to want a house full of rabbits and guinea pigs?

[Flojo1979]

Just got back from local rescue shelter for rabbits and guinea pigs and was shocked to see so many in cramped conditions. I wish I could do something to help.
Anyone in the Manchester area looking to get one pls don't go to a pet shop.
PM me if anyone wants details.

YANBU

We took a fledgling blackbird to the animal rescue place a few months ago. The lady there rehabed it then let it go. She had quite a few rabbits in her house and it was so sad. She said that rabbits don't make particularly easy pets and people get sick of them (guinea pigs too).

I'm in the NE, so anyone can contact me and I'll pm them details of the shelter if they want to rehome an animal.

YANBU

I've had a good few rescue bunnies. Most of them seem to have been abandoned when they reach maturity (they really must be neutered). I've taken on several that were described as aggressive, but it turned out they just didn't like being chased and restrained picked up and cuddled (very few do).
Its really rewarding to see them settle in and start to come out of themselves in a bit appropriate and caring environment.

We have 2 rabbits and the only guilt free way I could keep them was to rabbit-proof the entire perimeter of the garden so they can hop about wherever all day.

Apparently rabbits are the most neglected pets - locked away in tiny hutches for most of their lives,

YANBU to want a house full of guinea-pigs.
I had 12 of them from when I was 9yo -20yo.

My DD wanted a pet-so we got 2 lovely adult guinea-pig boars from a rescue ;boars can be hard to rehome but ours are brothers so get on really well (99% of the time anyway)

I took DD to a well known PetShop chain (P@H) .They had a gorgeous little female black and white long haired.She looked like a little skunk.
I didn't buy her (of course not) but it is very because alot of them will end up in Rescue.

Rabbits are completely Unreasonable with their long ears and their little wriggle wriggle noses. They go hoppity hoppity with their lickle pompom tails.
And they don't even have rodenty feet like guineas do .
(Cos they're not rodents)

I do always try to put people off enlighten people in PetShops , especially when it's a parent and child saying "Oh Yes we'll get you a guinea-pig"

I tell them they need 2, they need alot of space and regular cleaning plus a fortune in hay.
I'm not doing Guinea- Pigs a disservice, I just want people to really think before they impulse buy a little animal and not be able to provide what they need.

I'd have more rabbits but our house bun will not tolerate another rabbit around, we have tried and tried
sigh
I know of a rabbit rescue in the Edinburgh /Lothians area that is chock full or bunnies needing new homes
PM if you want details

I think that there needs to be some sort of campaign/awareness as to why people should NOT have rabbits as pets and the breeding of them as pets should be stopped/tightly regulated.

People think: 'Ooooh Rabbit, docile fluffy creature that can live in a tiny hutch in my garden....' This is cruel. Rabbits are complex characters who need a lot of interaction/care. And in general conversation, when people find out that I've got a pet rabbit the jokes: 'oh, I shoot them...hahaha' 'Oh, he'd be great in a casserole hahaha' really piss me off.

If anyone out there wants a rabbit please get a rescue one. Do not perpetuate the 'breeding' industry.

Well said ali

I have 4 rabbits (boys), one is a house rabbit, the rest have a big 2 storey hutch each, they have the run of the garden all day, thankfully they all get on when out but hate sharing hutches, in the winter they have heatpads and hutch covers, they are groomed and handled daily, skipped out daily and cleaned out weekly, I spend a fortune on top quality hay and straw, but in exchange am lucky to share my life with 4 very tame, loving (all love cuddles), funny and slightly crazy rabbits

Like another poster I like to educate people in pet shops about how rabbits should be cared for and also send them in the direction of local rehoming centers.

I hate the attitude people have that rabbits are easy pets, they are anything but, its far easier to keep my dog healthy than it is my boys, who have delicate tummys and the ability to go into shock just by looking at themselves in the mirror

We have had lots of guinea pigs( over 30 years) and like all pets they need time and care .
DD (17) spent yesterday afternoon bathing and grooming our lovely remaining blind old lady - she was trilling and purring - the GP not DD .
its wrong that you can just go and buy a pet - some people treat them like toys.

Our bunnies are all rescue bunnies. We have had them all nutered and they live in male\female pairs with 24hr access to the outdoors in runs

always always rescue them. They are far more complex to look after than cats or dogs but well worth the time and energy

Also rabbits are nocturnal and need night time run access. Many neglect this aspect.

four house rabbits, but compound-living because of the vast amount of damage they can do.

want a house full of rabbits and gps? don't do it. there are thousands in rescues - for a reason!

rabbits are 'exotic pets', expensive to keep properly (£150 month for the four) and expensive in vets bills. well-kept, a medium sized rabbit might live upwards of fifteen years (giants usually four years but good care can extend that).

i love my four (lovebunny 1, 2, 3, 4) but i won't be having any more.

alistron1 is absolutely right - the breeding of rabbits for pets (and show) should be banned. most rabbits are kept in cruel conditions.

^Rabbits are completely Unreasonable with their long ears and their little wriggle wriggle noses. They go hoppity hoppity with their lickle pompom tails.
And they don't even have rodenty feet like guineas do .
(Cos they're not rodents)^

my bunnies are beautiful mini lops, with long ears and pretty faces, shiny coats and inquisitive natures.
and they go hoppity hoppity.
and sometimes they go race-speed-race-jump-bump!

they aren't nocturnal by the way. they're crepuscular - at their most active at twilight and dawn.
but they do need lots of space to run about.

I knew what i meant. I know they're not nocturnal but wanted to emphasise they can't be kept couped up 24/7 sorry!!

Either way i agree with the previous posts about how much attention and expense they need.

Yanbu however I am considering roasting my beautiful but naughty house rabbit for destroying my lounge carpet!

We had 2 rabbits years ago, we secured the garden and they would have the run of it all day. Our cat wasn't too pleased, they used to chase him off

dd1 has 10 guinea pigs, some bought, some re-homed. 5 boys and 5 girls (kept separately). We often have a garden full of kids holding a piggy We spend most of summer harvesting dandelions and their leaves!

I remember a terribly sad thread on here a while ago about a posters friends dd having a rabbit cooped up in a tiny hutch in a shed and never handled but the dd wanted it so tough. Does anyone remember if the poster went through with the the bunny rescue kidnapping?

10 guinea-pigs

I can fill a black bag in 3 days with guinea-pig waste matter and fill the boot of my car up evey 2 weeks with hay.

You must need a skip