Conference moira::parenting

Try ERMTRD::SMALL_ANIMALS (KP7 or SELECT to add to your notebook).

It lived outside, for ten years!  Ended up being a lot of trouble.  One thing
to watch out for....other rodents looking for food.....(lettuce and carrots and
such draw rats too!).

Michael

I've had different friends with rabbits.  These are the few things I remember:

1) the rabbits were more trouble than they had anticipated.  Eventually the
kids did less and less of the work and the adults did more.

2) one person had a male unneutered rabbit who ejaculated all over her 
concrete porch and left lots of white stains from it.

From this I have concluded: a) I probably won't get a rabbit, b) if I do,
I'll get a female or get the male *neutered*.  :-}

I supposed we should try to keep the discussion here limited to how the rabbit
will work out with the kids.  You can get general rabbit info from the
SMALL ANIMALS notes conference.

       Carol

    Carol, your point #1 could apply to many family pets! ;-).
    
    I just spent a vacation with cousins whose daughter has a pet rabbit
    (her second one). This seemed to work well for their family - Mom
    had to goad child into making sure it was cared for on occasion, but
    other than that it seemed to get a lot of affection. The only 
    dangerous things would be getting rabbit urine all over the person
    hugging it (I have yet to hear of a "housebroken" rabbit!).
    
    I think it also depends where you live - their climate was the 
    warm weather of southern california so outdoors wasn't a problem.
    They did indeed have the hutch off the ground (on a pole).
    
    My goddaughter loves her bunny (mark II) dearly.
    
    Monica

We had some rabbits when I was a kid.  I wouldn't do it now.

You say you're keeping it outside.  That eliminates one of the problems in 
that they are simply too messy and dirty to keep inside.

However, if they are outside, they are somewhat of a pain too.  In addition 
to some of the things that have already been mentioned, they also attract 
predators.  Not only natural predators, but also they can encourage the 
predatory instincts of dogs who might otherwise be housepets, not a good 
situation.  I remember cold weather care of the rabbit being a big pain 
(unfreezing water dishes, etc.) but that was probably because we had a lot of 
them.  We ate a lot of "chicken" (at least that's what we told my sister it 
was).

Also, not all rabbits are affectionate.  In fact some are quite mean, and 
thrash (not sure if any bite).  My son had a "class rabbit" who we brought 
home for a weekend.  The only way we could "cuddle" her was to wrap her up in 
a towel; she thrashed a lot, and had very sharp nails.

Clay

    For those who think the dwarf bunnies are cute and cuddly, see
    note 11 in the Small Animals conference titled:
    
    *** WARNING -- cute killer dwarf fuzzy bunnie ***
    
    
    There are many stories of nasty bunnies.
    
    Jodi-
     

    My sister brought a rabbit home for the winter one year (from a local
    zoo or petting farm, I guess).  She kept it in her room.  It chewed off
    about the bottom 2" of her long flannel nightgown, hanging in the closet,
    then it somehow got out of her room and chewed holes in my new winter
    boots.  I hated that animal.  My kids will never have rabbits.  :)

					cheryl

    The rabbits I had wound up being far more care than they were worth.
    They basically ate and sxxx.  After a while the cleaning up became
    more trouble than they were worth.
    
    UNLESS... you just LOVE animals so much that the clean up is worth the
    fuzzy cuddly critters.  
    
    Jeff

    But their leavings make great compost starter.  This is one of the main
    reasons we still have rabbits.  Actually how a rabbit is as a pet
    depends a lot on how it is handled.  I have one rex female who was used
    for show before I got her, and she is lovable and even cuddly.  Another
    has been used only for breeding stock, and she is likely to attack your
    arm when you reach into the cage for her food dishes.  
    
    Meg

    Several years ago I was walking through a barn and saw a pen
    that contained a couple of rabbits.  The little girl was busy
    feeding them. I asked her if they were pets and she said
    that they were, but only until they grew enough to become
    supper.

    I second that rabbits are more work than they are worth.  We had a
    rabbit a few years ago and we are still finding the damage it caused
    (chewed books, electrical cords, furniture, etc....).  It was nice 
    at first (for about a week) then it turned vicious.... biting,
    scratching.....and pooping everywhere!!!  I wouldn't have another one 
    if you paid me.  Ours finally broke out of its cage and ran away, 
    thank heavens.

Whew, sounds like dogs aren't so much trouble after all ;-}.  Has anyone had
rabbits and enjoyed them ?

One thought for the base noter - if you want to reconsider a dog, consider
getting an older dog.  This past summer we got a 14 month old collie, though
kennel raised, she was easy to house-train and was past that constant chew
stage that puppies go through.  It maybe took a little longer for "bonding"
to occur than with a puppy, but its happened and she's a lot of fun to have,
and has fit into our routines very easily.

Another pet to consider might be a bird, though they can be pretty messy too.


Leslie

    I had a rabbit as a child that I enjoyed.  We kept her
    in a large cage outside year round.  The cage was under
    our second story deck, providing shelter from the snow.
    
    As I remember it (I was only 9 so may opinion may be
    different from my parents) :-)  I was the sole caretaker
    responsible for cleaning the cage and feeding.  My
    parents weren't involved in caring for the animal
    and I don't remember ever shirking my duties.  We
    had a large yard that we let her run around in.
    
    I still remember the day she died, like it was yesterday.
    Several years later I got another rabbit that was VERY
    mean.  We got rid of that one within a month.
    
    I would let my son get a rabbit when he's older since
    I'm allergic to cats and dogs.
    
    		Linda
    

 >>    My son has been wanting a dog and we've finally settle on a rabbit. 
                                                       
    I think the fact that you are "settling on a rabbit" may be a clue here
    as to whether your son really wants a rabbit or not.  Apparently he
    really wants a dog and I can certainly understand all the reasons as to
    why you might not be able to have one (neither can we for numerous
    reasons).  However, I would strongly re-consider getting him *just any*
    pet to satisfy that desire.  Does he really want a rabbit?  Or are you
    offering this as a settlement?  If it is just a settlement, then he may
    lose interest in the pet very quickly, leaving the animal neglected and
    leaving you with all the work.
    
    I've had both good and bad rabbits.  With the first one, it was an
    ideal setup...  fenced yard, plenty of room to run around in plus a dog
    that thought it was it's best friend!  Then we moved and acquired a few
    other rabbits after the first died.  They didn't have the room that the
    first one had, they turned out to be pretty nasty and I finally get rid
    of them when my mother had her arm torn apart from one of them.  
    
    Jean
    

I had a rabbit as a child.  It used a kitty litter box,
which took some effort to teach, but it can be done.

It lived in a cage in the basement, but had the run of
the house while I was home.  I was a teenager, and was
expected to clean up after it (to my mother's standard,
not mine - that was clearly defined in the beginning).
Hence, teaching it to use kitty litter.  (I'm lazy).

Our backyard was fenced and it would go out and play
with the dog (a beagle, of course) for a while every
day.

My parents found it a home when I left for college.


I suggest looking into guinea pigs.  They are pretty
docile, and have pretty interesting personalities, once
you get to know them.  It would need to live indoors
and they like to see what's going on.

Pat

    My daughter got a rabbit for her 2nd birthday from my in-laws (My
    daughter is now 8) and yes the rabbit is still living!
    
    Frankly, the rabbit aka "dude" is a pain.  He is kept in a cage in
    the house at all times.  Not only does he have to be fed daily the
    cage changed every other day his jaw is out of line and we have to
    cut his teeth! (the veterinarian wanted us to have jaw surgery! -
    like think again)  Dude can't eat chunks of carrots we have to
    peel/shave it for him.  Hopefully, dude will live yet another
    year so my 3month old son can at least experience a rabbit.  Then
    once he goes he's not being replace, we already have a dog, cat
    and lizard.  Talk about work for just the pets.....
    
    Karen
    
    

    I guess someone was bound do ask sooner or later, so I might as well be
    the one......How does one cut a rabbit's teeth?
    
    Lori B.

    Some of the farm-types I know use diagonal cutters.  (This is for
    misaligned jaws on a pet.  Any others soon find residence in the
    freezer for "chicken dinners"
    
    Meg 

    So you actually saw away on the teeth?  How do you get the rabbit to
    sit still and open his mouth?
    
    Lori B.
    

    Here's another good experience with a rabbit as a pet.  As a child,
    my brother and I had a rabbit for a pet and he was great.  He lived
    in the cellar most of the time, but we left the door open and he
    had free range of the house.  He was housebroken, and I don't remember
    him leaving any surprises in the upstairs.  He always used the litter
    box put out for him in the cellar.  We would let him outside when
    someone was going out and he would stay around just like a dog or cat.
    The only negative thing I remember about him was that he would on
    occasion chew on electrical cords.  After a few belts, he learned,
    though.  Otherwise, he was friendly, clean and not a whole lot of work.
    He was a real fun pet! 

    Hmmm,
    it appears that most of the negative reports on rabbits here
    come from the parents of the kids that have them as pets, while
    most adults having had them as children say they were fine.
    
    Looks like my house isn't going to get a pet rabbit, since I am
    not the child at home!!! 8-).
    
    Monica

    
    Rabbits are great pets for kids if you don't mind doing the hard-work
    of every day care youself.
    
    We have had house-trained rabbits for 7 years now, so it was a case of
    the animals having to get used to the baby when she arrived 18 months
    ago. Rebecca has learnt how to play gently with animals and respect for
    their private areas (the litter trays and food bowls are banned areas
    to her).
    
    If you get a bunny, get a young one and handle it as much as possible.
    Males have better tempers than females, but should be "fixed" to avoid
    them spraying everything and everyone when their hormones are high :-)
    
    Once the child is 4 or so, they should be able to help with the feeding
    and then you can teach them how to clean out the cages etc.
    
    IMO children that grow up with animals are much better at respecting
    wildlife than those who don't.
    
                        seals
    

    
    Hmmmm....I am dying to ask....How to you box train a rabbit?   
    We haven't made a decision one way or another yet.   If the rabbit can
    be house broken, then we wouldn't mind having the rabbit have the run
    of the house.  I have enough surprises!!!!!
    
    thanks
    

    
    It's a bit like training a cat. Every time it pees, lift it into the
    litter tray and place urine soaked papers in the tray so it gets the
    hint. Do the same with "the dried fruit". Rabbits go in the same place
    usually a corner most of the time, so place the tray in that corner.
    
    Put newspaper around the tray for accidents. Only used clay based
    litter - perfumed or shavings are bad for bunnies tums. Clean the trays
    as soon as the clay is wet - rabbits like their bathrooms to be clean
    :-)
    
                seals (who studied the habits of rabbits in her life before 
                       DEC!!)
    

Pick up a copy of "Watership Down" if you can.  It's an interesting story from
the rabbits' perspective in the wild.

Dave

    We had a rabbit when we were kids, he was box trained but not TV aerial
    lead trained. He didn't bite unless he was outside, and we ran araound
    a bit. He used to flop in front of the fire, in the winter - he behaved
    very like a cat.
    
    I have a rabbit now, which is very different. I don't think she was
    handled very much as a kitten(?), and is very strong willed (if she
    doesn't want to come out of the hutch, she's all teeth & claws). The
    rabbit has a guinea pig as a pet/hot water bottle and their hutch stays
    outside all year round (even in the snow). 
    
    I think what I would do would be to sit everyone down who the new pet
    might affect (cleaning out, walking etc) and decide on what
    characteristics the 'ideal' pet would have, then compare with 'real'
    pets & see what you come up with.
    
    Having said that, I've only got pets because they looked cute, and
    haven't really planned them out at all !
    
    Andy 

    Looking for opinions of what the "best pet" is besides dogs and cats
    especially if both Mom and Dad work full time.
    

    
    
    I always had a guinie pig.. they are very loving and don't need alot of
    clean up.  you can hold them and they don't scratch like a rabbit.
    
    Donna

    I second the guinea pig.  The kids can clean-up the cage themselves
    without too much intervention, they LOVE to be held and have a good
    personality - my experience anyway.  We have a female and are thinking
    about another.  Any advice her?

    dep[ending on who you get them from, rabbits are great pets.  they can
    be litter-box trained and also cuddly.  Look for a breeder who shows
    her rabbits.  These tend to be used to people and being handled. 
    Buying one from a petshop or shelter when you want a real pet is not a
    great idea IMO.
    
    Speaking from experience.
    
    meg

    rabbits don't always scratch, my kids have a rabbit.
    But they can, like all animals, especially if handled improperly.
    or the wrong size, type for a child.  animals are not littled stuffed
    dolls.
    One friend of mine had their eye scratched out [read missing] due to
    an animal.  supervision. always.