I really want a rabbit. I’m thinking about buying a dwarf one to keep in my apt. Would it make a good pet for an apt? Do rabbits make god pets, or are they not worth time?
Thanks.
Having kept plenty of rabbits, but never inside, I’m confident to say it’s perfectly possible, but be prepared for many bags full of spent bedding.
The average hutch isn’t big enough, full stop. In a typical garden, a chicken-wire-type run gives them enough space (plus the chance to eat grass, which they adore). But if you get an above-average hutch, and let them out frequently, it seems OK to me, at least. (Letting them run for long stretches isn’t a big problem - the crap is dry, and the urine is almost water and easily cleaned with cloth. Nothing that will leave a stain or an odour.) And they do need ‘training’, ie handling every day to get them familiar with it. Otherwise, they retain their natural fear of anything and everyone.
Of course, a solitary rabbit isn’t a happy bunny. The rabbit/guinea pig combination is often suggested, because they get on well, and you don’t run the risk of a mistake in the sexing of the bunnies which only emerges along with a dozen newborns!
Bunnies can be litterbox trained.
They play, but differently than cats. They are not predators and so don’t get off quite as much on stalking and ultraviolence.
They are cute, cuddly and can bite the living bejeezus out of you before you know what’s ahppening. Seriously (for a change)–they can mess up a little kid if they decide that needs doing. So be careful–it’s still just a rodent.
I had a rabbit who lived to be nearly nine years old. I wish I’d known that I could have had him fixed, and then he wouldn’t have pissed me so much (when excited and running around). I would have had him indoors more if I’d known that he could be litter box-trained.
He liked being petted and handled. He liked bananas for a special treat and would also eat bread, but the rest of the time it was veggies.
They do get some pretty long claws, so be careful. You can try clipping them but you’ll need special clippers and have to know the right way to hold the bunny so it doesn’t jerk.
Bunnies need something to chew on so their teeth don’t get too long; mine had a few different salt/mineral rings attached to the inside of his hutch.
A vet’s office will also clip them for you, usually it’s not expensive. I’d imagine many dog/cat groomer’s will, also.
A few years ago, a roommate of mine got a bunny, and we named him Ron Jeremy, because he was fat and furry. He was very sweet and loved to play with people, though he didn’t like to be held much. He’d still climb in our laps if we sat on the floor, though. As long as you have a space you can bunny-proof (such as removing all chewable things like wires and cords, and make sure nothing poisonous is around), you can let your bunny roam free for a bit during the day (I recommend you supervise! They’re clever, and get get into, onto, and under things you’d rather they steer clear from.
Also, one more thing - Ron Jeremy’s (the bunny) vet was named Dr. Weiner. Seriously.
Keep the clipping to the vet. Apparently there’s too many nerves too close to deal with it yourself (I’m prepared to be told that that’d nonsense, though.)
Oh, and if you thought bunnies were a sweet & innocent option, think again…our female pairing humped everything in sight, from every possible male & female ‘angle of attack’. They just couldn’t work out what was missing.
Rabbits are lagomorphs, not rodents, you silly man. 
I had a rabbit back when I had my own apartment. Her name was Bianca. She ran free and was litterbox trained. The only problem was that sometimes I would pick up the phone to make a call and there wouldn’t be a dialtone. Bianca had chewed through the cord again. That must have happened about 5 times.
I have a dwarf rabbit now but she lives in a giant hutch outside. I take her out and play with her pretty often. She is cut and sweet but she can scratch horribly when you pick her up to take her back outside.
Get a copy of the House Rabbit Handbook. It’s a great primer on how to live with a rabbit and also has personal anecdotes and a lot of housing suggestions…
OK. I guess I knew that. But they taste just like squirrel and I thought…um…riiight.
In the spirit of ignorance fighting, Wassup with their buckies? Don’t they have the continuosly growing incisors (for which there is surely a more scientific term) that is is a distinguishing charact…duhhhh…that makes a rodent a rodent? Is this why I got a D in Bio 111?
I’d recommend first going to rabbitsinthehouse.org, the House Rabbit Society. We’ve adopted two from them and besides being a great bunch of folks, they have loads of useful informations, and chapters all around the country. They will also try and make really sure that you’re the right type of person to share your house with a rabbit, as they’re fairly difficult for the novice pet owner.
We’ve had rabbits. Recently (last week), our oldest bunny, Nicki, died.
We kept our rabbits inside without any problems. (It’s recommended that they not be kept outside.) Although they both had free reign in the house, we had dog crates for them, which housed their water bottles, food pellets and litter boxes. Yes, rabbits are easily litter trained. (We used a brand of litter, Yesterday’s News, which is recycled newpaper, made into pellets which absorb urine and odor.) Do not use clumping or scented kitty litter or cedar chips (of which cedar chips will react toxically with urine).
Certain rabbits will chew. Our male, Bun, chewed everything–phone cords, table legs, wallpaper off the wall. He was only let out in a “safe” room (no cords, no wallpaper, etc.), and was kept in his crate most of the time. Nicki, however, didn’t chew. This had both drawbacks and pluses. Chewers will grind down their teeth (which is good), while nonchewers will not, and their teeth will grow and grow and grow, until they have difficulty eating. then, you get to take the bunny to your vet and have his/her teeth clipped.
Claws are easily clipped. Some pet groomers will do this for free (we found several in our area who would), or you can invest in a $5 nail clipper and do it yourself. (Shine a flashlight under the nail so you don’t clip too close to the quick, inside the nail.) Rabbits should be spayed or neutered. A fixed rabbit is a happy rabbit. Males can become very “friendly” if not neutered (and the only thing worse than an adolescent male rabbit, is an adolescent male human), while unspayed female rabbits can become very aggressive.
Rabbits should have fresh pellets and water available at all times, as well as Timothy hay (NOT alfalfa hay!). We found a local feed store who sells big bags of Timothy hay for $1 a bag. Once a day, we’d give fresh veggies, and once in awhile fruits. Rabbits are notorious for their sweet tooths. They love sugar and anything sweet (bananas, cookies, cereals, etc.), but they shouldn’t be fed sugar often.
There are a lot of good books on the market on how to care for pet rabbits. We adopted Nicki from a local bunny rescue (which now spays and neuters all adoptees), and when we decide to get another, we’ll do this route again. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.
Let me second that warning about chewers running loose in the house. We lost a LOT of electric cords and some electric devices to a bunny that chewed through dozens of them in two days. And not just in one or two places, I mean, all over the place. Chewers can be EXPENSIVE if allowed to roam freely.
Rabbits do have a tendency to slam their feet on the floor, often in the wee hours of morning. At least mine did. This resulted in a rather amusing incident in which my roommate, startled by the sound, freaked out because he thought some hippies camped out next door were breaking in.
So if you get one, be prepared for “Thud! Thud! Thud!” at 4:00 AM.
Yeah, but you have to know how to read their organs after you sacrifice them.
This explains my confusion. I was educated in the Seattle Public School system.
…and just what, pray tell, do you want a rabbit for?
Rabbits are supremely useful. The feet make lucky keychains. The fur can be used to make small but warm garments. The meat is delicious if properly prepared (hasenpfeffer anyone?) and the ears can help tune in television broadcasts.
Our deaf, naked rabbit, “Stumpy” is a real treasure!
Be forwarned that not all rabbits are created equal. If you’re planning to keep it indoors you probably want to consider one of the smaller breeds. Also here’s a trick for electric cords: spread hot tobasco sauce on them. Once a rabbit gets a taste of that, they will never bite a cord again.