another bunny thread...checking out a few assumptions and asking a few more questions.

[kfeusse]

Thank you to all who reponded to my previous bunny thread. First off, I need to clear up an assumption that was made, and if this changes your opinion or gives you something to tell me...like, "bunnies aren't for you"...then PLEASE tell me before we make a huge mistake.

 

We have NO intention of letting our bunny roam free in our home or even in part of our home. My thought was he would be in a cage (of proper size) most of the time, but removed for playing and exercise daily. If the weather was nice enough, we would have an outside area for him to play in (supervised) and an outside cage for less supervision.

 

We live in a house that belongs to the church where my husband is pastor and the little that I have read (either from your posts, or the posts on another board that I am on,) I have come to the conclusion that if they aren't caged outside, the area in which they live will smell horribly. IS THAT TRUE? (the only reason why my question is in caps is becasue I can't bold my letters for some reason and I didn't want my question to get lost...I am not yelling :) ).

 

Is it possible to have a happy bunny in the living conditions mentioned above? If not, please tell me. My friend who has bunnies on a farm, says hers are caged most of the day until her kids come home from school...they are are played with some. It was her idea for us to get bunnies....but we don't live on a farm and her animal expereince is different than ours...and her definition of an "easy pet" is probably really different than ours too.

 

My friend said their bunnies have never been to a vet. She said they have not had their bunnies fixed and have had no problems with that. IS HER EXPERIENCE THE NORM OR IS IT ABNORMAL?

 

My friend told me that we could keep the bunny in a cage in our unfinshed basement but if they smell a lot, I am wondering if there is anyway they can mostly stay outside in a good cage, only to come in when it is VERY hot or Very cold. We live in Nebraska, and the colds temps can go down to sub zero temps in the winter (although not all winter) and last summer we had temps up in the 100's (for lots of days....which is sort of abnormal, but a 100 day here and there is certainly not) WHAT IS THE IDEAL TEMPS FOR HOUSING A BUNNY...HIGH AND LOW?

 

My kids are ages of 12, 10 and 8. Are these good ages for owning and caring for bunnies? They did a fantastic job with the hamsters...cleaned their cages, played with them, made sure they had water and food...but all of those things didn't HAVE to be daily...I mean, if I day was skipped, it wasn't the end of the world...WOULD IT BE WITH A BUNNY? If we were gone for 24-48 hours or something, would a bunny be ok by himself?? We could leave the hamsters that long, but I am wondering about a bunny.

 

So, please help me here...I need to make the best, informed descion I can. I am not in the mind set that a pet can be neglected or hurt because we weren't informed...nor do I want to resent our decision becasue I was not informed. Thanks for all of your help.

 

[Annie Anne]

We have three rabbits outside as pets. Part of each cage has a wire bottom. They go to that area to do there business. We did not train them. They just do it. We have to clean under the cages regularly.

With the large amount of business even one does, you will be hard pressed to keep and indoor cage clean and clear.

Our winters are not harsh but not warm either. They do fine out back.

Anne

[kfeusse]

thnak you very much for your response...I am learning so much for everybody here...it is helping me make an informed decision.

[Wheres Toto]

I'm in New Jersey and had many outdoor rabbits that stayed outside year round. They will need an enclosed area with bedding and an outside area with a mesh floor. It's very important to make sure they have water all the time. We used to have 3 water bottles that could be rotated (two in the house while one was out on the cage) instead of having to wait for one to thaw in winter.

 

We did have three that we took when they retired from the education program at a zoo I volunteered at that lived in our basement. Yes, it stinks. A lot. Their urine is caustic stuff. These ones were too old to be litter box trained. Even if a box was put in the corner they used, they would stand on the edge of it and pee over the back. It needed very frequent cleaning and it still removed the paint from the floor.

[Crazyderiver]

We just got a bunny for our 7 yr old dd. The bunny was 5mo old when we got her. She stays in a cage in the school room which is in the main living areas of the house. Bunnies are social animals and will not do well in a basement if isolated. Now, "will not do well" is very subjective. A bunny will have his own personality and could differ greatly from any norm. We also litter trained our bunny in less than a week. The smell the first days was awful! AWFUL! Since litter training it is not even noticable. We change her box litter 1-2/wk. She has a small litter box in her cage. They are small critter boxes and not cat boxes. She has special litter, NOT cat litter. If you consistently placed her droppings and any soiled items in the box, your bunny will quickly know where she should go. Bunny "norm" is to potty in a specific area. Her poo dropping often get tossed out of the litter box when she is getting in and out, but the poo does not smell. The urine smell will clear a room! We use a baby gate to confine the bunny during play time. We open her cage and she can come out and play once a day. She is actually very playful and will chase slippers, toss sticks around, and snuggle with stuffed animals. Our bunny is unspayed and at 6 mo had her first false pregnancy. Male bunnies not neutered can be prone to spraying urine, marking their territory. Females can have false pregnancies and are prone to uterine cancer if not spayed. Fixing a bunny is not cheap, and with all pet decisions is a matter of preference. I don't know about leaving the bunny. We fill the bunny water every 2-3 days, but she gets a small portion of food 2-3/ day. I don't know if you could just put 2 days worth food in her cage and leave. I could probably rattle on, but if you have any other questions, just ask. I am NOT a bunny expert and only have experience with our ONE bunny. All animals are different. That all being said....I think bunnies make great pets!

[Jess4879]

I didn't read the other thread and I can't seem to find it, so forgive me if I'm repeating. I had a bunny many years ago and it was an indoor-only bunny. They will typically pick one corner (or more) of the cage as a bathroom and if you keep this area clean I don't think they are any smellier than a hamster. They do kick around in their cage, however, and you will end up with poop and shavings outside of the cage. Some cages have high corners, and this helps, but doesn't seem to entirely eliminate the problem. We allowed our bunny out daily to play, supervised. We had to clip his nails, I can't remember how often, and that can be tricky. I recommend cutting them often and just tiny bits at a time, not so much because they need it, but the more you do it, the more they will be used to it and sit still. My inlaws used to have a bunny that had free roam of their home and he did very well and lived for many years...so it's possible, but I couldn't tell you how! LOL I do know that he was litter trained and their house never smelled.

[DianeW88]

My bunny HATED being in her cage. She would rattle the bars with her teeth until we let her out. Our initial plan was to keep her in her cage as well...yeah. Didn't work out that way. If you don't fix your bunny, females have a high rate of uterine cancer. Males will try to mate with everything in sight, and can become quite aggressive. Bunnies are social and leaving it alone in a cage all day is cruel IMHO. Our bunny was part of our family. She always wanted to be around us, even to the point of sitting on the couch with us at night to watch TV. If the home does not belong to you, I would be careful about collateral bunny damage. Technically they can be litter trained, but this isn't full proof. They will leave little bunny nuggets everywhere, even if they use their box, and if they urinate on the carpet......yuck. You should google House Rabbit Society. They will have lots of great information for you to help you decide if a bunny is right for your family.

[Freckles]

We had a bunny. It didn't work out well for us. She apparently hit puberty and became very mean. My dd13 has a very large scar on her arm from this rabbit. We tried to play with her, but like I said she became very mean. We eventually had to no longer have her as a pet.

[mom2scouts]

Our bunny hates being in her cage except at night and she bites on the bars of the door as soon as she sees that we are awake. Bunnies are social and I agree that it's cruel to keep them in a cage all day. Our bunny loves to be right in the middle of the action and she gets bored easily. We litter trained her and she's good about peeing there, but we still get plenty of bunny droppings. Fortunately, they don't stink and are easy to clean up. I really hate to see bunnies outside alone in hutches all day. One friend's bunny died of heat exhaustion and other bunnies die of fright when a raccoon or dog comes near their cage and they can't run away.

 

I've always had cats and I thought it would be similar with a bunny. I've learned that rabbits require more care than cats and are very different creatures. We can leave our cats for a weekend, but we need a pet sitter to feed and exercise our bunny every day.. I think they make great pets, but proper care is not "easy" at all. If you aren't willing to do *daily* care, then I would say a bunny is not for you.

[Jennifer3141]

We have three rabbits - two English angoras and one Netherland dwarf.

 

The EAs live in a coop. From October-ish to March-ish, that coop is in our basement. We scrub it down 3 times a week in the house and probably twice a week when it's outside. I have a fenced in acre off my back porch and the EAs have the run of that during good weather when we are home. They do a considerable amount of grazing and weed eating during the day and they love to run like maniacs all over that backyard. They are both altered and they see the vet annually.

 

The Netherland is a new bunny to us. He's three and he is a cage rabbit. He's not neutered (yet) and he urinates and defecates only in one corner of his cage. I cannot believe how clean he is compared to my EAs! And he does not have a Nethie temperment at all. He is incredibly sweet and gentle.

 

Rabbit pee smells. The smaller the rabbit, the less the problem that is. If you are looking for a rabbit in the house, I would go as small as possible,

[sparrow]

We have an indoor bunny. He lives in our finished basement and we see him everyday. He is neutered and uses a litter box filled with shredded junk mail, which I compost (see the shredding junk mail thread :)). Male rabbits will spray, when not neutered, and you may be be surprised at the brown, thick consistency :ack2: . Rabbits can also get aggressive during their adolescence, if not altered.

 

Our bun is part of a bonded pair we adopted from a rescue. His partner passed away two years ago. She was the outgoing one of the pair. Toby will occasionally come to us to have his head pet, but overall, he's a more solitary guy, which is fine and normal behavior for rabbits.

 

I have to say, all of the bunnies I've known that live outdoors, and we live rurally, so it's quite a few, they don't often get brought inside for play time. They get forgotten because it takes effort to go out and get them.

 

If you're considering a rabbit, is there any reason you haven't thought about a cat/kitten? I actually think they're less work and less aloof, in general, than rabbits.

[Slartibartfast]

I agree with the above posters that it is typical for rabbits to "get mean" if they are not fixed. They are much more cranky. They also live longer, there is a reduced cancer risk and un-neutered males WILL SPRAY and hump everything, stuff toys are not safe from their tender affections. It is much safer to get a bunny friend if there is no chance of babies (and babies would not be good, there is an overpopulation of rabbits who need good homes just as there are dogs and cats) and they are easier to littler box train if they are fixed. You can get them fixed for $50-$75 in some areas so if the vet is saying $300 keep looking. Many shelters have rabbits, we got our rabbits from a lovely no-kill shelter. They were already fixed.

 

If she didn't have issues and did not fix her rabbits then her experience is ABNORMAL.

 

Rabbits can be kept inside with little smell but the cage needs to be kept clean, the little box needs to be washed often, rabbits stink.

 

There is a lot of behavior and health information on the house rabbit website.

 

You could leave a rabbit for 48 hours but it will be cross and give you disapproving bunny looks.

 

 

They won't like it at all and will need a lot of coddling to recover. Rabbits are very social. If there is any chance you might go away a lot you would absolutely want a second rabbit and maybe allow one of your children's friends (who the rabbit knows) to come over while you are gone and give the bunny some loves.

 

Like other posters said, the House Rabbit Society has extensive information It is the best website for pet rabbit information.

 

http://www.rabbit.or...vior/index.html

[windmillmarie]

We have had indoor rabbits in the past. Our last one was a dutch and she lived for nearly 10 years. She had a cage in our family room and was crated when we were not home. We used a dog crate and included a litter box. She litterbox trained herself, though there were occasional scattered poop balls. When I was home, we let her loose and had her in one room- confined by babygates. She had her own little toybox and we would keep things in there- they also sell little cardboard playhouses. She did have a few accidents on the carpet, though not many over the years, and when she was happy and saying hi to us, she would run in a circle around me and leave little dried poops. They are easy to pick up with a tissue. I'd say over the 10 years, there really weren't many actual big stinky messes- just the occasional poop (My vet said it was her greeting to me, ha!) We did have a vet that specialized in small animals, and she was fixed. For outside days, we had a harness for her and would either keep her on the leash, or we would put her in an outside run/pen for a while. She was very social and personable.

 

FYI, my vet did say that the wire mesh bottomed cages were vary bad for their feet. She recommended using a dog crate or non-wired hutch if outdoors.

 

I would read up at the House Rabbit Society for more info if you are interested. I think a rabbit makes a great pet, but I'd say it's more care needed than a guinea pig or a cat.

 

 

ETA: I forgot to add that yes, we did get a bunny-sitter when not there. Otherwise, she would get mad at us and pout when we got back. We also had to thread all of our electric cords in that room into aquarium tubing to protect it from chewing. You can use bitter apple too, but ours liked the flavor of it!

[DianeW88]

We have had both Netherland dwarf bunnies and a mini-lop. The mini-lop had a MUCH better personality. The Netherlands were stinkers. Kind of like Shetland ponies if you're familiar with them. LOL As for leaving the bunnies for 48 hours....no. They require daily care and attention. We left our cats and our bunny with a pet sitter when we went to Disney World for 10 days. The sitter came over twice a day and stayed for an hour each time. The cats could have cared less who was there as long as they were fed. The bunny was completely traumatized. She hid from the sitter and was totally freaked out. The sitter couldn't even find her for a day and a half, and then she found her hiding in our walk-in closet. Bunny would not let me out of her sight for DAYS after we came home. It was so bad that we vowed we could never leave her again. Rabbits can be quite persnickety.

[Jennifer3141]

I'm thinking about getting a mini-lop as a companion to the Nethie because everywhere I read, it says Nethies have terrible personalities. We really lucked out with a 3 year old rescue bunny being so incredibly nice!!!

[Slartibartfast]

I'm thinking about getting a mini-lop as a companion to the Nethie because everywhere I read, it says Nethies have terrible personalities. We really lucked out with a 3 year old rescue bunny being so incredibly nice!!!

 

I hadn't heard that about Nethies. :lol: We had Dutch rabbits, the male wasn't really interested in cuddles, he would play with dd sometimes, and the dog. The female was more of a lap rabbit. :lol:

[DianeW88]

And just because I think we all need something cute and fluffy to look at...a photo of my bunny.attoday.

[Jennifer3141]

I hadn't heard that about Nethies. :lol: We had Dutch rabbits, the male wasn't really interested in cuddles, he would play with dd sometimes, and the dog. The female was more of a lap rabbit. :lol:

 

 

A lot of sites and blogs describe Nethies as high strung and prone to nibbling/biting. Our little guy came home a couple of Saturdays ago, hopped around the living room and settled right in for extended cuddling and dog sniffing. He had never had hay before because he "didn't like it." but he ate a giant handful, hopped around his cage and just fit right in. I don't get it. :)

[Pippen]

My rabbit typically lives in his cage in the garage but if I bring him indoors during very hot or very cold weather or for company I have to clean out his cage (which is a big pet taxi inside) every two days to keep odor away. I use absorbant odor fighting bedding. We got him at age 2 and he wouldn't litter train. One of my friends had a litter trained bunny and there was no odor.

 

My biggest concern about keeping a bunny outdoors would be socialization. They need plenty of company--either with humans or other rabbits. I would never put one rabbit outside alone.

 

My rabbit is a Dutch male--also not cuddly. He doesn't just mark his territory--he has the hots for me, too. :rolleyes: He needs to be neutered but it runs $300 in my area. After being sprayed too many times I'd not go this route again and would get a female if neutering ASAP wasn't in my budget. We didn't have problems with our female--she had very marked preferences and was sometimes moody (she would give us the cold shoulder if she was mad at us) but otherwise she was great.

 

Leaving a bunny alone--I wouldn't go more than 24 hours. If it's above 85 degrees and humid ours get icebottles and come indoors if it gets higher 80's. It would be absolutely critical to have someone care for it if you were gone in very hot or very cold weather.

 

One other thing to consider is lifespan. Our neighbors bought one for their daughter, thinking it would live for 4-6 years. It went 10.

[Jennifer3141]

My EAs are both altered but it's the FEMALE who is a little too amorous. She will mount her brother in ANY position all day long. Neutering did cut down on my male's urinating considerably. I never understood how he did it but he used to urinate on the inside roof of his coop. He still does it but less frequently. It cracks me up if I stop and think about it. Is he sprawling on his back trying to write his name up there or something???

[cin]

Ours is kept in the house, as a pet, like a hamster. She is in her cage most of the time, but the girls take her out periodically to cuddle. The cage needs to be cleaned twice a week or so. Just like hamsters. Her cage is on hardwood, and in the area between our kitchen and family room, so she gets lots of attention. I don't think they are much more trouble than hamsters or gerbils, but ours is a smaller rabbit. I guess that might make a difference.

[lil' maids in a row]

We have a pet bunny. He is a male and very sweet and loving, curious and full of personality. He will hop on your lap and nuzzle your hands to be petted. He lives behind a baby gate in our laundry room. It works out great because he has a lot of room to hop around and everyone can reach over the gate to give him attention. He has a cage in there that we keep his food and water in, and it is full of shavings. For a while he would hop into his cage to go potty, but not so much anymore. We have a vacuum that we keep in there and vacuum and mop out the laundryroom most days. We change the shavings in the cage every other day (would be best everyday though). He spends part of most days in a large (9ft+) cage in the backyard where he can run and dig and graze.

 

I like our bunny, but I would never have another one. He is very labor intensive. Cleaning up after him is a never ending job. He is smelly. Even though we totally clean and wash everything every other day, my house still smells like a barn. He is extremely difficult to manage. He has jumped up and into the washing machine, over 4ft. of baby gate, gnaws on woodwork, tries to eat electrical wire etc. For a animal that doesn't verbalize he is very noisy. A rabbit WILL wake you up at 5a.m. if they have run out of food during the night and are ready for breakfast.

 

He is not neutered but we haven't had any problems (other than maybe a resistance to litter training).

 

Good luck deciding on a new pet.

[Hoot]

I got my rabbit at about 3 months old back in April of this year. She is very smart and understood the litter box by the end of the first day. When I first brought her home we bought a large 2-story hutch for her to go on our enclosed deck. I went out every morning and let her out to play on the deck for most of the day and then locked her in at night. She HATED being in that hutch. Within the first week she had nearly chewed through the door trying to get out at night even though she had tons of toys and appropriate things to chew on .

 

Then, I decided to just let her free on the deck all the time. She would sleep on the deck furniture, eat and hang out in her hutch sometimes. I thought it was great. She had a ceiling fan, it was shaded, didn't get too hot or cold, and she had tons of space to play. I hung out with her everyday and took her out on a leash when the weather was nice.

 

She ended up chewing the baseboards on the deck and on a lounge chair after about 4 or 5 months.

 

I had to crate her again until I could figure out what to do. She hated it.

 

Then, I decided to bring her inside. It's what I wanted to do to begin with but DH liked the idea of her being on the deck. She now has an extra-large dog crate with a large, high-sided cat litter box in the family room. She is in a quiet, out of the way place but with a view of everything that's going on. When I'm home she's almost always out of the crate. She has tons of toys and things to do so she doesn't bother things she shouldn't. Whatever room I put her in, she will usually stay but I still keep a close eye on her all the time. She likes to hop up on the couch with me, sit on my lap etc. but doesn't really lay down much. At night or when we're not home she goes back in her crate. She doesn't mind this crate at all, doesn't chew it or rattle the bars like she used to when she was on the deck. I think it's because she has MUCH more human contact now.

 

As for your questions:

 

I have come to the conclusion that if they aren't caged outside, the area in which they live will smell horribly. IS THAT TRUE?

 

Perhaps for some bunnies this is true, I guess, but I haven't had this experience AT ALL. When Chloe lived on the deck she stunk all. the. time. Her cage needed to be cleaned daily, including her litter box, and it smelled awful. Once I brought her in it was completely the opposite. I fill her large litter box halfway with Carefresh Premium once a week, shift it around every couple of days since she only uses one corner of the box, and she doesn't smell at all. My husband has a VERY sensitive nose and said that the hutch on the deck smelled awful but he can't smell her at all now that she's inside. If you go right up and stick your nose in the litter box you can smell the pee, but that's it. She does kick out bunny drops occasionally but her box is very high-sided so it doesn't happen very often.

 

Also, you need to remember that if you are using a litter box you NEED a high-sided one because bunnies don't pee like cats. The lift their tail and spray horizontally. They will even jump while they're peeing sometimes to try to mark their territory higher if they are feeling threatened.

 

Is it possible to have a happy bunny in the living conditions mentioned above?

 

Possible? Yes. Ideal? No.

Personally, I would never try to keep a bunny outdoors again. I feel that it is incredibly stressful for them and inhumane to keep them isolated from the family unit. Rabbits can literally die of fright if something comes near their hutch. They can also typically handle rather cold weather pretty well, but anything over about 85* could be life threatening. It's also too easy to forget about an outdoor bunny. The best intentions can get lost in the fray when you've got a busy week. And then, a busy week turns into a busy month and then all bunny is getting is a refilled water bottle, a cup of pellets, and a quick pet on the head if he's lucky. An animal as social as a rabbit NEEDS to be part of the family every. single. day. especially if you only have one. They also need a LOT of exercise (think about how active a wild rabbit is) to stay healthy.

 

IS HER EXPERIENCE THE NORM OR IS IT ABNORMAL?

 

Most rabbit people will tell you that it is abnormal, simply because they feel that all rabbits should go to the vet and should be spayed or neutered. In my opinion, rabbits are as individual as humans. What is normal for one may not be for others. You should also consider that "hasn't had any problems" is a very subjective phrase. If her rabbits have never been to the vet she may have no idea whether there is a problem or not. Lots of people feel that a rabbit living 4 - 6 yrs. has lived a full life with no problems when the fact is that most well-cared for rabbits can easily live to be 10 - 12 yrs. I wouldn't buy a rabbit if you couldn't at least afford to have it spayed or neutered or unless you buy one already altered from a rescue.

 

My friend told me that we could keep the bunny in a cage in our unfinshed basement but if they smell a lot, I am wondering if there is anyway they can mostly stay outside in a good cage, only to come in when it is VERY hot or Very cold. We live in Nebraska, and the colds temps can go down to sub zero temps in the winter (although not all winter) and last summer we had temps up in the 100's (for lots of days....which is sort of abnormal, but a 100 day here and there is certainly not) WHAT IS THE IDEAL TEMPS FOR HOUSING A BUNNY...HIGH AND LOW?

 

If an unfinished basement or a hutch outside are your only two options, I would not get a rabbit. They need a lot of interaction and attention and being completely segregated from their family for 99% of every day is just not healthy. Outside a rabbit can handle temps into the teens, possibly lower if an incredible amount of hay, fleece, insulation and shelter were provided; however, a 100* day would likely end in a dead bunny. 85* is about as high as they can withstand without a lot of intervention like frozen water bottles inside the cage, a fan, etc. When my bun was on the deck over the summer she had an overhead fan going 24/7 and it was 100% shaded. The enclosed deck was consistently about 10* - 15* cooler than any outside temps. even though it was screened on the top half.

 

My kids are ages of 12, 10 and 8. Are these good ages for owning and caring for bunnies? They did a fantastic job with the hamsters...cleaned their cages, played with them, made sure they had water and food...but all of those things didn't HAVE to be daily...I mean, if I day was skipped, it wasn't the end of the world...WOULD IT BE WITH A BUNNY? If we were gone for 24-48 hours or something, would a bunny be ok by himself?? We could leave the hamsters that long, but I am wondering about a bunny.

 

Generally, I don't think rabbits make good pets for kids. They tend not to like being picked up much. They're very independently minded. And, they're not nearly as snuggly as people assume when they're young. They are often much more cuddly when they're older. Your kids probably COULD handle caring for the rabbit, but a rabbit lives a LOT longer than a hamster. If your rabbit is still alive in 6 - 10 yrs. when your kids go off to college, are you prepared to take care of it on your own. Rabbits poop A LOT. They pee a lot. They need a lot of fresh greens in addition to pellets and hay everyday as well.

 

If you were to go away for a day or two, it would be feasible to leave bunny home alone if you have the right set-up and it's at a temperate time of year. I would never leave one alone outside in the summer. I wouldn't leave without using at least two extra-large water bottles and a complete extra-large bag of hay in the cage. A rabbit can survive on hay alone indefinitely. It isn't ideal, but it's possible. So, two days on just water and hay would be fine. Pellets could be placed in a time release container, though fresh veggies would need to be given just before leaving and only enough that bunny could eat before it spoiled.

 

Honestly, given the information you've provided, it doesn't sound like a bunny would be the best match for your family right now.