Discussion
My daughter has done some sort of deal with my ex, which means if she can keep her room tidy for 2 months she gets a pet bunny.
I'm not happy with this as the kids got fish from the ex a couple of years back but I'm the only one that looks after them and I don't like the idea of the poor bunny sitting in a hut in the garden freezing it's little bunny balls off with 2 hops worth of space.
My daughter tells me that she knows people who keep a rabbit in the house and just let it roam around and it even uses kitty litter.
Is this possible? Won't it just get stuck behind the washing machine, radiator, under the floor boards etc
I have enough trouble with mice.
Any advice? cheers.
I'm not happy with this as the kids got fish from the ex a couple of years back but I'm the only one that looks after them and I don't like the idea of the poor bunny sitting in a hut in the garden freezing it's little bunny balls off with 2 hops worth of space.
My daughter tells me that she knows people who keep a rabbit in the house and just let it roam around and it even uses kitty litter.
Is this possible? Won't it just get stuck behind the washing machine, radiator, under the floor boards etc
I have enough trouble with mice.
Any advice? cheers.
Rabbits are very quick to house train as they naturally use one area of a hutch for toilet, so using a litter tray should be simple enough.
Having a pen/cage suitable for when not at home ensuring enough space for food, litter tray and sleeping is a must.
Rabbits are ok to free roam under supervision.
Most rabbits that we have come across that have been indoors don't take well to green leafed food(grass, dock leaves etc...)as they can suffer digestive issues like bloat.
On the whole, a well looked after indoor rabbit can be just as good as a dog or cat. (watch shoe laces though
)
Having a pen/cage suitable for when not at home ensuring enough space for food, litter tray and sleeping is a must.
Rabbits are ok to free roam under supervision.
Most rabbits that we have come across that have been indoors don't take well to green leafed food(grass, dock leaves etc...)as they can suffer digestive issues like bloat.
On the whole, a well looked after indoor rabbit can be just as good as a dog or cat. (watch shoe laces though
)Some friends had a house bunny and it was fine although it did have a habit of chewing cables so you might want to think about protecting them - they ended up with all of the TV cables etc in conduits across the floor. The rabbit lived in a cage in the kitchen when it wasn't roaming around the house and used a litter tray in the utility room (no idea how long it took them to train it to use it though). It obviously suited the bunny as it was huge and lived to a ripe old age!
croyde said:
Daughter is 12. Not happy about the cable chewing thing plus being allergic to cats and dogs will probably have me on pills for the rest of my days.
Sounds like a faff to me.
Cheers.
Plus it is strongly recommended to get 2 rabbits! They are social creatures. same sex or mix sex but should be neutered by 6 months, 2 males together will fight if not neutered by 6 months, one of each - obvious really, 2 females - not so urgent but better to do early and will reduce risk of dominance behaviour.
Anyway house bunnies can be litter trained and live happily indoors but they can be destructive (ripped wallpaper, chewed carpets, wires etc) You can buy indoor large cages for when confinement is needed.
Couple of sites to look at:
Rebbit Welfare Association
British House Rabbit Asscociation
Only you can possibly know how committed your daughter will be but of all the house pets for children they are definitely the hardest so do not do it if any big doubts(get a couple of rats intead!!)
I used to have a house rabbit - largeish hutch in the lounge on heavy polythene base, leaving the door open a lot of the time.
More frequent muck outs and you could get a spray can deodorant/disinfectant for the toilet area which removed bad smells.
I had a garden as well where he used to run around quite happily and sometimes I'd take him out for a walk with a cat collar and lead.
Perhaps it would be better if your daughter had a cat instead - far less work
More frequent muck outs and you could get a spray can deodorant/disinfectant for the toilet area which removed bad smells.
I had a garden as well where he used to run around quite happily and sometimes I'd take him out for a walk with a cat collar and lead.
Perhaps it would be better if your daughter had a cat instead - far less work
Tiggsy said:
Also - kids getting pets to teach them important values is pointless. They dont learn to care for something (and why should they, they're kids!) They learn that if they neglect a rodent to death an adult will step in and feed it anyway. That's not a very useful lesson.
I don't agree with this completely, it depends very much on the individual child. It's the parents assumption that kids will automatically care for these pets that is the major issue.I have heard it so many times, poorly pet (usually a poor bunny) lost weight etc, ask the parnet how well pet has been eating...'Oh I don't know my 6 year feeds it' depressing as hell.
As long as parents are prepared to be take repsonsiblity but at the same time include the kids, pet ownership is of value to a child and provides joy, companionship, responsibility etc etc (and eventually grief)
Kids that don't grow up with animals do seem to miss out on something and not for the better.
Ive got a couple of house bunnys now and they are great fun as pets.
My two girls litter trained themselves, we still find the odd dropping in the morning and some sawdust/hay kicked out of the cage but a quick buzz round with the vacuum cleaner solves that.
They do shred wallpaper at bunny height (or as we found out if they can get on the sofa then bunny height above the sofa) but is is easily hidden. In regards to cabling just drop it through some hosepipe, the rabbits have not gone near any cabling i have put in hosepipe
My two girls litter trained themselves, we still find the odd dropping in the morning and some sawdust/hay kicked out of the cage but a quick buzz round with the vacuum cleaner solves that.
They do shred wallpaper at bunny height (or as we found out if they can get on the sofa then bunny height above the sofa) but is is easily hidden. In regards to cabling just drop it through some hosepipe, the rabbits have not gone near any cabling i have put in hosepipe
I had a house bunny (Ralph 
) and he was toilet trained after about three days It got to the point where if I had not cleaned his toilet (plastic corner tub) immediately after he'd taken a dump that he'd drag it to my feet, stamp his foot and refuse to move unless I put fresh hay in there My guinea pig on the other hand enjoyed s
tting all over the place 
They're great pets, but consider whether it'd be a fad or a pet she'd love as too many pets end up a problem present rather than a member of the family as they should.
) and he was toilet trained after about three days It got to the point where if I had not cleaned his toilet (plastic corner tub) immediately after he'd taken a dump that he'd drag it to my feet, stamp his foot and refuse to move unless I put fresh hay in there My guinea pig on the other hand enjoyed stting all over the place They're great pets, but consider whether it'd be a fad or a pet she'd love as too many pets end up a problem present rather than a member of the family as they should.
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