Pet Rabbit | Imamother

5S5Sr7z3 ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 9:51 am

So, we are seriously considering getting my son a pet, but I dont want the responsibility of a kitten. I've been reading up on them, but some things just werent clear.

How much do their maintenance/food cost?
People keep telling me they stink - do they really?? We spent Shabbos at a friend who happened to be rabbit-sitting for a week, and it most certainly didnt smell!

I dont mind the cleaning up after it and stuff, so that's not a problem. Anyone have experience with them?

Cookiegirl ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 11:54 am

I've had rabbits. Not sure where you are, but if you can adopt from a shelter than has animals that are already neutered and/or spayed, they are relatively easy to litter train. The biggest smell issue is territorial marking when the animals are intact. Secondarily,they mostly eat hay- fresh hay has a pretty distinctive smell as well, but it's not "bad." They do best in pairs, in terms of socializing, but again, this works best if there are no possible babies, because they do otherwise live up to their reputations :-) They also need a fairly large area to roam around in- they are not really cut out for living in the small cages most pet stores sell.

PM me if you want more info. I have a lot of experience with rabbits, and I can point you to a great listserv/yahoogroup for information if you have general internet access. Also, there are quite a few books on houserabbits. Or I can keep posting answers to questions here and everyone can learn about bunnies LOL

chocolate moose ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 1:17 pm

Why not get an older cat? I feel bad for bunnies stuck in a hutch so much of the time.

↑ 5S5Sr7z3 ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 1:20 pm

Wow thanks! I wouldnt even know where to find a shelter where I live... I have the space in my apt for a bunny to hop around in, so that's not a problem, although more than 1 would take up too much room LOL. A large cage is portable, so that's also not a problem - I can stash it on a table to clean the floor or whatever. My husband was convinced we could get away with a small cage and just let it hop around the house LOL. Not happening 24/7!!!

What yahoo group is there for this that you mentioned?

↑ 5S5Sr7z3 ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 1:22 pm

chocolate moose wrote:

Why not get an older cat? I feel bad for bunnies stuck in a hutch so much of the time.

because a cat is too much responsibility, and much more expensive. It's really for my son, he's too young for the full responsibility for a pet like a cat. A rabbit's easier.

sequoia ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 1:37 pm

Cats are actually pretty low-maintenance.

↑ Cookiegirl

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 1:56 pm

Rabbits take about the same amount of maintenance as a cat- you have to change the cage lining and litter boxes. Rabbits can be skittish- most cats have had the skittishness bred out of them and make better pets for little kids than do rabbits. The only difference is that you can, at times, cage the rabbit, but this is not the best way for them to live. A rabbit roaming around the apartment is actually better for it's wellbeing than being caged, but if this is not an option, you can also create a dedicated play area using puppy/baby gates to keep them contained, albeit not caged. If you can go to yahoogroups, type in "Petbunny" and see if you can get into the group- I don't remember if you have to sign up directly through the hosting listserv. Let me know if you can't get in, and I will try to dig up the old instructions.

I personally would not recommend a cage that you can lift as the appropriate size for any bunny except maybe the smallest dwarf breed. They really don't do well in cages for long periods of time- they get stressed, and they have very sensitive metabolism- so stress is not good for them...they need space to run and jump- definitely 6-8 hours per day. If you have a 8' x 8' space you can dedicate to the rabbit housing, you can create a large, multilevel house out of office shelving grids, or Nice Idea Cubes.

Rabbits bathe themselves similar to cats, btw. They are pretty clean overall. Food costs are probably similar to cats- they primarily eat hay, and you can supplement with some fresh veggies- that's about it. Not too many carrots, Bugs Bunny notwithstanding- they have too much sugar. Depending on where you are, and whether you have a good pet store near you, hay can be delivered or bought, but it is not very very cheap.

Sorry this is all over the place- check out Petbunny and do some research online, and feel free to ask more questions as they come up.

chavs ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 3:56 pm

If I can weigh in. We have two cats a 2 year old and a 4 month old. We also had a rabbit who was intented to be a house rabbit, as in she had a hutch but was free to go in and out of the hutch for the largest part of the day both so she could run around, and so she could come to us for cuddles if she wanted and basically to be a part of the family. I knew that if she were to live in the hutch and only come out for cuddles when we wanted to the kids would grow bored of her whereas if she was able to hop around she'd be part of the family. Rabbits a pack animals and get terribly lonely unless they have a fellow rabbit or are part of the family and not just when the kids come home from schol and you from work (or whatever it is), because I can almost guarentee that for most kids the novelty wears off and its not so much fun and it gets to be the parents pet. Our cat is happy scratching the scratching post and to entertain herself(which is entertaining to see) and come up to us for cuddles when she wants. The kids love playing with her and she is so much a part of the family. She uses the litter tray now because she is to young to leave the house. Our 2 year old cat never uses the litter tray as she goes outside and comes and goes as she pleases but is still very much part of the family.
The rabbit ate our wall paper, our shoes, toys and the sofa, despite us spraying it with a bitter spray (intended for pets) and us buying $$$ worth of chewing bits for her. Rabbits arent keen on being carried, we found that out the hard way by her kicking us and scratching us when we had to carry her back to her cage for example, and yes we carried her correctly. She did come over for a scratch or a stroke but not as much as our kitten does although more then our 2 year old cat. Furthermore there arent really any games for a person and a rabbit to play together where as the kids and the cats have lots of fun playing with each other. Rabbits also get lonely if it doesntget enough attention and can get agressive.
We have found that a rabbit is far more work then a kitten. A kitten comes over to you when it wants attention and isnt inherently scared of ppl but curious. Our rabbit was also far more destructive.
You also need more accesories for a rabbit then a cat. You need food, veggies, hay, sawdust, chewing toys and some rabbit toys to entertain her with while you are not at home although a toilet roll might surfice. You also need to bunny proof your house as the chew on leads.
For a cat you need a litter box, food and litter (this will probably not be used when she starts going out) and when if youlet a cat out they need to be wormed and treated for flee prevention every 1, 2 or 3 monthsdependign on what you get. Our cats are happy t play with the kids toys and dont break them. Lilly had great fun playing what looked like hocky with a crusty piece of challa on shabbos afternoon. The kids tied some bead and a feather to the end of a string and play with her like that.

To clarify why the rabbit was more physically affectionate then our 2 year old cat I should tell you that its because she is a rescue cat and lived in an outdoor hutch with other cats and didnt have much human contact. Not all rescue cats are like that although I have spoken with others who are.
She does let the kids stroke her and have been pulled around by our dd by her fur not so gently ( without objection), before I was able to stop her, where as she only accept cuddles from dh and me if she wants to eat. If we pick her up otherwise or touch her for to long she moves away. She does however love to play with us and when we go for waks she follows us around. When somebody cries be it me or one of the kids she comes and sits near us which is very comforting.
Kittens can be annoying though as they like to chase and climb the curtains or up dh's legs and love to chase his tzitzis but they get over this stage, we tell them firmly no! when the kitten misbehaves and the 2 year old Luna hasnt misbehaved for a long time.
I would definitley go for a cat. Be prepared that they are cheeky but they are ery rewarding and you dont have to feel guilty if you werent able to let them out of their hutch because they dont have one obviously (unlike a rabbit who I'd feel terrible for if they were stuck in it all day) or you didnt cuddle it for a day because you were out. They give more attention but seem to need less or they basically just get it when they want.
Our cat also caught a mouse which was nice!

↑ chavs

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 4:39 pm

I forgot to add that the biggest issue here to me isnt what pet to get but who you get it for. A child should never be left with full responsibility to care for a pet. It will be your pet. Whilst your child might be "responsible" for feeding it or changing the water but you'll need to do it if they forget and you'll be the one who has to remember. You can tell him its his pet but your mindset will be that its yours because believe me, I have had pets my whole life and know ppl with pets and have spoken with many rescues and children arent reliable pet owners and will get bored of this once exciting animal. It would not be fair for a pet to end up in a rescue because of unrealistic expectations.

There is a reason why most rescues are busiest in late January...after chruxmas then the kids have bored of their animal and the parents aren't interested in being responsible for it.

One of the ppl who dh worked with had a dd who had a hamster and one day the mother came in to find the hamster dead of starvation becuase the kid forgot. Lesson is: a pet is a whole family's responsibility.

Rather than thinking about what's best for your child, suggest thinking about the pet you and your dh will like. Realistically, it is likely to end up being more your pet then theirs. I do hope that your kids will play with it the pet sometimes, cuddle it sometimes and that they hopefully learn kindness from it as well.

↑ sequoia

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 4:59 pm

Chavs, I couldn't agree more. No way should any mother get a pet unless she is prepared to be the one taking care of it.

life'sgreat

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 7:13 pm

I did some research on rabbits for my nephew a little while ago. It seems to me that people think they are much less maintenance than other pets and that isn't true. It's a high maintenance pet and yes, the mom is the one that will end up with all the work. Have you considered getting him a fish? A betta fish can be great for a kid (depending on age). It is not a lot of responsibility (feeding every day), but the kid can still enjoy 'his' pet.

↑ 5S5Sr7z3 ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 7:19 pm

sequoia wrote:

Cats are actually pretty low-maintenance.

Yah, but the vet's too expensive LOL. All those shots and stuff. And my husband used to work for a cleaning company, and he said cat pee is the hardest smell to get rid of.

↑ 5S5Sr7z3 ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 7:22 pm

chavs wrote:

I'll take care of it. I want it just as much LOL. My husband fell in love with my friends bunny, and so did we all. I'm on the phone, and I cant really concentrate on the posts and talking at the same time, I'll answer the rest later. Really, I just wanted info on what it takes to have a bunny, not if I should get a cat or not (did I actually bring up a kitten?? I'm losing it LOL)

↑ 5S5Sr7z3 ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 7:31 pm

Cookiegirl wrote:

Thanks a ton. This is what I was looking for. I would get a cage as a backup to get the bunny out of the way if needed, and let it freely roam the playroom. I also have a gated porch that I could reinforce with chicken wire for the summer and let it have some supervised time outdoors. I also have a thing about cats, and although my son would love one, I would prefer not to have one in the house. He has a sensory disorder and some social/some emotional issues. That's why I want a pet that he could touch, chase, whatever, as opposed to fish (which we already had) that he could just look at. Gerbil and such freak me out - I grew up with mice roaming our house freely. Oh, and a bunny's quiet LOL

chavamom ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 8:03 pm

chocolate moose wrote:

Why not get an older cat? I feel bad for bunnies stuck in a hutch so much of the time.

That's just it. They aren't supposed to be stuck in a hutch. We have a pet "house rabbit". There is a ton of info out there on the 'net. You can google "bunny rescue society" for your area or for "[area] humane society" to get info and most have a "pet finder" that will list what they currently have with a photo and brief description. I second that you want to get one that has been spayed or neutered.

↑ chavamom ↓

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 8:09 pm

We built a bunny "condo" out of storage cubes like the ones here. Ours only has 2 levels at the moment, but that is where the bunny is confined during the day while the kids are at school. He gets let out in the afternoon/evening after he comes home. The rabbit is my almost 12 year-old's pet, but we got it with the understanding (between the shelter and me) that I was the one taking ultimate responsibility for it. My daughter is so in love with this critter, I think I've only had to play back-up twice and that was because she had something going on. She has been surprisingly responsible, considering that she's 11.

↑ chavamom

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 8:11 pm

More info on the cage, supplies, etc, but this one from a site specifically for guinea pigs

↑ 5S5Sr7z3

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 9:56 pm

Thank you Chavamom. I appreciate your input.

↑ chocolate moose

Sun, Jan 30 2011, 10:05 pm

now I want a bunny !