Rabbit as pet
 

hey guys,
so my gf plans on getting a rabbit, more specifically a Dwarf rabbit.
any of you have one? or have had one?
views on having a rabbit as a pet?
thanks!! :D

my bf had a rabbit as a pet (it past away last year)...he always forgets he has a pet because rabbits are very quiet and they're always just in their cage...some don't like people petting them and carrying them so you can't really do much with them imo...

hahaha another thing that's quite funny, it's like the rabbit never sleeps...bf would wake up early in the morning and the rabbit would be up...bf would go to sleep very late and the rabbit would still be wide awake

BUT, if your gf really loves rabbits and is very eager to get one, i wouldn't say no :) but she gotta remember that getting a pet means she's responsible for another life

They eat their own poo, don't like being pet, and aren't affectionate. Enjoy.
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Girlfriend had a rabbit. Kind of a useless pet. Eats, chews on things poops, and shits. Changing the litter often is a bit of a hassle as well.
Cute to have, but owning one gets old real fast.

if you're going to be cleaning.out their shit, might as well get a cat. They would be affectionate towards you.
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are they easily trained?

Had two in the past, one died.

They're cute to look at but I don't think it was worth it. They shit like crazy, trays will fill up in about half a week; it stinks when mixed with the urine.
If you get anything plastic for the cage (toys, litter) they'll chew it up, in huge chunks. Don't really do much except sit there, if you let them out in the house their fur will shed, can be problematic.

Somewhat but theyre all different, i trained mine to run up the stairs after its been running around for an hour or so and jump back in its cage. Also expect a ton of fur in your house and covering absolutely everything.

lol my mom was talking about getting a dog this month and have been recently considering a rabbit also. if your gf ends up getting one, please update this thread and lmk how things go.. maybe i should show my mom this thread..
anyways, i have a friend that has one and she loves it and carry's it all the time. she loves it of course but i ll ask her how its like living with it daily.

thank you :D
she is also thinking of getting a cat now, since i guess taking care of a cat is just like taking care of a bunny except a bit more work.

The only circumstance a rabbit should be a pet, IMO, is if it has a huge outdoor cage, with a lot of room to roam around. If you are just going to keep it in a cage, do yourself (and the rabbit) a favour and get a hamster instead.

^
This.

I had rabbits when I was younger. Let's just say, one stray lead to another and a whole lot more. Rabbits suck at math. 1 +1 = 12 (in our case anyway.) :inoutugh:

Luckily the rabbits were well behaved. They would run around the yard, leave the house sometimes and come back an hour or two later. Eventually, they became a real handful so we gave them away to family members, neighbours and friends. They're okay pets but you have to tend to them often and make sure they get lots of exercise.

ive had a rabbit for 7 years now.

i cant pick him up and if you touch his belly he grunts XD

other than that you can get him on his head and if you hit the sweet spot on his back he will start licking stuff (floor, his hands)

all it does is sit around and it never sleeps..

there is a carpeted area outside his cage thats pretty much his (2ftx4ft)? if someone walks there he will come out and expect food or petted.

i would recommend getting a ferret instead.

Cats? They are easily litter trained. When my cats had kittens I would just toss them into the litter box whenever they started to go and they automatically learned. Depending on the age they could very well be trained by the time you take them home.

Don't worry about shedding fur too much. Just get the Furminator brush, it is so good that it also helps brush out their undercoat. In stores the thing is expensive like $60-80, but there is a craigslist guy who sells them for $20 brand new.

Also, with most pets I would recommend getting an air purifier if you don't have one already.

I hear ferrets are very playful and intelligent. Can they be trained to go #1 and #2 in a specific area? I always wanted to try playing with a ferret, but don't know any owners.

i had a rabbit, but i think my ac was too cold and it died..

Its like owning a huge hamster.. Stinks and does nothing.

Fuck my rabbit grunted/growled at me when I tried to get near it/it's food. constantly tried to bite at me and chewed anything and everything around it. I had an asshole for a rabbit.

Rabbits can be just as affectionate as dogs. I raised rabbits as a kid and all of mine were cuddly. They would follow me around and I trained them to walk on a leash. I didn't litter box train any of mine but know friends who have trained their rabbits. There is a local rescue as well if she wants to go that route.

I don't know about that...

My wife had a rabbit before, and it's true... for the most part, you don't really do anything with it... it doesn't really show any affection, it just eats and poops, and unless you're really good about changing the bedding, it will smell.

We got a chihuahua later, and I love having this dog so much more than the rabbit... the dog is affectionate, loves to play, comes to sit with us all the time, and really isn't any more of a hassle than the rabbit. We trained it to do her business on washable mats, so we don't have to take her out at all hours of the day and night.

This is true. My gf and I have had a rabbit (adopted from a shelter) for 3 years now, and she's got as much personality as my gf's lovely golden retriever before she passed away.

Now don't get me wrong- they aren't as intelligent as dogs or cats, but they can still provide affection and companionship. They're potty trainable (which is a huge plus). It's also fun for us to watch her, as she does some funny things. Plus it's at the point where we can let her roam the house, and she's smart enough to know where her favorite places are (i.e. under my gf parent's bed or behind the couch). As for their poop- yes they poop and pee non-stop, but if you buy a 6 dollar 40lb bag of fire stove pellets, it's really nothing. You just have to clean out the tray every week, and you're good to go.

Would I do it again? Unfortunately no. Like someone mentioned, fur gets EVERYWHERE, and you can't do the things you could do with a dog or even a cat. Also worth noting- it's extremely expensive to own a rabbit. Their digestive systems are very sensitive and if they undergo gastric stasis, be prepared to fork over hundreds of dollars or risk losing your rabbit.

Given everything I've learnt over the years of having one, all I can say to potential buyers is to be prepared for a bigger investment compared to having a dog or cat. This is both a financial and time investment, as you almost constantly have to monitor them. Otherwise, just get a dog/cat/ferret/parrot/whatever other pet you want. My gf and I get really sad when we hear/read/see stories about how people think rabbits are good "starter pets", and the owners aren't prepared for how much work rabbits really are and end up releasing them into the wild or they end up dying early.

Hope this helps!

sorry i've been away from my own thread haha.
thank you all for your opinions!!
so my gf thought about it for awhile and decided to move up form a rabbit to a cat =.=
she had a hamster for over a year before it died, and she's taken care of a dog for a period of time in the past.
she has a pretty big house with a big yard, so size isn't a big worry. no doubt she doesn't back away form her responsibilities haha.

she decided to get a cat after some thinking.
she thought that taking care of a cat is sort of like taking care of a rabbit, except just that bit more work for an animal that can be a lot more fun to play with and take care of.

we've visited vancouver spca numerous times to see their animals and we have temporarily decided to adopt a kitten at a local spca, or Bosley's location.

thanks a lot for your advice! GF has been leaning towards the route to getting a cat


thanks for your advice!!!

it really did help, we appreciate it!


Thanks everyone for the advice, the kitten probably won't happen until september, but thank you everyone for the advice and insight!!