The Curious World of Bnuuy: Advocating for the Rights of Pet Rabbits

In the United States, rabbits are considered the third most popular household pets, falling right behind cats and dogs. Sadly, unlike cats and dogs, rabbit owners more often than not still lack the knowledge to properly care for them at the point of sale. Rabbits are often advertised as easy, docile pets that are perfect for children. Instead, they are a 10-year commitment with lives as busy and able-bodied as cats and dogs. This results in a surge of abandonment cases, with numbers spiking after each Easter and the Chinese year of the rabbit just two years ago.

Indonesian artist Bnuuy (a popular internet slang for “Bunny”) is taking matters into her own hands by illustrating pet rabbits' curious and colorful lives. Her colourful pastel pieces exude joy. In them, rabbits do everything from hopping through metaphysical spaces to working as bakers and astronauts. By making these fairy tale-like pieces, Bnuuy shares how complex a rabbit's life can be, advocating for their welfare and rights to current and future bunny owners. This is Bnuuy's work is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Life on Land.

Aside from her art, Bnuuy also runs Bunny Magz, an Instagram page where she shares experience-based tips on how to care for pet rabbits. She does so by creating hand-drawn infographics, where her signature adorable rabbit characters come to life to help people understand everything from how to properly hold them to how many teeth they have (twenty eight!). Sometimes, Bunny Magz will also alternate their educational posts with cute photographs of Robin, Bnuuy’s very own pet rabbit.

Bnuuy’s whimsical artwork and educational efforts bring much-needed attention to the often-overlooked realities of pet rabbit care. Through her enchanting illustrations and informative posts, she not only celebrates the complexity of rabbits but also advocates for their proper treatment and well-being. By making rabbit welfare both accessible and engaging, Bnuuy helps to combat misinformation and reduce abandonment cases, fostering a more responsible pet-owning culture. In doing so, her work emphasizes the importance of compassion and ethical care for all animals.

Find out more about the rabbit paintings by Bnuuy and her other pieces on her Instagram @iambnuuy.