Pet rabbit - let me know the workload!

[NauseousNancy]

My two children have been asking for a bunny for well over a year. I’ve always said no.

They are so persistent, and while I keep saying no, I’m coming round to the idea of a pet.

Tell me straight how much work they are. Kids aren’t of an age where I can rely on them, so I need to take the responsibility if we do get one.

Is there such a thing as a house rabbit?? Or would we build a run outside?

We both work full time, but there is someone in the house 5 days a week.

I wouldn't recommend a rabbit as a first pet. They can be house rabbits but they nibble things. They are classed as "exotic"! If they don't eat for I think its 24 hours then their digestive system shuts down and they die.

A house cat would be a better pet imo, they are mainly independent, use litter trays (one of my rabbits doesn't use a toilet area and wees anywhere). Although they might also scratch everything!

I'll always do right by my rabbits because that was the commitment made but I wouldn't get rabbits again (4 years in).

Op please have a look at rabbit welfare society website.

Rabbits should never be kept alone.
Also tbh they are not the greatest pets for DC. They don't particularly like being stroked or picked up and they bite and can have a strong kick.

Rabbits should only be kept in large rabbit friendly enclosure where they can fully sit up and hop about and the enclosure should be long and tall enough for them to bink. Best with owners who are happy to mainly let them be.

I think guinea pigs may be a better bet for you. Again keep in a pair or group. Much friendlier. Keep in same temp as humans. Graze on grass in the summer (with cover) in an enclosure. And then in a large proper cage at night. The cage needs cleaning out every third day as they poo indiscriminately everywhere. They tolerate gentle handling but you must be strict with your dc about being very gentle and careful with them. And males tend to smell more then females. Feed them with lots of good quality hay and fresh food (they don't manufacture vit c so need lots) and proper pellets (not muesli type).

Both of these pets are prey animals and tend to hide illnesses and tooth troubles. So you have to be very vigilant about their welfare and if poss have a rabbit/guinea pig friendly vet.

Totally agree with pp , rabbits do not make good pets for young children , guinea pigs would be better , or better still a pair ( or more) of rats . We’ve had them all at various times and the rats are by far the most interactive for younger children , happy to be carried about and actively friendly .

Meant to add, never keep a rabbit in a hutch.

And yes you can keep a rabbit in a house but be prepared for there to be hay everywhere and the odd poo about and they are programmed to nibble at, and clear away, roots from their burrows, so all of your wires for tv, fridge, internet cables, will be in danger. Some people go to the trouble of covering them with clear protective tubing from acquarium supply shop, but tbh it's better if they can't get near electrics in first place.

Again, I wouldn't really recommend rabbits for very young DC. Or really for DC of any age who want masses of interaction. They are so easily scared and then they can become aggressive if they're handled roughly. And young DC find this hard to understand and it's difficult to curb their enthusiasm tbh.

Rabbit are high maintenance pets, definitely not suitable for young children and yes have to be kept in pairs, also need a large secured outside area and decent sized housing, preferably shed sized. They have very specific dietary and husbandry requirements and generally don't like being handled. Do look at the website mentioned above, it has lots of useful advice.

IMO rabbits are harder than dogs. They do not really seem to appreciate being pets. They need so much space to be happy, but even then it's really difficult to keep them in.

Guinea pigs on the other hand, are quite grateful for being looked after and kept safe.

I agree with PP you might be best off with a cat. They have a much better work: reward ratio.

No. Rabbits are rubbish pets. They scratch and bite. It's also cruel to keep them.
Guinea pigs are better never scratch or bite, but need to be kept in pairs and have an indoor home in winter.
A cat would be less maintenance.

We have 4 rabbits. They are quite a commitment but quite entertaining too! They all have quite different personalities. We currently have 2 older ones outside and 2 young ones in but now the weather is warmer we're going to move them out too. The 2 younger ones (male) fight so we keep them mostly separate until we can get them neutered and they should then calm down.
We love the rabbits but they are quite a lot of work. They have 3 cages between them currently which need cleaning out weekly so I always feel like I should be cleaning one or other out! They need feeding and water checking frequently. We let them run around the garden which they love.
My dd is 10 and loves to play with them. We got the younger ones as the older ones don't really like people, being picked up etc. The young ones aren't overkeen on being picked up but they like to circle around us and are happy to be stroked. If you sit on the floor they come over for a stroke and a 'chat' and they are definitely happier being picked up than the other two which was our intention - lots of handling from a young age. Vaccines and vet bills can work out fairly expensive but we've been pretty lucky with ours over the years - these and previous bunnies - and they haven't really been unwell.
Hope that helps!!

Rabbits do not make good pets at all. They need lots of space and companions. They can be destructive and are very nervous due to being prey animals. Females in particular can be vicious and bite.

Please consider guinea pigs instead.

We have two rabbits we got about seven years ago. They live outside year round. They have a two storey hutch with weather cover plus a big run and another big run attached to that (over 48sqft in total) - one of the runs is pegged down as lighter weight but I don't have any problems with foxes (plenty in the area but don't seem interested). I move them around the garden every couple of weeks and they do rather destroy it.
In terms of work I feed them a couple times a day (bulk bought muesli and hay in the morning and fresh veg in the afternoon). I move them as stated and clean out the top hutch as needed - they toilet in a corner of one of the runs. They are both boys so neither have been neutered, and I have never needed to take them to the vet.
They are happy to be stroked but not picked up - in fact it's a challenge if I have to put them in a carrier for the rare occasion they go to kennels! So not a cuddly pet. They are cute and I like them and they only take minutes a day to look after but i will not miss them when they go to the pearly hutch in the sky!

I had rabbits as a teenager. They were more work that my horse and less fun than my giant snails. Definitely the worst pet I’ve had and they generated a lot of guilt as it was obvious they didn’t really like being pets. They were also unexpectedly expensive. Mine were outdoor but had to go into the shed when it was cold and it seemed a miserable life. I have two friend who’ve had house rabbits and both have had wires chewed, shit everywhere and both ended up losing them (physically - they ran away).

If you want a low maintenance furry pet get a cat. They are a perfect balance of independence and affection, like being an only pet and will let you know how much interaction they want.

I agree with other posters, I have had rabbits over the years and now have 2 guinea pigs, they are much easier to look after, very friendly and great with young children

I would echo most of what others have said here. We have a rescue bunny (British Giant) at the moment, we've tried introducing companion animals to her (she had a sister but she had passed on by the time that she was rescued) but she just won't tolerate it. Her and our house cat have a grudging relationship (the cat is scared of her rather than the other way around!).

She was very nasty at first, there's no denying that they kick and bite when angry (and growl too!) but it has been a good few years now since our bunny was like that. She's very chill.

That said though she has free roam of the house, a cage filled with bedding where one water bowl and a couple of food bowls are. She also has a litter tray near one for the cat in the washroom, which she gravitates towards most days as it's a cool spot. She regularly makes a complete mess digging in both her litter tray and especially the cats (non clumping catsan versus her wood pellets). She tends to eat veggies in there too rather than in her cage. The cage door is in the garage now, she literally comes and goes as she pleases.

At first she would urinate everywhere, and it is a funny rusty orange colour. Beds and sofas were a particular pleasure for her but it's a dominance thing.

Since she's got her paws under the table she's a lovely creature who is happy to jump up onto the sofa and be preened by someone, or act like a dog with food (if you vaguely rustle a salad bag she'll come bounding along!) But it took time to get her comfortable, my arm bares scars from her kicks mainly.

Rabbits have some funny quirks too, which if you're determined to get bunnies you need to read and take on board before you get one. For example if you lay a rabbit on it's back it goes into a trance like sleep. In reality it is superbly stressed and it is likely its heart will give up. Their necks are also very easily snapped, a child especially or even an adult may inadvertently injure or kill the bunny in trying to pick it up when it doesn't want to be or holding it down to pet etc. They can also die of fright.

I definitely wouldn't recommend a bunny as a first pet - especially if it would be your first pet as well as your kids first.

Rabbits live a ling time. I had one as a kid and it was evil. Hated being petted and was vicious. One of the white ones with glowing red eyes. It died while we were on holiday and a neighbour was looking after it. Only it wasn't very old, so now I am wondering if it was given away or murdered instead.

I had rabbits as a teenager. They were more work that my horse and less fun than my giant snails.

@StampMc that made me laugh

Rabbits are high maintenance and expensive pets to keep. They need to be kept on neutered pairs, regularly vaccinated and needs huge amounts of space and exercise. They really aren’t a suitable kids pet. We had rabbits for over 10 years and they were much harder work than any other pet we’ve had.

Ok, I’m listening.

I’ve had pets before - cat, hamsters, fish. So I am used to having the responsibility of a pet.

But, it does definitely sound like a lot of work. And I’m sure they would want a pet they can interact with. They are 7 and 3 so definitely not the quietest and I wouldn’t want a bunny to be frightened.

Maybe we will get a cat instead!!

Thanks for all the views, it’s kind of proven why I keep saying no!

Christ no guinea pigs! The amount of people recommending them is scary.

Just as high maintenance as rabbits. Pigs should kept inside, our winters are too cold for them. Very fragile and can easily be damaged by over zealous kids. The are also pray animals and as such like to hide away and if left without proper interaction for a couple of days can start to become more frightened.
They are not an easy pet if you want to keep them properly.

No to rabbits they really do make shit pets. Guineas are lovely but they also need a lot of space - those indoor cages are nowhere near big enough so in winter they'll need to be let out in the house to run around. In the summer they'll need a big run in the garden. They live a LONG time as well so once the kids have lost interest you'll have a long long time to keep looking after them. One of mine lived to 9 years old.

If i were you I'd think about a syrian hamster or a couple of female rats.

Would add about rabbits, you need to be very careful about their diet. Their guts are very sensitive and if they're upset they'll do sticky poos that stick to their backsides which is then a magnet for fly strikes. They need to be checked for this twice a day in summer.

Wow so interesting. I had a rabbit as a child and I was soooo excited...but it was an awful pet. I thought we were just unlucky but it seems not.

It disappeared one morning and we were told it must have been stolen which seemed really strange at the time but now I'm thinking maybe my mum gave it away 😳

This is all really interesting as I had been considering a rabbit/guinea pig too. (I think it’s the boredom)

Hope it’s not too much of a thread hijack but interested if there are other animals to recommend apart from dogs, cats and rats that make pets that ‘like’ to be pets, are suited to a domestic environment, and relatively easy to look after well?

@NauseousNancy

You need at least 2 rabbits. They're a prey species that are naturally terrified of being handled so need a lot of training from a young age to tolerate it. If not properly habituated to handling they will nite and scratch. They are very fragile and need gentle but secure handling otherwise they will easily break their legs or spine, so not suitable for children under 8. They need to be neutered and vaccinated (expensive) plus need very large indoor or outdoor enclosures. They can live for 10-12 years if looked after properly so are a long-term adult commitment.

The RWAF website has useful resources

Rats make great pets. Guinea pigs too. Rabbits aren't great for kids.

Our cat is much less work than the guinea pigs but they aren't too bad. My Dd does all the feeding and care and cage and likes to trim their hair! We got 2 males though and ended up with 5.... 🤨. Our hamsters were evil buggers. I used to have gerbils and they were cute but could be a bit biter.