To get a rabbit?

[Aoifebell]

Two in fact. They're black velvet balls of beautiful fur. I've fallen in love with them. I want them now!

Everyone is telling me not to get them the reasons the give are these

I live in a flat
I have a dog
They're a lot of work
I could spend the money of better things
It's a life long commitment
I'll be out the house 3 days a week come September

My reason for:

I love them

Is it a terrible idea? Can someone give me some practical advice? Is it a terrible idea?

[attheendoftheday]

Do you have enough dog-free space for the bunnies? I don't think it's impossible but needs careful thinking about. Most bunny hutches/cages aren't really big enough for rabbits to live in all the time.

[Fatmomma99]

I once brought my DH a 'how to keep a rabbit' book for his birthday because I was thinking I'd like to get one too. (a friend told me they come along and nibble your toes!)

He put it with the cookbooks, so no more was said....

[GoooRooo]

When I read the thread title I so wasn't thinking of bunnies.

I'll go and drag my mind out of the gutter now.

[Libitina]

Does it make me a bad person because fluffy bunnies was not the first kind of rabbit I thought you meant?

[LunchpackOfNotreDame]

Rabbits need as much time, effort and space as dogs. They can also live as long as dogs.

In effect, you're taking on 2 more dogs.

[Aoifebell]

Sorry I should of put Bunny rabbit!

I would let them out in the living room as I've just moved DDs stuff into the bedroom so have more space. I could put the dog in separate room when they're out.

I wanted another dog so that aspect of it fine. My sister has just text me "do what you want!"

Are they hard to keep?

[wannaBe]

Where are you going to keep them in a flat? Rabbits need space to exercise either in a run and with a large enough hutch that they can be active when they're not out. If allowed out inside they will need constant supervision as rabbits chew everything. There is a mn'er whose rabbit chewed through the cable of her fridge and was electricuted as a result.

If you have a dog how are you going to keep the rabbits and the dog apart? A do g will easily kill a rabbit...

Re being out of the house three days a week, I would be more concerned for the dog's welfare than the rabbits' on that score.

But in answer to your op, no I wouldn't get rabbits under those circs.

[LunchpackOfNotreDame]

Mine are total divas. They are time consuming to keep responsibly

[Fatmomma99]

it never occurred to me it could be that kind of rabbit (shame!)

[SacredHeart]

I agree with the space issue. Cages sold in pet stores are deemed by the RSPCA as like a dog crate - somewhere to stay in when you are out/asleep, the rest of the time they need something like 8'x8' space to free roam.

Also rabbits like dogs need vaccinations, worming etc and spaying in females as pyometra is common and a killer.

I just think you need to think less about what the bunnies will do for you (be cute) but what you can do for the quality of life of the bunnies.

[limitedperiodonly]

It's a fucking stupid idea.

A dog and rabbits in a flat, especially one you're not in most of the time, is a recipe for disaster.

[DorotheaHomeAlone]

www.bva-awf.org.uk/sites/bva-awf.org.uk/files/user/caring_for_rabbits.pdf.

Yes it's a terrible idea. Here's some advice.

[OrangeFluff]

I have a house rabbit. She has free range of the house and garden (weather permitting) whenever we are home. They need a lot of space, most hutches you can buy from petshops are not big enough. If you are in a flat, will the rabbits have access to grass?

I think that having a dog around means this is a bad idea. Even if you put the dog in another room every time you let them out (which isn't very practical, and I think will really limit the free range time the bunnies will get) I'm sure it will be very stressful for the rabbits having a dog constantly trying to get at them.

What about when you are out? You cannot 100% trust a dog.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I have never kept rabbits , I'm a guinea-pig mum.

But a wild rabbit will run 5 miles a day . How many laps of the living room to cover 5 miles?

They need hay and grass. Indoors that'll be mainly hay.
Have you got storage for it (my guineas get through a huge bag a week), I keep it in our garage. (car free)
Hay has a pretty pungent smell indoors and it gets everywhere.
My guineas have a shed (my DC old wooden playhouse) but sleep indoors in winter nights.
The hay does my brain in.
Those sweet little velvet balls of fluff will cost you ££.
Living space
Vaccines
Neutering
Claw clipping
Boarding if you go away

[Cliffdiver]

I just clicked here to see if you meant the Ann Summers or bunny type.

I have no experience of the latter I'm afraid, so as you were

[TheHormonalHooker]

It's a ridiculous idea.

I desperately want a rabbit. We have a huge garden but it's not rabbit friendly and would have to go in a run, so as that's cruel, imo, I'm not getting one. I'm disabled, too, so it would come down to DH having to clean it out and move the run about and that's not fair.

We've got a hamster. He had to go to the vets recently, every staff memeber in there who saw commented that his cage is the biggest hamster cage they've seen. I hate the cages pet shops sell for rabbits, guinea pigs, rodents etc. the vast majority of them are too small.

[m0therofdragons]

We have 2 house rabbits.they have the run of the house each evening (downstairs). They're mostly litter trained. One hates being outside but the other likes it in the run but in the winter they're in the whole time. Go for it.

[Noregretsatall]

At the very least, for their well being, rabbits need:

Exercise, plenty of space to run around in
Hay, hay and more hay and also, if available, grass for grazing. As another poster mentioned hay gets EVERYWHERE in the house!
Regular vet care and vaccinations and treatment to prevent fly strike. This is not cheap!
A warm dry hutch for sleeping only and cleaning of the litter area once a day.

I cannot believe you're thinking of getting rabbits when you live in a flat - with dogs!

Please, for the sake of the bunnies, don't do it!

[WayneRooneysHair]

I have a rabbit and even I think the OP's idea is stupid.

[Noregretsatall]

And yes they're hard to keep! Who is going to look after them when you go away?

[meglet]

don't get them.

rabbits need space and ideally to be free range to be happy. they're more like cats or dogs than a small pet. I can't imagine it would end well in a flat with a dog.

[hiddenhome]

It is cruel to keep them indoors all the time. They need fresh air, grass and space to run and dig.

They don't make very good pets and are considerably more work than a guine pig, cat or hamster.

[Aoifebell]

I'm glad I started this thread as the pet shop workers just said they're easy to look after just put the dog in the other room you can take them for walks too! I want them to have a great life which it sounds like they wouldn't have with us right now

Thanks for all your comments. I'll just have to buy my dog a rabbit outfit instead

[OrangeFluff]

hiddenhome They can make great pets if you know what you're doing. My bunny is awesome!

Sorry OP, at least you are being responsible though. Shame on that pet shop worker, but sadly this can often be the case, hence why there are so many rabbits stuck in tiny hutches at the bottom of the garden all year round

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Ah, PetShopWorker probably wants to sell them while they are little and cute. They are much harder to sell when they're bigger.

This'll be the same PetShopWorkers who tell people that guinea-pigs only need a 3' cage.
or you can;'t keep male pairs because they'll 'fight to the death'. Utter bollocks and unfortunately this advice sets many animals off on a bad start.

I have stood in the Pets at Home stores while I made a member of staff check a pig that wasn't moving as he should and another with a gummed closed eye.