Rabbits Thinking about getting a rabbit

Lots of work. Rabbits are more like owning a dog/cat combo than a hamster or a guinea pig.

This site is one of the bests for house rabbit information. Read though it and see if you are willing and your parents would allow you to give the rabbit everything it needs, free range, huge cage, neutering/spaying, vaccinations if you are in Europe, training, rabbit proofing your room/house and maybe even a rabbit friend.

House Rabbit Society Rabbit Care Guide

Inle_Rabbit said:

Lots of work. Rabbits are more like owning a dog/cat combo than a hamster or a guinea pig.

This site is one of the bests for house rabbit information. Read though it and see if you are willing and your parents would allow you to give the rabbit everything it needs, free range, huge cage, neutering/spaying, vaccinations if you are in Europe, training, rabbit proofing your room/house and maybe even a rabbit friend.

House Rabbit Society Rabbit Care Guide

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yes we have been reading about rabbits. And we are committed to getting a rabbit. She will be like another puppy sort of. I'm also getting a backyard thing so she can munch grass and play in the grass. Do rabbits need a friend? Or are they okay alone?

I'm actually a little concerned with how you're cycling through pets. You had a hamster die of unknown causes, a pregnant pig die of unknown causes and you're moving right on to more guinea pigs and a rabbit after a big move. Personally, I think you should settle down and settle into your new place for a few months then consider getting new pets. It just seems too soon after so many big changes and upheaval. I love my rabbits, but they can be awful pets for some people. They shouldn't be caged, at least not all the time, they can be harder to litter box train than you're led to believe and they're very destructive. They can be interactive, or they may not be. It's definitely not like "another puppy sort of."

Have you taken care of rabbits before? They are (as Paula said) quite destructive... and bunny pee stains carpet. Be prepared to bunny proof your house, and then you still should expect something to get chewed or destroyed at some point! (Make sure your parents are okay with that!). I think rabbits are entirely unique pets, and their personalities can vary quite a bit. I find it's best to think of the worst case scenario when getting a pet and deciding, "Is that going to be okay? Are we still prepared to give the pet what it needs and love him/her even if things turn out like this?" Many rabbits don't like being cuddled for instance, and can be quite standoffish, and some even nip (and I can assure you, bunny nips hurt). If you're okay with looking after a rabbit like that for potentially 10 years+, then that's good. Rabbits need a heap of space and are very smart so they need lots of stimulation, too. From what I know about bunnies I would caution anyone before adopting one, but for the right people they make the best pets. But it is important to put the bunny's needs first, and if your parents are the type who will get upset about chewed furniture and walls and orange pee stains on the carpet (and possibly walls too, ha) and will relegate the bunny to its cage all day because of it, a bunny might not be the best pet in your situation.

Hope that helps!

I hope whatever you decide everything works out for you! I seriously considered getting a rabbit before I got my guinea pigs, but I changed my mind and went with the guinea pigs instead. A know two pet rabbits, both owned by responsible and caring pet owners I know well. One rabbit is friendly, loves to be held and pet. The other hates being touched, bites when you reach at him, kicks if you pick him up. I couldn't go with a gamble like that and risk having a pet for ten years which I could not pet! Also I have a very, very busy schedule and could not dedicate enough time to one. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't, so if you end up getting a rabbit I wish you luck on it

I'd say my rabbits would be my most time consuming pets. Its a good idea to find a rabbit experienced exotics vet before you get your rabbit, and also have a decent sized vet bill savings account. If you get your rabbit a friend, try and get an already bonded pair or do introductions slowly. What have you got for housing? You need a cage four times the size of your bunny when he's fully stretched out.

Rabbits Online Forum is a really good rabbit forum, they helped me a lot when I got my bunnies.

(broken link removed) Has some great info on housing and diet as well

They make lovely pets though! ^^

I loved my rabbits so much but I have never owned a more destructive or aloof pet ever! I had one rabbit, aptly named Trouble, that just looked to cause problems. That was his whole point in life. If I said no, he would do it anyway. If I blocked something off or "rabbit proofed" it he would make it his goal to break in or chew it up. And he was tricky... he would only do these evil deeds when I was preoccupied or not paying attention. He was so tricky he actually climbed on top of my TV once. The TV that was 4' tall. I still have no idea how he did it. He chewed walls, carpet, wires, plants, ANYTHING!

Jake was my most aloof rabbit. He was certain that no matter what else happened in the world he was the most important thing in it. He did not walk or hop he strutted everywhere. Any time anything did not go his way he would "toe flick" me. He was so full of himself that he thought he was even above the dog in the animal hierarchy and he, a 4.5 lb mini rex would boss around the 30 lb sheltie dog and the dog would listen. Jake also took it upon himself to make sure any human guests knew how important he was. I had two futons (this was in college) put together like an "L" with a coffee table in front of them. when guests would sit down on the futons Jake would try to hop though the passageway between the futon and coffee table and any human that was so out of line to not move their feet got a nip.

Bob, a big fat Californian, was like a dog. He would follow my brother and I around the house (I was in high school). Beg for food at the edge of the kitchen because he wouldn't hop on the tile, whenever he heard the fridge open. He use to play fetch and after school I would pop popcorn and watch TV and he would come right up on the couch snuggle down next to me and steal popcorn from the bowl.

Allen was the most awful food stealer of all my rabbits! He use to hide under the bed until someone would set down a plate then run out grab the food and run back under the bed where he knew no one could get him. He would take unguarded food from on top of my desk by hoping up on the chair then the desk and run away with it.

Fiz-Gig, the last rabbit that passed and he was bonded to Jake, was just amazing. He loved to cuddle, he loved to sit at my feet while I worked on essays and papers for college. He use to hop on my bed and snuggle with me or want his head scratched. He sat in my lap and wanted his head scratched. He would nudge my feet to get his head scratched. He licked me. He was very friendly to me and only me. Everyone else he hated and was quite mean too. But he and I had a special bond. I saved his life when he was kit and I think he always knew that. When I finally had to put him down after 2 months of battling an infect jaw bone I cried for weeks. He was simply an amazing animal. One of those that has a soul.

Over all my time with rabbits was awesome. I loved every minute of it but then again my husband does not like rabbits. Fiz-Gig got a hold of his x-box (that he left on the floor) and chewed threw every wire. The occasional bites taken out of the dry wall drove him nuts. He didn't like having random bunnies dart across the floor and he never really got use to how bossy they were. Not like guinea pigs are bossy but actually bossy, sometimes with nips.

Rabbits are head strong, smart and destructive. That is in their nature. It is what they do. People either love them of it or don't. I have spent more money on repairing or replacing or bunny proofing than I have on any other animal. I think I spent more on my rabbits over 10 years than I have on my dog (who I have had for 8 years now). It's just something to consider. Just like guinea pigs when they get sick it isn't cheap and they need a specialist. Getting them fixed can cost anywhere between 100-200 dollars and they need to be fixed or they will pee on everything!

Litter training like Lissie said, isn't always possible. Litter training a rabbit is more like putting a litter box where they want to pee. If a rabbit wants to pee in a corner there is very little you can do to change their minds, remember they are head strong!

Anyway, just throwing my experience out there.

Here is Fiz-Gig thinking he is more important than the dog by stealing the dog bed. This is shortly after my husband and I moved in together and the place wasn't bunny proofed. Notice the wire from the lamp, totally would have been destroyed if left that way!

Also good to note, the scars I have. I have scars up and down my arms from rabbits kicking me. In high school I was actually sent to the councilor's office after a particularly bad scratch that Bob, an almost 20 lb Cali, gave me. It went from my wrist up to my elbow on the inside of my arm. It was deep and it was ugly! I still have that scar and it can still be seen 10+ years later! Rabbits can be quite the powerful animal when they put their minds to it.

@Inle_Rabbit , your stories made me smile. Rabbits certainly can be a handful, but if you're a rabbit person, you're a rabbit person for life.

Edit: I should add that when you get a rabbit it's certainly like the bunny personality lottery chocolate box: you never know what you're going to get. @Agrimony that certainly was responsible pet decision-making there!

Yes! I loved rabbits. I never got any more after Fiz-Gig passed because I started a family. My first son was only a few months old when I had to put down Fizz. I'm waiting until my youngest gets a little older before getting any more bunnies. I don't want the poor rabbits terrorized too much by rambunctious boys. lol

Inle_Rabbit said:

I don't want the poor rabbits terrorized too much by rambunctious boys. lol

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Or vice versa!

We have a bonded pair of boys who are really sweet. Then we have a "Diva" girl. She things she owns the place and does what she wants when she wants. She is how I learned that rabbits growl. We love her all the same probably because of who she is rather than despite who she is.

Paula said:

I'm actually a little concerned with how you're cycling through pets. You had a hamster die of unknown causes, a pregnant pig die of unknown causes and you're moving right on to more guinea pigs and a rabbit after a big move. Personally, I think you should settle down and settle into your new place for a few months then consider getting new pets. It just seems too soon after so many big changes and upheaval. I love my rabbits, but they can be awful pets for some people. They shouldn't be caged, at least not all the time, they can be harder to litter box train than you're led to believe and they're very destructive. They can be interactive, or they may not be. It's definitely not like "another puppy sort of."

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I understand. What I simply meant was I was going to wait a while, I was just thinking of getting one. And what I mean about a while is like over 4 or 5 months. Thanks for your concern. We aren't sure if we want to get a rabbit or not. But we are still looking into it. Thank you.

pie_nya said:

I'd say my rabbits would be my most time consuming pets. Its a good idea to find a rabbit experienced exotics vet before you get your rabbit, and also have a decent sized vet bill savings account. If you get your rabbit a friend, try and get an already bonded pair or do introductions slowly. What have you got for housing? You need a cage four times the size of your bunny when he's fully stretched out.

Rabbits Online Forum is a really good rabbit forum, they helped me a lot when I got my bunnies.

(broken link removed) Has some great info on housing and diet as well

They make lovely pets though! ^^

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I like that bunnies are time consuming. I really need something to do up here. I have a full room I could use as a rabbit home (I don't like the word cage). Also I have lots of money in my savings account bank for food, toys, vet bills, etc. Thanks so much for your help.

Inle_Rabbit said:

Here is Fiz-Gig thinking he is more important than the dog by stealing the dog bed. This is shortly after my husband and I moved in together and the place wasn't bunny proofed. Notice the wire from the lamp, totally would have been destroyed if left that way!

Also good to note, the scars I have. I have scars up and down my arms from rabbits kicking me. In high school I was actually sent to the councilor's office after a particularly bad scratch that Bob, an almost 20 lb Cali, gave me. It went from my wrist up to my elbow on the inside of my arm. It was deep and it was ugly! I still have that scar and it can still be seen 10+ years later! Rabbits can be quite the powerful animal when they put their minds to it.

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no way. From dark crystal? I was going to name my dog that!!! Ouch! That sounds like it hurt. Well I am still thinking about it. Maybe I can wear really long gloves when picking him/her up. like that gloves you use to wash dishes. And I don't even want to pick up the rabbit.

angie901 said:

no way. From dark crystal? I was going to name my dog that!!! Ouch! That sounds like it hurt. Well I am still thinking about it. Maybe I can wear really long gloves when picking him/her up. like that gloves you use to wash dishes. And I don't even want to pick up the rabbit.

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But I will obviously have to. I'll slowly gain her trust (meaning she will trust me and I will trust her) and pick her up. I wont pick her up if she doesn't want to be picked up.

I was clipping Bob's nails when he did that to me.

they can be harder to litter box train than you're led to believe
actually, by brothers netherland dwarf bunny litter trained himself