Some advice please - pet for house

Hello all!

I'm looking to get a pet for the house. Im 24, and me and my fiance moved into our first house in October. I grew up with my cat since I was 6, but my fiance has not had a pet before. I know the joys of pets and the commitment required. Sadly my cat passed away just after christmas. Ideally I would love another cat, but my fiance would prefer to get a cat after we have kids in the next few years. I really want a pet. I love almost all animals, and after researching I decided that a guinea pig or a rabbit would be best. It could be kept indoors or outdoors, and doesn't seem to be overly demanding when it comes to care. I think it would be an ideal first pet for me and my partner.

So just a few questions!

- if we will have kids relativley soon, within a year or so and i believe it would be best to reer the rabbit outside, What type of run/hutch would be best?

- as its a first pet, which species of rabbit would probably be best and easiest to start with?

- What daily care would be required? other than that of food,water, and companionship i.e. do you need daily nail cuttings etc...

- What would the initial, then monthly cost be to keep a rabbit?

I asked here because it seems an expert place on rabbits. If the honest concensus is that we could give a rabbit the care it required then i would consider a different animal.

:wave: It's good that you are doing your research first. However I would not class a rabbit as an undemanding pet. Actually I think they are one of the most demanding, as they are very delicate, ans as prey animals they hide illness, often until it is too late. They are also not good pets for babies and young children, as they usually dislike being picked up, and may bite, scratch and kick hard. They also have a very delicate bone structure and may be easily damaged by incorrect handling.

If you do decide to go ahead here's a few things to consider.

Rabbits are expensive: can you afford to pay forthe following (( won't give costs as they vary widely, depending where you live:

Suitable large housing e.g a shed or playhouse and attached run or a dog run (pet shop hutches are far too small)

Vaccinations three times a year,

Neutering: oh, and you will need to get at least two rabbits as they are very sociable animals that would be lonely and miserable on there own outside. If you decide to get rescue rabbits they are often neutered and bonded (paired) up for you, saving you the trouble

Prompt veterinary care is essential, even in the middle of the night (an ill rabbit needs treatment now, they won't wait until the regular vet opens in the morning). Insurance is a good idea to help cover unexpected costs.

They need a constant supply of good quality hay which can get expensive if you can't get hold of good quality farm hay where you live, plus veg/herbs/grass and a small amount of a good quality pellet

Rabbits are also very time consuming pets. As well as daily cleaning they need lots of exercise, and need to be supervised constantly, as outside they are vulnerable to predators and escaping, and inside they will destroy everything in sight: cables, sofas, wallpaper, table legs etc. This need for exercise will continue even when babies come along.

I'm sorry if this all seems rather negative. Rabbits are great, but it's best to go in with your eyes open. So many people jump in and then realise later they have made a mistake. If you decide to get rabbits, do stick around as there are people here who can help offer advice, or just be there if you need ot chat

Rabbits really need to be kept in pairs, they are social animals and they love snuggling up with each other. They really need to be neutered or they can have behaviour problems or health problems later in life. If you get a pair of buns from a rescue center they will already be bonded and neutered which makes things a lot easier for new owners.

Obviously they need fresh food and water each day, their diet should be mostly a good quality hay. Their litter tray needs cleaning out every day. They also need to have a full checkover each day.

If you want to keep them outside they need a home at least 6ftx2ftx2ft with a permanent run attached at least 6ft x 6ft.

Costs aren't too high, but rabbits still need proper medical care. If you are the type of person that thinks "oh it's just a rabbit, it's not worth spending money on" then please don't get any. You can get insurance for rabbits for about £9 / month each. They also need 3 vaccinations per year, usually costing about £20 each.

Keeping a cat and rabbits can be problematic, obviously you have to keep them away from each other.

oooh, I nearly forgot: you need to decide what will happen when you go on holidays: you can't leave the rabbits at home with a supply of food, you will need to arrange a petsitter, or boarding, and this can be costly and needs to be arranged will in advance. also you may have to cancel a holiday to care for your rabbit if she is ill: would you be happy to do that?

Thank you all for your advice,

I dont believe I will adopt a rabbit. I want my pet to be happy, and if having young children around the rabbit could cause a large amount of stress and may even injure my rabbit then I believe it would be unfair.

I'm pretty unhappy about the outcome but at least I found out now rather than later on!

Thank you all again.

I have a cat and 2 rabbits and my cat is definitely much less demanding and much more stress free! I would go with the kitty if you really want a pet

I think that you might be jumping the gun not getting a bunny.

Yes, its alot of work, but its very rewarding. And yes, its not ideal having kids running about with the pets, but if they are in separate areas and the kids are brought up properly with the pets then i dont see any problem.

i agree with the last post, to be honest, i am one of those people who just jumped into owning a rabbit.
Unfortunately due to that i now face having to neuter him, bond him with another bun, and pay for all his vaccines. this is a lot of hard work, and expenses. Another thing i didnt take into consideration is a rabbit savvy vet. In my area, there are none! i wish i had looked into that previously.

however, it is honestly the most rewarding thing i have ever experienced in my life! i have had a ton of pets in the past but skipper is the first pet that really feels like he's MINE (not my moms). the joy of having him hop over to me and shower me with little bunny kisses is overwhelming.

im a little obsessed with bunnies now, my friends say.

I've recently taken on my first rescue bun. We have her as a house bun and I have to say she is an absolute gem. She took around 10 mins to litter train and is unbelieveably tidy & clean. We are lucky in that she doesnt appear to be a chewer and so has full access to all of the house. We don't even shut her away at night or when we're out now. I actually think house buns are easier to look after than outdoor buns (we've had a hutch bun in the past). There are a few things to consider but in my experience they will live quite happily in your inside environment without you having to buy lots of additional bit and pieces. Many people have a dedicated room/area inside the house for buns and this would work best if and when you were to have children. I believe children and animals SHOULD mix but be supervised at all times. Rabbits don't really like being picked up but some will happily sit on you or near to you whilst being fussed. Some prefer less contact, some none at all! All buns are different and their personalities can change with time, just as our can! Getting a slightly older rescue bun could be better for you as you may have an idea of his/her personality before hand.

I also appreciate what other members have said re. that buns are sociable animals and that ideally they are kept with other buns. That said there are some buns out there who, for various reasons cannot be re-homed with other buns and are desperate for a loving forever home. Our bun Inca is one such bun. She had been waiting for a new mummy for almost a year So, it's not a hard and fast rule that you MUST have two buns but you MUST take advice from an independant expert (not a pet shop owner!).

In terms of costs, as other members mentioned this can vary and its a bit of a "how long is a piece of string?" question but assuming your bun is insured and after the initial purchasing of accommodation etc, I don't see why the day to day costs should be more than a owning cat.

Don't be put off from getting a bun. Take lots of advice, consider your environment, chat to rescue centres and make sure you have someone available to bun sit for you when you're away. They are wonderful animals

I must agree that having a rabbit is a big commitment. I too am a new bunny owner but thankfully I did know what I was letting myself in for :shock:
I got my 5 month old french lop buck, Harvey, a few weeks ago. He lives outside in a large 7ft converted chicken coop but also comes inside where he has a 48" dog crate as a base so he pretty much splits his time evenly between his two homes :lol:
I'm fairly lucky as the local vet is quite reasonable when it comes to vaccinations and neutering. It may be worth checking out costs before making any decisions especially if you're thinking about starting a family as I'm fully aware of how expensive children can be!! :roll:
As for rabbits and children- my 2 boys (5 and 3 yrs old) are BRILLIANT with the rabbit and it is so rewarding to watch Harvey run circles around them and binky when they're about. From being babies my boys have grown up with ferrets and a cat so I have always taught them to respect animals and to handle them correctly so if that's the reason that you have decided against a rabbit then you may want to rethink as I am a firm believer that you can definitely have both!