Considering adoption but I have tons of questions...

[sara_laughs]

Hi everyone! My name is Sara - I have four human babies and I'm thinking of adopting a furry baby.My children are older - 13, 10, 8 and 5 - and are all in school during the day. The bunny is not for them! It would be my baby (isn't that selfish of me?) The husband says it would have to be an outdoor bun but he travels a lot and my plan is to gradually make it an indoor bunny. He'll give in; it just takes him time to adjust to certain ideas.

Anyway I have quite a few questions and I'm hoping someone here can help with some answers.

1. Angora rabbits - do they shed? My sister spins and weaves and I was thinking of the two birds, one stone thing. I want a bun and she could use the fur. If they don't shed, how often can I expect to trim hair? Are there such things as bunny groomers like there are dog groomers? Does breed make a difference when it comes to temperament?

2. Can a bun be mostly indoor and still adjust ok to the outdoors when the Mr. is home?

3. I live in farming country so hay and straw and the like are not difficult to get my hands on but I might have to buy in quantity. Is that ok? What do I need to look for when it comes to hay/straw? Does it need to be stored in a special way to keep out vermin or something?

4. We're getting rid of our carpet and having our hardwood floor refinished. Are there any finishes I need to be careful to avoid since it'll probably get munched on at some point? Do buns prefer carpet?

5. My house is more than 100 years old. I'm sure there's lead in the paint on the woodwork. Obviously I don't want my bunny to chew but if it happens, how horrible is it going to be? If this is going to be a big problem, it might be the deal breaker. I can't remove the paint and I wouldn't want to bring a bunny into a potentially lethal situation.

6. Also because we have such an old house we do occasionally get mice and every spring we have ants. Is that going to be a problem for a bunny?

7. Is it possible to train a bun to be especially friendly or is that just more dependant on the individual personality? I thoughtit would be nice to take the bunny around to the nursing home where I work as a form of therapy but I wouldn't want to do it if the bunny couldn't be trained or adjust to travel/strangers or if there was a big risk that my resident would be scratched or bitten.

8. Is it better to adopt a slightly older bunny or should I look for ababy? I read that the lifespan of a bunny is 5 - 15years. I'm slightly afraid of having a two or three year old bunny, getting really attached and then having my baby die after a couple of years. I mean, I know that risk is there with any bunny but is it worse with a young-but-older bunny from a shelter?

Ok I think that's it LOL! Thanks in advance.
Sara

 

[sara_laughs]

Oh I thought of another question! I'm so sorry to be such a pain in the butt on my very first post.

I still have all my baby gates from when the kids were smaller. Will they keep the bunny from going upstairs?

 

[aurora369]

Well, I can't answer all your questions, but I'll give them a shot.

1. Don't really know. I think you just brush the long strands out and you would have to brush everyday I believe so the bun won't get matted.

2. Depending on the weather a bun can be okay indoors and out. But when the temperature begins to shift so that it is much cooler outside, then it's a good idea to either keep bun fully outside or fully inside. They won't be able to grow a proper winter coat if they are inside and would have troubles keeping body heat outside.

3. I buy hay by the bale, and keep in in a large rubbermaid bin. But you can also keep it in a shed. As long as the hay is dry and there is good ventilation it will keep for a very long time. You want nice green hay that smells fresh, watch out for moldy or musty hay.

4. Many members have hardwood floor and don't have problems. Carpet is more likely to be eaten than hardwood is.

5. You can block off access to walls with some NIC cubes or some other fashion. I use a puppy pen hooked up to the front of my cage for free time.

6. You can take precautions against ants and mice, but I don't forsee it being a large problem. They're just regular ants and not fire ants?

7. Rabbits all have unique personality, but if worked with every day abunny will become accustomed to people and will tolerated being fussed over better. I'm actually on a waiting list to volunteer with an organization that arranges animal visits to hospitals and old age homes with one of my buns. She's very tolerant of being held and loves snuggles, she was very aggressive when I got her, so it shows that some bunnies can change with a bit of work.

8. I would lean towards an older bun. You will be able to find a bun with a suitable personalitly better if they are past the teen age years, as most babies are cute and cuddly but then will change once their hormones kick in and there's no garauntee that your baby will be as cuddly as before.

If kept healthy, the average life span for a bun is closer to 8-10 years. So adopting one that is a year or two old will still give you lots of time with the bun.

Baby gates are great. Some buns may jump over them, others won't. So you'll just have to try them out.

--Dawn

 

[canela_2004]

sara_laughs wrote:

Hi everyone! My name is Sara - I have four human babies and I'm thinking of adopting a furry baby. My children are older - 13, 10, 8 and 5 - and are all in school during the day. The bunny is not for them! It would be my baby (isn't that selfish of me?) The husband says it would have to be an outdoor bun but he travels a lot and my plan is to gradually make it an indoor bunny. He'll give in; it just takes him time to adjust to certain ideas.

Anyway I have quite a few questions and I'm hoping someone here can help with some answers.

1. Angora rabbits - do they shed? My sister spins and weaves and I was thinking of the two birds, one stone thing. I want a bun and she could use the fur. If they don't shed, how often can I expect to trim hair? Are there such things as bunny groomers like there are dog groomers? Does breed make a difference when it comes to temperament?

I have heard that Angoras have a good temperament since they have to be docile enough to be groomed very often.

2. Can a bun be mostly indoor and still adjust ok to the outdoors when the Mr. is home?

yep! Just make sure you have a big enough hutch that is predator proof and easy to clean so that ammonia doesnt build up and make bunny sick. I am actually in the process of researching homemade hutches so my rabbit can be outside sometimes.

3. I live in farming country so hay and straw and the like are not difficult to get my hands on but I might have to buy in quantity. Is that ok? What do I need to look for when it comes to hay/straw? Does it need to be stored in a special way to keep out vermin or something?

it needs to stay in a dry, cool place. Also you want hay, not straw. Straw is hard and not edible. hay is green, soft, and very edible.

4. We're getting rid of our carpet and having our hardwood floor refinished. Are there any finishes I need to be careful to avoid since it'll probably get munched on at some point? Do buns prefer carpet?

I dont know about the finishing, but I prefer not to have carpet since rabbits and chew on it and get an intestinal blockage. At the clinic I work at we lost a rabbit to an intestinal blockage becuase she ate carpet.

5. My house is more than 100 years old. I'm sure there's lead in the paint on the woodwork. Obviously I don't want my bunny to chew but if it happens, how horrible is it going to be? If this is going to be a big problem, it might be the deal breaker. I can't remove the paint and I wouldn't want to bring a bunny into a potentially lethal situation.

Not sure what to tell you about that. You can make a big pen for her to be in inside so that the walls arent accesible and you can supervise playtime but that is just me. Others will have other ideas, you just have to do what you think is best.

6. Also because we have such an old house we do occasionally get mice and every spring we have ants. Is that going to be a problem for a bunny?

The mice shouldnt be an issue except for possibly trying to get at his/her food or transmitting fleas, etc. Ants I am not sure about....

7. Is it possible to train a bun to be especially friendly or is that just more dependant on the individual personality? I thought it would be nice to take the bunny around to the nursing home where I work as a form of therapy but I wouldn't want to do it if the bunny couldn't be trained or adjust to travel/strangers or if there was a big risk that my resident would be scratched or bitten.

If you want to do this, go to a rabbit rescue or humane society and meet all the bunnies. choose one that is very laid back and people oriented. The stafff should be able to tell you about each bunny's personality. I have heard of people doing the same thing with therapy bunnies so maybe do an internet search and contact people with experience with questions about what to look for in a bunny. And good for you for wanting to do this, it is really sweet of you!

8. Is it better to adopt a slightly older bunny or should I look for a baby? I read that the lifespan of a bunny is 5 - 15years. I'm slightly afraid of having a two or three year old bunny, getting really attached and then having my baby die after a couple of years. I mean, I know that risk is there with any bunny but is it worse with a young-but-older bunny from a shelter?

I would get an adult if you want to do therapy with it. Baby bunnies are cute but when they hit adolescence their personality can change completely. With an adult bunny you know what you're getting into.

Ok I think that's it LOL! Thanks in advance.
Sara

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

canela_2004 wrote:

it needs to stay in a dry, coolplace. Also you want hay, not straw. Straw is hardand not edible. hay is green, soft, and very edible.

Correction, straw is actually softer than hay (with the exception ofextremely leafy hay)since it has a much wider diameter and hollow center. It's a lot easier to bend straw than it is to bend hay (assuming we're talking about first/second cuttimothy or alfalfa hay). Straw is also edible, bunnies just don't like to eat it as much as hay. It's pretty nutrient empty but it does have a lot of fiber.

Outside rabbits should have straw as bedding but this is a problem for long haired breeds, it gets stuck in their fur. It insulates better than hay does. it's especially important for a rabbit used to inside steady temperatures. The night difference can be quite large so a rabbit needs to have lots of insulation! And I don't advise cutting the hair if it is quite cool at night compared to normal (or during winter at all for that matter).

As someone who houses rabbits outside, it's not good to continually bring them in and out when the temperature is quite different outside than inside. But bunnies love to be outside and I think it's a great idea to let them go outside. Be warned that a rabbit who is continually being moved inside and out may be extremely hard to litter train and may continually have accidents.

 

[canela_2004]

i was always told straw was not suitable for rabbits. anyway, hay can be used for bedding in outdoor hutches too.

as for litter training, you can put a litter box in a hutch too to help prevent them from getting confused and pottying inside.

 

[seniorcats]

Hi Sara and welcome to the forum. We live in a house built in 1830, 1850, 1978, 1988... it's been added to over the years. We had concerns about lead paint also. 3M makes a test kit that is very cheap and easy to use. Any hardware store, Home Depot type place should carry the kits. It's basically test strips you place on the areas of concern - walls, base board, etc. - and let sit. The strips are removed after a few hours and will change color if there is any lead in the paint. It's woth testing to see if you have lead. other companies make sab test kits with 5, 10, 15 or more swabs. All are inexpensive.

 

[sara_laughs]

Thank you for all the replies and great advice! Somewhere I had read that someone was planning to use a reptile heating blanket thing for their outdoor bunnies.Would that work for cool nights?

Back to Angoras... I was reading a site from a woman who spins her angora's fur and she said she doesn't trim the bunnies until their hair is 5 - 6" long. Other than making sure the fur doesn't get matted, is that ok for the bunny?

Putting aside the spinning thing, is there a breed that would be easier for a first timer?

 

[bluebird]

I use straw in my nest boxes its better insulation than hay. if i can get it. angoras are usually not reccomended for beginners because of the work involved in keeping there coat nice.Good beginner breeds are Dutch, Holland lops, mini lops, Polish, minirex, himilayans and jersey woolies. Jersey woolies have wool that can be used too spin just less of it. bluebird

 

[Starina]

1. Here is an article on spinning angora wool by a bunny owner, and from the photo, lover.


2. Just be sure that no stray dog, foxes, coyote, or any other predator can get to the cage. My aunt lost some bunnies when a pack of dogs attacked the hutch, breaking it open. Also, in the winter, check the bunny's cage for signs of mice, they like the warm hay too.

3. Just make sure that you give your bunny UNLIMITED hay, for types that are suitable, check out http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12059&forum_id=17

4. My bunny prefers carpet, but my house is mostly hardwood and tile. I provide her with a "play rug" when she has out of cage time. Just if you do decide to get some scrap carpet, make sure you let it air out,til it doesn't have that "new carpet smell" I heard somewhere that it can make buns ill. Some bunnies don't mind hardwood though.

5. I would suggest a "play pen" that way you don't have to worry about bunny proofing the whole house. Also if you have to leave for a second to go to the bathroom or something, you won't have to worry that the bunny is eating, of peeing, or digging on something valuable.


6. We get both Mice and Ants too, living in the woods will do that. We set traps for both, I get the ant bait that they bring back to the nest. Something like this http://www.killsbugsdead.com/fop_ab.aspI just make sure that they are placed against the wall and where my bunny doesn't go.


7. The thing is every bunny is different. My bunny HATES to be picked up. She is very attatched to me though, and will run love circles around my legs, and sing me love songs. She also loves to give me kisses while I rub her head. This took a while though. For the first few months I thought my rabbit hated me. She was so aloof and timid. Now she is glued to my butt!


8. One way to extend your bunny's life is to watch it carefully. Any changes in eating habits, poop, anything. Bunnies like to hide sickness, and they are pretty good at it. If you have a female, get her spayed, they are at a high risk of uterine cancer. I think that you should get a shelter bun, they are ususally spayed, and grown into who they are already.

Good luck,

~Star~