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If you want to make life much better according to Dr Jennifer Kim of Centre Street Dental in Casino, NSW, just get yourself a dozen pet rabbits.
“Lucy, Binky, Chilli, B1, Bingo, Skunk and Midnight are just some of the names of my 12 pet rabbits. Each one has its own distinct personality so even if they all look identical, I can tell them apart. They may not have as big personalities as dogs but they’re affectionate, confident and beautiful animals. I really can’t imagine being without them.
“I’ve always had a strong inclination towards animals and growing up, I had pet mice, rats, Guinea pigs, rabbits and dogs. All of these lived in apartments in Sydney. My parents loved their little Bichon Frisé dog but I’m pretty sure they hated my rats and mice—though they never said anything.
“During my second year of dental school in 2022, my partner and I decided to get one rabbit as a pet. It completely trashed our apartment and cost us thousands of dollars in repairs and cleaning. The obvious answer was to get another rabbit and, fortunately, things changed for the better.
“We started observing the behaviour of these rabbits and found them to be fascinating. The rabbits, Lucy and Binky, bred and it spiralled out of control. Before we could get them all desexed, another litter was born. Then another. And another. We didn’t keep all of them, just our favourite dozen.
“Over the past couple of years, our lives have been dictated by our rabbits. They are the main reason we moved from our apartment into a house with a huge backyard. I found a rural job I love in the Northern Rivers town of Casino. My partner built a gigantic hutch that’s bunny paradise. It has six levels and each rabbit has its own little apartment. They have free-range access to the most beautiful yard and just frolic around. There’s also a separate cage connected to their hutch so they have a protected outdoor area at all times.
“I also love gardening and grow sugar snap peas, carrots and lettuce for the rabbits. The thing I love about my rabbits is that they’re all so quirky and entertaining. We sit on our patio and watch them for hours. We don’t watch television; we watch our rabbits. That’s the best part of our day.
“I wake up early every morning so I can spend an hour with the rabbits. When I get home from work, I park the car out front and walk to the backyard to see the rabbits. After a hard day, a dozen pet rabbits just makes you feel better about everything.”
