Hong Kong's pet bunnies enjoy rabbit resort while owners are away

Long-eared critters in the densely-populated city are spoiled with parties, spa treatments and lots of carrots

A staff member feeds a rabbit at the Bunny Style Hotel in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. With the lifting of COVID restrictions, Hong Kongers are traveling again and some of those who keep rabbits at pets are booking them into a rabbit resort where they are fed, exercised and pampered with spa treatments. The Lunar New Year of the Rabbit is shining a particular spotlight on the popularity of the animals in the crowded city of tiny apartments. (AP Photo / Anthony Kwan)

With the lifting of Covid restrictions, Hong Kongers are travelling again and some of those who keep rabbits as pets are booking them into the resort

Co-founder Donna Li gives a manicure to a rabbit

The Lunar New Year of the Rabbit is shining a particular spotlight on the popularity of the animals in the city

A rabbit grass cake is prepared at the hotel

Photographs of rabbit residents at the hotel

An employee puts a rabbit in a carrier

Ms Li says she is fully booked for the Lunar New Year holiday

Guests are kepty happy with regular exercise, parties, spa treatments — and lots of carrots

Ms Li, who has two pet rabbits of her own, set up Bunny Style in June

A staff member cleans cages

The play area at the Bunny Style Hotel

Staff members unload the rabbit of an arriving customer

Rabbits scamper around a play area in a climate-controlled building in suburban Hong Kong, some climbing a castle made of wood while others explore a cotton tunnel.

In one of the world’s most densely-populated cities, where most apartments range from small to minuscule, rabbits are popular pets.

And when their owners are away, there are rabbit lovers happy to look after their lonely pets at Bunny Style, a luxury rabbit resort.

That is especially evident this month, as the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in Hong Kong is spurring a surge in travel for the Lunar New Year to welcome the Year of the Rabbit.

Donna Li, the owner of Bunny Style, is fully booked for the holiday and keeps her charges happy with regular exercise, parties, spa treatments — and lots of carrots.

“We aim to provide a secure environment,” Ms Li said.

Ms Li, who has two pet rabbits of her own, set up Bunny Style in June, starting with just a playroom which offered space to hop and relief from Hong Kong’s hot, humid weather.

“To begin with, my idea was mainly about setting up a safe indoor play space with a suitable temperature for rabbits,” she said.

As the government began lifting Covid-19 restrictions in September, Ms Li sensed a need and swiftly set up boarding facilities. They were full over Christmas and Li has already begun taking bookings for Easter.

With 15 rabbits, Ms Li and her staff will be busy over the holiday, the most important in the Chinese calendar. Apart from feeding — some owners order special vegetable cakes in advance — there is hair-brushing, nail-trimming and exercising to be managed.

“I think rabbits understand what people say. They can sense whether we are being nice to them and look after them well,” Ms Li said. “And so when I look after them, I talk to them a lot, telling them how beautiful and cute they are.”

A live-stream and video clips are also provided, “so we knew that our rabbit was out actively hopping and enjoying itself,” said Rainbow Li, who came across Bunny Style on the internet and took her rabbit there when she and her partner travelled over Christmas.

Bunny Style charges about $15 per night, which includes half an hour of supervised play time. Beauty treatments and special menu items are extra.

The animals’ popularity in Hong Kong has inevitably led to some owners finding they have bitten off more than they can chew. For that, there are shelters such as Tolobunny, set up in 2015 and dedicated to finding new homes for abandoned rabbits, often at public adoption events.

Spokeswoman Bridget Ng is anticipating a surge of calls to the shelter’s 24-hour rescue hotline in the months after the new year. Volunteers are already temporarily housing 42 rabbits given up by their owners.

“Our observation is that throughout the year, especially at festive holidays like Valentine’s Day, Easter or Christmas, there are more people who want to keep rabbits, but after a few months, there will be more abandoned rabbits,” Ms Ng said.

Homeless dogs and cats tend to get more care, but “I hope there will be more attention and resources for all kinds of abandoned animals,” founder Winky Cheng said.