Talk to me about pet rabbits

[Bernadine]

H wants one, but I'm not convinced.

[icedcoffee]

They smell. Get a dog instead. More reward for your efforts!

[TR]

I had a roommate who had a rabbit once. That fucking thing would scratch at the plastic bottom of its cage at night and drive me fucking nuts.

[winecat]

I think you're supposed to get rabbits in pairs. Check your area for a rabbit rescue. They can give you good pros/cons and help figure out the right rabbits for you if you decide to get a couple.

[InBetweenDays]

I've never met someone who had a rabbit who then recommended to others that they get a rabbit. Everyone I've known who has had one has said don't do it.

[W.T.Faulkner]

If you can’t have a dog, get a cat. If you can’t get a cat, get a rabbit.

[tacokick]

I know a couple of people with rabbits who are real rabbit fanatics. Like the rabbit basically lives similarly to a cat or dog. Neither have other pets or children though which I think is a plus when it comes to rabbit owning.

For example, this rescued bunny instagram.com/missbunlady lives a pretty exciting life for a rabbit.

[af1212]

We had a pet rabbit in my classroom once. Luckily it was owned by a parent who did all of the care - cleaning, cage stuff, feeding, etc.

It was a total pain, made a huge mess, and smelled.

It wasn’t very friendly and didn’t seem to enjoy being around me or the kids.

I would not want one as a pet myself.

[twilightmv]

I had rabbits. They were cute. But they poop A TON and the hay was messy. They also chewed wires very quickly. If you have a nice safe temperate outdoor or outdoor type space for them it might not be so bad. We had ours in a two bedroom condo and I thought they were smelly AF.

[johnlennonfan]

Rabbits are cute but it is alot of work so I hope your husband is up to the task if he gets one

[Mrs.flang]

I had a rabbit as a kid as a compromise because my parents didn’t want a dog. It was boring and no fun. Maybe I was just an a-hole kid, but I don’t think the care is worth the reward.

[cheeseandcrackers]

My experience is that they chew and they are really stinky (well the pee). I wouldn't get one as a pet again.

[mcmel]

Animals in cages are the WORST. Cleaning up all the mess they make outside their cage every day, cleaning the cage every few days, deep cleaning and scrubbing the cage every week or so- it’s miserable. They don’t really cuddle and aren’t worth the trouble. Get a cat or dog instead. They’re a million times easier to clean up after and they cuddle all the time.

[imojoebunny]

Joe Bunny was the best pet ever. He lived for 13 years, and if I could clone him, I would have. Look at rabbit.org/ for information on how they can be great pets.

They MUST be neutered or spayed to be good indoor pets (My educated guess is that the negative reviews are all for un-neutered or spayed bunnies that had to be caged). The electrical wires in your home that they have access to must be covered. You must not like wicker anything or leave things lying around that they will want to chew. I used dish soap to keep Joe from chewing wood, and he hated it, thus did not chew that. I kept natural woven baskets around for him to chew, magazines, blue berry limbs, and hay in small quantities accessible to him (chewing is important to bunnies health). I used shower curtain rod covers on all of my wires, easy to cut and pretty cheap. Joe was a free range bunny (no cage), after about 6 months, and hopped all over the house. He used a liter box with hay as the litter. We lived in a lot of places, and I never had problems with him chewing the base boards, as long as I first coated them with light colored dish soap once we moved in. I am a very organized and tidy person, but leaving things about, he would check them out and probably have chewed them. Also, never could have a houseplant. If you have a larger home, they would be perfectly happy in the kitchen and/or living room, where you spend the most time, but you would need a mesh or smaller grate gate, as they can get through most baby/dog gates.

Joe was always thrilled when I came home, happy to hang out with me, be petted, and enjoy some spring mix, carrot tops, and a magazine. Loved people, and disliked other rabbits, intensely. He was like a cat, in that you could leave him for a day or two, but like a dog, in that he didn't get on counters or even the sofa, and would greet you at the door, and sit at your feet to be petted. I traveled with him a good bit, and he just sat in a basket in the passenger seat of the car, and was easy to keep in a bathroom, once there.

Bunnies are not great pets for everyone. Loud houses, with lots of chaos and kids, no. Adults, calm teens, older people, they can be fantastic pets that are low cost, low effort to joy. I have two dogs now, and I frequently wish I could wonder twin power them into two Joe Bunnies.

If you have any specific questions, I am happy to answer them based on my experience.

[HRH Queen Dick I]

[vibrator joke]

[nextbigthing]

Yuck. They're cute but no thanks. Cats and dogs only for me. No hamsters, rabbits, reptiles, fish, hermit crabs etc. in this house

[bunnies]

Sept 21, 2018 21:48:36 GMT -5 imojoebunny said:

Joe Bunny was the best pet ever. He lived for 13 years, and if I could clone him, I would have. Look at rabbit.org/ for information on how they can be great pets.

They MUST be neutered or spayed to be good indoor pets (My educated guess is that the negative reviews are all for un-neutered or spayed bunnies that had to be caged). The electrical wires in your home that they have access to must be covered. You must not like wicker anything or leave things lying around that they will want to chew. I used dish soap to keep Joe from chewing wood, and he hated it, thus did not chew that. I kept natural woven baskets around for him to chew, magazines, blue berry limbs, and hay in small quantities accessible to him (chewing is important to bunnies health). I used shower curtain rod covers on all of my wires, easy to cut and pretty cheap. Joe was a free range bunny (no cage), after about 6 months, and hopped all over the house. He used a liter box with hay as the litter. We lived in a lot of places, and I never had problems with him chewing the base boards, as long as I first coated them with light colored dish soap once we moved in. I am a very organized and tidy person, but leaving things about, he would check them out and probably have chewed them. Also, never could have a houseplant. If you have a larger home, they would be perfectly happy in the kitchen and/or living room, where you spend the most time, but you would need a mesh or smaller grate gate, as they can get through most baby/dog gates.

Joe was always thrilled when I came home, happy to hang out with me, be petted, and enjoy some spring mix, carrot tops, and a magazine. Loved people, and disliked other rabbits, intensely. He was like a cat, in that you could leave him for a day or two, but like a dog, in that he didn't get on counters or even the sofa, and would greet you at the door, and sit at your feet to be petted. I traveled with him a good bit, and he just sat in a basket in the passenger seat of the car, and was easy to keep in a bathroom, once there.

Bunnies are not great pets for everyone. Loud houses, with lots of chaos and kids, no. Adults, calm teens, older people, they can be fantastic pets that are low cost, low effort to joy. I have two dogs now, and I frequently wish I could wonder twin power them into two Joe Bunnies.

If you have any specific questions, I am happy to answer them based on my experience.

All of this! My bunny was so special - and gone too soon! He was so sassy and had tons of personality. Once spayed/neutered, they use their litter box. The rabbits themselves are not smelly or stinky. They clean themselves like cats and are generally very meticulous about it. The litter box/pee does get stinky if not cleaned enough. Bandit would go into his cage at night, but he was always out when I was home. The spot on his back right behind his ears was the softest thing I've ever touched!

That said, they are not a low-maintenance pet. It does take work and effort. I found it rewarding because I loved him so much!

[Leeham Rimes]

Sept 21, 2018 20:59:51 GMT -5 Bernadine said:

H wants one, but I'm not convinced.

You know how this will work out. Your h will magically not have enough time to do all the work and you’re gonna be “wtf. I didn’t want Trix the rabbit. YOU DID. But here I am cleaning a litter box and making sure it’s fed all the time”

I think any animal is work and if both parties don’t truly want it, someone’s gonna end up with short end of the stick and be pisT about it.

So while I personally love bunnies, they’re not a totally low maintenance pet IMO. Also, it definitely depends on the personality of the bunny (like any animal).

[tacom]

Smelly and the novelty wore off very quickly.

[dirtyred]

If I was going to get a pet in a cage, I'd get a rat.  Smarter, cleaner (don't smell), smaller cage, cheaper to feed, very loving.  You can teach them tricks like a dog.

[lostrn]

We had rabbits when I was kid and they were great. But we had a house and a nice size backyard, and during the warmer months they lived in the backyard. My dad built them these large cages with space for litter boxes, a separate little room they could make a little nest in, etc. During the winter I know we brought one of them inside but I think the others had nice thick coats and were fine outside? But I can't quite remember. They had babies so definitely not spayed or neutered lol. But most of them were playful and cuddly, although we did have to be careful of wires inside the house and such. And the one rabbit liked to try to play with the cat, which the cat did not appreciate I would love to have a rabbit or two again if I had a good setup, our current house we just don't have good space for it and I don't think the dog would be too cooperative.

[mslhb]

Sept 22, 2018 6:36:09 GMT -5 dirtyred said:

If I was going to get a pet in a cage, I'd get a rat.  Smarter, cleaner (don't smell), smaller cage, cheaper to feed, very loving.  You can teach them tricks like a dog.

This. Our neighbors have a pet rabbit and the mom was all don’t do it! We ended up getting my DD pet rats. We now have 3 females. They are super smart and easy to take care of. My 10 year old does everything herself. And they only live like 2 years so I figured how bad could it be.

[PennyCandy]

The house rabbit society is my favorite resource for bunnies. rabbit.org I've had four over the years. They aren't for everyone, but can be great pets.

[wildrice]

I had a rabbit for a year or so in college. I ended up giving it away. I never should have gotten it because it wasn't allowed where I was living.

I have known at least 2 people who had rabbits and loved them tons. They were really docile and lovely. My experience was not that. My rabbit mostly wanted to run away when I took it out, and didn't really enjoy human interaction. He was also dirty and it was kind of a pain to buy him fresh veggies all the time.

I would never recommend anything but a dog or cat. I wish I had thought about my rabbit experience more before I got my hedgehog....

[iamgrace]

Stinky. So stinky. You have to keep the cage very clean. I had to clean it daily and even then it got a bit rank. Also my rabbit didn’t like me much and used to bite my thighs when I sat on my lap. Get a kitten.

[yogapants]

Am I the lone dissenter? (Edit: No, I’m not!) We have three cats, a dog, and a rabbit. Our rabbit is my favorite pet by far, and I don’t think of myself as a “rabbit fancier.” Our rabbit is free-range-ish in our living room. Ish because she prefers to stay on a rubber mat and doesn’t like how the wood floor feels - though she does venture out sometimes. She uses a litter box, which we fill with Feline Pine. We dump it in the compost every couple of weeks. She doesn’t smell particularly. She’s quiet and low-maintenance, and our living room isn’t a place with lots of cords, so bunny-proofing isn’t a big deal.

We got her from someone who had gotten her from a rabbit rescue, so she is spayed. She was 5 when we got her, and probably 8 or so now. She’s awesome.

[yourmother]

You may want to educate yourself on the lifespan. My aunt got one for my cousin and it lived a lot longer than anyone expected. He had free range of the house and backyard (supervised). He wasn’t an exciting pet, but he was definitely loved.

[bittybomb]

I’ve never had one technically, but did spend summers at my aunt and uncle’s house in the “country” growing up. For two summers there were rabbits. They were not friendly, didn’t want to play with us or have anything to do with us, were noisy, annoying, and messy, and they were pretty stinky.

No way.

[bittybomb]

Sept 22, 2018 5:32:48 GMT -5 Leeham Rimes said:

Sept 21, 2018 20:59:51 GMT -5 Bernadine said:

H wants one, but I'm not convinced.

You know how this will work out. Your h will magically not have enough time to do all the work and you’re gonna be “wtf. I didn’t want Trix the rabbit. YOU DID. But here I am cleaning a litter box and making sure it’s fed all the time”

I think any animal is work and if both parties don’t truly want it, someone’s gonna end up with short end of the stick and be pisT about it.

So while I personally love bunnies, they’re not a totally low maintenance pet IMO. Also, it definitely depends on the personality of the bunny (like any animal).

Truth. My husband and kids begged for years for a dog and I resisted because despite what they said to the contrary, I knew I’d be doing the bulk of the work with a dog. They did wear me down and we did get a puppy last summer, and as happy as I am that we did get him because I am truly head over heels in love with him and obsessed beyond measure with his cute freaking face, I was a million percent right that I’d be the one doing the most of the work. And as an extra slap in the face, I am not even his person - the dog is as obsessed with my husband as I am with the dog.

[kayl84]

Sept 22, 2018 9:19:41 GMT -5 mslhb said:

Sept 22, 2018 6:36:09 GMT -5 dirtyred said:

If I was going to get a pet in a cage, I'd get a rat.  Smarter, cleaner (don't smell), smaller cage, cheaper to feed, very loving.  You can teach them tricks like a dog.

This. Our neighbors have a pet rabbit and the mom was all don’t do it! We ended up getting my DD pet rats. We now have 3 females. They are super smart and easy to take care of. My 10 year old does everything herself. And they only live like 2 years so I figured how bad could it be.

Uhhhhh rabbits live longer than 2 yrs. Our two were at least 10 when they passed.

You may be thinking of hamsters. 🤷🏼‍♀️