06/30/2026
Maybe Rabbits Aren’t for You
Rabbits carry a variety of opportunistic bacteria and parasites, meaning these organisms usually live quietly in the rabbit without causing illness. They only become a problem when the rabbit is stressed, immunocompromised, or otherwise unable to keep them in check.
Some of the most common ones include:
• Pasteurella multocida - a respiratory bacterium many rabbits acquire early in life
• Bordetella bronchiseptica - often carried silently and can flare under stress
• Coccidia - intestinal parasites that most rabbits are exposed to
• E. cuniculi (EC) - a microsporidian parasite carried by a large percentage of domestic rabbits
These are not rare. They are not signs of “bad breeding.” They are simply part of rabbit biology.
Opportunistic pathogens are organisms that:
• live in or on the rabbit normally
• cause no symptoms under stable conditions
• take advantage of stress, injury, or immune suppression
So when a rabbit gets sick, it is usually not because of a brand new exposure.
It’s because something the rabbit was already carrying finally had the opportunity to overgrow.
A rabbit getting sick under stress does NOT mean it has a weak immune system.
Every living creature gets sick at some point.
Stress suppresses the immune system that’s basic physiology, not poor genetics.
Transport, shows, rehoming, heat, bonding, pregnancy, and even routine vet visits can all temporarily weaken a rabbit’s immune defenses. That’s normal.
A single illness after a stressful event does not indicate:
• weak genetics
• poor care
• bad breeding
• “dirty” rabbits
• someone “selling sick animals”
It indicates the rabbit is… a rabbit.
What does indicate a weak immune system?
A genuinely weak immune system shows up as:
• chronic, recurring infections
• multiple illnesses with no stress trigger
• poor recovery even with treatment
• failure to thrive
• consistent symptoms across multiple life stages
• siblings or close relatives with the same pattern
One isolated illness after transport or showing is not a weak immune system.
It’s normal biology under pressure.
Every year, when shows and transport pick up, so does the fear mongering. The blame. The finger pointing and accusations. The you sold me a sick rabbit drama.
But the reality is simple. All rabbits carry pathogens. All rabbits will get sick at some point. Most breeders, transporters, and exhibitors are not moving sick animals. Stress is the trigger, not moral failure.
And if you can’t handle the fact that rabbits get sick under stress, you’re going to spend a lot of time angry at people who didn’t actually do anything wrong.
And honestly, the lack of knowledge or worse, the willful refusal to learn, just to create drama or justify blame is a huge part of why I don’t breed anymore. People become hateful over things that are completely normal in rabbits. It’s exhausting watching basic biology turned into accusations, conspiracy theories, and character attacks. If understanding the reality of rabbit health is too much, then maybe rabbits truly aren’t the right species for you.
