The adorable reason why all of Amy Sedaris’s stuff has holes in it

Amy Sedaris has a lovely apartment in the desirable Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City, though she has often described it as a hutch. A rabbit hutch.

Until recently, Sedaris, an actor, comedian, and author, lived with a bunny named Tina — who’s male, a fact she learned years after getting him. Tina had free rein of the apartment and, like the rabbits who lived there before him, chewed through her bedding, the couch, and some of her clothes.

“Honestly, I lived with him. It was not the other way around,” Sedaris, who starred in Strangers With Candy, BoJack Horseman, and The Mandalorian, told me in an interview earlier this year.

Known for her unconventional brand of comedy, it’s not surprising her pets are unconventional, too. “I’m a rabbit person,” she said. Tina, who died in the fall, was one of a handful of rabbits Sedaris has cared for over the past three decades.

But although Sedaris is often doing a bit, her interest in these animals is actually quite serious.

She educates prospective bunny owners on rabbit care, she attends bunny conferences, she hosts fundraisers for the Humane Society, and she talks to people like me about why rabbits and other animals are worth our attention.

Why did I talk to her? I often look for new ways to pull readers into conversations about wildlife and nature. One route can be through pets: If you develop love and respect for a pet rabbit, Sedaris said, perhaps that love and respect will spill over into other parts of the nonhuman world. And respect for wildlife — much of which is in peril — is the basis for conserving it.

Our conversation, below, has been edited for length and clarity.

When did you first bring animals into your life?

Growing up we always had dogs and cats and fish and turtles. In the ’80s, I had my own cats. And then in the ’90s, I saw a rabbit in a window, and I was like, “I’m gonna go get that bunny rabbit.” And I did. I was just struck by how beautiful it was … the ears. I mean, you’re used to seeing dogs and cats, but to see a bunny? I was mesmerized.

Having animals in your life just gives you a better life.

You’ve since had other rabbits. What is it about these animals?

They’re just the best. You have to really pay attention to them so you know when they’re in pain or if something goes wrong. They’re the perfect little companions for me. They slept with me in bed; they came to me when I called. They’re just delightful. Dogs freak me out because I do think they see into your soul. I do like dogs and cats but I have always felt loyal to rabbits.

They have such strong personalities, and I can take it. I’m like, “Okay, you can be the boss. You want me to do this? You got it. You want to be pet right now? Absolutely.” I liked being in that position with rabbits, because ultimately I was going to be the one with power.

Who was your first rabbit?

Tattletale was her name. She only lived to be 3 1/2 or 4. And then I got a rabbit named Dusty a year and a half later. That’s when I realized rabbits could be assholes and really bossy. Like, you really do live with them, not the other way around. A year later, I was walking by Petco and popped in and saw my latest rabbit, Tina, who just passed away on Halloween. I had him for 10 years. I found out four years after having him that he was actually a boy. It was my first male pet. It made sense when I found out he was a boy. I’m like, of course you’re a boy. You were kind of giving me male energy.

What was your relationship with Tina like?

It took Tina a couple of years to trust me. Normally, when you bring a rabbit home you first keep them in a cage. They can watch you and get to know you better, and then you can let them out. I didn’t do that step. I immediately gave him the apartment. I was living with him in this big hutch. He had free range — and that’s why he was so bossy. He would jump on the furniture, jump on the bed. He would sleep with me, cuddle, especially toward the end of his life. He got really affectionate and would groom me. He was a really good communicator. He was a real charmer.

Near Tina’s last days, everybody came around and everybody helped me. I would tell people when they’re going to get any animal, the first step is to find the right vet for you, and then just surround yourself with a community of people that can help you when you need them.

How have rabbits shaped your life — and your comedy?

I lived my life around Tina’s schedule. It was always about date night with Tina. It was always about getting home. My agents are tired of hearing about Tina. I would be like, “Tina is a senior bunny and I can’t travel.” And if I had to work long hours, I had a woman who would come by to check on Tina and just sit with him. He was a family member. People always asked about Tina, like when I did any talk show. I could just talk about Tina forever.

I like the idea of making a prey animal feel safe. I like opposites in my career, like someone who’s unattractive but she thinks she’s pretty. And with rabbits, they’re always afraid they’re going to be eaten. So when they have their back to me, it’s the best. Also, knowing that you give them complete control. They tell you where they want the litter box; they tell you when they’re hungry. My dad used to say to me all the time, “That damn rabbit is holding you hostage.” Tina chewed me out of house and home. I haven’t had nice bedding for, what, 27 years from rabbits, because they chew the sheets.

Sometimes I look at my dog and I’m just struck by the fact that he’s … a creature. Like not a human but a different species with no connection to the stressful day-to-day reality, and in some ways that brings me a sense of calm. Did you have that relationship with rabbits?

I did. You just tune into them. Rabbits just calm me down. You lay on the floor, they come into bed, they know your routine. I think having rabbits helped me really just stay in tune with something else, like somebody who needed me, that relied on me. I like having the responsibility and chores. You want a job you can bitch about. Like every day you have 20 minutes of chores. And I like meeting farmers to get the hay. I love talking to people on the phone about rabbits for hours. Or you go to the rabbit conference, and it’s funny because they say people look like their pets, and there are [people] there with buck teeth. It’s like, this is hilarious.

So that changed me. If I was an animal, I’d be a rabbit.

I think a lot of people struggle to engage in stories about wildlife declines or animals suffering. What does it take to pull more people into the conversation?

Well, it’s tough. Even at the Humane Society, when they show those videos [of animals suffering], it’s really hard to watch that. Or when you’re watching a news station and that commercial comes on, you’re like, “Oh my god.” People have a hard time. They think you’re shoving it down their throats.

But you know what, when the Covid pandemic happened, all these animals were coming out in nature. There were more fish in the stream, families of bears crossing the streets, because the traffic wasn’t as heavy. It’s just like, “See! It could be like this all the time.” We can live with animals and protect animals.

What is your message for someone who doesn’t feel connected to animals or the natural world?

Having a relationship with an animal is one of the best things you can do.

It really makes you see life in a whole other way. You can love something and it really opens up your heart so much. And the best thing you can do when you lose an animal is get another one. It’s going to take me a while to get another [rabbit]. I think I just need to start living my life a little bit, but I know eventually I will, and that’ll make me feel good.