Two bunnies or one cat

[BrilliantBetty]

We live on a quiet street and have a large-ish garden. Plenty of room for either a cat or a couple of rabbits.
Children are at an age where they’d be interested and able to help out with the care (a bit). Especially my almost 12 year old.

I don’t have a lot of spare energy, so wondering which option would be easier?

Cat by miles. Rabbits actually require quite a bit of care.

cat

Two cats. They will entertain each other.

Well if we're going for which would be easier, a cat

two cats. If you get kittens they will play together and will be company for each other.
Rabbits need quite a lot of looking after/housing in comparison to cats.

One older cat or two kittens.

Rabbits are terrible pets for children. They don't like being cuddled, scratch and die of fright if they're mishandled.

Can't comment on cats as I am more of a dog person, but when we had rabbits, I had to do a full clean down of their housing once a week including garden hose. Probably took a good hour and was definitely an adult job, not one I would give to a tween (essentially cleaning out their smelly toileting areas). Our dog by comparison is a lot less work.

Rabbits are loads of work, cats are 10 minutes a day max. Also cats love you

If you’re planning to keep the rabbits in the garden, a cat definitely.

Cats live, on average, for 15-20 years (during later life, they get various conditions that need veterinary care, which can be very costly). They may like to be cuddled, but sleep a lot (12-16 hours a day). They need to be neutered/speyed, microchipped, treated for fleas and worms, regularly.

Rabbits (always get two)will fight if you get the same sex, or breed unless neutered. They are easy to feed, and will need a decent-sized hutch, regular exercise (let out into a fully secure garden, during the day). They shit everywhere, all day. They live for an average of 5 years - longer if kept indoors (you'd need a litter tray and some form of exercise for them)

Had both, but have had cats for 45 years.

Rabbits are great pets but they are expensive and a lot of work. Also not a good pet for young children. They need a lot of patience and most don't enjoy being picked up.

Info here:

New Rabbit Owner Guide & Essential Care Tips | RWAF share.google/2uQ3L5EzSMz6t99Tw

Definitely a cat! But I LOVE cats so I’m biased. You just need to think about the safety of your cat on the street. I’ve vowed not to have another cat, as sadly the amount of traffic on the road outside our house has become too great a risk. Most cats unless you're really unlucky, bring a great deal of love and joy to a family and are also pretty independent. I speak as someone who has had around eight cats throughout my life.

I’m excited for you already!

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Cat. Bunnies are lovely but much more hard work and can be even more aloof than cats 😂

Unless they are going to be free roaming house bunnies, you aren’t going to spend as much time with them as you would with a cat. If you are going to have outside rabbits, you really need a huge run for them, otherwise it is just cruel.

Also, most vets have very little training in “exotics” so you may need a specialist vet. Rabbits are can get very unwell very quickly and need very expensive, specialist care.

Love them both but cats are so much easier.

Cat, no question.

Bunnies are labour intensive and seem to catch horrible diseases or simply drop dead when the wind changes

I've never had a cat, but rabbits are quite a lot of work, as other posters have pointed out, and not really suitable for kids (imho). Plus, a cared-for rabbit will live for 9-10 years, maybe older. Will your kids still be as keen to help when they're in their 20s?

Rabbits aren't great pets IMO, they need much more work than you would imagine and can be skittish and aggressive as ultimately they are pray items. In a really cold winter you might need to bring them indoors which wouldn't work to well as they won't be litter trained by that point.

2 kittens would be much better and far easier to care for.

Or, have a house rabbit and house cat together, mine adored each other.

100% cat 🐈‍⬛

Two rabbits could be over 80 rabbits after just one year...

Cat

This!!! We had two rabbits and cleaning the hutch was a freaking nightmare! Two small rabbits but the amount of poo was as if there was a horse in there! Even worse in the winter when it was blowing a gale, raining, any you’re outside cleaning the hutch.

one of ours ended up getting flystrike which was horrendous for the poor thing (and us) and he had to get PTS.

They are so much more work than a cat. We’ve got 2 cats now and honestly, it’s so much easier.

Thanks everyone! I hadn’t considered two cats. But it sounds as though that could be a good idea. As they’d entertain each other. We don’t have much traffic where we are so the road isn’t a problem. I think the DC would enjoy the cats playing together and feeding / grooming. Rather than clearing out a hutch with a hose. I had no idea it was such a job.

Cats every time, we’ve had both, my cats loved our DC as children and kittens can be fun, but a so can a single young adult cat, most will play but then they will also do their own thing but that makes them easy to look after.

Rabbits look sweet but are viscous little things, and rarely want to be handled or be played with. And no matter what the DC say when it comes down to cleaning out the hutch it will fall to you.

Rabbits? We’ve had a pair. Nice but we had to keep moving them around the garden (they had a two storey hutch - needs regular cleaning - and large run), which meant one part was recovering while they ate and peed/pooped on the other part, which may not be a problem if your garden is large. Mine lived outside year round. They weren’t a hassle, but they weren’t cuddly pets.
Cats however are great companions. They are independent but still like company so there’s usually one in whatever room I’m in. Mine are not hunters fortunately! I didn’t have insurance for the rabbits but I have a pet plan for the cats. The rabbits lived about 11/12 years. Cats can live to late teens or longer.

Contrary to most PPs I vote rabbits. Its true they dont like being handled too much but they're just wonderful creatures and love a head scratch and an ear massage. Ours are house rabbits and loaf around indoors just like cats... Will jump on the sofa if they want to say hi (or they smell a banana) and try and get involved when I do yoga 😂 I like cats but their food and poo just stinks so bad. But rabbits eat hay and fragrant herbs and their poo is very inoffensive small pellets. Tho rabbits need space so if you do get them, don't keep them in a cage xx

@cambiodenombre123 Love doing yoga when the rabbits get involved!