We are considering buying a rabbit? What should we be warned about?

This is going to be our first family pet, but we just moved into a new home and we are worried about how messy a rabbit can be. Are they high maintanaince? What are we really getting ourselves into? We would like to consider all the negatives before we make the commitment.We are considering buying a rabbit? What should we be warned about?
Frankly, ignore the advice that rabbits are only good kept outdoors and that they stink. Like any animal, it's all in how you do as a pet owner, how well you care for them, and how much love and affection you give them.





We've kept house rabbits for many years now, and they are a joy! We keep ours indoors in large, two level cages. They are litter trained, though even the best trained bunny will still leave occasional pellets behind when out and about. But they never pee except for in their litter boxes, and the pellets are easy enough to pick up because they are hard. Dumping the litter box twice a week is usually sufficient to prevent odor.





I highly recommend getting a rabbit that is older, perhaps a year old, rather than a baby. Rabbit personalities shift a bit when they go through puberty (4-6 months) so when you get an older bunny, the personality you start with is the one you'll keep.





Try going through a local rescue, shelter, or house rabbit society for a bunny, because they will be able to provide information on the rabbit's personality and level of training and social nature.





If you're not fond of shedding, get a rex (full size or mini) or a satin. I adore Hollands, but they do shed quite a bit. Also, all rabbits go through a major coat change twice a year when they will shed a great deal. Keep them brushed to prevent problems with hairballs.





Get your bunny spayed or neutered, especially if it is a female. Female bunnies will develop uterine cancer after the age of three otherwise.





Finally, every bunny has a distinct personality, and nearly every one will respond to love, gentleness and attention. Of our four current bunnies, three were rescues, two from abusive situations, and they all adore being cuddled and petted and fed yummy treats.We are considering buying a rabbit? What should we be warned about?
Well rabbits can be trained to use a litter box,, but do not be mistaken it is not as easy as training a cat.. The best way to have a indoor rabbit is to have a cage that can be cleaned daily,, and by daily I would advise that for a indoor animal of this stature especially during the summer months (flys love to lay their larvae in the droppings) also if you let the rabbit run loose I would be on big watch as they love to chew wires, rabbits are more destructive than people tend to think. Also the way that you treat your rabbit will depend on their attitude toward you and people . I have had some that where wonderful but like the one that I recently rescued she was so mean no matter what I did she would no kidding attack. I still have her but she has made cuddling and bonding time a little tricky, I really have to put on my bird catching glove just to feed her sometimes because she is that mean. You can also have your rabbit spayed or neuter now a days so that would be something that I would have done for sure as it can help in some of the natural hormones that all animals produce,, good luck with your new pet you will do great%26gt;
check the eyes,ears,skin,mouth,anal region.


EYES:should be clear nd no sign of pigmentation or irritation.


EARS:should be pink inside and no unpleasent odour.


SKIN:the skin should not be oily or flaky.the hair must be firm when you stroked the rabbit.


ANAL REGION:should be clean and dry.there should be no signs of discharge.
They bite HARD! My cousins rabbit bit me when I was 2, I still have the scar after 11 years!
drop the idea .i earlier had rabbits as pets.their drawbacks are that they poop a lot and their toilet stinks like anything.also i had 2 rabbits one male and other female and they used to breed quite often which again got us into trouble as to what to do of so many babies.finally my dad got irritated and distributed all the rabbits among his friends on the assumption that they will take good care of them.sadly one of his stupid friend made dinner of one of my rabbit,some died due to illness.i will never forgive my dad for this.i was young then and could not do anything.so i would like to conclude if you dont have a farm and want to keep rabbits indoors then i dont think it is such a good idea.anyways it is upto you.
May I suggest a small dog? Or, if that isn't a possibility perhaps an aquarium.


A rabbit is okay, but their urine is strongly acidic. We had rabbits when i was a kid. You will need to provide a secure hutch, or cage, to protect him from predators. The bottom will need to be wire mesh that will support him, but allow his droppings will go through. He will need to be located in a cool area during the hot months and will need a box or shelter inside his cage for winter. Rabbits will need to be fed daily and it isn't hard, but they have special food and need water too.


They can be pretty fun though if you have a nice set up and baby rabbits are really fun to play with- plus you can sell them- (or raise them and eat them)


They can't live in your house.
just check it first for big, pointy teeth. you dont want to inadvertantly get your hands on a killer rabbit. Unless, of course, you have a holy hand grenade of antioch, if not, RUNAWAY!!
My wife ( a former rabbit owner) swears by the ';House Rabbit Handbook'; by Marinell Harriman


http://www.amazon.com/House-Rabbit-Handb鈥?/a>





The About.com pages are usually helpful. They also have online forums where you can post questions. People are always willing to help out


http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rabbits/a鈥?/a>
Rabbits are great pets. I have two right now, and have had four total. They require a lot of home care, like cleaning the cage, needs to be done twice a week minimum. I had a house rabbit for a while, we litter trained him, but if they are not litter trained, they do mess all over, and can become territorial of the entire area they are allowed. They don't require much veterinary care, but I would take them for a ';healthy pet'; exam when you first get them. Before you buy, examine the teeth to make sure they are growing straight. Malocclusion is a common disorder in rabbits when the teeth do not grow out straight. Rabbit teeth grow constantly, so they need something to chew at all times, which will wear healthy teeth down naturally. If the rabbit has malocclusion, their teeth may need to be trimmed because they can't wear them down naturally. If everything looks fine, they are not expensive pets to keep, and I highly recommend them. Also, it is a very good idea to have them neutered or spayed. They have very strong reproductive impulses!
I keep mine outside. The only thing to worry about is they scratching small children. Their feet can do horrible damage to a childs arms. Otherwise, no worries other than the fact they love to chew EVERYTHING!
Rabbits can be messy but they can be litter box trained. If you fill the boxes with wood stove pellets or care fresh it won't smell. I swear by wood stove pellets. They are cheap and plentiful. I suggest that you keep it inside as it will become more of a family member and more closely bonded to you. If indoors it will alos be happier and healthier. Here are some great websites.
had a nice farm rabbit once, best one but it was outside. got a dwarf one, mad as hell, crazy mad. tried to keep it in the house, stunk bad. really up to you, some people train thier's to run around the house, personally i can't see one going back to use the washroom ever time. good luck.
Unless you keep it in a cage it will potty any and everywhere.
Rabbits can be great pets if given the attention necessary to make them a great pet. Like all animals, they need attention or you will not be able to handle them. I would suggest buying a rabbit from a breeder instead of a pet store. Go for a breed like a Holland Lop, Mini Lop or a Mini Rex. They are smaller and cute with usually great personalities. If you are keeping it inside, I would not get a male as they will spray their urine and you will end up with yellow walls. Rabbits can be kept outside in a cage as long as they are kept out of the weather and still given much love and attention, like any pet. Try this website for more information on rabbits http://www.arba.net/
yes they are very messy, you have to clean their cage just about everyday and when they go to the bathroom it's a very potent wierd smell, oh and don't feed them cabbage ever, I guess they can't have cabbage, my girlfriends rabbit died because she fed him cabbage and didn't know she wasn't supposed to.
Rabbits can make great pets but they can require lots of care. If you do not change their bedding daily or every other day, they can get stinky. Also, they tend to poop ALOT! Other than those downfalls, they can be a wonderful pet. Good luck!
they love to chew on all cords and anything they can find
I have 18 outside rabbits...some are big babies just pets all around...some are psychotic no matter how much we fool with them. a rabbit in the house?,,,be warned...a rabbit STINKS and when they pee they pee ALOT and thats where the smell comes in. its really strong and you would have to change the bedding at LEAST once a day to keep them fresh. as far as being a pet rabbits are social animals they like company but yes they will scratch and scratch bad if not picked up just how they like or startled a little bit...or if they just arent in the mood right now....on the up side..unlike a dog or cat if you get tired of bunny you can always have him for dinner lol im kidding our bunnies arent dinner.
My sister and I have had about 8-9 rabbits at once so we know alot about them, First of all a rabbit is a great family pet. But there are some things you need to look out for. One is, if you have small kids you will need to make sure that the rabbit does not bite (the kind of rabbit has alot to do with it- we have had a meat rabbit and an angora rabbit- the meat rabbit which is sometimes a good pet to have does bite if your not careful, the angora rabbit would not bite at all even if you stick your finger in its face but remember those are our rabbits) next you will have to consider if the rabbit is too scared to be picked up, Make sure you get a rabbit that has been handled alot. next beleve it or not but you can train a rabbit to go the bathroom in what is called the rabbit litter box. though some rabbits will or will not. if you keep the rabbit inside you will need to make sure you clean out the the diamonds about 2-3 times a week or else it starts to smell. rabbits do not shed a hole lot but you will need to brush their hair once a week to avoid getting mats. then you will need to trim their nails once to twice a month. It may sound like a lot of work when you read this but really its great for kids to learn responsibility and they are alot of fun when you get to put a leash on your rabbit and take him or her for a walk in your backyard. I say go for it. you will not regret it. I promise