To think rabbits make shit pets?

[IHateBloodyRabbits]

They look nice and soft and cuddly but they really aren't. Most of them hate being picked up and cuddled. They bite and scratch and dig and chew everything.

They also cost a fortune in vet bills with the bloody neutering and vaccinations and other shit they need.

And they live for bloody 8-10 years, sometimes longer

I'm not criticising you personally Superflyhigh, I just don't like seeing them stuck in cages and even a big run is not big compared to their natural habitat..

i've always had rescue rabbits and guinea pigs and i adore both , it does depend on how they are looked after, both are naturally prey animals in the wild so therefore can be nervous and jumpy, it's the so called owners who do not understand the animals behaviour, some people have kids and don't have a clue about them either, so why the heck to they them have pets ? andrew, as a vegan, i can honestly say i'll start eating dead things once humans go on the menu !! come round for dinner !

Our boy has the run of the downstairs of the house and a large cage. He was surprisingly easy to litter train. He is very friendly though compared to any other rabbit I have known. He follows ds round like a dog and climbs all over him and will happily lie stretched out beside him for ages while they watch tv. He has always been given lots of attention when he wants it but I often wonder if this is why he's such a happy friendly boy or if we were just really lucky with him and his good nature.

I kind of see your point. I had guinea pigs for years and they were the cutest, funniest and most entertaining creatures ever. When my last one died I went out to buy a couple more and saw the most adorable baby rabbit in the pet shop. I bought her, called her Phylis and spoilt her rotten. A year later she's cost us over £200 in vets bills, once caused such severe scratches to my neck that colleagues thought id been in an accident and when I let her play in the garden she doesn't just 'love it' like the daft guinea pigs did ... She spends all her time looking for ways to escape.
They live a long time too don't they ... My own fault though, I shouldn't have made a purchase based on s cute face.

YANBU they generally make rubbish pets. The rabbits I know all seem to be terrified of everything, including humans so they have a horrible time as a human's pet. There are definite exceptions though. I saw one that loved cuddles and behaved a lot like a friendly cat. Friendly cats are also exceptional IME.

my rabbits are lovely and great pets, i don't maul them though, rabbits generally don't like picking up, they make shit pets for thick people who don't understand them

I don't do small caged pets any more -I've done hamsters,gerbils,rats,rabbits,gp's and ferrets.
They all need more time than I have,and more commitment than children give.

Actually, let me retract part of my last post. IME they are rubbish pets if you want a cuddly pet who sits on your knee. I'm sure rabbits are excellent pets for people who understand them and I'm sure they are rewarding in other ways. Not sure they are always a good pet for kids tbh as they are v nervous as southeast says. There are exceptions though as I say.

They are not great pets if you expect a cute bundle of fluff for your children to cuddle which will sit happily in a cage in the meantime (does such a pet exist?)

Hmmmm iniac, tbh I don't want any pet that sits in a cage all day. I grew up in the country so am used to dogs, cats, horses spending lots of time outdoors so it just wouldn't be the sort of pet I would do well with. I guess a stable is a bit like a big cage though!

My rabbit is currently in bed next to me.

She's possibly the cuddliest animal on earth. Loves snuggling up to people.

They make lovely house pets. Not so good if they're outside in a teeny cage.

KingJoffrey that is adorable! That's something I never thought I'd say...

mine has never seen a vet, i couldnt catch it,
i did catch it once, well DH did, oh the scratches! to cut the claws and clear some poo from her bottom.
but aside from that she is really cute, she has free range of the garden and did come inside the house quite a bit, until we got our dog,
even her and the dog live alongside each other happily.
she runs up to me when i am feeding the birds, for a crumb of bread,
in fact the first time she became so tame, after we had had her for aobut 2 years, we were quite concerned that she was so friendly all of a sudden. but she is fine

i think with any purchase you do your research. it is not hard. just google!

I loved my house rabbit but he didn't like being picked up either. He would come to you if you tapped the floor and would happily climb over you but it was on his terms. It was a bit like having a dog but without having to walk him. It was necessary to protect wires though.

When he was young, our garden was no maintenance and completely grass free, so when we moved to a house with grass, he hated the feel of it under his feet. He would stick to the patio and paths.

Posting these to dispel the myths that bunnies aren't cuddly.

These are from last year. She's lost an ear since then so looks a bit quirky. Still beautiful, though.

It depends how well you train them! DD has 4 bunnies, they come when called, snuggle up to her and let her do anything to them, they even sleep in her lap while she does homework!!

You need to handle rabbits daily from babyhood to get them really tame. And choose a big chunky friendly breed (like Dutch or Rex) if they're going to be handled by kids. Trim their nails with clippers to reduce scratching, let them run around garden/house for a few hours every day or they get bored and aggressive.

Be firm when handling them and don't tolerate nipping. Rabbits live in hierarchical groups with one dominant rabbit, you need to establish yourself as dominant rabbit! If they bite or struggle gently pin them down with their head to floor until they submit, this is how they establish dominance in wild. All bunnies dig, chew and startle easily but they can be so much fun and playful.

I'm totally the dominant bunny.

The only vicious bunny we had was obviously trying to be the dominant bunny. He attacked everyone and tried to hump the other rabbit half his size. We rehomed him in the end, he wasnt very nice to the other rabbit.

I had a rabbit as a teenager (lop eared blue dwarf). My step dad fell in love with him and completely took over, he turned the outside shed into a whole big run for him with ramps. When dry he would be left to roam the garden all day he would see off any cat other than our 3 which came into the garden and he would even eat his food next to our cats. Every evening when my stepdad came home he would run down the path to him and put his paws on his legs and wait to be picked up. He even would use the cat flap to come into the house. He had such a personality and when he died we were all heartbroken. I'm getting a bunny tomorrow to keep mainly as a house pet but to go outside for excercise (have an indoor hutch for night time). More excited than the children

Had to share a photo of our new bunny

Awww! Look at his teeny pointy ears!!

This is my house rabbit. She's got free run of the house whenever we're home, and also the garden when the weathers nice. She is currently cuddled up on my lap, where she spends many an evening.

Rabbits can make great pets if you have enough time to dedicate to them. I agree with a PP that it's a bit like having a little dog.

Just adorable orange, does she use a litter tray well or do you also have to pick up after her? Mine has been wandering all day and put in a large indoor hutch for tonight.

Lol at 'If I lived in a washroom I'd be a twat'

nothing sensible to add