What would be enough space? I was looking at these:
Bunnies need a lot of space and are high maintenance pets. They're not designed to be confined. As long as you were providing a ton of exercise time in your house and litter trained them this might be okay depending on the dimensions.
They are social creatures and do best indoors. They are great house pets but usually don't do well with small children because they can be fairly fragile.
Post by FrozenSunshine on Jul 28, 2014 17:55:26 GMT -5
I had a bunny for about 5 years. He had a hutch like this that was about twice this size. My dad built a frame to get it up off the ground and made the bunny steps to get in and out of it. The pull out tray was a lifesaver for keeping his hutch clean. The hutch was in my bedroom. He was not confined to this space, he had free reign of the house and liked to hang out with the cats. He pretty much only came into the hutch to eat, poop and sleep.
I've had a few bunnies. Love them as pets. This is flamable, but mine were outdoor bunnies who lived in HUGE hutches. My big concern for you is that bunnies are very fragil and not good for small kids, one drop can kill them or break their back. They also have very strong back feet, sharp teeth and nails. They aren't high maintenance, fresh food and water at least twice a day. Hutch needs cleaned daily. They require hay, pellets and fresh veggies. Carrots are their equivalent of a snickers bar. I'm not sure how they will do in your environment. I had to watch my guys closely in the summer so they didn't over heat. They actually loved the cold in the winter and I had one that was thrilled when I would let him play in the snow (he then got towl dried and put in a cozy box full of hay to warm back up). You have to keep their nails trimmed and may have to trim their teeth. They need lots of toys to keep them busy, and wood to chew on to help their teeth. They can also be destructive little creatures.
Post by liverandonions on Jul 29, 2014 11:15:18 GMT -5
Bunnies can also die of heat pretty easily if you get hot summers. They have a super strong kick that can crack your sternum if you don't hold them feet out.
We went to the zoo today and in the petting zoo area both Lu and Ella FLIPPED over the bunnies. How much work are the cute little fuckers? What about keeping one outside in a hutch? I don't think I want one living in the actual house (though we'd bring it in to play and stuff). Obviously we'd have to figure out a way to keep bunz cozy in the winter.
I had a bunny as a kid - outside in a hutch. They aren't ideal pets for small kids. They don't like to be held as they like to have their feet on the ground to sense large animals coming. They also bite and kick. I still felt like my bunny was a great pet. He loved to romp around our yard, eat clover, and interact with our cat. He lived 11 years - which is old for a rabbit!
Post by walterismydog on Jul 29, 2014 11:25:39 GMT -5
Bunnies are really not the greatest pets for kids. They are super fragile and their backs can break very easily. I know they're awesomely cute, but I really don't recommend them. We do not use them at all in Critter Camp at the shelter when we bring shelter pets in for the kids. We DO let the kids play with rats, ferrets, kittens, and puppies. And today two snakes and a bearded dragon.
Also, bunnies and all other small mammals are a lot of work as far as cage cleaning goes, and you really want to make sure you keep up with it. I'm not trying to dissuade you from a small mammal, but just know what you're getting into.
We had two when I was a kid. They're really not the best IMO until the kids are older, like older elementary grades. They're pretty fragile, they can bite, and they can be a lot of work. One of our rabbits wasn't friendly at all, didn't want any interaction, but our other one was social and friendly. I would be hesitant to have them around kids under 6 regularly, since they do require gentleness.
We had an indoor bunny. We had to clean the cage fairly often. Ours was angora and it's coat needed lots of grooming. Not all bunnies are good with kids (ours wasn't).
Litter training is easy though. They're like cats that way. They do need a lot of time and space to run and jump. Ours would chew cords, so he couldn't just run around the house unsupervised.
And they eat a lot. It's not super expensive food and hay, but they go through it quickly, so it adds up.
We had bunnies growing up. They were litterbox trained, but they chewed the wood work. My step dad built this massive enclosed area for them with a pond. It was probably 600 square feet. They dug a warren under the pond and had babies. So adorable. We lived in Texas, so winter was never an issue, and if they got too hot, they would go underground. We loved having them, but were always supervised while holding them and we had to be sitting on the ground so they wouldn't fall.
Post by sineadorebellion on Jul 29, 2014 11:46:09 GMT -5
We had a Californian for a little while. He was a lot of work but so beautiful and so snuggly. We had to be super diligent with keeping the floors clean and cords up during his playtime out of cage and cleaned his cage every other day. We had him litter trained, too. But one morning, maybe a month after we got him, he died. It was awful the vet thinks he may have eaten something he wasn't supposed to during his out of cage, as Californians have a very restrictive diet. I want another bunny so bad but I don't know that I can devote that kind of care again right now.
Post by karmasabiotch on Jul 29, 2014 12:04:41 GMT -5
I always have a pet bunny. She lives inside and she's very sweet. She even gets along with my dogs although I don't let her hop around when they are in the house, just in case.