rabbits wear harnesses?
Rabbits can indeed wear harnesses. However, before you go for a jaunt to your local pet store and seek out some of the best harnesses that money can buy, you’ll want to be well equipped on what kind of harnesses your rabbit can wear and what the stipulations on ones they cannot. You also want to know how safe they are to begin with.
As a bit of a precaution, just because your rabbit can technically wear harnesses doesn’t necessarily mean that they should, nor does it specifically indicate that your rabbit is warm to the idea of wearing one. Unfortunately, if your rabbit doesn’t like the idea or gets aggressive or frightened, you might have to abandon the idea entirely.
Still, for those bunny owners who want to help their little fur ball wear a harness (for several reasons), we will teach you how to do so correctly. We will also review the different harness categories and which is best for your rabbit to wear. For more information, we highly encourage you to continue reading.
Should Rabbits Wear a Harness?
The million-dollar question itself, and the answer is, truthfully, no, rabbits should not wear a harness. This is simply because harnesses can hinder their movement and traumatize them if you are too forceful to get them fitted for them or put them on wrong.
Assuming you would like to advocate for hypotheticals, you could lean towards the ideology that a rabbit who lives expressly in an enclosure could greatly appreciate the freedom from wearing a harness and being allowed to explore larger areas safely.
Digging deeper, you would have to ask yourself, what would be the biggest factors preventing you from making the area safe for your rabbit to explore within reason but not safe enough to be allowed complete freedom? Dangerous areas, other pets, and similar issues could be valid possibilities, but you wouldn’t place the rabbit there.
The harness size or type could also make a big difference in getting your rabbit into one and, even more importantly, in how easily the harness comes off.
For example, suppose you get a harness that doesn’t fit tightly around your rabbit’s back or neck. In that case, your bunny might be more inclined to let you attempt putting one on. But, be warned, because it will only take a handful of poor experiences before your rabbit abhors the idea entirely and will begin resenting you for trying.
Is It Safe to Put a Harness on Your Rabbit?
Yes, it is possible to put a harness on your rabbit safely. Still, this possibility hinges on two critical factors: your knowledge of how to appropriately and safely do so and your rabbit being comfortable enough with you to trust your discernment in doing so and finally allow you to try.
Combining those three what-if scenarios into a singular attempt can be tricky even for the most experienced hands. Still, it can be done if you are eager to attempt it.
If you would like a more visual representation of how to do it properly, your local pet store can offer a step-by-step tutorial and allow you to try it with a comfortable rabbit.
We will discuss below how to secure a harness on your rabbit in the safest fashion, but it is imperative to understand that this assumes your rabbit is willing and that you have some degree of knowledge beforehand.
What Harness Is Best for Your Rabbit?
The best harness for your rabbit should be easy to put on or take off, have ample room in the neck area so as not to restrict breathing or become a hazard if your pet strays too far from you, and not put pressure on your rabbit’s back, as this can easily injure the animal.
Other things to consider are the harness’s specific material, size or shape, and what additional safety precautions are available to get your pet out of it in an emergency.
1. Different Harness Categories
There are several different harness designs you can choose from. Still, the best technical kind is two different types (occasionally, certain brands combine both and make something unique). These two are the “H”-shaped designs that are incredibly easy to put on, take off, and use.
The second kind is adjustable harnesses, which differ slightly due to their bits and bots, allowing your rabbit to have a custom fit for its new adventures. Even more to the point, these harnesses will give you some wiggle room for utilizing the harness throughout most stages of your rabbit’s life instead of repeatedly purchasing different sizes as they get bigger.
One quick bit of information to be wary of before moving on is that the leash should never attach directly to the harness collar. A loop, ring, or similar attachment point should be located alongside the back of the harness. This evenly distributes the pull to your rabbit’s entire body and poses no risk to their health.
2. Different Materials Being Used for a Rabbit Harness
Rabbit harnesses come in as many flavors as the food they can eat. Nylon, neoprene, cotton, breathable mesh, and other synthetic fibers are used to make rabbit harnesses, but neoprene is typically viewed as the go-to for most rabbit harness enthusiasts due to its durability, price availability, and stylized color schemes.
Before purchasing a harness for your rabbit, double-check all materials used in its construction. Some companies and people are willing to cut corners to turn a profit, and while this might not matter to them, it probably does to you as a pet owner. Look out for brands that don’t have strong visibility in the industry, poor reviews noting issues in design, or outright safety risks.
How to Use a Rabbit Harness
The most simplistic way to use a rabbit harness is to approach your rabbit calmly and gently secure the top part of the harness around its neck first. If your rabbit panics or attempts to flee, take a small break to reassure it and calm it down.
After getting the neck portion all, you’ll want to rotate the harness to secure the lower portion around the middle back of your rabbit, taking the same time and consideration displayed before, petting and reassuring your bun to the best of your ability.
As a rule of thumb, the harness should almost always have at least two fingers’ worth of room around the neck portion of the collar to guarantee your rabbit has enough room to breathe and that it won’t get hurt while utilizing its newfound freedom.
Can You Take Rabbits on Walks?
Taking your rabbit on a walk sounds like a fantastic idea, but the problem quickly changes to “where” you are taking your rabbit on walks. Rabbits are typically cautious and skittish, scared of loud noises, sudden movements, and unexpected approaches. A sidewalk, for example, is a poor choice, as other larger animals or even cars can terrify your rabbit.
Good alternatives would be secured backyards, which have been double-checked to ensure that other larger animals (cats, dogs, and the like) are not looming, and which are significantly far away from streets so that the hustle and bustle of local people don’t jar your pet into an escape attempt.
Can a Bunny Wear a Cat Harness?
No, your bunny cannot and should not wear a cat harness. The biggest reason you’d want to avoid this would be the specific design dimensions you wish to adhere to. Cats are shaped differently than rabbits, so they won’t be as compatible, and it can either put your rabbit at risk or not fit properly and allow them to escape.
Regardless of which possibility is more likely, the safest choice is to go with a harness that is specifically intended for rabbits. Even if a manufacturer claims they have a (multi-pet harness), this is likely just false advertising and something more of a cash grab than a product you’d want to endorse for your animals.
Why Can’t Rabbits Wear Collars?
Rabbits cannot wear collars as they can tighten around your rabbit’s throats, constricting their breathing and potentially making them panic. When panic sets in, your rabbit may begin to frantically thrash about in an attempt to escape, fearing for their life.
In these bouts, your rabbit has a very high chance of critically injuring itself simply by slamming into something or even falling into holes or other places it isn’t supposed to be. Additionally, the collar itself can get tangled too tightly in these panics and directly harm your animal, never mind the understanding that collars provide no support for the rest of their body.
The final reason is that rabbits have extremely fragile spines, making handling difficult. You can only imagine the problems of utilizing a product that doesn’t specifically cater to your animal’s safety when it is such a glaring risk.
Alternatives to Harness Use
Using a harness isn’t the best choice for everyone, there is no question about it, but your rabbit doesn’t necessarily need to be barred from experiencing some well-deserved exploration time when they have been good fluffs, some fantastic options to circumvent harnessing your rabbit include small sheet metal panel fencing, which can be placed in just about a moments notice, sectioning off portions of your backyard with large scale enclosures, or even just a small room in your home that you have “rabbit proofed”.
You can get as creative as you want with options like these. You only need to ask yourself: “Can my rabbit escape to a place I cannot safely reach?” “Is my rabbit safe from itself and other objects/animals?” “Does my rabbit have access to water and food here?” and “Can I easily put my rabbit back in its enclosure quickly, if I needed to?”
If you can comfortably answer yes to these questions, then going free range or pseudo-free range with isolated environments might be a better option for you and your fluffy pal.
Are Some Rabbit Breeds Better to Leash Train Than Others?
Yes, but in truth, these differences in breeds are minimal at best. Technically speaking, Dutch rabbits might make a prime candidate for harness training as they are usually very intelligent rabbits with a vast amount of patience for interaction and human touch.
When you combine these traits, it only makes sense that you would have a much better chance at convincing them to wear a harness than other breeds, but the brutal truth is that it boils down to your rabbit’s specific personality.
As noted above, some rabbits are much more reclusive and skittish than normal, and sadly enough, it may never be possible to harness train these kinds of rabbits, as they might feel that they are being hunted or caught in something, leading to panic we spoke of earlier, which is better left avoided.
Final Words
A rabbit can wear a harness if it is up to the challenge of learning how to get into one in the first place. Suppose you are mentally prepared for the possibility of them NOT wanting to wear one. In that case, it’s better to accept that concept as a possibility than to attempt to strong-arm your rabbit into one, as doing so will not end well for you or your relationship with your wonderful little pet.
Lastly, we hope this article was helpful and educational for you. Now, you can go confidently knowing that your rabbit can wear a harness, but use any precautions before putting it on. If you need any other help with rabbits, we encourage you to read our other articles for more information.
