A domestic (or domesticated) rabbit (Oryctolagus), more commonly known as a pet rabbit, a bunny, or a bunny rabbit is any of the domesticated varieties of the European rabbit species. They may be considered a pocket pet depending on their size. A male rabbit is a buck, a female is a doe, and a young rabbit is a kit or kitten.
Rabbits were first exploited by the Romans as sources of food and fur, and have been kept as pets in Western nations since the 19th century. Beginning in the 1980s, the idea of the domestic rabbit as a house companion, or house rabbit, was promoted. Rabbits can be litter box trained and may come when called, but they need exercise and can damage a house that is not " rabbit proof". Especially following the Easter season, unwanted rabbits end up in animal shelters. Because they have become invasive in Australia, pet rabbits are banned in Queensland.
