OT Rabbits as pets?

[Kitzka]

HI all:

this is somewhat off topic but i am thinking of getting a mini rex rabbit for a pet for my daughter. Does anyone have rabbits for pets and can offer some helpful suggestions? what do i need? what don't i need?

am i crazy for making this choice? we have never had any pets before aside from beta fish. SHe would love a dog but i am not a big fan and i am allergic to cats.

And if anyone knows anything about this breed that would be helpful as well.

also, to get back to the budget part of it-where can i get supplies on a budget?

thanks
lara

 

[Dancemom03]

Rabbits make terrific pets for kids! We prefer mini lops to the rex as, in our experience, the lops have been much more friendly, adaptable, and tolerant than the two mini rex' we've owned but that's a personal preference.

Rabbits are easy to litterbox train, making cage cleaning nicer too. There are usually lots of cages on craigslist, even at yard sales. The multi-level ones like ferrets use are especially nice b/c they offer more room while consuming less space in your house.

You might want to double-check the allergy thing though. DBIL is allergic to cats but always said DD19's rabbits were worse. When he came to visit he'd always plan ahead to take an extra pill but still need the inhaler after a while.

I know you said you're not a fan but, there are several small dog breeds which are hypo-allergenic and a dog may be more loving & less work in the end, even though they have be walked. Plus, there's no cage to clean or smell. Around here, the kids always promise to do it, but it's me who ends up with my hands in the ummmm, err... well, you get the idea...

 

[cinderellascastle29]

I have had a rabbit for the last year. I don't find him to be expensive as long as you buy the supplies (timothy hay, pellets, etc.) in bulk it definitely saves on cost. I also have a litterbox type thing in his cage ( they actually can be trained like cats to use it if you didn't know that, I was surprised!) I buy the bedding that absorbs the smell and change it everyday, so that can be a pain to pay for but thats my personal choice. One more thing about the pellets, I started mine off with the plain pellets and ran out once so I ran to the local store and got a pellet mix with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. and now he will only eat this kind! The bag is very small and way more expensive than the plain pellets, but as long as you don't make this mistake like me you'll be fine! lol! I think rabbits are a great pet and they make you feel loved because they give you kisses!

 

[LovinPooh]

My bunny loves his tube! I got it at Petco. Its just a cardboard tube that he sleeps in and chews. My rabbit likes to play at night, which annoys me a bit. But he is cute.
I too buy in bulk. A bag of shavings at WalMart is like $6-8. I go to a feed store and its only $5 for a bale. That lasts for like 3 months or more.

 

[Kitzka]

Thanks everyone. I am going to try to do a little more research.

Lara

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

I hate rabbits! They smell and the one we had was mean!!!!

I know bunnies are cute and if you have a great place to keep them outside, great, but you asked for opinions.

don't mean to offend any bunny lovers but as cute as they are, they are not my idea of a great pet.

 

[Kitzka]

I hate rabbits! They smell and the one we had was mean!!!!

I know bunnies are cute and if you have a great place to keep them outside, great, but you asked for opinions.

don't mean to offend any bunny lovers but as cute as they are they are not my idea of a great pet.

I am not here to judge. I welcome ALL opinions, the good, the bad, the ugly, the stinky, ALL of it.

I feel that i asked for people's opinions. if you have something negative to say please go ahead. i don't currently own a rabbit and want to know if it's something i should avoid.

I can't speak for offending any other bunny lovers here but I won't be offended (just don't knock a girl for not knowing if this is the right decision for her or not).

lara

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

I have had a rabbit for the last year. I don't find him to be expensive as long as you buy the supplies (timothy hay, pellets, etc.) in bulk it definitely saves on cost. I also have a litterbox type thing in his cage ( they actually can be trained like cats to use it if you didn't know that, I was surprised!) I buy the bedding that absorbs the smell and change it everyday, so that can be a pain to pay for but thats my personal choice. One more thing about the pellets, I started mine off with the plain pellets and ran out once so I ran to the local store and got a pellet mix with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. and now he will only eat this kind! The bag is very small and way more expensive than the plain pellets, but as long as you don't make this mistake like me you'll be fine! lol! I think rabbits are a great pet and they make you feel loved because they give you kisses!

You may want to get him to eat a different food with just pellets. Seeds are actually bad for bunnies.
Bunnies are wonderful pets but can be expensive at the vet and they can have rather delicate health. You need to take them to an exotic pets vet who has taken schooling on rabbits. You also need to get a rabbit spayed or neutered because they can get reproductive cancer very easily. A good website to help you in your decision to get a bunny is houserabbit.org. After having said all that, I have absolutely loved being a bunny owner. They are wonderful pets and are very cuddly if you handle them alot. (That's my Ollie in my avatar. He's a Sable-point Lionhead and is so cute. )

 

[LovinPooh]

You may want to get him to eat a different food with just pellets. Seeds are actually bad for bunnies.
Bunnies are wonderful pets but can be expensive at the vet and they can have rather delicate health. You need to take them to an exotic pets vet who has taken schooling on rabbits. You also need to get a rabbit spayed or neutered because they can get reproductive cancer very easily. A good website to help you in your decision to get a bunny is houserabbit.org. After having said all that, I have absolutely loved being a bunny owner. They are wonderful pets and are very cuddly if you handle them alot. (That's my Ollie in my avatar. He's a Sable-point Lionhead and is so cute. )

okay, I looked at your avatar real quick and thought that was a cat! That is the cutest bunny!!!
We have a lop/rex mix. One ear is up, and one ear is down. I would completely agree about the health. Our first bunny, died last summer. He seemed fine. We had actually went to WalMart and my DD8, at the time, had bought him a treat. And when we got home, he was gone. It was just this past Easter we decided to get her another. But the rule is, when his cage starts to get stinky, she is to clean it right away. And shockingly enough, she does. The only things that aggravate me about him are the shavings he kicks out of his cage, and the noise he is capable of making at night. But if you have the room for him, then that wouldnt be a problem for you.
Not that anyone probably cares, but here is our little guy...

[/IMG]

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

okay, I looked at your avatar real quick and thought that was a cat! That is the cutest bunny!!!
We have a lop/rex mix. One ear is up, and one ear is down. I would completely agree about the health. Our first bunny, died last summer. He seemed fine. We had actually went to WalMart and my DD8, at the time, had bought him a treat. And when we got home, he was gone. It was just this past Easter we decided to get her another. But the rule is, when his cage starts to get stinky, she is to clean it right away. And shockingly enough, she does. The only things that aggravate me about him are the shavings he kicks out of his cage, and the noise he is capable of making at night. But if you have the room for him, then that wouldnt be a problem for you.
Not that anyone probably cares, but here is our little guy...

[/IMG]

That's okay! Everyone who comes into our house and sees Ollie, asks me why we have our cat in a cage!!! My dds just saw your rabbit and they fell in love. I want a Mini-Rex so bad!!!

 

[D&D's Mom]

We had a rabbit once. She was very sweet and adorable for about 6 mos. THEN it happened. She became totally obnoxious and mean. We then learned that female bunnies who are longing for companionship, if you know what I mean, develop quite the nasty disposition if not satisfied. She was given to a local former who breeds bunnies & probably enjoyed quite the life. No more bunnies for us.

 

[MomtoGKC]

Our bunny was mean, too. We could never pet her, hold her, play with her- nothing. The only time we could pet her was when she was out of her cage and eating a treat, then we could sneak in some pets!

But, it didn't turn me off form rabbits, I'd still consider one for my kids but I would learn more about them first to make sure I got a more friendly breed (we had a dwarf something or other).

But, my big warning is, don't listen to the people at the store! one main reason my dad got me the rabbit was that the pet store people said they only live 5-7 years (my dad was not a big animal lover). WELL, 14 years later Snickers died. Long after I had left for college and my parents had to take care of the mean old thing themselves. So, just be prepared for a longer commitment than the store might suggest.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

We had a rabbit once. She was very sweet and adorable for about 6 mos. THEN it happened. She became totally obnoxious and mean. We then learned that female bunnies who are longing for companionship, if you know what I mean, develop quite the nasty disposition if not satisfied. She was given to a local former who breeds bunnies & probably enjoyed quite the life. No more bunnies for us.

Rabbits can get very aggressive if not spayed or neutered...

 

[Cruise]

We had a rabbit once. She was very sweet and adorable for about 6 mos. THEN it happened. She became totally obnoxious and mean. We then learned that female bunnies who are longing for companionship, if you know what I mean, develop quite the nasty disposition if not satisfied. She was given to a local former who breeds bunnies & probably enjoyed quite the life. No more bunnies for us.

I'm so going to have to show this to my husband. His nickname for me is "bunny".... now I know why it fits so well!

 

[mad hatter fan]

I just wanted to let you know that I am allergic to cats like you and bunnies bother my allergies worse than cats do! I would make sure first that getting a rabbit would not make you miserable. That's how I feel when we visit my inlaws and my SIL who both have indoor bunny pets.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

DO NOT GET A MINI REX, I have 2 that I love dearly (they are my children). They are very susceptible to sore hocks (sore on the feet) and I have one that got an infeciton in her litle foot and the infection has eaten into the bone, even with aggressive antibiotic treatment and special sprays. I have to take her to a specialist out of town to see if anything can be done for her, otherwise I fear the worst. I have spent almost $1000 on recent treatment for this foot as well as the treatment for her other foot where she got a string wrapped around her ankle (have no clue where she got the string).

Rabbits require alot of care and attention and if your daughter isn't up for that then don't get her one. They can also be very expensive and I am very particular about what they are given as far as food and limited treats. You can't just give them any old pellet and there are limited treats that are good for them. And they can't just have any vegetables and fruits and you have to limit some of those.

Mine are litter trained, leash trained, and are very intelligent. Neither one is aggressive (only my male has been neutered), they are a bonded pair and have been raised together since I brought them home just over 5 years ago. They hate being seperated for any length of time.

Rabbits aren't just pets, they are a hobby and a real commitment.

I will be happy to go into more detail if you would like. I love talking about them and sharing my experiences as a bunny mama.

Suzanne

 

[Aristomommy]

We adopted a beautiful gray rabbit from a shelter 2 months ago. He is full grown and although we thought about getting a baby, he is not as jumpy as the little ones are. One of the workers at the shelter has many rabbits and gave us the best advice. We have two cats and this rabbit is like one of the cats, LOL. Here is some helpful advice for a first time rabbit owner like we were:

1. Buy a medium dog crate for a full grown rabbit (ours is medium size) instead of the little cages from a pet store. The more the rabbit can move while everyone is gone, the less aggressive they become. We line the crate with newspaper, because ours is printed with safe ink. We have a small cat litter box in a corner and a carboard box for burrowing (sp?) and chewing. I also have a food bowl and a water bottle attached.

2. Use Timothy hay in the litterbox, I also line mine with newspaper. Once you observe which corner the rabbit uses, that's the place for the litterbox. Our rabbit was already trained and just showed us where he wanted it.

3. Diet: use Timothy hay based pellets (some are made with alfalfa) and print out a list of safe veggies and fruits.

4. Outdoors: our rabbit does better with a harness and leash, although some may do well in a playpen. We have lots of birds and hawks that like to swoop down, so having him on a leash is safer. Gives the kids exercise along with the bunny, LOL. Just be careful in warm weather, rabbit can overheat easily.

5. Indoors: observe the rabbit indoors to see if they like to chew on cords etc. Ours did not initially and after a couple of weeks I gave him run of the house int he evenings. Then he started to chew cords and now he is under strict supervision, but is allowed to get indoor exercise every day.

6. Finally, learn how to handle a rabbit properly. This will keep the rabbit safe (their legs are powerful) and I was more confident in taking care of our rabbit.

We have really enjoyed our rabbit and I think we will continue to care for rabbits. Our children have also been very responsible with taking care of the rabbit and like to play with him. I am by no means an expert, but these tips gave us a great start.

 

[ceecee]

I hate rabbits! They smell and the one we had was mean!!!!

I know bunnies are cute and if you have a great place to keep them outside, great, but you asked for opinions.

don't mean to offend any bunny lovers but as cute as they are, they are not my idea of a great pet.

Agreed! Research before you buy. Our neighbors had one that bit the kids and pooped wherever, not the litter box. They also aren't as friendly as a cat or dog in my opinion.

 

[Reagan&Co.]

We had a rabbit once. She was very sweet and adorable for about 6 mos. THEN it happened. She became totally obnoxious and mean. We then learned that female bunnies who are longing for companionship, if you know what I mean, develop quite the nasty disposition if not satisfied. She was given to a local former who breeds bunnies & probably enjoyed quite the life. No more bunnies for us.

I agree here. We adopted two sisters. One got wild; the other did not. The mean one constantly humped her sister and even attacked us. (It is MORE expensive to spay a rabbit than a cat.)

 

[NiftyJ88]

We have a bunny that we got last year. The family who had her was no longer taking care of her. She was an outside rabbit so that is how we kept her. Litter training did not go well for us. She lives out in nice weather and in the garage in the winter. She seems quite content with that. We bring her inside and let her run around as well. She is super duper friendly. Even my DD3can handle her. We feed her fresh greens every day. She likes kale, collards, and parsley the best, as well as dandelion greens.
For budget tips:
Tractor Supply sells something called Cozy N Fresh which is a pelleted bedding. It costs 5.99 a bag and it lasts us for at least 3 months.
Tractor Supply also sells 10 lb bags of pellets for about $5. That lasts my rabbit about 4 months.
Buy a bale of timothy hay from a local farmer. You can probably get it for $5 for about 40 lbs. It's a lot to store, but way cheaper and as long as the hay is kept dry, it will keep forever.