I want a rabbit, dh doesn't.... can anyone answer some questions?

[lunavix]

I didn't really have any pets as a kid, and would love a houseful of kids and pets now but realistically our house/garden is too small for a dog which is what we'd all like the most. Dh doesn't like cats, and I've been thinking about getting a rabbit.

We have a small-ish garden, there is grass though (average for a terrace) and I think it would help get the older kids (mindees) out in the garden as atm it's full of toddler toys which they can't play with.

I've been looking at second hand hutches, one comes with a run that folds away that I'd imagine would be the sensiblist. However dh is adamant this rabbit would poo all over the lawn, the kids won't ever be able to play barefoot out there again, realistically we won't be able to bbq or get the paddling pool out again or anything else, the kids will leave the door open and the rabbit will come in the hosue and eat everything... how true is this?

I want a small-ish bunny, I've been told to get female as males can 'spray' you, can anyone recommend a breed good with kids (I have ds who's 2, plus 3 mindees over 5, and currently but not for long 2 mindees of nearly 3) or will the average £10 out the paper lop eared bunny do?

And is it going to crap over my garden to the extent ds wn't be able to go outside?

[misdee]

people say bunnies are fine if they are handled young, but personally i dont pick mine up for cuddles. i stroke him, let him hop over to me for strokes, dont approach him etc as i dont want to scare him. he used to hide from me and curl into a corner, now he hops over for a little pet on his nose and will take food from my hand. i dont allow my kids to stroke him yet, as i think he needs to get used to them from the safety of his run. he will take grass and leaves which the kids poke through. but he has nipped my neice when she jabbed her fingers through. however he hasnt nipped my dd3 who does exactly the same as he is used to her in a way.

[arfur]

We have a rabbit and a guinea pig together Rabbit is ok sometimes but mostly evil guinea pig is lovely and cuddly but much less active i.e. doesnt do much. Lady who looked after them whilst we went on hols said that she would def consider getting a pig but not a bunny. HTH.

[goosey]

Well, I've only just got our two guinea pigs, although I did used to keep them when I was a child.
They have so far been very happy to be transferred from hutch to run and back again each day so the poo is contained to the area where the run has been and it's fine.
I have all ages of minded children here and they all have to wear shoes when outside (for their own protection - eg I don't want them to get hurt standing on a bit of pebble dash - too much paperwork) except for my own ds who like me doesn't care what he walks in. A bit of poo between your toes won't hurt. It all comes off in the shower.

[southeastastra]

ah dont completely rule out bunnies though, did you read the links ? they were good. all animals can be tamed as long as you handle them young (well not lions i suppose!)

[lunavix]

Does the fact it's under 'pets' not mean anything to anyone

[QE]

ooops, thought this thread was about something entirely different! Can't help with the fluffy variety, sorry!

[lunavix]

hmm

Okay so I'm definately taken to guinea pigs. Dh is still adamant they will poo all over the lawn and the kids won't be able to run around out there bare foot. Is that true? Goosey what are yours like (I have kids ranging from nearly due to 9!)

[Jen1209]

Hi, I have a 1 yr old male bunny who lives indoors. He is completely litter tray trained (although that took some effort and a few accidents + I had to but a triangular tray that we could tie to the side of the hutch so he couldn't tip it over and sit on the top!) but he is beautifully behaved and whenever we are at home, his door is open and he can come and go as he pleases.

He has mixi jabs every 6 months but his teeth are fine (he has sticks to chew plus the hay he has keeps them down) and I clip his nails. He is quite a big bunny though (about 2.7 kg / 6lb)!

I would definately recommend one either indoors or out

[tallulah]

\link{http://www.petwebsite.com/rabbits/rabbits_suitability_pet.htm\rabbits}

\link{http://www.petwebsite.com/guinea_pigs/handling_guinea_pigs.htm\guinea pigs}

[goosey]

I don't think our gps have been neutered. We just need to keep them away from any laydeee pigs.
They do produce quite a lot of poo it has to said, but it's quite solid and sweepable and is probably very good for the lawn.
I will no doubt have to clean their cage every 2-3 days, which is quite shocking considering they can live to seven years. It's not really a job I can delegate to the toddlers without total supervision.

[Gillian76]

ProfYaffle - I did too

[Turquoise]

We have two of each, and the guinea pigs are less messy, need less space etc. Our rabbits are very friendly and a lot of fun though, they're miniature dwarf lops. It really would be kinder to get a pair though, of whichever you plump for.

[Freckle]

Without reading the thread, I would say don't get one. Get a guineapig instead. Rabbits can be vicious, unfriendly creatures. Gps are invariably happy, friendly and chatty little souls. Much more child-friendly.

[ShowOfHands]

We got a rabbit about a year ago. Called him Martin. It didn't matter what we did, he was the most miserable, antisocial, angry little so and so. If he wasn't wrecking everything in sight, he was chewing any available bit of flesh. I became convinced he was glaring at me. And boy could that thing climb. Up the curtains, up the desk and then he'd just leap off again. After his 210th suicide attempt, we had to give him away. We go and see him sometimes (his new owners call him Fluffy, snort!). He hasn't changed. He's ruined their wallpaper.

Got a kitten now. Much better.

[lunavix]

hmm

will guniea pigs poo everywhere?

And if I get two baby males will they need to be neutuered?

[janemw]

We bought a rabbit for my dd but he was about 6 months old when we got him (too old) He died suddenly about a month after we got him. We then decided we'd get two more rabbits together, they were only weeks old and gorgeous lop eared rabbits. Both of these died suddenly too and I was told by the vet that there is another disease apart from mixy that the rabbit needs vaccinated against. This disease apparently is in the environment, don't know where from, but attacks the rabbit internally and show no signs on outside. Just want to let you know so you can vaccinate and avoid what we went through!

[goosey]

guinea pigs are sweet and friendly. we got two male babies a couple of days ago and they 'wheep, wheep, wheep' at me already when they hear me bringing their food.
They don't need such a big run as rabbits, although don't like to be kept without a friend, and genuinely seem very happy skipping around their new home and run.

[southeastastra]

it does help if you get them done, so to speak, i had a black male rabbit that was neutered and he had a really nice temperament and another one that wasn't he would just try to shag anything and grunt alot.

the thread title is great !

[PanicPants]

Don't do it.

We had rabbits and they turned into the biggest pains ever. They made a lot of mess and a lot of clearing up. AND the worst thing was, even though they were in a run and a hutch, I felt so sorry for them.

We had 3 female dwarf lops and were lovely, very gentle but shagged each other stupid ALL the time!

[ProfYaffle]

Nobody else saw the thread title and thought Ann Summers then?

[shazronnie]

IME male bunnies are friendlier. I've only ever had one at a time, but if you're thinking of having 2 it is better to get 2 in the beginning because mine attacked the "buddy" we got for him!
And they are more work than you think!

[MerlinsBeard]

I have a house rabbit (just to give a different view). He is (well, was) house trained and we make sure all wires are out of the way and he only ever chewed 2 and hes 5 now.
Its recommended that u get 2 as they keep each other company.

Can i just add tho that they are harder to look afer than u think. They need reg injections, sometimes their teeth need burring and their nails need clipping every so often. They also need to be let out every day altho not sure what the minimum time is) and they need changing every few days. Only telling u coz i thought they were the easy option!

[southeastastra]

ive always had rabbits, they are great and if you pick them up when the're little they can soon be tamed.

bunny poos are hard, and they dont really make much of a mess. The cage you're talking about sounds great, also the rabbit can come indoors! (It wont eat everything!) just make sure wires are out of its way.

Ive always found male rabbits better, but maybe thats just because Ive always had males. At the mo ive got two females and they do fight so had to be kept apart (they are sisters too).

A netherland dwarf is a perfect pet as they're little and stay quite little. Its better to get one from a breeder as pet shop ones tend to get problems (in my experience) with their teeth.

[misdee]

we have one like \link{http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/3FT-RABBITS-HUTCH-RUN-RABBIT-GUINEA-PIG-PET-CAGE-HOME_W0QQitemZ7771543615QQcategoryZ63511QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem\this} but the bottom bit sits directly on the grass. it needs moving every other day as they do strip the grass.

[lunavix]

maybe the guinea pigs would be more suitable then? ds is only 2 so I'd rather something that wasn't too strong just in case! What size is the hutch you have for your two?