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Original poster

Rabbits -anyone have one?

42 replies

oxocube · 29/03/2004 12:24

For the last few months, my kids have been pestering me to buy a rabbit. We already have 3 elderly cats and despite the kids' protests, I have resisted buying them a dog because I am convinced that I would end up looking after it/walking it. A rabbit is a possible compromise! I know nothing about keeping rabbits, however. Do they make good pets? I have read they live for about 5 or 6 years. Are they high maintenance. What do rabbit owners do if they go on holiday? Could a rabbit handle the attention of a 2 year old or would it be cruel to the rabbit to be handled or pestered all the time?

Sorry for all the questions, but I don't want to go down the route of buying a pet and regretting it! Also, would our cats freak a rabbit out or can they get on together?

TIA

OP posts:
essbee · 29/03/2004 12:29

Message withdrawn

SoupDragon · 29/03/2004 12:31

Snigger.

spacemonkey · 29/03/2004 12:31

snort

i thought the same

collision · 29/03/2004 12:31

Try and borrow one b4 you buy it.

My Mum says this is the best thing she ever did as I had always wanted one and nagged her for years. A friend went on holiday and I had to look after it for 2 weeks. By the end of the fortnight I was sick of it...feeding it, changing the straw, giving it water etc etc and I never asked for one again!!

Cant answer all the questions as I dont have one but IMO you would probably end up looking after it!

collision · 29/03/2004 12:32

essbee....start a new thread......pleeeeeese!! On The Rabbit!!!!!!!1

spacemonkey · 29/03/2004 12:33

I was going to say "EWWWW" at the thought of borrowing someone else's rabbit ...

Jaybee · 29/03/2004 12:38

There are several rabbit owners on Mumsnet. We have two rabbits and also two guinea pigs. The rabbits are lovely, it is best to have two as they are very social creatures, we have a castrated male who is very placid and a female who has not been spayed - she gets very hormonal and can attack - a rabbit has very powerful back legs and can kick and scratch if not handled correctly - unlikely that your 2.5 year old will be able to do so. I know of several house rabbits and as they are clean and can be litter trained they are ideal for this. The guinea pigs are lovely too, they are easy to handle and never bite. We bought these as the kids find them easier.
If you have any other questions please shout!!

forestfly · 29/03/2004 12:43

There was a rabbot for sale on E bay, only used once apparently

collision · 29/03/2004 12:44

FF......GROSS!!!!

mez75 · 29/03/2004 12:46

I have a rabbit which is now 8yrs old but our other rabbits did live to be 5 or 6. I think they do make good pets for children as they are small enough to handle. I wouldn't say they are high maintenance but you need to feed and water them every day obviously and clean them out. They need to have a run for exercise, I have one attached to cage so she can hop in and out when she wants. The more you fuss a rabbit and handle it the friendlier it is. I had one when i was little which I took everywhere and i've got to say it's the best one i ever had. After the cost of the cage/run ect they don't cost much to keep (although some pet shops put prices up when it's Easter). Hope that's some help to you : )

Freckle · 29/03/2004 13:00

Can I put in a word for guinea pigs? IMO, they are by far the best pet for a small child. Rabbits can be aggressive and, even when just wriggling in your arms, can give you quite a nasty gash with their back legs particularly. They need to be handled a lot when very young to get them used to this, and this really will be down to you as your children will not know how to do this properly at first.

Guinea pigs also need a lot of handling at first, but their claws won't do nearly as much damage as a rabbits. They also "talk" to you, which is very endearing. Social animals too, so getting two or more would be best.

We have had a number of rabbits over the years, but they have always ended up being handled more by dh and me than by the children. We currently have one rabbit and one guinea pig (other guinea pig died recently so we put remaining one with rabbit - cautiously at first). They get on very well and are good company for each other. Looking after them is always down to me and dh. The children will occasionally get involved, but I would not bother getting any small pets unless you are prepared to be the primary carer.

ks · 29/03/2004 13:05

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kiwisbird · 29/03/2004 13:15

rabbits are too bloody noisy IMHO
Would never sell it though and not on ebay!
On the pet front we had one and it died. The cat hated it and stalked its hutch, the rabbit was too scared to eat and it died. Thats what the vet said... If you buy a rabbit get two for company or a guinea pig (are they cavies over here?)

miggy · 29/03/2004 13:22

2nd freckle-g pigs much nicer pets for children, never bite and easy to handle and the squeaking/whooping when they see you is really cute. Some rabbits are great but they can be aggressive-bite and hard to handle. Never ever buy a long haired rabbit like an angora, they need constant grooming, worse than a long haired cat.

suedonim · 29/03/2004 14:42

Our dear little dwarf bunny lived to be nine. We had him in the house and he wasn't at all concerned by our cats or dog, once beating up one of the cats when it got a bit impudent. Be prepared to look after a rabbit yourself. Even when dd was old enough to look after it she always ended up with straw and wood shavings everywhere and it got tramped through the house. Re holidays, we reciprocated with a neighbour for a while, or you can physically move the animal to someone's house and there are even some small pet boarding kennels near us, though we never needed them.

I must go against the flow re guinea pigs! We had one when I was young and I hated it. Apart from the fact its fur wasn't soft like a rabbit, I loathed that awful noise they make. Ours did it all the time, it was very annoying.

fio2 · 29/03/2004 14:47

We had a long haired one to begin with. DONT DO IT!! you have to keep brushing then and poo gets stuck in their hair and its just a high maintanance pet. It was lovely natured though but only lived til it was about 3. We then had 2 english dwarf Rexs, one has died but the other is still going strong. She is 4 and isnt much trouble. They are noisy though, thumping at all hours - we have even had complaints off the neighbours (not that I am suprised, miseries) They are difficult to handle though and can be quite agressive.

Guinea pigs are alot more affectionate and entertaining

spacemonkey · 29/03/2004 14:48

ugh guinea pigs are THE most annoying creature! get a cat, they're much nicer

suedonim · 29/03/2004 15:13

Hehe, we're sisters in arms, SM, against the march of the guinea pigs!

Original poster
oxocube · 29/03/2004 15:16

Wow, lots of replies! As I was typing, I knew I should have made the title of the thread clearer. You lot have such filthy minds I do realise that I would end up looking after, cleaning out whatever we got. We have the same problem with the cats' litter tray, clearing up poo from garden, taking to cattery and vets etc. I liked the idea of 'borrowing' one for a few weeks (DEF NOT the electronic kind euchhhhh) to see if the kids lose interest. I have a feeling our 3 cats would see a guinea pig as an oversized rat and try to eat it. If we do get a rabbit, I would make sure the cats were locked in when it was in the garden, just to be on the safe side!

If fish weren't so boring, they would be a much easier option.

OP posts:
tanzie · 29/03/2004 23:37

Guinea pigs are boring. Bunnies marginally less so. I had one that lived to be 11 - I had left home when it died!

Get a nice cat instead. My cat is 18 and not nice at all. She's a Polish Fighting Fur(r)y!

FairyMum · 30/03/2004 07:30

My DD used to have rabbits and never again! We had outdoor-rabbits. They took a lot of work. Of course you can just keep them in their hutch in the garden like many do, but if you hopefully want to give them a good life, then be prepared for some work. You have to clean them out daily (we spent a fortune on hay), make sure they get their excerise, it's not so easy to get people to look after them when you go away and especially in the summer-time I felt really guilty if we spent a lovely day down the coast while the rabbits were stuck in their hutches in 35 degrees......I also spent a fortune in vet bills. My cats never get ill, but the rabbit needed vaccinations and also had several operations. They had problems with their eyes and the male rabbit needed to be neutered. Rabbits are actually quite solitary animals and don't always go together. Ours did when they were small, but not as they grew up. The final thing is that unless you spend A LOT of time with them, I don't actually think they are as sociable animals as many say.

GeorginaA · 30/03/2004 08:20

I had a pet rabbit as a kid and have very many happy memories of him. However, I would like to stress that I think we were lucky in that he was quite docile and handled lots.

I wasn't so lucky with a friend's rabbit who, when I was about 11, bit my finger right down to the bone and wouldn't let go. I still have a centimetre scar on the base of my middle finger and lots of scratch scars on both hands when I tried to get it off me.

I would say, on balance, that I would not be happy with my son (also aged 2) having a pet rabbit quite yet.

MrsDoolittle · 30/03/2004 09:19

Definately don't get a buck rabbit, they tend to be quite tempermental, you far more likely to get a docile doe. Also if you decide to have more they are going to be far more accepting of "intruders". Seeing buck rabbits fighting is not pretty, thay can be very aggressive. Their strong back legs are seriously strong and I imagine if they scratch the children it will put them off handling them and the problem gets worse!!

beetroot · 30/03/2004 15:26

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M2T · 30/03/2004 15:38

Well I have a male Rabbit who lives in the house. We bought him for DS when he was 18mths old and it was the BEST thing we've bought him!!

The rabbit is very cheeky and sometimes nibbles our walls, but apart from that he and DS are inseperable.
DS will be 3 in June and he lets the rabbit out every evening.... the rabbit follows him for a while and DS sits down and tickles his back. The rabbit isn't nervous at ALL.... and he quickly got used to that fact that toddlers sometimes fall over! He moves out of the way pretty quick. After a couple of weeks of closely supervising DS with the rabbit he stopped trying to be rough and is now very gentle with him. He likes to give him broccoli and carrots too. DS also tells the rabbit off if he nibbles the carpet/walls. lol.

A wonderful pet for young children as long as they are handled and very used to human contact. And when we have

I have had many rabbits in my lifetime and strangely the males have always been MUCH friendlier.