im going to get an rabbit

Hey im finially might be getting an rabbit tomorrw or next week unfortunatly my hamster died RIP coco

However my mum kept saying i should get another hamster but i don't want to replace her so i ask for an rabbit

i have been looking at rehoming centres but they are too far away and the one near me i tried emailing but i think there email adress is wrong

I can't have two bunnies however im getting an big cage for my rabbit and letting her roam around the house after school so hopefully tomorrw or next week ill go to the pet shop and buy one

I was talking to my friend about what type of rabbit is the most friendlyist and she said not to get an dwarf if its your first rabbit because they are short tempered? any recommend an nice breed of rabbit that really friendly

How old are you?
Rabbits can live for over ten years. Are you ready for this responsibility? If your mother thinks that a hamster will be best, maybe you should listen to her.

getting an rabbit

hey im 14 and love bunnies
I think im ready because my sister had an rabbit and i looked after that plus my mum used to breed rabbits

and i sometimes go round my cousion whos younger and help with her rabbit.

Hello and welcome to the forum. :wave:

Rabbits really should have company. Not many rescues would be happy to rehome a single rabbit to you unless it is one that will not live with other rabbits.

Are you aware of just how much space rabbits need and of all their other needs? They are about as different to hamsters as you can imagine! :shock:

Rabbits need space - plenty of space. A 'big cage' will not be big enough. Most 'cages' sold in pet shops for rabbits are pathetically small. My Jack has a 4ft x 30" x 30" dog crate as a base but has free range of his room all the time. If you plan to keep your rabbit in any sort of space they really need to have a dog pen attached at all times. Rabbits are big and need space to move around.

They need to be vaccinated - myxi. vaccination twice a year and VHD once a year.

Vet treatment can be very expensive and their diet needs to be carefully managed. They need hay, hay and more hay with only a very small amount of pellets and some veg.

They chew and gnaw and can be destructive.

If you plan to keep one / two in your bedroom they may well keep you awake as they are active at night.

Rabbits can live for 10 years + - can you make this kind of commitment?

Just a few things to think about. Please think long and hard before deciding on a rabbit as they are much more demanding as pets than most people realise! x

rabbitz123 said:

hey im 14 and love bunnies
I think im ready because my sister had an rabbit and i looked after that plus my mum used to breed rabbits

and i sometimes go round my cousion whos younger and help with her rabbit.

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Rabbits can live up to 10 years sometimes even longer.
Please don't buy one from a pet shop! PLease try and rescue one... How come you cant have 2?
How big is the cage she will have? Will she have a run?

I don't doubt your motives but have you thought about what's going to happen to the rabbit when in a few years you leave your home, to go to University for example? If your mother doesn't agree with having a rabbit at home, it will be very difficult for both you and the bunny. Please try to get your mother's permission before you decide what to do.

rabbitz123 said:

hey im 14 and love bunnies
I think im ready because my sister had an rabbit and i looked after that plus my mum used to breed rabbits

and i sometimes go round my cousion whos younger and help with her rabbit.

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Can I ask what sort of accommodation these rabbits have? Many people simply do not realise just how much space these wonderful animals need. An outdoor rabbit should have as a minimum a 6ft x 2ft x 2ft hutch with a 6ft x 4ft run - preferably with the run attached so that they can use it at will.

Anything much smaller than this would deprive a rabbit of the chance to be a rabbit - binky about and play. Jack is a maniac when he zooms about, lol.

Hanlou said:

Can I ask what sort of accommodation these rabbits have? Many people simply do not realise just how much space these wonderful animals need. An outdoor rabbit should have as a minimum a 6ft x 2ft x 2ft hutch with a 6ft x 4ft run - preferably with the run attached so that they can use it at will.

Anything much smaller than this would deprive a rabbit of the chance to be a rabbit - binky about and play. Jack is a maniac when he zooms about, lol.

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So are my two, they have free range of my back garden which is huge, and easily run 20 feet when binkying...can you offer them the space they need?

thinking

im going to have an long and hard think about this

i can't have two because my mum said i can only have one and one only however if i find two ill try and say that my other sister can look after one and i could look after the other

im thinking of having an dog crate because my friend has one for her rabbits and an shed

i don't want to go for another hamster because it will be like replacing the one i love dearly

rabbitz123 said:

im going to have an long and hard think about this

i can't have two because my mum said i can only have one and one only however if i find two ill try and say that my other sister can look after one and i could look after the other

im thinking of having an dog crate because my friend has one for her rabbits and an shed

i don't want to go for another hamster because it will be like replacing the one i love dearly

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Please think LONG and HARD about this. Have you thought about when you go on holiday?
A dog crate is an excellent option for indoor bunnies, but they still need to run around etc for hours

thanks

thanks for everyone giving me measurments ill try to find something with the same measurement or bigger

Rabbits are very destructive. How is your mother going to feel, when the rabbit starts chewing the furniture, wall paper, skirting boards, carpet, electric wires, etc?

Here are some pics of (( My rabbits set-up at the moment )) - he will be bonded with a female rabbit soon. x

He comes out and has free range of the upstairs regularly too but we plan to move him (and his future wifebun'!) outside when the weather warms up and we have set everything up. We're hoping to have a 6x4 shed with an attached 6x6 run. They will be able to have free range of the garden too.

If you do get another hamster - why not have a look around at nearby rescues? A lot of rescues have hamster's in - we have a Syrian hamster and several dwarf hamsters - all of them were rescues apart from one.

I cant understand how you can go from a hamster to a rabbit. I know you dont want to replace your hamster that died, but couldnt you have a gerbil or a rat or something.

A rabbit is a big commitment. Rabbits are also very expensive. Does your mum know the rabbit will need vaccinating 3 times a year? If its a female she will need to be neutered to prevent uterine cancer, this op can cost around £80.

Please think Also please dont just buy a rabbit from a pet shop! Why not rescue a rabbit?! At least you'd know its temperment then? xXx

I just got my first rabbit too.
They are alot of work, but if you have a spare room and lots of time it isn't TOO hard. I got a 5 foot buy 2 foot cage, and a hutch for the summer, and I bunny proofed the spare bedroom. Babies are good to get if you're inexperienced because they are so small they will let you touch them. You have to have alot of time. I spent two hours sitting in my new bunny's room waiting for him to approach me, and I have had him out 4 hours a day for the last 2 days I have had him, and he still barely lets me stroke him once. You can't get discouraged and expect the bunny to want to cuddle at first. I had a hamster, and the are wayy easier. Hamsters are nice, but they are more trusting and less intelligent, so they will trust almost anyone who picks them up. Rabbits are more of a prey animal and are very skittish at first. Make sure you are committed to a long time before he or she trusts you, and then a lifespan of over 10 years after taht.

Becky86 said:

I cant understand how you can go from a hamster to a rabbit. I know you dont want to replace your hamster that died, but couldnt you have a gerbil or a rat or something.

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Lol not 'a rat' or 'a gerbil' as they need to live in pairs at least too and ratties need pretty big set-ups. Gerbils need a 30" tank for a pair.

However; neither ratties nor gerbils live that long so would not be anywhere near the same commitment as a rabbit. Gerbils make lovely pets - they are very friendly and aren't nocturnal so are awake in the day more than hamsters. Rats can be expensive vet-bill-wise as they often suffer from various illnesses so I wouldn't really recommend them unless you have a steady income or parents that are prepared to shell out for these things.

I know *just* what you're saying Becky - just thought I'd mention this though lol.

hey

my mum knows alot about rabbit and is very committed into helping me sort my rabbit out

ive had mice in the passed and they excaped ive been in contact with an few rehomeing places and some with hamster i can't diside

rabbitz123 said:

my mum knows alot about rabbit and is very committed into helping me sort my rabbit out

ive had mice in the passed and they excaped ive been in contact with an few rehomeing places and some with hamster i can't diside

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In a suitable cage mice would not be able to escape...... I have 12 mice and they've never escaped unless I've left the door open! :?

I have rabbits and a hamster. The rabbits are really expensive, with regards to vet bills, and very hard work. The hamster, on the other hand isn't. It is my third hamster, as the previous two died. By getting this one, I was not replacing the others. I was just giving a home to an animal in need. Please reconsider.

Oh pleeeeeeeeease take it from me. I got two rabbits last August not realising how much work it takes to keep them happy!! You sound like you love animals and I'm sure you wouldn't want to keep a little animal that was unhappy but for starters, a single bunny is a lonely bunny. They need loads of space with constant access to it all the time. The rabbits you see living in hutches, no matter how big, are miserable and they can develop bone problems from not getting enough exercise.

What about guinea pigs? They wouldn't need as much room (although they still need a fair amount), they make sweet little noises and you could maybe get two or three of them, because they like to live in little gangs!!

What about ringing a rescue and asking for advice, or look up RWAF on the net and email them any questions - they even have a helpline number and the lady there is lovely and will only be too happy to give you advice.