title: A survey exploring factors associated with 2890 companion-rabbit owners' knowledge of rabbit care and the neuter status of their companion rabbit.
abstract: Pet owners' knowledge of pet care has been shown to affect the human-animal relationship and the welfare of companion animals. With rabbits being the third most common companion animal in many regions, and evidence of owners' lack of awareness for the standards of care required to care for companion rabbits, it is important to understand the knowledge level of rabbit owners and determine how companion rabbits are being cared for. The purpose of this study was to survey rabbit owners in order to explore factors associated with their knowledge of rabbit care, and the neuter status of their companion rabbit. Current rabbit owners (n=2890) completed an online survey investigating acquisition of their companion rabbit, husbandry and care of their current rabbit, neuter status of their rabbit, owners' knowledge of rabbit care and owners' attachment to their current rabbit. An approximation of logistic regression modeling revealed increasing attachment (p<0.001), increasing participant age (p<0.001) and regular veterinary check-ups (p<0.001) were all associated with higher odds of answering a knowledge question correctly. Country of residence (p<0.001), where participants acquired their rabbit (p<0.001) and where they heard about the survey (p<0.001) were also found to be associated with participants' level of rabbit knowledge. Logistic regression on the outcome of neuter status found increasing knowledge scores (p<0.001), regular veterinary check-ups (p<0.001) and owning only one rabbit versus multiple rabbits were associated with increased odds of currently owning a neutered rabbit. Country of residence (p<0.001) and where participants acquired their current rabbit (p<0.001) were also associated with whether participants' rabbit was neutered. Though findings represent the knowledge and actions of a specific population of companion-rabbit owners, the current study suggests acquisition sources, veterinarians, and companion-animal professionals can have an important role in the development of companion-rabbit owners' knowledge of rabbit care and in promoting the importance of neutering companion rabbits. Efforts to develop accessible resources to assist with educating companion-rabbit owners is important to ensuring successful rabbit-owner relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Ontario Stone Road, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada. Electronic address: welcht@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Tasha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Ontario Stone Road, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada; Nestle Purina PetCare Canada Chair in Communications, Canada. Electronic address: jcoe@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Jason B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Coe
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Ontario Stone Road, Guelph N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Niel
authors.affiliation: Center for Animals and Public Policy, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, United States.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McCobb
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000818:Animals; D002369:Castration / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Companion rabbit; Knowledge; Neuter status; Rabbit ownership; Relinquishment