Getting pet bunnies for the kids

[snorkelman]

In addition to my current zoo, the wife talked me into getting 2 bunnies for our daughters. She just ordered this thing:



Tips/advice/sympathy?

[Bando]

In addition to my current zoo, the wife talked me into getting 2 bunnies for our daughters. She just ordered this thing:

[img]http://i3.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/-1/lens8764751_1262194745WARE_Premium_Bunny_Barn.j[img]

Tips/advice/sympathy?

That's a cool bunny house. Do not let them run around inside, they will chew through any power cords/cables they find. Last Easter I bought a $10 rabbit for my daughter and it cost about $200 to replace the router cable, tv chords etc that it ate through. Otherwise I think they are pretty cool pets, quiet, cuddly and they don't follow you around biting your ankles if the food dish is less than 1/2 full.

[philipj]

When I farmed on a small scale, we raised rabbits. They are certainly easy to have arround. We also sold cleaned rabbits. A real surprise was when my 5 year olde daughter would watched me clean rabbits, and would ask about "Is that how a heart works, what do we know from the liver". At one time when removing the guts she saw that there was a ballooning in the rabgbit's lower GI tract and laughingly asked "Is that a fart"?

[Wildtim]

I'm sorry but getting a pet for the holidays is the stupidest freaking thing anyone can do.

Go to the humane society about a month after Easter and there are enough rabbits there to feed a third world nation for a month just waiting to be put down and wasted. All because they grow up and aren't terribly trainable but are far larger than most people realize.

Keeping them in a hutch outside just guarantees they will be ignored. That's a decent set-up for a couple of meat rabbits but it isn't really suitable for a pet.

If you want to teach your daughters a lesson about the cycle of life and have some good recipes on standby you are good to go. Otherwise, rethink this plan. Keep the Easter Rabbits carved in chocolate and save a lot of hassle and heartbreak.

[whatevergirl]

I'd love to get my daughter a rabbit, but heard they are messy.

No advice...just wanted to say good luck with these cute bunnies. That's such a cool ''house'' for them.

[discdoggie]

My dog has made snacks out of more than one rabbit. Srs.

[discdoggie]

I'm sorry but getting a pet for the holidays is the stupidest freaking thing anyone can do.

Go to the humane society about a month after Easter and there are enough rabbits there to feed a third world nation for a month just waiting to be put down and wasted. All because they grow up and aren't terribly trainable but are far larger than most people realize.

Keeping them in a hutch outside just guarantees they will be ignored. That's a decent set-up for a couple of meat rabbits but it isn't really suitable for a pet.

If you want to teach your daughters a lesson about the cycle of life and have some good recipes on standby you are good to go. Otherwise, rethink this plan. Keep the Easter Rabbits carved in chocolate and save a lot of hassle and heartbreak.

Oh, and repped for this.

[crupiea]

They are cute but that will wear off in about 1 day. Then you are stuck with the cutest and dumbest of all pets. They have no personality. The good part is they live a long time so you will have plenty of time to regret your decision.

[snorkelman]

Thanks for the feedback. They will be outside only. I have a fenced-in backyard for my 4 dogs (Italian greyhounds). The timing of the bunny purchase has nothing to do with Easter other than coincidence. I tried to talk my wife into the standard $10 bunnies, as that's what I had when I was a kid, but she had her heart set on a specific breed which is significantly less likely to be brought to humane societies post-Easter. By the way, all 4 of my current dogs were rescued, as well as our former Ex-racing greyhound (full sized). I normally agree with the entire concept of not buying pets from breeders since I know the typical conditions at breeders, and I am aware of the vast number of animals in the humane societies. Alas, the type of bunnies chosen basically prevent this.

Oh yea, we also have 5 indoor cats, a hamster, 5 saltwater aquariums ranging from dwarf seahorses which must have their food (artemia) grown on cycles to pufferfish. If I believed in re-incarnation, I'd want to come back as a pet at my house!

[freebirdmac]

Outside only??? Then return them. You shortened their life by years and the poor things will be bored mindless.

Aside from the chewing thing they are awesome pets. Very social. Very playful. Mine bosses my 4 cats around

[DaddyR]

When I was a kid we had rabbits for many years, as many as 5 or 6 at one point I believe. Once they got close to adult sized they wound up in the hutch in the backyard, but between my little sisters and brother and I we often took them out and played with them in the yard and they were played with fairly frequently. Most of them died of old age, but when the last two of them were killed by some sort of wild animal that broke into their hutch, we figured whatever critter was out there would return and just repeat the offense.

My ex-wife had a rabbit for years that she was allowed to keep indoors that she supposedly played with for hours on end and used to follow her around the house.

But yeah most of the time rabbits are ignored and treated like just another passing fad. I'm just saying that they weren't in my experience and my ex-wife's.

[SP1966]

Outside only??? Then return them. You shortened their life by years and the poor things will be bored mindless.

Aside from the chewing thing they are awesome pets. Very social. Very playful. Mine bosses my 4 cats around

Only four? C'mon cat lady, pick up the pace!

[freebirdmac]

Only four? C'mon cat lady, pick up the pace!

At least you didn't call me crazy cat lady

[Bando]

Very playful. Mine bosses my 4 cats around

Ours didn't boss the cat around but chased her around a lot. When he caught her, which was frequent, there was a whole lot of humping goin' on. He also loved balloons, I still have video somewhere of just how much he loved them. He was an entertaining pet to say the least.

[Meatpants]

Go to the humane society about a month after Easter and there are enough rabbits there to feed a third world nation for a month just waiting to be put down and wasted.

Hmm.......discount easter protein may be in my future.

[cmbg]

Hmm.......discount easter protein may be in my future.

that's seriously icky

[crupiea]

Do greyhounds and rabbits mix? Seems like a recipe for disaster.

[Wildtim]

Do greyhounds and rabbits mix? Seems like a recipe for disaster.

Italian Greyhound. The rabbits will be bigger than the dogs.

[Meatpants]

that's seriously icky

Lulz. I wouldn't do that....or would I?

[Corbi]

A neighbor had a rabbit when I was about 7-8 years old. We were playing with it in the suumer and since it was hot I wasn't wearing a shirt. Made a fatal mistake and held the rabbit up with it's paws facing me. I didn't know rabbits had claws!!! That thing tore me up good, looked like I was attacked by Freddy Krueger. Been a bit leery of rabbits ever since, they are evil I tell you, pure evil.

[Brackneyc]

Lulz. I wouldn't do that....or would I?

If you name them all "Stew," it makes it ok to do that.

J/K.

[racejunkie]

In addition to my current zoo, the wife talked me into getting 2 bunnies for our daughters. She just ordered this thing:



Tips/advice/sympathy?

Have to agree with getting one from the shelter. They kill so many every year just because nobody wants them.
http://www.spcatampabay.org/page.aspx?pid=359