Bunny upkeep costs

[Arachnaeoccult]

So, a little thinking about what kind of animal I'd keep if I paid the landlord $100 down to permit furry animals like cats, dogs, etc (he never cared about snakes and admitted to breeding them) I could get a bunny. I know they eat veggies, and I myself eat alot of veggies. They probably eat catfood (like ferrets which I've owned several for almost 10 years) etc etc. What demands are needed to meet for a simple bunny if I want something cute and cuddly to show the girlfriends?

[Minkness]

Cat food? Seriously? Even BASIC care research will tell you to provide hay, greens, and a rabbit specific pellet.

Your posts continuously make me cringe. Do you even care about the animals you have now? Or is this just about what you CAN have? Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. =/

[Tsubaki]

I know a thing or two about rabbits, we had several of them at my parental home as i was growing up.. Rabbits are social animals and should not to be kept alone, this does not affect how tame they will become. Couples should be fixed so they can not reproduce, unfixed females can possibly become unfriendly once they reach sexual maturity and are prone to cancer. (Unfixed animals also live considerably shorter) They are not as expensive or require any outdoor activity like.. say a dog, but serious keeping is not as cheap as you might think. They need specific kibble, fresh greens, and large housing if you want to keep them healthy and happy. Depending on the type of rabbit they may require tending to their fur, nail trimming and/or ear cleaning. They require vet check ups, and should be vaccinated and any other medical care they might need if they ever get sick (Quite a lot of rabbits seem to need dental care at some point in their lives, be it old age or crooked teeth). Well cared for a rabbit can live past 10 years, it is not a commitment to take lightly as with any pet. An no, catfood, rabbits are strictly vegetarian creatures they are not omnivores like a lot of rodents are.

Rabbits are not cuddly animals by nature, they are a prey animal and a lot of them do not like to be picked up. (picking them up wrongly can even do severe spinal damage) They have a very unique way of showing affection, they are in no way comparable to ferrets (predators). My advice would be, read up about them a LOT.. They are pretty cool animals if you're really dedicated to them. But they are not the 'Easy' pet a lot of people portray them as, a lot of rabbits are poorly kept, miserable.. and alone. Even if most of the rabbits i see come through my house are frozen solid and have just one purpose, does not mean that if you keep one as pet they do not deserve a full life. If you're all ready to tackle this challenge, go ahead. But don't get one just to have something to show your girlfriend, YOU have to love it and live with it, keep it happy. Any live animal requires attention and will cost money.. Just cuddling with something fluffy.. that's what stuffed animals are for. ;)

[Sasha2]

Rabbits are not that social and I seriously disagree with getting more then one. We raised meat rabbits and 4h rabbits for years(satins,mini rex and new zealands) and although some females could get along, others would fight like crazy and cause serious stress and injury.
Cat food!!!, seriously we are talking about a strict herbivore. Buy a good quality rabbit pellet, give it veggies "occasionally" they can get diarreah pretty easily and its very hard to clear up.
Please Please get on some rabbit forums, ask questions and do your research first

Personally Id get a kitten, just as cute and way easier. I agree that bunnies are not cuddly, they certainly look like they should be, so darn cute and soft.They can bite hard and scratch you good with those back legs.They can be really fun pets though if you dont mind it chewing everything up including your electrical cords and carpets, peeing on your floors( they can only be partially potty trained).

[Tsubaki]

Rabbits live in dens with several 100 members of their species because they are not social? Come on.. Intact females fight yes, for obvious hormonal reasons, its pretty impressive if 2 intact females get along all the time. You're penning them together in a small enclosure with hormones raging. (no matter how big the cage, it's smaller than a den, they can not get a real break from each other, and you don't breed them as often as they would themselves = Frustration galore for intact rabbits).. Rabbits are social creatures.. Out of all the rabbits living in the local rabbit shelter here only a handful have had to stay alone because they really were badly socialised, barely any fighting ever.. A lot of social behaviour though, grooming etc. The big secret? Every new arrival there gets neutered and found a partner that suits them in activity level. Result was much happier rabbits.

[sirtalis]

Oh Lord.... imagine actually using a rabbit to pick up a girl.

[Tsubaki]

I have a few girls that would be immediately interested, Xena would be all over you if you bring a rabbit to the party. :D

[sirtalis]

I think were talking strictly people :D But a rabbit at a party would be something

[Tsubaki]

Hmm yea, humans do tend to be pickier than retics.. Who knows it might work though! *Hey.. pretty girl.. Want to come over to my place and pet my bunny?* I somehow doubt that's going to work :P would love to see someone try though!


Its becoming painfully obvious to myself that i should've gone to bed hours ago.. goodnight people!

[AwesomeGuy376]

Your posts continuously make me cringe. Do you even care about the animals you have now? Or is this just about what you CAN have? Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. =/

Exact reason why mink is awesome ^ (Watch out what you say before Aaron shows up)

Anyways, my teacher had a rabbit. She fed it veggies i think. But i have a way you only need to take care of it for a day! You can just get a 20ft long Retic and once youre done showing off the rabbit to the girl, you can give the rabbit to the retic. (Advised- DO NOT show this to the girl)

Hope this helped!

[Arachnaeoccult]

Exact reason why mink is awesome ^ (Watch out what you say before Aaron shows up)

Anyways, my teacher had a rabbit. She fed it veggies i think. But i have a way you only need to take care of it for a day! You can just get a 20ft long Retic and once youre done showing off the rabbit to the girl, you can give the rabbit to the retic. (Advised- DO NOT show this to the girl)

Hope this helped!

A retic tops a rabit any day.
The problem is feeding 4 rabbits a month. lol

I would just keep the retic in my bedroom and hope it doesn't choke me to death but I doubt it'll do more than huddle when its cold. I really wonder, this house practically works as a heater except during the winter with a natural blazing temperature hotter than the outside even. AC on high with fan circulating will make the room 75-80 on hot days making it perfect snake temp. Not hard when you live in a below-quality efficiency in central florida.


As far as cringeworthy goes I'll just stick to reptiles and find snake-friendly country girls who enjoy strange things


Mary Jane was quite the celebrity tonight even with the one girl that came over and the friends sure enjoyed either the honduran, the baby corn snake and even both tarantulas. I made sure the handler was familiar with them or at least not fearful to handle. I know a good crowd.

[Herpo]

Hmm yea, humans do tend to be pickier than retics.. Who knows it might work though! *Hey.. pretty girl.. Want to come over to my place and pet my bunny?* I somehow doubt that's going to work :P would love to see someone try though!

They'd probably take it dirty lol. When they find out he meant an actual bunny, I think they'd leave :P

[Tsubaki]

A retic tops a rabit any day.
The problem is feeding 4 rabbits a month. lo.


That would definitely be a problem, a fat-*** retic.. If you need that many attempts at a girl you will need more than one retic for the collateral.

[sirtalis]

I don't think it would be that smart to feed 4 rabbits a month to a retic, and its much cheaper than you would think if you can find a good breeder. In all honesty I wish you would think a bit before you post threads like this.

[sirtalis]

They'd probably take it dirty lol. When they find out he meant an actual bunny, I think they'd leave :P

Here's an awkward scenario, he gets the girl over and (imagine this) is awkwardly petting the rabbit while the girl just stands there staring in confusion...

[Sasha2]

Rabbits live in dens with several 100 members of their species because they are not social? Come on.. Intact females fight yes, for obvious hormonal reasons, its pretty impressive if 2 intact females get along all the time. You're penning them together in a small enclosure with hormones raging. (no matter how big the cage, it's smaller than a den, they can not get a real break from each other, and you don't breed them as often as they would themselves = Frustration galore for intact rabbits).. Rabbits are social creatures.. Out of all the rabbits living in the local rabbit shelter here only a handful have had to stay alone because they really were badly socialised, barely any fighting ever.. A lot of social behaviour though, grooming etc. The big secret? Every new arrival there gets neutered and found a partner that suits them in activity level. Result was much happier rabbits.

Not in the US, you will be lucky to find rabbits together here. Jackrabbits, cottontails all live solitary lives. Ive never seen colonies of rabbits here.

I still think making someone get two pets when they want one is only going to fill those shelters sooner. Dogs are social too but making someone get two or two cats(who can also be social but just as well alone)..Just saying

[Zelg]

Not in the US, you will be lucky to find rabbits together here. Jackrabbits, cottontails all live solitary lives. Ive never seen colonies of rabbits here.

I still think making someone get two pets when they want one is only going to fill those shelters sooner. Dogs are social too but making someone get two or two cats(who can also be social but just as well alone)..Just saying


Really the people who give up their animals because they have two but can only handle one should not even have the one, IMO. Shelters are full because of stupid and abusive owners. Having an additional animal can have huge benefits to the other. I agree that people should get one pet if they want one pet but if someone takes on ONE MORE and it just breaks them mentally and they cant take it, I question their ability to care for even one animal. Especially something like cats, dogs and rabbits.

[Aaron_S]

Exact reason why mink is awesome ^ (Watch out what you say before Aaron shows up)

Who do you think taught Minkness?




Anyway, let's keep this on topic to rabbits and less about the dating angle. We have off topic forums to discuss dating techniques.

[trailblazer295]

Who do you think taught Minkness?



Your disciples serve you master.

[PsychoSnake]

I know a thing or two about rabbits, we had several of them at my parental home as i was growing up.. Rabbits are social animals and should not to be kept alone, this does not affect how tame they will become. Couples should be fixed so they can not reproduce, unfixed females can possibly become unfriendly once they reach sexual maturity and are prone to cancer. (Unfixed animals also live considerably shorter) They are not as expensive or require any outdoor activity like.. say a dog, but serious keeping is not as cheap as you might think. They need specific kibble, fresh greens, and large housing if you want to keep them healthy and happy. Depending on the type of rabbit they may require tending to their fur, nail trimming and/or ear cleaning. They require vet check ups, and should be vaccinated and any other medical care they might need if they ever get sick (Quite a lot of rabbits seem to need dental care at some point in their lives, be it old age or crooked teeth). Well cared for a rabbit can live past 10 years, it is not a commitment to take lightly as with any pet. An no, catfood, rabbits are strictly vegetarian creatures they are not omnivores like a lot of rodents are.

Rabbits are not cuddly animals by nature, they are a prey animal and a lot of them do not like to be picked up. (picking them up wrongly can even do severe spinal damage) They have a very unique way of showing affection, they are in no way comparable to ferrets (predators). My advice would be, read up about them a LOT.. They are pretty cool animals if you're really dedicated to them. But they are not the 'Easy' pet a lot of people portray them as, a lot of rabbits are poorly kept, miserable.. and alone. Even if most of the rabbits i see come through my house are frozen solid and have just one purpose, does not mean that if you keep one as pet they do not deserve a full life. If you're all ready to tackle this challenge, go ahead. But don't get one just to have something to show your girlfriend, YOU have to love it and live with it, keep it happy. Any live animal requires attention and will cost money.. Just cuddling with something fluffy.. that's what stuffed animals are for. ;)
I used to work for a rabbit rescue and this is true.

About rabbits being social: Rabbits are very social animals and have complex social rules. Just pairing two strangers together does not always yield a happy ending though. Introducing two rabbits together should be done on neutral territory and by someone who is familiar with rabbit body language. I have seen things get ugly and it can sometimes take a long time (even up to a year!) to safely keep the rabbits together without supervision. Best pairs are male and female pairs. Sometimes siblings or mother and child do well, but I've noticed that siblings sometimes get competitive with each other (marking territory). The more you add to the bonded group the more complex the relationships get, e.g., drama!

Also there are a lot of food that you need to be aware of that can kill a rabbit within just 24 hours. Apple seeds, peach pits and anything in the onion family comes to mind. They typically like lettuce with the exception of iceberg (causes diarrhea). Best hays for adults are Timothy and orchard grass. Alpha hay and pellets should be reserved for kits because it contains too much protein. Rabbits don't need a lot of protein. In fact it makes their pee red and it will freak you out.

Oh and did you know that they can be litter box trained? No not with cat litter, but with something like horse litter with hay on top. They are also smart and need projects to work on such as destroying cardboard boxes, rearranging blankets, and throwing bells. Whatever floats their boat.

As for housing. I found the best way to keep them was in an "x-pen" originally designed as temporary play pens for puppies. 36" high usually works well for most rabbits though I do have a rabbit that requires a 48". They need room to run around freely. The rabbit cages sold in pet stores are inhumane. I am also skeptical of the gourmet treat blends sold in pet stores. I buy most of my rabbit supplies from feed stores.

House Rabbit Society | Buy a Bunny a Little Time (http://rabbit.org) is a good place to learn more about keeping rabbits.

[PsychoSnake]

Not in the US, you will be lucky to find rabbits together here. Jackrabbits, cottontails all live solitary lives. Ive never seen colonies of rabbits here.
Domesticated rabbits came from Europe, not cottontails, so there's no point to that argument.

I still think making someone get two pets when they want one is only going to fill those shelters sooner. Dogs are social too but making someone get two or two cats(who can also be social but just as well alone)..Just saying
Did you know you can adopt bonded pairs from a rescue? We bonded rabbits together all the time and fixed them because it had not only made it easier for us to house them, it saved more lives. Most of our intakes came from county kill shelters and we had very little space ourselves. I ended up adopting two bonded pairs myself. Generally once bonded they stay bonded for life. So if one goes to the vet we take the other for moral support. It's much like a marriage. :rolleyes:

[sirtalis]

Doesn't certain lettuces put rabbits into a hallucinogenic/stoned state? Feel like I read that somewhere

[Pogie]

How about doing some research?? Only you know what you want and what you can tend to.

And please do read up on what ever you decide to get.

Oh and rabbits are not cuddly nor social by nature.

[Tsubaki]

How about doing some research?? Only you know what you want and what you can tend to.

And please do read up on what ever you decide to get.

Oh and rabbits are not cuddly nor social by nature.

They are Social by nature, the tame varieties are.. just like Psycho said.

[Pogie]

They are Social by nature, the tame varieties are.. just like Psycho said.

They might and they might not get along. I've raised rabbits for years, pets and meat rabbits. We never had any in the same cage. They were beside each other but not actually in the same enclosure. One did manage to get to another one as the cages were connected. We wound up with one badly injured rabbit and one dead rabbit. But that's what I know from raising rabbits.

I'm not real sure how it came about putting more than one rabbit in a cage anyway. The OP asked about 1 rabbit.

Hope this does not sound snippy, not meaning to if it does i'm sorry rotfl. I'm just expressing my opinion and what I have learned raising rabbits for years :)

[Tsubaki]

Just shows everyone raises them differently, we better agree to disagree. Because i will never agree to keeping rabbits alone, even if it takes a bit more effort to find them a good friend. (Which i understand a breeder has no time or need for)

[PsychoSnake]

My opinion is bonding rabbits can be a chore, but it's well worth the end result if successful (for pets). I notice the rabbits seem to have a more fulfilled life with a life partner.

But it's not easy, because it can take a long time to cement a "marriage" (one of my pairs took a year to bond), and it requires the instinct to know exactly what to do during the courtship period. While I worked for the rescue we used many techniques such as introducing them on neutral territory (like a bathtub to make it easy to separate if things go badly), provide greens for them to occupy themselves or even share if things go well, go on crazy drives on bumpy roads so they can hold on to each other for security, and we kept "dates" short in the beginning slowly lengthening them as the relationship progressed. If a date didn't go well, we ended it quickly, gave them a few days off and started over again. I found taking them outside to a completely foreign environment helped a lot because they were less concerned about dominance issues. It also depended a lot on the personalities of the rabbits.

We also had soooooo many rabbits that if one match didn't work out we had several other options still available. If a previous adopter came back looking for a second rabbit we would offer one of our rabbits for temporary foster care and give them advice on how to bond. If the bond didn't go well, they could try a different rabbit. Usually the first "date" was held at the adoption center so we could judge how good the match was.

[Minkness]

That is waaaay too much work.....no thanks!

[Pogie]

Just shows everyone raises them differently, we better agree to disagree. Because i will never agree to keeping rabbits alone, even if it takes a bit more effort to find them a good friend. (Which i understand a breeder has no time or need for)

I Agree to disagree :)
Every one has a way of doing things which work for them and not others. So yeah I'm good with it if one can make it happen.

[sirtalis]

Ok so a friend of mine bred rabbits, all they did was keep 5 females in one enclosure and a male in another lol. They bred them for quite some time until they switched to f/t for their retic and blackthroat pair. My uncle also bred rabbits (to eat) and he did a similar thing.