Rule of 3’s

What is 3-3-3 in animal rescue?

We always make sure adopters are aware of the rule of 3’s. It’s beneficial for adopters, so they don’t have unrealistic expectations of their bunny upon bringing them home.

The first 3 days you bring a new bunny home, they will be scared. They may just want to hide or regress into themselves, as everything has changed for them - again - and they’re overwhelmed.

After 3 weeks, they begin to settle in and recognize that your home is possibly their forever home. They are getting the hang of their new routine and starting to let their guard down.

3 months after bringing a bunny home, they’ll (typically) be completely comfortable and you’ll begin truly bonding with them. They’re set in their routine and realize you’re their forever family.

So often we see people get bunnies elsewhere and then submit a surrender request within 1-2 weeks of having them.

People literally give up on them because these prey animals “don’t warm up fast enough” or the owners say they “don’t like me.” It’s one of the main reasons people submit surrender request forms. They just give up without understanding that their environment is new and scary for the rabbit.

We think one of the reasons our return rates are 15% less than the national average, is because of this rule. Adopters understand the complexities of bunnies, thanks to our free education course, and know they’ll have to be patient once their new furry family member is home.

What do you think? Have you heard of this before?