# Easter's got me thinking ... what are bunnies like as pets? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 23, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easters-got-me-thinking-what-are-bunnies-like-as-pets/442398 "2008-03-23T01:44:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easters-got-me-thinking-what-are-bunnies-like-as-pets/442398/41 "2008-03-25T03:21:17Z")
[QUOTE=zweisamkeit] Bunnies can’t be treated as a decorative pet and then be expected to interact and be affectionate. [/QUOTE] Word. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easters-got-me-thinking-what-are-bunnies-like-as-pets/442398/42 "2008-03-25T06:02:31Z")
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!! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easters-got-me-thinking-what-are-bunnies-like-as-pets/442398/43 "2008-03-25T08:51:39Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![exclamation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/858c86/32.png) [@exclamation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/exclamation)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easters-got-me-thinking-what-are-bunnies-like-as-pets/442398/44 "2008-03-25T09:04:49Z")
I had a Dwarf Lop Eared rabbit, and he was _gorgeous_. He also had a beautiful temperament, very laidback and happy to snuggle. Despite that, I didn’t really enjoy having a rabbit as a pet. He made sooooo much poo! His fur was everywhere! There’s also not much interaction to be had with a rabbit- you can pet them, watch them eat vegetables, and clean up their poop. I much prefer dogs and cats. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easters-got-me-thinking-what-are-bunnies-like-as-pets/442398/45 "2008-03-25T12:42:00Z")
[QUOTE=brujaja] 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!! [/QUOTE] Was his name Humper? You know Thumper’s 2nd cousin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easters-got-me-thinking-what-are-bunnies-like-as-pets/442398.md?page=2)