Pet Rabbits - is this an idea you need to talk me out of?

[Susan in TN]

This is assuming we can get my kids around a rabbit or two to see if they are allergic to them first. Cats and dogs are out.

 

So I'm considering getting a rabbit or two or three. I'd prefer to get more than one.

 

Any comments regarding breeds, considerations, questions over my relative sanity? :)

[poodlemama]

Love Rabbits as pets! My only caution would have been if you had dogs with predatory issues. But it looks like dogs aren't an issue for you. I had mini lops and rex rabbits growing up. The rex followed me around like a dog and the lops we sweet gentle little bunnies. Check the animal shelter. Ours usually has a few bunnies. Rabbits can be litter trained which is nice--but they still need a cage for safety reasons as they tend to like the chew . You might also want to consider Ginny pigs (although my preference is bunnies).

 

Lindsey

[buttacol]

We had a bunny. It was a bad decision for us. The little guy never did get the litter box idea, and you are supposed to let them our for exercise, and ours would poop everywhere if we did. His claws also were like daggers and ripped open my arm on numerous occasions. Don't know what kind of rabbit he was, but I would never do that again.

 

Now on the other side of the argument, my husband had a big floppy eared bunny as a kid, that was gentle as could be but they also kept her outside in a rabbit hutch.

 

I think it depends on the rabbit breed and where you plan to keep it.

[hornblower]

Really, really, REALLY think hard about this.

 

Rabbits do not like to be picked up. Rabbits are prey animals & get very stressed being picked up, though many learn to accept it. Rabbits are fragile - a child dropping a rabbit from just a small height can lead to broken legs in the rabbit & costly vet bills.

 

Rabbits need a fair bit of room - it's not fair to spend your life in a small cage. It's like you spending your entire life in room the size of a bathroom.

 

Check out this faq on children & rabbits:

 

http://rabbit.org/faq/sections/children.html

 

& the whole rest of the www.rabbit.org website

 

Sweet, lovely, & can be great pets but you need to know what you're in for.

[Closeacademy]

We have a house rabbit. She was full grown and she learned to use her litterbox for potty within a few weeks. She still scatters pellets around the house but most of them are near the litterbox.

 

There are certain rooms where she is not allowed because she kind of goes crazy (the bathroom and the bedrooms).

 

From the research I did, you need to start with a small room and stick litterboxes wherever your rabbit goes. As the rabbit settles in you open up more space for them to roam.

 

You may also want to look for an older rabbit who likes to be held. That teen period can be really bad in some rabbits with biting, scratching and not wanting to be held/petted. Most baby rabbits like to be held. Also, if you plan on getting more than one you may want girls or girl/boy pairs but get everyone fixed as they will cut down on some issues and behaviors.

 

Rabbits also like to chew. We have lost several pairs of headphones, a clock-radio and a phone to our rabbit. Cords = yummy vines in their minds. They also like to chew on wood furniture. We use a spray bottle and a gentle spray to the ears to deter behavior we don't want and we also provide plenty of apple switches to chew on.

 

A great site is this one: House Rabbit Society:001_smile:

[EarleneW]

Rabbits do not like to be picked up. Rabbits are prey animals & get very stressed being picked up, though many learn to accept it. html

 

 

We have a Holland Lop and he LOVES to be picked up and held. We got him when he was only 7 weeks, so maybe that had something to do with it- but he loves to be held and sit with us!

 

We have guinea pigs too and I would recommend rabbits over the guinea pigs anyday!

[Samiam]

We had a mini-lop for about six months. He was a very gentle guy, and super sweet. I was pretty much the only one that picked him up, as my boys were afraid to (rabbit sometimes scratched).

 

He did litter trained. He did awesome. He did occasionally drop pellets when out and about, but that is a marking thing...after all they ARE animals. But only did urine in his box. When he was really young, I kept a litter box out of his cage, in a spot he seemed to prefer to "go" in....and then the one in his cage. Eventually we were able to just have the one in his cage.

 

When we kept him in the loft/play area upstairs, he basically was out all a.m., and just jumped around and played amongst my children. BUT he did chew baseboards and corners...ugh...DH was not happy. I tried to block them but he would get to it anyway.

 

THen we moved, and the only safe place we could keep him was the master bathroom. It's a huge master bath/closet, so he had lots of space. We had to keep him segrated from our Lab...just cuz she's a big clumsy oaf, and would hurt him in her eagerness to play. She does the same with the cat, but the cat holds her own. Anyhoo, again, he chewed baseboards. AND on top of that, we, of course, were rarely in the bathroom, so he didn't get much attention. When I was in there, he would follow me around and keep around my feet...so cute!

 

But between DH getting really mad about the baseboards, and the rabbit just not getting the attention he deserved, we found him a new home.

 

Ideally, a fenced backyard where a rabbit could run with supervision, and you would know he couldn't escape, I think is the best.

 

It is said they need at least six hours a day of exercise out of the cage.

[Pretty in Pink]

We have a bunny. We really enjoy her. That said, she was not very friendly until we had her spayed (which was not inexpensive by any means). She is sweet now though. She hops around the house most of the time, follows us from room to room like a little puppy, and sits at your side if you sit down on the floor.

 

Ours isn't litter box trained but if we leave her cage open she will go back in to use the restroom.

 

Bunny cages have to be cleaned every second day though, and they do stink if you don't change them often. The best bedding for keeping odor down, in my experience, is cedar shavings (though I think the dust/oil is supposed to be bad for their lungs). I've tried all kinds of bedding.

 

Lastly, our rabbit is more expensive than our dog. I easily spend 50.00+ per month on that rabbit.

 

I'm looking to re-home ours at the moment.

[Pippen]

We have a rabbit who lives in a hutch in the garage during the bad weather months and for the first years got moved to a screened in porch for the summer.

 

She is a nice pet but some things to think of are that rabbits are very social animals. My daughter's would get really lonely when she didn't get enough attention, so we were constantly on her or having to go out ourselves. Having her in the garage works better because there's always someone out there or running through, but during the winter we need to keep her cool with ice packs and when the temperatures dip way down we have to section off her cage and heat the area. We went out of town recently and because it was a really hot day a neighbor had to come over 4-5 times per day to check on her.

 

I also converted a flower bed into a run for her and she goes out on nice days.

 

Our bunny is a low cost pet--pellets, hay, and sometimes bedding to keep the smell down.

[Wheres Toto]

I've had quite a few rabbits. Four were personal pets we had from baby-hood, three others were fostered retirees from a zoo educational program. They were all different. Like any other pet, they have their individual quirks. Two of the pet ones were in outside hutches year round. They can be adapted to this if you put them out at the right time of year - don't stick them outside in extreme heat or cold weather. One of the retirees liked to spray - even though he was neutered. Most of them were at least somewhat litter trained but they did leave what we used to call "bunny buttons" all over the place. They love to chew wires so it is very important to watch that. They have trouble seeing down which is why some of them freak out being held - they have trouble judging the distance to the ground. Watch them closely around stairs since they are not built for going down stairs and will likely tumble. You can't always count on keeping two rabbits together. I have a scar on my hand from separating two fighting rabbits who evidently couldn't live together. Those teeth can cause a nasty bite.

[OrganicAnn]

My sister pet-sat a rabbit for a while when a friend was changing apartments or something like that. It chewed through all her electrical cords. She had to replace them all. It was a fire hazard until she returned the rabbit and replaced the cord.

[Desert Rat]

They are very smelly if you keep them indoors. And very messy. We had to have ours put down a few months ago. I miss her...but not her mess.

[Pretty in Pink]

Our rabbit is not smelly, so long as we use the cedar bedding and change it every other day. You can sit right next to the cage and the only smell is the cedar. Other types of bedding have been smelly though, including just plain hay, which is what the vet recommended.

[LaissezFaire]

We love our rabbit! We have a little dutch (gray and white) named Reepicheep. She is sweet, snuggly, not skittish. She is housebroken and so we bring her in a lot.

 

Get one!

[vettechmomof2]

We have 3 indoor mini rex rabbits.

All 3 are very sweet and all have very different personalities.

They get daily exercise out of their cages in a puppy play yard and they get it sep. because many rabbits if not raised together from early on DO NOT GET ALONG!

2 of our rabbits are litterbox trained but 1 will not. She will use the litterbox but then kick everything out of it right away. So we had to try different cage styles for her and ended up having to go with a smaller size then we wanted with extra time out.

Anyway, these are just some of our list for rabbits. We adore our rabbits.

 

Rabbit pros:

can be sweet

some really enjoy being petted

can have really fun personalities

can be taught tricks

can normally be litterbox trained

 

Rabbit Cons:

smell

have to keep their nails clipped(not difficult just more chores)

hay gets everywhere

they need space, large cages and exercise space. makes a difference how much depending on what size rabbit you get.

some can be down right nasty

can get fleas/mites

not all vets will see rabbits.

[katemary63]

I've had rabbits all my life. We love them. My advice is to get one! However, here are some do's and don'ts.

 

Do clip your rabbit's nails weekly. It is supper easy and you can even use a human nail clippers. This is how we do it. One person holds the rabbit up against their chest with one hand around the rabbits belly and the other supporting the rabbit's butt. In this position all 4 of the rabbits feet are sticking straight outward. Now, a second person uses the clippers and does the toes. Our rabbits never budge using this method and it takes less then a minute.

 

Do not house or place rabbits of either sex together, ever. Rabbits are solitary. You may have luck for a period of time, but at some point, they will either breed or fight. I even raised two does together from birth, seperated them for a period of a few hours and when I put them back together, they had world war three. I recieved a nasty bite trying to seperate them. Rabbits can inflict nasty wounds on each other. Don't even try it. A male and female can certainly be housed together, but of course then you will have kits! If you do put them together, make sure you put the doe in the buck's cage. If you put him into her cage, she will attack him! Altering a rabbit, may or may not allow you to house two together depending on the rabbit.

 

Do feed your rabbit free choice grass hay daily. A healthy rabbit eats hay. It keeps them from being bored. It provides roughage that helps move hair through the digestive system and prevent hair balls. I am not talking about the hay cubes or the loose alfalfa or timothy. Those are legumes. It has to be grass hay.

 

Do not feed your rabbit fresh vegetables. Most people do this and it is actually best not to. If you are very careful, a bit of carrot now and then is okay. But rabbits get diarrhea VERY easily and can get sick quickly. It's really best not to even go there. Rabbit pellets are a complete feed, formulated to provide the rabbit everything they need nutritionally. There is no need for vergetables health wise and the potential is there for illness. Never feed your rabbit lettuce. When we take our rabbits outside on their leash, they will nibble the grass and that's okay, but we don't pick it and give it to them.

 

Do give your rabbits oats or Cherrios for a treat! Rabbits LOVE oats (whole oats right out of your kitchen cabinet.) and Cherrios. If you only give your rabbit Cherrios while you are handling him, he may come to LOVE when you pick him up! As with anything, moderation is the key. This is just a treat. Not a meal.

 

Do brush your rabbit regularly. It prevents hair blockages in the intestines that are often deadly. (If you feed hay, this is almost never a problem though.) And keeps the hair down that will cling to your clothes making your rabbits more enjoyable to play with.

 

Do worm your rabbit 1X a year with Ivermectin 1% injectable. You can get a vey small bottle at the Tractor Supply or farmer's co-op that will last you forever. Ivermectin cures everything but tape worms. (seldom a problem for rabbits.) It even takes care of ear or body mites and fleas. You can use it more frequently if there is an infestation of any type. It is awesome! I give my rabbits 1/10th cc per pound of body weight. Use an insulin syringe and just drop it in thier mouth. (Do not inject it!)

[hornblower]

yeah, but there is a reason vets recommend hay & not cedar & it's that cedar is dangerous for the bunnies. It's nice for us but not nice for them at all. http://www.rabbit.org/care/shavings.html

 

 

Our rabbit is not smelly, so long as we use the cedar bedding and change it every other day. You can sit right next to the cage and the only smell is the cedar. Other types of bedding have been smelly though, including just plain hay, which is what the vet recommended.

[hornblower]

Do not house or place rabbits of either sex together, ever. Rabbits are solitary.

 

This is not the experience of the rescues I'm familiar with.

 

Rabbits usually crave a companion of their own species but it takes skill to match them well & let them establish a relationship. Same sex pairings can also work - even male/male pairings though they usually have to be neutered.

 

Bunnies should be spayed & neutered as it reduces a lot of unwanted behaviours & of course, it means you can house opposite sex bunnies together without contributing to the huge bunny over population.

 

Introducing bunnies together & having them bond with each other takes time & skill. Here is a good article on this topic:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-4/two-rabbits.html

 

One of the local sanctuaries here (for senior abandoned animals) keeps bunnies & their volunteers spend a long time matching them up; since this is a sanctuary for elderly pets, the residents die & the groupings need to be adjusted very frequently. It can be done, & the volunteers there are quite clear that it's well worthwhile doing as the bunnies with companions are calmer and happier.

 

Of course adopting a bonded pair is one way to have two rabbits who you know like each other.

 

 

I forgot to mention one last thing to the OP - if you do decide to get a bunny (or 2!) please adopt from a shelter or rescue. There are many homeless buns looking for a forever home. They live a long time & they get passed around a lot (as we even saw in this thread) because people overestimate their commitment to the animal.

[Susan in TN]

Oh, boy! Here's what I was thinking - dh and ds would build a nice sturdy hutch which would go on our back (second floor) deck - right outside our kitchen/dining area. It's big enough for running around, has partial shade all year round, up off the ground/safe from predators (dogs and cats).

 

If we keep them inside, they'd probably be downstairs most of the time near the laundry/pantry/bedrooms or at least until they were generally "potty trained".

 

Our kids are accustomed to animal care somewhat, because we also have a small flock of backyard chickens that they help take care of.

 

I will look for animal rescue shelters nearby and see what they have to say / offer. I imagine they end up with lots of post-Easter "why on earth did we buy this" rabbits. :tongue_smilie: We have a while to think about it and make plans - I'll give ourselves a few months to decide if this is a good idea.

[katemary63]

This is not the experience of the rescues I'm familiar with.

 

Rabbits usually crave a companion of their own species but it takes skill to match them well & let them establish a relationship. Same sex pairings can also work - even male/male pairings though they usually have to be neutered.

 

Bunnies should be spayed & neutered as it reduces a lot of unwanted behaviours & of course, it means you can house opposite sex bunnies together without contributing to the huge bunny over population.

 

Introducing bunnies together & having them bond with each other takes time & skill. Here is a good article on this topic:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-4/two-rabbits.html

 

One of the local sanctuaries here (for senior abandoned animals) keeps bunnies & their volunteers spend a long time matching them up; since this is a sanctuary for elderly pets, the residents die & the groupings need to be adjusted very frequently. It can be done, & the volunteers there are quite clear that it's well worthwhile doing as the bunnies with companions are calmer and happier.

 

Of course adopting a bonded pair is one way to have two rabbits who you know like each other.

 

 

I forgot to mention one last thing to the OP - if you do decide to get a bunny (or 2!) please adopt from a shelter or rescue. There are many homeless buns looking for a forever home. They live a long time & they get passed around a lot (as we even saw in this thread) because people overestimate their commitment to the animal.

 

I understand that it SOMETIMES works. But, like I said, I raised a pair together. They were over a year old when I seperated them for just a couple of hours. They nearly killed each other when they were put back together in the same cage they had always been in and they gave me a scar I can show you today 30 years later. You never know when there will be a fight and the fights can be nasty. I have witnessed it. I have hundreds of friends with rabbits. Not a one keeps more then 1 rabbit to a cage. A person who doesn't know rabbits should not house rabbits together.

[Susan in TN]

I understand that it SOMETIMES works. But, like I said, I raised a pair together. They were over a year old when I seperated them for just a couple of hours. They nearly killed each other when they were put back together in the same cage they had always been in and they gave me a scar I can show you today 30 years later. You never know when there will be a fight and the fights can be nasty. I have witnessed it. I have hundreds of friends with rabbits. Not a one keeps more then 1 rabbit to a cage. A person who doesn't know rabbits should not house rabbits together.

 

So when you say they should not be housed together, do you mean there should be just one rabbit, or that each rabbit should have their own cage for sleeping and/or eating? What if each rabbit had their own cage for sleeping/eating, but were together in a play yard? Would they each automatically go to their own cage, or would we have to make sure they were sticking to their own place for sleeping/eating?

 

Thanks!

[katemary63]

So when you say they should not be housed together, do you mean there should be just one rabbit, or that each rabbit should have their own cage for sleeping and/or eating? What if each rabbit had their own cage for sleeping/eating, but were together in a play yard? Would they each automatically go to their own cage, or would we have to make sure they were sticking to their own place for sleeping/eating?

 

Thanks!

 

No , I'm sorry, but you can't put rabbits together, ever. Expecially after they've been seperated. I don't recommend keeping rabbits together in the same cage OR letting them out to run around together.

[hornblower]

http://www.saintsrescue.ca/wordpress/?p=8812

 

 

 

these last few months as maple’s disability took over and brought her low…her family was there for her. they cared for her, they cuddled her, they surrounded her in the same kindness and compassion that she had once shared with all of them.

 

 

 

Maple was a bunny. All of her 'family' was not really her family at all.

[Closeacademy]

On the more than 1 rabbit issue and keeping them together. Go to the library and get the books on House Rabbits and Rabbits as pets. There is lots of knowledge and advice in these books.

 

The ideal situation is boy/girl pairing but girl/girl do well as well but everyone needs to be fixed. If they are not fixed you will have problems. But if they are fixed it will take care of most of the problems caused by hormones, territorialness and wanting to breed.

 

Indoor rabbits are a lot of fun and we love ours but there will be chewing, messiness and lots of love and fun. Rabbits are very, very social creatures and they will often follow you around just to be near someone. And they can be very long lived creatures.

 

I found in the Guiness book of Records that the oldest living rabbit was from Australia and lived over 30 years in captivity after being caught to keep as a pet as an adult.

 

Take time to think about it and get some books from the library on house rabbits and pet rabbits. You'll be glad you took time to understand these wonderful, joyful pets.:001_smile:

[katemary63]

On the more than 1 rabbit issue and keeping them together. Go to the library and get the books on House Rabbits and Rabbits as pets. There is lots of knowledge and advice in these books.

 

The ideal situation is boy/girl pairing but girl/girl do well as well but everyone needs to be fixed. If they are not fixed you will have problems. But if they are fixed it will take care of most of the problems caused by hormones, territorialness and wanting to breed.

 

 

 

:iagree: I have only been talking about unaltered rabbits. I have never had a rabbit altered and have no experience with them.

[Susan in TN]

So it sounds like if a rabbit is spayed/neutered it could make a big difference. I found a rabbit rescue not far from here and it looks like she is fairly conscientious about keeping bonded rabbits together (since they are adults I'm guessing they've been fixed.) I found a ton of books on rabbit keeping at the library and reserved most of them. Thanks for all your input, Everyone! :001_smile: