Who Has Rabbits For house pets?

Question

Wondering how Good is a Rabitt for a House pet & what kind? are they better than Ferrettes?

Answer 1

rabbits are wondeful and adorable little creatures. They are one of the sweetness animal pets you can ever have. They want so much attention from you. I love ferrets too, but i perfer rabbits over them. Let me tell you this. If you want a rabbit, you have to be mentally and physically prepared. A rabbit is very delicate. I had three. Two of them died, and they other i have no idea what happened. You must have a LOT of knowledge about rabbits. Rabbits are so extremly sensative that it isnt even funny. They give up soooo easily in sickness as well. They are great at hiding illnesses, because wild rabbits used to hide their illnesses for they do not become prey because they are weak. When you have a rabbit, you might not even notice that it is even sick until it is too late. You have to invest lots of mone at the vet, YOU have TOO brng it to the vet if its sick, the faster the better. Its a bunny we are talking about here. Many foods must not be fed for sensative digestive systems. Must not let outside alone for long periods of time, try to get professional to trim nails, must take extra time and effort to give it cuddles and love. If you know this or not I dont know. But rabbits are very rewarding and your best friend. I was like a mother to my previous rabbit.He just recently passed away. Not even 24 hours yet. I am heartbroken and devasted feeling that I could have prevented this and done lots more. I know want to share with the world, how wonderful rabbits are but how much care you need to put into them. I dont know much about ferrets except that they sleep a lot, and are carnivourous. I hope that me with my bunny info showd you how sweet and wonderful rabbits really are. Thank-you for reading.
EDIT: rabbits are actually fairly clean and are not smelly. I advise you do not put them putside for that will be difficult for inllness detection, and they will feel rather lonely. rabbits are meant only for indoors, becasue they are domesticated. so unless you have space in your home for them garage and basment not inluded, then i suggest u do not buy one. and if u do must take proper care of it, try to get from a shelter too, for they need a loving home as well, becasue most likely they were abused. I will send you a bunny poem as soon as i find it, it will give meaning to how much a rabbit needs love.

EDI|T: i found the poem, when i first read it i cried a river full of tears. so beautfil yet so sad.

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-7/brandolino-poem.html

very emotional i hope u understand the meaning of how enjoyable pet rabbits can be. please make the right decions and unless u have free time, or u have this ability to want to show love, please dont buy a rabbit, for how delicate and precious they are. thank-you.

Answer 2

Each rabbit is different, regardless of the breed. I have 4 house rabbits, and my house doesn't smell at all. Domestic rabbits do not belong outside. Extreme temperatures and predators are common killers.

For your first rabbit I would suggest finding a rescue or shelter in your area that has rabbits. You can go and visit them and see which ones may be litter trained. There may even be a rescue in your area where rabbits are fostered in people's homes, and they will have lots of info on the personality of the rabbit. Some rabbits chew cords, and some don't, and you'll never know til you are in the situation.

There are a few things to keep in mind:
Rabbits need lots of space, at least 1 hour out of their cage every day.
Time out needs to be supervised in a rabbit-proof room *ie no cords
Children under 8ish and rabbits generally don't mix.
Most rabbits do not like to be picked up and held, but they do enjoy snuggling on the floor or beside you on the couch.
Rabbits need a diet consisting of timothy hay, fresh veggies, and limited pellets.
Rabbits can be litter trained very easily.
Do not use pine shavings as bedding: 1. that is what makes rabbits smelly, their urine does have a strong odor and the pine shavings just make it worse. 2. they are messier and 3. they cause respiratory problems
Use a newspaper-based pellet litter - NOT clumping cat litter
They require yearly check ups and should be fixed to prevent health problems.

For "House Rabbits 101" visit www.rabbit.org for tons more info. Can't tell you if they are better than ferrets, but they can be very good pets if you know how to care for them and are ready for the responsibility.

Answer 3

Don't believe what the first user said. Rabbits do not stink more than any other animal. In actual fact they are very clean and they only stink if you don't change their litter often enough. They tend to pee always in the same spot so it's easy to clean, once a day and there you go. They do chew on wires etc so you gotta make sure your house is secure in regards to those things. Apart from that, they are the most wonderful little creatures one can think of. They are intelligent and sweet. If given the proper food and care, they will give you years of enjoyement. Don't believe people who slag them off. It's just that people get a rabbit and think they will interact like a cat or a dog. Of course they wont but they can recognise their names and simple commands and they are very attached to their owner. I had one rabbit who died last year after 10 years. For the last 3 years of her life, she was with my ex boyfriend as I had to go overseas for a new job. I had not seen her for 3 years and when I went into her room she recognised me immediately and ran towards me and touched me with her nose (rabbit greeting) and let me pat her for hours. So who is stupid there?

Answer 4

My sister has had a pet house rabbit for the past 6 years. She is litter box trained. She has chewed numerous electrical cords, so I would recommend rabbit-proofing if you are considering a house rabbit. Other than that, she is a joy. My sister even takes her with her on trips-- travels great. Comes home with sis every Christmas. :)

I think there is a group - The House Rabbit Society-- they may have a web page? I know they have a book...

Answer 5

Rabbits can make great house pets. They naturally "go" in one or two corners of their pens so they are so easy to litter train. Like any pet, you'll have to clean up after them no less than two times a week so they won't smell things up. You'll be sorry if you do it any less. You can put Marshall's Bi-Odor in their water to cut the urine smell way down. They are way less smelly than ferrets and very playful, too. They love to be with people.

Like dogs, different breeds of rabbits have different physical characteristics and temperaments so choose a breed you like. Start by looking at the American Rabbit Breeders Association website's breed photos page and click on the pics to get to the national breed clubs to learn more about each breed. Email secretaries to get any questions answered. Have the secretary recommend a good breeder in your state or attend a show to learn more and make contacts before you buy a rabbit. You can also check out your local shelter and find one that is already neutered and pay almost nothing for it. Our shelter has some fabulous rabbits that are amazing but also many that were never socialized (those usually go to rescues) so make sure that the shelter temperament tests them before you buy.

Himilayans and Jersey Wooly rabbits are often recommended for children or first time rabbit owners because they are very friendly and easy to handle. I am definitely partial to Woolies, of course. This is the breed we show. They have easy care coats so are not like big Angoras and I actually like grooming them. Girls definately like them. It's like having your own real live "My Pretty Pony" but way cuter. Woolies stay cute their whole lives, too. Bonus.

Below are links to the ARBA website as well as my own. Enjoy.

Note: I noticed that some have said that rabbits do not belong outdoors. This is not true. Rabbits absolutely thrive outdoors when housed in a proper living area. They are farm animals for heaven's sake. LOL. However most people don't know how to properly keep rabbits outdoors, don't want to pay for an expensive set up, and don't spend time with their rabbit when it is outdoors in a single cage. We keep our pets outside in a spacious rabbitry that we are out in for hours each day and night. However, for the owner of one or two rabbits I alway recommend keeping their pet inside. It is much cheaper to keep one or two rabbits indoors and more enjoyable for both person and rabbit because most people won't go trek outside year round or even every day for that matter. Take Little's advice and read up a lot on rabbits. It's not difficult at all but they are a completely different animal than either cats or dogs. If you do choose a rabbit as a pet the best thing you can do is learn what to feed it and what not to (quality pellets, water and hay, and no greens before the age of 4 months to prevent enteritis - #1 killer of baby rabbits) and how to properly handle a rabbit (Google 4H rabbit showmanship). Most of the problems that I see people having with temperamental rabbits is that they are not handling them properly or not at all. So, study up but have fun, too. It's not rocket science.

Answer 6

We've had bunnies in the house. Lots of fun. But you do have to bunny proof the house. They are trainable...liter box, dinner time, bedtime, fetch, come when called...and if the liter box is cleaned every other day, there will be no smell. I think ferrets stink the worse of all house pets. You'll have a good time with a bunny, ours played with the dog, his favorite game with her was peek-a-boo.

Answer 7

My first rabbit was great.. litter trained, was great with kids, was allowed to roam the house when we were home.. got along with dogs, cats, rats, hamsters and guinea pigs.. He did like wires, but if you rub dawn dishwashing liquid on them where the rabbit can reach they will stop... He liked when people laid on the floor.. he would jump on our back and fall asleep when we watched tv.

I would do it again.. they need the cage cleaned DAILY.. if litter trained only the litter really needs it.

I've never had Ferrets either.. but I'm pretty sure their cages smell up just as bad if not cleaned daily. and male ferrets have a pretty heavy musky scent to them.. it's not a deterrent to me.. but some people really don't like it.

Answer 8

When my daughter was little my mom gave her one. They are NOT house trainable and they DO chew through electrical cords. I totally would not advise it unless it is going to be outside. They are very smelly. A whole pen of chickens does not smell as bad as a rabbit pen with one little rabbit in it at the end of the day. Seriously.

Answer 9

weve always had 1. dwarfs r our fav. we did give some to the res-q tho. some r mean or stunk. the one we have now only goes to bathroom in her cage n cuddles on couch n very clean n great with kids n babies. alot of work, see them in the cage u have to give them a pet or veg. or nut i give the good ones 5 stars