I admit, I experienced major adoption regret soon after bringing home my bunnies, Betty and Elvis. After all the cuteness overload and excitement subsided, reality sunk in... I knew they werenât easy pets, but I wasnât exactly prepared for the perpetual chaos only a house rabbit parent would come to know!
After getting a handle on the basics like learning which hay to feed, where to buy it, litter training, scary GI stasis, finding a trusty rabbit-savvy vet, etc⌠I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Allow me to start with a short list of things my sweet Betty has destroyed:Â
Sofa ($1,400)
Cushion covers ($100)
Throw pillows / blankets ($150)
Woven rug ($400)
Vintage side tables ($150)
Duvet cover ($80)
Dining set ($650)
Clothes, shoes, books⌠($2,000+)
So far, thatâs well over $4k worth of damage (and Iâm probably forgetting a lot more)! This didnât even include the additional money I've spent to replace or fix anything yetâŚÂ
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Betty kept chewing and destroying all of my thingsâfrom baseboards, my furniture, electrical cords, clothes, and more⌠It was a nightmare.Â
- I was extremely frustrated, constantly cleaning my rabbitsâ messy hay. I kept finding it in weird places! It was everywhere. All. The. TimeâŚÂ
- And to be totally honest, felt too embarrassed to invite people over. The thought of friends and family judging my chaotic rabbit lifestyle kept me up at night.Â
- To top it all off, my bunnies didnât show much affection, making it really hurt. I mean, what was the point of putting in all of this hard work and effort if they didnât even want to cuddle??
My house was a mess, my social life took a hit, and my bunnies didnât seem to love me back. I felt a lot of shame and guilt for getting myself into this situation.Â
I reached a breaking point.Â
But I already fell in love with these little floofs regardless of the heartache! I loved every cute little thing they did⌠How they wiggled their noses⌠Washed their adorable faces with their paws⌠And dramatically flop over when theyâre content⌠Or joyfully do a full-body binky! I mean come on! đĽ˛
 
So I refused to give them up and to be part of the abandonment problem (and risk feeling even worse).
With a master's degree in architecture and a career in design, Iâve always been passionate about creatively solving problems. I decided to put my skills to the test and was determined to figure out how to convince them to love me AND finally get my life back!Â
So how did I create the meaningful life I wanted for me and my bunnies?Â
Once I realized that making your house rabbit part of your everyday life was the secret to earning their trust, the real challenge becameâŚ
âŚHow to finally prevent bunstruction?
âŚHow to keep our space from being taken over by messy hay?
âŚHow to make their setup blend in and look presentable?
âŚAnd how to make everything generally easier?
I want to be very clear, I didnât magically stop my bunnies from being bunnies. They still love to chew and dig. They still hate being picked up or held. And they're not always perfect!
I made a commitment to understand them better, and meaningfully share my life with them with more compassion, harmony, and peace. Instead of trying to change my rabbits, I transformed our space and our daily routines.
For me, that was the only path forward and totally worth it.
So after nearly a decade of trial and error, endless nights of research, and using design-focused problem-solving, I cracked the code.
- I diligently and effectively rabbit-proof my home, without NIC grids everywhere.
- I made inherently rabbit-friendly choices when replacing furniture/home decor.
- I created a setup that seamlessly blends with my living room (where I spend the most time), allowing me to maximize bonding time with my bunniesâwhether thatâs for full- or part-time free roamers, adapting products made for cats or dogs, making DIY solutions, or investing in premium furniture solutions made just for bunnies.
- I provided outlets for their natural chewing and digging instincts that they actually preferred more than my stuff.
- I massively saved time cleaning messy hay by streamlining their litter box routines.
- And I earned their trust through compassion and respect, fostering a loving bond.
Making these shifts and creatively transforming our space, finally got my life back and more!Â
(Psst... Our free comprehensive bun-home guide shows you how to do everything above!)
I absolutely love the adorable life I created for me and my bunnies. Betty and Elvis are now 11 and 9 years old, and so much happier and more affectionate. We enjoy mornings sipping coffee together, workdays from home in each otherâs company, and evenings unwinding while watching our favorite shows. Betty will give us kisses while Elvis will nudge our feet when he wants nose rubs.Â
Once in a blue moon, my bunnies will manage to find something to take a nibble out of, but the chaos is no more. I only have to deal with messy hay twice a week and got our litter box routine down to 60 seconds flat. Making these mindful alternations to our space has saved me an immense amount of time, money, and stress in the long run.Â
Beyond that, our home is a peaceful backdrop to our shared moments and Iâm no longer embarrassed to have people over! In fact, itâs so much fun wowing guests with how sophisticated my house buns really are, helping raise awareness one convo at a time. âWhat?? Is that a bunny? Rabbits can be litter box trained like cats, and live as long as dogs?â
I ultimately shed those negative feelings of shame and guilt, letting me focus on building the loving relationship that my bunnies and I deserved.Â
We just get each other now.Â
Thanks so much for being here and reading our bunny story <3
My mission is to spread joy in this world through our love of pet bunnies, by making it easier and more beautiful to live with them.
I want everybun to enjoy the magical art of living with house rabbits harmoniouslyâwhether that's through our innovative bunny products, our dedicated house rabbit community, or our free bun-home guide!
Letâs elevate bunnies together!
Yours truly,
Jeni Nguyen (+ Betty & Elvis)
Bun-mom & Founder at BINK Rabbit Goods