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Persuading my wife to get a second rabbit

gwaterhouse

Wise Old Thumper
Hi,

I'd like to get another rabbit for my boy Zoidy to bond with and play with.

My wife is saying that we can't afford another rabbit and that the hutch we have isn't big enough for him and that with a child on the way in July that we won't have time for another rabbit...

Now I can understand her pionts, but still really want one, I obviously know the benefits of getting a partner for Zoidberg, but can't seem to win her round :(

Any suggestions!?
 
If your hutch is not big enough, and you're not sure you can afford it, then sometimes its better to have a single. Is he inside or outside?
 
Have you looked in your local papers/free ads/gumtree. There is a man who lives local to me who makes kennels/runs for a very reasonable price - not best quality in the world but beggars can't be choosers. If its an outside bun a friend will keep it company when you havent got the time.
 
Who cleans out the rabbits and feeds them lets them out checks them over, takes them to the vets at the moment.?
If it's your wife or a shared activity I can see why she's reluctant being pregnant. She will have difficulty doing such tasks when heavily pregnant and that would of course increase with two rabbits.

Even if you do all of the above yourself then two rabbits cost more than one (especially if vet fees are needed for health problems)and babies obviously are added cost to your budget.

What about fostering a rabbit from a rescue for 6months-12months? you would have company(though not a bond) for your rabbit and you could assess finances and practicalities of a permanent rabbit after your wife has had the baby.They may be able to lend you a hutch.

That way you would be making space in a rescue for them to take another in, and giving your rabbit some (neighbourly) company. Also in those situations the rescue usually pays the vet fees while you would just pay food and hay and it would give you and your wife time to see how a new rabbit fits in with a new baby .
sue:wave:
If you're handy with DIY then maybe you could add a small hutch to your existing hutch?
 
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If your hutch is not big enough, and you're not sure you can afford it, then sometimes its better to have a single. Is he inside or outside?

he's outside, but gets let out on a morning for an hour and an evening for 4-5 hours.

we bring him in over winter as it gets too cold for him outside, it's not like he's unloved or doesn't get any attention, i just see pics of other rabbits that have been bonded etc.....
 
I'll try and have a chat with her tonight/the weekend.

if the answer is still no, then i'll just have to make do with one and make sure he's loved more than ever :D
 
We are just getting a wifey bun for our neutered boy, he is outside but gets lots of attention. It was a big decision for me to get another bunny, I just thought that as Bramble hadn't known any different he was probably quite happy on his own, but like you then I see all the bonded bunnies on here, and I thought I had got to give it a go. Hopefully we pick up our girlie next weekend.

I also worried about costs, the most expensive bit will be two lots of vaccinations a year, around £110. The quote I got for insurance was only £8.96, so with Bramble it's still under £20 a month. I can't imagine food is going to cost a great deal more - I waste a lot of veg, so I'll actually get to use more of it!

I'm currently looking for hutches on ebay - some are in really good condition and you may be able to sell your old one to help with costs.
 
You could try making the point that when baby comes along you'll have less time to play with Zoidy, and if he has a companion you wont need to worry about him so much :wave:
 
I'd have a go at building around your existing hutch, you could probably double the size by adding a run and its relatively easy and cheap(ish). I can see how she might be worried about things with a baby on the way, but I personally found that owning a second rabbit didn't really add up to any major increase in what I was already spending on food and hay.
 
One bun doesn't really take up more time as they share the same space but hutch size and cost are valid concerns. Maybe you could suggest putting away an amount each month as if you had two and see how that effects your finances, or look at insurance to cover unexpected vet costs. With accommodation, again you could save gradually or look at ways to expand the existing space cheaply.
 
As long as you weren't going for biggish buns that should fit two. How about your run? That's usually the cheapest part to upgrade too :)
 
They would have free range of the garden as it's all been bunny proofed :D

Every gap in fencing is blocked :D

Would i need to create seperate sleeping quarters? (i'd just block off the lower right corner of the hutch...)

Maybe i'm getting ahead of myself :lol::lol:
 
This is the current hutch we have:

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/rose-cottage-hutch-for-rabbits-and-guinea-pigs-by-pets-at-home-29286

would we need to upgrade that do you think?

Most rescues won't rehome to any any smaller than a 6 foot hutch with attached run. Although you don't necessarily want to adopt a rescue bun, this is probably the best solution because:

*She'll be vaccinated and spayed already. Spaying can be a risky op, so it's better not to have to go through that yourself. It'll also work out cheaper this way.

*You can choose for personality as well as looks. If you buy a baby from a breeder or petshop you don't really know what sort of bun you're getting. If you choose to adopt from a rescue centre you can pick a bun who's particulaly outgoing, or snuggly or whatever.

*You can let your boy 'pick his own' wifey. Some rescues allow you to bring your bun to 'date' the rabbits up for adoption, so he can pick his own friend. A bond made this way is far less likely to break down.
 
Most rescues won't rehome to any any smaller than a 6 foot hutch with attached run. Although you don't necessarily want to adopt a rescue bun, this is probably the best solution because:

*She'll be vaccinated and spayed already. Spaying can be a risky op, so it's better not to have to go through that yourself. It'll also work out cheaper this way.

*You can choose for personality as well as looks. If you buy a baby from a breeder or petshop you don't really know what sort of bun you're getting. If you choose to adopt from a rescue centre you can pick a bun who's particulaly outgoing, or snuggly or whatever.

*You can let your boy 'pick his own' wifey. Some rescues allow you to bring your bun to 'date' the rabbits up for adoption, so he can pick his own friend. A bond made this way is far less likely to break down.

I'll look into it once i've persuaded the wife, i'd rather not get rid of the hutch as we only recently bought it about a month ago :( so would ring around rescues and see what they thought of our situation... I could always build a nice run on there as well, it's just that it's less than 6ft.....

i'd rather get a rescue bun anyway....
 
They would have free range of the garden as it's all been bunny proofed :D

Please be aware of foxes (and cats) with free range outdoors. Sorry, I know I'm sounding all negative now, :)oops:) it's just that you hear so many stories on here of people losing buns this way. There are things you can add to your fence to stop cats and foxes getting into your garden. I'm not sure how effective they are but maybe worth looking into?

As for the hutch - do you have room for a shed in your garden? A shed could be the best option, as it would be bigger, and allow you to add levels. You could keep the hutch you have inside it for a 'base' (that's what I do). It would also be nice and dry in poor weather, and if you attached an aviary it would be preditor proof as well. Of course that could work out quite expensive, but you could get a bargin second hand one. Check out ebay or your local paper.

Here's mine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip9IcoHLMJI

There are loads of other setup ideas on here too. Check out the 'housing' section. :D
 
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