Shall i take Her

[cheekyliltitch]

My friend is offering me a rabbit because she is moving house and can no longer have it. she is offering it to me and i don't know what to say i don't have much knowledge of rabbits so i don't know if it would be the best idea. if i do end up having the rabbit i will of course look up how to care for them etc.

should i say yes?

Thanks In Advance

Cheekyliltitch

 

[Spring]

What will happen to the bun if you don't accept her? Maybe youcould take her evenfor a short while.

Rabbits are a largeresponsibilty and need lots of love and time to run around. I would look over this site at the rabbit 101 section and rabbit resources and go from there. Only you can decide if you should get her, or shouldn't.

Rabbits are fantastic creatures, and are very curious, playful and full of attitude!

 

[cheekyliltitch]

if i don't accept her it will have to go to someone else but my friend wants to give it to someone who she knows and trusts and also so she can visit it every so often.

 

[cheekyliltitch]

i have had many hamsters so i know a lot about rodents and i have found just learning about rabbits that hamsters and rabbits have lots in common (this is probably the same to all rodents)

 

[Spring]

Rabbits acutally aren'trodents (they belong to a species called Lagamorphs along with hares, rabbits, and pikas).

I would just maybe ask your friend for tips and a summary of rabbit owning. Also, look on the Rabbit 101 section and reference. The best thing to do before getting (if you do decide) is tobe knowledgable about rabbits.

Here's alink I'd advise looking at

http://www.rabbit.org/

Here's some basic things on owning a rabbit

Rabbits can live up to 10 years and beyond. They need a lot of work, and are a fairly easy pet to look after.Although easy, their is still a considerable amount of work in everyday rabbit owning.

A rabbits diet should be mostly ofa good quality grass hay (timothy, oat, blue grass, orchard ect). The next thingis pellets. Depending on the weight and age rabbitsshould get different amounts. You can also give some vegetables as a supplement to the diet

Rabbits can be litter trained and leashed trained. They should get everday exercise outside the cage to have a healthy body. Grooming is pertty minimum for most short haired breeds. Usually just an occasionalbrushing and nail clipping isgood. Rabbits are verys social and love to be played with. They also love toys.

Rabbits hide illness very well and usually theirappetite and output is key to figuring outif the bun is sick. For most rabbit illnesses, their appetite and poop/pee decrease.

I just posted basic info that came to mind. Feel free to ask any general question about health, diet, care,medical, breed, ect for more detailed information.

Btw, welcome to the forum!

 

[bunnydude]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Unfortunatley we can't just give you a yes or no answer, but Spring has given you a very good general overview of rabbit care. Also remember that rabbits need frequent veterinary care, which can get expensive because they must see vets who have experience with exotics. Now, please don't think I'm trying to talk you out of it, if you feel a rabbit is right for you they can make an excellent addition to your family. Please feel free to ask any and all questions you may have.

 

[naturestee]

I also think you should look around this site and www.rabbit.org a little before you decide whether or not you should take this rabbit. Their needs are very different from hamsters and they actually do not make good cage animals. Rabbits need a lot of attention and space, and they also sometimes need veterinary care. Vets need to be chosen carefully because some of the treatments given to cats and dogs are fatal for rabbits and they need special medical consideration. They can be both charming and troublesome. And very naughty.

Also, will the rabbit be living in the house with you or outdoors? IMO inside is best because outside rabbits are often lonely and are exposed to temperature extremes, diseases, and attacks from roaming dogs and other predators. If in the house, you'll need to "bunnyproof" your house to make it safe for the rabbit and to make your house safe from the rabbit.

You might want to skim through these articles. They're meant to help people decide whether or not rabbits would be right for them, as many rabbits end up in shelters because they don't meet up to their owner's unreasonable expectations.
http://www.rabbit.org/adoption/right-person.html
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-5/like-a-rabbit.html
http://www.allearssac.org/differences.html
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/firstrabbit.html

Hope that helps! We obviously love rabbits here, but they're not for everybody. We'd rather see you make a choice that will be good for both you and the rabbit than just automatically saying you should take him.

 

[cheekyliltitch]

oooo i didn't know that the went rodents. well anyway they seem to have some similar needs. i agree that it depends on the rabbit and myself. i think the rabbit is outside so i don't think i can change it to inside? apparently it is a easy rabbit to look after i am willing and understand that rabbits need lots of attention.

Thank you for all the advice

 

[ilovetegocalderon]

Hi, Welcome to the Forum. :welcome1

Just curious, but in what way do you think hamsters and rabbits are similiar? I beg to differ so I was just wondering what specifically you thought were common between the two.

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

No rabbit is 'easy' to look after. It's very time consuming and is as much work as a cat or dog. Outside rabbits especially are time consuming because hutches are normally harder to clean and because you are not always with the rabbit, you need to spend a lot of time outside with it to get to know its personality so you know when somehting is wrong.

I house all my rabbits outside due to severe allergies but I do not actually condone most people keeping them outdoors. It is very common for them to be neglected or forgot about, only a truely dedicated rabbit owner should ever house a rabbit outside.

Here is a post I created not long ago to inform new owners on the proper way to house rabbits outdoors. Please check it out, you may find that indoor housing is so much easier.
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=14535&forum_id=1

 

[JimD]

ilovetegocalderon wrote:

Hi, Welcome to the Forum. :welcome1

Just curious, but in what way do you think hamsters and rabbits are similiar? I beg to differ so I was just wondering what specifically you thought were common between the two.

I had over a dozen hamsters and my rabbits at the same time. Raised the hammies from babies and had them all for just about 3 years (normal life expectancy for hammies)

Hamsters are actually very low maintenance. Feed & water them, and keep their cages clean. That's about it, and they do the rest for themselves.

 

[ilovetegocalderon]

JimD wrote:

ilovetegocalderon wrote:

Hi, Welcome to the Forum. :welcome1

Just curious, but in what way do you think hamsters and rabbits are similiar? I beg to differ so I was just wondering what specifically you thought were common between the two.

I had over a dozen hamsters and my rabbits at the same time. Raised the hammies from babies and had them all for just about 3 years (normal life expectancy for hammies)

Hamsters are actually very low maintenance. Feed & water them, and keep their cages clean. That's about it, and they do the rest for themselves.

Right, i thought the same thing, that they were lowmaintenance and didn't need the same care and attention that a rabbit would....i think rabbits are much different and much more difficult to raise than a hamster.

 

[MyBoyHarper]

I agree with MBB, no rabbit is easy maintenance. You need to make sure you have the money for pellets, LOTS of vegetables, LOTS of hay, plenty of toys, a big roomy cage, a nice amount of time for out of cage playtime, and money for vet visits which WILL pop up, I assure you.

Everyone here has already given you some wonderful advice, along with a lot of links to great websites that have a wealth of information. Make sure to visit all the links, read as much as you can, and think hard before getting the rabbit.

If you decide to take him/her, they are wonderful pets, and make fantastic companions. I love mine dearly, and I will ALWAYS own a rabbit. Or two.

 

[maherwoman]

I have to agree...hamsters and the likes are much lower maintenance than rabbits, if you want that rabbit to live a long, happy, healthy life. Rabbits require much more attention (if only in care) than I expected before I brought my Maisie home in February. Now that I have two buns, I find that they take MUCH of my time. I don't have a problem with it, which is why I have them, but I was very happy that I took the time to do lots of research (over eight hours worth) here on this site, and at the other sites mentioned in this thread, along with asking tons of questions, to make sure I could provide a really wonderful life for my bunny. I recommend doing that to be absolutely sure. You've already taken the first step in posting your question here, so it's obvious you care enough to ask first instead of just bringing the bunny home (which is awesome!)...just be sure to read about bunnies quite a lot, and ask tons of questions so you really know your stuff at least a little before bringing the bunny home.

Let me put it this way, if you have at least four hours a day to devote to your bunny, you're good. They require lots of time to run around, play, and explore...not to mention require lots of love and attention. Doing normal day-to-day care for them is quite the lot of work, too.

JimD wrote:

ilovetegocalderon wrote:

Hi, Welcome to the Forum. :welcome1

Just curious, but in what way do you think hamsters and rabbits are similiar? I beg to differ so I was just wondering what specifically you thought were common between the two.

I had over a dozen hamsters and my rabbits at the same time. Raised the hammies from babies and had them all for just about 3 years (normal life expectancy for hammies)

Hamsters are actually very low maintenance. Feed & water them, and keep their cages clean. That's about it, and they do the rest for themselves.

 

[maherwoman]

Agreed completely.

MyBoyHarper wrote:

If you decide to take him/her, they are wonderful pets, and make fantastic companions. I love mine dearly, and I will ALWAYS own a rabbit. Or two.

 

[cheekyliltitch]

i thought that rabbits and rodents were similar in that they have teeth that continually grow they also are more energetic at night and have short fur and a small tail. i respect the idea that the care for rabbits needs a lot more commitment that care for hamsters but i do get bored sometimes and i do have a lot of time to spare for the rabbit.

Thank you for all of the information that with i have learned more about rabbits

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

Rabbits are crepuscular which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. But lots of animals are like that and lots of animals continually grow. That's about where the similarities end. Rabbits are a lot of work and need a lot more time than a hamster does.

I have 3 outside rabbits and I try to spend at least 4 or 5 hours out with them daily although that isn't always possible but I am out there for at least 2 hours even on really busy days.

 

[Spring]

That's great that you understand that rabbits do need extra attention and lots of it! Just some people think of them as boring stupid disposable pets, and it's totally not true! So, what do you think? Take her? If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

Oh, and some rabbits have long hair! Such as the American Fuzzy Lops, Angora rabbits, and Jersey Woolies.

 

[Pipp]

I believe you're in the UK, where it's more commonto have rabbits outside (our domestic rabbits in North America originated in Europe), although I'd still like to check with Tamsin at RabbitRehome in your neck of the woods to see what their policy is. I know they have a warning to watch out for foxes on their main page.

http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/

All I can add to this thread is that if you do decide to keep the bunny and you can't spend tons of time indoors with her, I'd get her a friend. Rabbits are VERY social animals, they need to bond with a bunny mate or at least a human.

Let us know what you decide!

sas