Easter's got me thinking ... what are bunnies like as pets? [Archive]

anamnesis

03-22-2008, 08:44 PM

With all the Easter rigmarole, I found myself wondering whether owning a rabbit as a pet would be worthwhile. I like the unique companionship of dogs, but think they're too much responsibility. This is part of the reason I'm more of a cat person, but they can be just as much a responsibility in their own right, minus the chore of being constantly taken outdoors. I've always liked ferrets but they only live about five years and from my experience, tend to suffer a dramatic decline in health towards the end of their lives which is painful to watch. I know the death of any pet isn't easy, but I've seen a lot of ferrets go slowly and it's heartbreakingly depressing.

So ... in the light of my interest in low-maintenance pets and the arrival of spring and the Easter holiday, I've found myself wondering what it might be like to own a bunny. Anybody owned/own a rabbit? Are they a lot of upkeep? Can they be affectionate and/or emotive? Do they like being cuddled as so many of us would surely like to do to them? My general impression is that they sit in the corner of a cage, eat occasionally and then poop, and that's about it. Oh yeah, they do that funny twitching thing with their noses too. In the wild, they're essentially predator fodder, a tasty morsel to be hunted, and so they're not exactly bright, but I'm curious nonetheless. Part of me thinks it'd be kinda cool as a single guy to own a bunny ... chicks would dig it, no? :D

Bunny owners, please opine.

beanpod

03-22-2008, 08:55 PM

I bunny-sat recently. It was skittish, but cute when it hopped around. It liked to sit under the coffee table. Very very soft fur, but it didn't really stay still to be petted. The owner also said it hated to be picked up, and refused to stay in laps.

Not sure how much was its nature and how much was being in a different environment, but it didn't seem like a cuddly creature.

Ephemera

03-22-2008, 08:55 PM

I've owned a couple and didn't really like them as pets. They can be affectionate but don't like being held at all, nor are they low-maintenance. Also, if mine were any indication, they don't mix well with cats or dogs (both mine wound up being killed, unfortunately) and I was pretty disappointed with my experience as having them as pets.

Antinor01

03-22-2008, 09:09 PM

Renee

03-22-2008, 09:28 PM

This chick would so dig it. Especially if you got one with crazy hair, like Leo: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10067636

VernWinterbottom

03-22-2008, 09:45 PM

We chose guinea pigs instead of a rabbit because to be happy rabbits really need a lot bigger space than most people are willing to devote to them. As it is, the two guinea pigs are in a 30 inch by 60 inch cage.

Almost all cages sold in pet stores are far smaller than what is required by the animals that they are intended for.

tremorviolet

03-22-2008, 09:46 PM

We had a rabbit many years ago that had been raised with some kittens and seemed to think it was a cat. It loved to rub against your ankles, loved to sit in your lap and be petted etc.

Reading the last few posts it sounds like ours may have been unusual though.

I had a rabbit like that too. We let him just hang out in the yard with the other cats and he'd even eat cat food.

I've had other rabbits. They're nowhere near as affectionate as cats or dogs but properly socialized ones do like to be petted. Some people have had luck litterbox training them. Males get frisky and belligerent and should be fixed which is a lot more expensive on rabbits since it's a rarer operation. And I'd guess their lifespan is similar to a ferrets.

All in all, I don't think they're any more low maintenance than a cat unless you just ignore it which would be cruel and then why have a pet anyway?

Kalhoun

03-23-2008, 06:42 AM

My sister has one and they seem to like it a lot. She said "cats don't do it for me". I could never get into a rabbit they way I get into cats. I guess that's what makes the world go 'round.

elfkin477

03-23-2008, 09:35 AM

Our family had several when I was a kid. I don't like them. They really don't like being picked up, which means whenever you need to do it, even if you try your best to support their feet as often as not you're left with deep bloody scratches. And unlike a cat or dog, they all seemed rather indifferent to attempts to pay them attention.

Rabbits themselves are not really demanding, but rabbit cages require a lot of maintenance; they have pretty poor digestive systems which means they poop a lot. In the wild they often eat some of their poop to get more of the nutrients they didn't get the first time, but typical cages have most of the poop drop into a tray, and it then becomes your problem. It's more messy than smelly, though. You could try to litter train them instead, but rabbits don't seem to be as smart as cats or dogs, and they can be led into misadventure this way, just like ferrets. Primarily from being accidentally stepped on, which as my brother and these people (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&q=rabbit+%22broken+leg%22+stepped+on) learned leads to broken legs and feet more often than accidentally troding on an adult cat.

Frankly, if I were to suggest a mostly indifferent-to-people pet with high cage maintenance and supervision requirements, I'd sooner recommend a ferret or turtle.

Stillwell Angel

03-23-2008, 09:55 AM

I have owned several over the years and their personalities varied as much as the many dogs I have had.

My last bunny (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=363642) who passed away two years ago loved to be handled. He loved to hide under furniture and leap out to attack your feet as you passed.

As mentioned above, they need alot of space to be truly happy, not left in a cage 24/7. All of mine were litter trained so when roaming the house there was no worry about the mess. I wouldn't advise free reign all the time though, they like to chew and bunnies and electrical wiring don't mix. Mine was only loose when I could supervise.

As far as maintenance, you will spend a lot of time cleaning the cage and litter pan. Litter trained or not, bunnies poop A LOT.

hawksgirl

03-23-2008, 09:57 AM

I love pet rabbits. I had one who was technically an FFA project in high school. Bunnies are soft and fluffy, mine liked to be held and snuggled. It didn't live in the house though, since I didn't have the time to try to litterbox train it or hide all of our electrical wires. I think they are good pets.

Hanna

03-23-2008, 12:13 PM

It seems that many are left alone and neglected in their cages after the novelty wears off. :(

NajaNivea

03-23-2008, 05:04 PM

We love our bunny (http://www.rawdogleather.com/images/critters/bunster.jpg). He was originally intended to be hawk food, and is a retired research animal, so we really didn't expect him to have much personality, but... boy is he cute. He litter trained almost immediately, so we keep him as a house rabbit when we're up and about during the day and he lives in a big hutch at night. I put him out in the hawk yard during the day (hawk indoors) so he gets to play out in the grass and sun when the weather is good.

Rabbits as pets are very much about what you put into them. If you play with them often and give them a lot of attention and mental stimulation, they make very clever and affectionate pets. Left as hutch bunnies, they are mostly indifferent to handling.

Check out the House Rabbit Society (http://www.rabbit.org/) for good advice on keeping happy bunnies. Cheers!

HazelNutCoffee

03-23-2008, 05:08 PM

We've had a bunny before. They can develop personalities, but you do need to spend a lot of time with them.

But yeah, the chicks would think it was cute. Well, I would, anyway.

DrDeth

03-23-2008, 05:25 PM

The term is House Rabbit. Not as nice as a cat, but they can be left in their cage while you are gone.

KRC

03-23-2008, 06:39 PM

I had one about 20 years ago. I don't remember it being terribly affectionate but it wasn't timid either. One annoying habit it had was slamming its hind feet on the floor. It did this once at 4:00 am, terrifying my roommate who thought some weirdos from next door were trying to break in.

After that he talked a lot about how nice it would be to have some bunny fur gloves.

Barbarian

03-23-2008, 07:14 PM

Tasty.

d&r

shamrock227

03-23-2008, 08:03 PM

My sister had one when we were kids. A large white rabbit. Lucky loved to be cuddled, and would eat out of your hand, and would walk (well, hop) on a leash. She'd even nudge your hand to be petted like a dog does.

We had another bunny after Lucky died, a dwarf rabbit. But, she was just downright mean and didn't like you to come anywhere near her. We had to feed her with gloves on because she would try to bite when you put your hand in the hutch. It was sad, we interacted as much as she would let us, but she never really became a "pet".

hawksgirl

03-23-2008, 09:04 PM

I remembered I have a picture somewhere (not online) of my rabbit wearing a cat harness and a leash. Since she was a white English Lop and could walk on her ears, I had them on top of her head in a scrunchie so she wouldn't get them dirty. My mom thought it was hilarious.

msmith537

03-23-2008, 09:41 PM

My observation has been that they tend to shit everywhere.

NajaNivea

03-23-2008, 10:32 PM

My observation has been that they tend to shit everywhere.
It's a territorial thing. Happily, neutering and spaying will drastically reduce this tendency.

Gatopescado

03-23-2008, 10:44 PM

madrabbitwoman

03-23-2008, 11:32 PM

Hi all,
I have been lurking for quite a while but it seems I have finally been goaded into joining up.

My two cents worth:

I would not describe bunnies as "easy" pets. Mine have all been much more work than my cats. One bonus though is that it is easy to cage them for periods of time (all my bunnies have been house bunnies and are only caged when unsupervised). They do tend to have difficult and expensive health problems and problems can arise if your vet is not knowelegable about rabbit health.

My rabbits have all tended to beat up my cats - Not what I expected.

As long as I am not lazy and put in sufficient effort I do not have problems with mess or smell (bunnies do housetrain easily).
As for bunnies being dumb - I have had most of my problems with bunnies that were too smart (opening doors, shutting doors, stealing, project oriented behaviour etc.)

Bunnies have many and varied personalities. some of mine have been affectionate - some haven't. some have likes to be picked up and cuddled (one used to crawl into be with me). All of my rabbits were trained to the lead and socialised with people and other animals. My first rabbit was on the way to becoming a pets as therapy animal when she died (she regulary visited local nursing homes, daycare, library as well as the homes of anyone who asked) she knew a number of tricks and loved to mug children (they would often have tasty things in their pockets).

Another great site for rabbit info is:
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html

Thats about all I can think of at the moment.

ps... my current bunny Bellamy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/madrabbitwoman/161469029/

MRW

DrDeth

03-23-2008, 11:35 PM

I will say that a Rat (Hooded is best, IMHO) is a better pet, but they give some dudes the willies, so then a rabbit. It's for when you want something more than a goldfish, but can't quite devote the time/space a cat needs. This does not mean you can neglect your bunny/rat mind you, it's just that in a nice large right-temp cage they are fine for a day or so by themselves.

madrabbitwoman

03-23-2008, 11:42 PM

oops, forgot to mention:

They like to play. Sometimes they like to involve you in their games. They like toys that involve food (treat balls) make noise or are easy to nose or chuck about.

My present bunny is not keen on being held but does love to thoroughly wash any bit of me he gan get a ahold of.

Bunnies have a"purr" a teeth grinding noise they make when they are happy and then there is the "binky" bunnies literally jump for joy!

Here is another link:
http://www.rodentia.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html Click on "Did You Say Binky?"

MRW

Maastricht

03-23-2008, 11:51 PM

I wouldn't advise free reign all the time though, they like to chew and bunnies and electrical wiring don't mix. Mine was only loose when I could supervise.This bears repeating. My roommate had frequent power, computer and telephone outages whenever her bunny had chewed through another wire again. And the animal had all sorts of bought special fro bunnies chewy stuff available to it.
That meant the bunny could only be let out of the cage if closely supervised, which was far too little for it to be happy.

And I must say, as a girl I could think of nicer sights in a guys apartment, then a stinky neglected cage with a depressed bunny in it.

Get a cat. Give it free access to a bowl of water and a bowl of dried kibble, give it free acess to outside (with a flap door installed in a window and a system of walking planks attached to your wall to the ground) and you'll have a virtually maintenance free cat.

guizot

03-24-2008, 03:18 AM

Get a cat. Give it free access to a bowl of water and a bowl of dried kibble, give it free acess to outside (with a flap door installed in a window and a system of walking planks attached to your wall to the ground) and you'll have a virtually maintenance free cat.This is true, but there's no guarantee that a cat will be particularly friendly, just as, apparently, there isn't for a rabbit. A dog would be more trouble, but just about every dog worships its owner.

Rabbits do like to play, even with cats (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKcUpv1mfU0). If you have two rabbits, they'll play with each other, but your chickens won't be happy about it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D35uQCtr4EY&NR=1).

Anyway, even an unfriendly cat will keep mice out of your place. No rabbit or dog will do that.

Audrey Levins

03-24-2008, 06:01 AM

Like chickens, worthless as pets.

Do yourself a favor and buy a loaf of bread instead. It will sit there and start to stink after a few days (just like the rabbit, but without the piss and hair) and give you as much joy. Cheaper, and you might get a sandwich out of the deal.

Repeat as needed.

Pardon the hijack, but this made me literally snort with laughter.

I had a bunny as a kid and we called him "Wimpy" because he was frightened of everything and when let out of his hutch would just hide under furniture, twitching with fear. Not hostile, but not friendly at all.

He was my dad's "you can't get a cat because I hate cats!" compromise.

I ended up getting a cat.

Trunk

03-24-2008, 07:40 AM

My experience. . .they're

Skittish.

Unaffectionate.

Just a wild animal in your house. Might as well be a squirrel for all it cares about humans.

Are you looking for something to feed and clean up after that returns no affection? Yeah. . .get a rabbit. They simply haven't been bred for deomsticity as long as cats & dogs to be house pets.

Dung Beetle

03-24-2008, 09:13 AM

I kept my step-daughter's rabbit for about four days. She wasn't able to look after it properly and I was transferring it to a lady where I work who does rabbit rescue.

He didn't care for being petted or held, and I didn't want to bother him anyway because I figured a prey animal probably doesn't have much in the way of cuddle-enjoyment instincts. He tried to bite me once as I reached into his cage to take the bowl out. Fortunately he got my ring for the most part, but based on the nick he gave me, I think it would have been a nasty bite.

We mostly left him on the screened porch during the day so he would have lots of room. He wanted to introduce himself to the cats, but they were terrified of him. When he wasn't chasing them around…yeah, pretty much sat around like a loaf of bread. At least he confined most of the shit to the same general area. All in all, a cute but very unimpressive, work-intensive pet.

BrainGlutton

03-24-2008, 09:18 AM

Bunnies, like guinea pigs, make excellent pets so long as you don't forget to wrap them in duct tape! Otherwise things can get . . . messy.

Harmonious Discord

03-24-2008, 09:46 AM

They are not a nice pet. They will scratch up your arm with their nails. They may squeal at you at the same time. They eat, poop, have bunnies and chew on everything. They basically are a stock animal, that are lousy pets.

zweisamkeit

03-24-2008, 10:13 AM

For people who say they do nothing or ignore you: how much time do you actually spend with the bunny? You can't just spend 5-10 minutes a day with a prey animal and expect it to be affectionate towards you.

My boyfriend has a bunny and it took her awhile to warm up and trust him (she had been abandoned in a mall parking lot and he adopted her), but she is the most adorable thing ever. She doesn't like being held much, but tolerates it. She loves coming up and nosing your nose, being petted, playing with you (nudging your foot so you gently shove her; she jumps away and then nudges back. Lather rinse repeat), climbing all over you and exploring.

She's litter trained and has the run of the house from 6am - 10pm (with her cage open so she can go and use her litterbox). It gives her plenty of roaming and exploring time and she can run around and exercise. It also lets her interact with my boyfriend who might just be sitting around playing video games.

Yes, she's an exceptionally outgoing bunny, but a lot of that is because he has spent a lot of time with her. Bunnies can't be treated as a decorative pet and then be expected to interact and be affectionate.

tremorviolet

03-24-2008, 10:40 AM

This is true, but there's no guarantee that a cat will be particularly friendly, just as, apparently, there isn't for a rabbit. A dog would be more trouble, but just about every dog worships its owner.

Rabbits do like to play, even with cats (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKcUpv1mfU0). If you have two rabbits, they'll play with each other, but your chickens won't be happy about it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D35uQCtr4EY&NR=1).

Anyway, even an unfriendly cat will keep mice out of your place. No rabbit or dog will do that.

I think you're more likely to have a friendly cat. Cats have basically self-selected for millenia to enjoy the company of humans. I've had cats for decades and the only problem I've ever had is that the cats are too affectionate and constantly want to be right next to me all the time. Even skittish cats will usually bond with one person even if they avoid strangers. Bunnies, on the other hand, haven't been bred for people compatibility but for things like fur and meat.

Maastricht

03-24-2008, 10:48 AM

I think you're more likely to have a friendly cat. Cats have basically self-selected for millenia to enjoy the company of humans.Seconded. Besides, if you go to your local animal shelter you can ask about a cats' background and general character. A cat that was affectionate with its previous owners will be affectionate towards you as well, if you treat it half-decently.
Also, what happened to so many other people visiting a shelter might also happen to you; that you see a particular cat, and that cat sees you, and BAM! instant mutual love. Which is NOT the same as seeing a bunch of pathetic pets and choosing the one that makes you feel guiltiest, if that is what you are afraid of. :) You have to experience this instant attraction it to believe it, but I've heard a couple of firsthand stories of it happening. In many instances, it was the cat who made the first move.

InappropriateHumor

03-24-2008, 10:48 AM

We had a Dutch Dwarf bunny. He was soft and snuggly and looooooved broccoli. He'd do anything for it. If he was hiding under the bed, all I had to do was get a broccoli floret, sit by the bed with it, and soon he would be in my lap.

Having said that, he would leave a bunny raisin on every other hop, made my husband's jeans into swiss cheese (when hubby carelessly left them on the floor), chewed every damn thing it could lay it's stupid bunny teeth on, treated my foot like a whore it had a put a retainer down on, ruined by leather planner binder and at least 3 pairs of shoes.

Then it had the unmitigated gall to have a stroke (as they are prone to do, I'm told) and traumatize my then 4 year old daughter by hopping around in circles with it's head tilted to the side and it's eyes going back and forth, back and forth, like it just got off the tilt-a-whirl at the amusement park. Gah! Off to the $85 vet appointment with the $25 food animal, where it's confirmed that the damn thing had a stroke and it will probably have another couple until it dies. Lovely.

Anyhoo, I guess I'm saying it wasn't my cup of tea, but to each his own.

Flander

03-24-2008, 10:53 AM

Do NOT get your bunny at a pet store unless it is a WEEE little baby. Bunnies will need to be trained to interact with humans to get rid of the skittishness. I found my rabbit in my apartment complex in Miami when she was about the size of my hand. At first she was skittish, but a few days of sitting on the floor and letting her explore cleared that up. I've had her for a year or two now and she rocks. Cuddly, litter trained, great personality. I can hold her because I'm "daddy". She doesn't let anyone else pick her up. Oh and chicks dig her.

Flander

03-24-2008, 05:57 PM

Obligitory (http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj121/Flanderguitar/?action=view&current=100_0139.jpg) bunny (http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj121/Flanderguitar/?action=view&current=100_0140.jpg) photos. (http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj121/Flanderguitar/?action=view&current=100_0141.jpg)

Sleepy face (http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj121/Flanderguitar/?action=tageditmany)

Stranger On A Train

03-24-2008, 07:04 PM

Before you start thinking of rabbits as all cude and cuddly, take a read of Richard Adams' Watership Down (http://www.amazon.com/Watership-Down-Novel-Richard-Adams/dp/0743277708/ref=ed_oe_p) or (if you can find it) Robert Lockley's seminal The Private Life of the Rabbit (http://www.amazon.com/Private-Life-Rabbit-Account-Behaviour/dp/0851152430). (While Watership Down is a mythologized tale of a rabbit warren, Adams referred heavily on Lockley's work and personal advice when cultivating the behavior of the rabbits in the story.) They're certainly not less maintenance than a cat, and the fact that they're less common of a pet will make them harder and more expensive to treat.

Stranger

elfkin477

03-24-2008, 08:42 PM

Fortunately he got my ring for the most part, but based on the nick he gave me, I think it would have been a nasty bite. Yes, they have a nasty bite, which is another reason I don't like them much. My first bunny bit my thumb when I was seven (it was not her fault. She mistook my thumb for the carrot I was offering her). The scar finally faded 20 years later.

anamnesis, rereading your post I noticed you said ferrets only live 5 years. That seems pessimistic, and sites like this one (http://www.ferrets.org/Caring_For_Ferrets.htm) say 6-8 years is more typical. Mine lived 3 years, 8 years and 9 years. The one that died young caught the flu from my sick great-grandmother(did you know that at one point they purposely infected ferrets with the flu (http://www.jem.org/cgi/content/abstract/60/1/49) to study it?), but the others lived nice long lives. Our vet thought it might have been due to feeding them high protein kitten food their whole lives instead of ferret food. We didn't intend to, but they wouldn't eat the stuff designed for them.

That said, anything that lives in a cage and is bigger than your hand is not low-maintenance.

NajaNivea

03-24-2008, 10:21 PM

Bunnies can't be treated as a decorative pet and then be expected to interact and be affectionate.
Word.

brujaja

03-25-2008, 01:02 AM

I had some friends once who had a bunny. One night I slept over, in their son's room where the bunny sometimes slept.

It kept me up all night, trying to hump my head. No smilie. It would not cut it out!!

Mangetout

03-25-2008, 03:51 AM

We have two guinea pigs and a rabbit - the rabbit is definitely harder work to look after than the GPs - all of the things I'm about to say can either be great fun, or a big nuisance:

-The rabbit is more active than the GPs - they can be brought indoors and left on a carpet tile with some bits of carrot, and they'll still be there two hours later - just sitting contentedly - the rabbit will sometimes lie down and relax, but more often, she's hopping about exploring the room, getting into everything.

-The rabbit chews things - furniture, books, boxes, houseplants, cables - and must be supervised constantly in order to prevent an accident, or damage to property.

-Rabbits generally have more stringent dietary requirements than GPs - they can get quite upset (in the exploding bottom sense) by changes to their diet. GPs eat just about anything.

-Rabbits make a bit more mess and smell than GPs - not a great deal more, but the rabbit hutch needs cleaning out every day - the GPs only every third day or so.

-The rabbit stands for less nonsense and mishandling than the GPs - she'll bite or scratch if she's unhappy - the GPs just squeak - only biting if really provoked.

None of these are arguments about why one is superior to the other - after all, what counts is what you're looking for in a pet - rabbits are cute and if properly trained and tamed, can be more affectionate and intelligently-friendly than GPs.

IMO, baseline requirements for rabbit or GP ownership should be:
-A personal commitment to clean the hutch, possibly as often as daily, and to feed/water up to twice daily
-An outdoor space where a suitable hutch can be properly located (with adequate attention to temperature and shelter from the elements, etc)
-Access to grazing - this can be as simple as a movable pen (with a lid) in which the pets can be put out on grass for a few hours or more each day (weather permitting)
-Proper nutrition - pet rabbits require feeding with a properly formulated dry mix. GPs need the same, but also need care to ensure that they get sufficient vitamin C, because - like us - they can't synthesise it in their own bodies.