We have been asked by a friend if we can take over ownership of his gorgeous rabbit and i was wondering what peoples experiences with rabbits and babies?
I recently took DD to a petting zoo and she was freaked out by the rabbits but i'm sure with more exposure and reassurance by us both she will be fine.
We will be given a hutch for the rabbit to live in, and was told that they cost bugger all to feed and maintain.
Though we do get quite a few spiders out this way, and the rabbit will be an outside one though we have a very enclosed backyard so we can let it out to play (or whatever rabbits do LOL)
Do they need regular vet check ups, vaccinations??
We have guinea pigs, i'm guessing they're the same as rabbits
Ours are kept in their hutch but my kids take them out to play. We don't let them wander around the yard because they could escape. DD has made a little pen that she sits in with them while they're out. I can't see any problem with Kailey having a pat every now and then.
I buy bags of food from Petstock for around $8 which last aaages! We put straw in the bottom of their hutch which you can buy from petstock, we get it from the local produce shop free, we have to gather it up off their floor, it's just the bits that fall off the bundles. We give them vegie scraps to eat and carrots every day along with their food. You can also buy food from the supermarket but Petstock is cheaper.
They're pretty easy to maintain, you've pretty much just got to make sure they're fed and have water. I guess they'd need to be wormed a couple of times a year, I've never wormed ours . Maybe ask about that at a pet shop.
I've been tossing up whether to get a rabbit or kitten and i think a rabbit will be a lot easier to look after and much nicer than a kitten. Plus this rabbit is absolutely gorgeous.
I actually breed mini lops. Rabbits are great fun, and I've found them very useful as therapy pets. Kids can get freaked out by dogs, cats are very selective, but a bunny is generally not threatening and quite placid depending upon the breed.
For kids pets... male are by far generally the better pet. They can sometimes spray (mostly to mark their cage of if they smell other rabbits around) but they don't go through PMS like females do. Even my most docile female becomes downright feral and vicious when she wants to have babies. Males will also use a kitty litter tray if you want to contain their poo. Bunny and guinea pig poo holds up to four times its weight in water so is good as a mulch as well as a fertiliser. Guinea pig poo is actually big business in South America.
It is best not to let them roam free in the back yard for a number of reasons. 1. Hawks and other predatory birds will be a problem. 2. Dogs and foxes may break into the back yard. 3. Cats could come in and stress them out. 4.Depending on how long their hair is, they can get caught on weeds and bushes and will thrash about to free themselves. I've seen bunnies shatter their legs from getting caught on weeds or fear from cats etc.
Bunnies can eat most kitchen scraps and garden weeds, including banana skins, toast, etc.
You generally wont need to do regular check ups, bunnies usually wont let you know there is something wrong until they're on deaths door and then it's usually too late. You can get them vaccinated for mixi and calicivirus, but I don't. I used to but I noticed (as have many breeders I have contact with) that those who were vaccinated started to have huge fertility issues (severely reduced litter sizes, pre-term labour, stillbirths) where they didn't have them before. I've never lost any bunnies to these viruses but my friend has lost around 15 when she had an outbreak so its up to you whether you think its worth the $40 per year on vaccination. I have heard through the breeder traps that those who vaccinate only vaccinate adults (6 months +) and that you only need to do it for two years to be covered, but I'm not sure about how correct that is.
If you live near Canberra, Powell's Stockfeeds in Phillip is the best place to buy food, and they also have a book there by Christine Carter (president of the Canberra Rabbit club) that has everything you ever wanted to know about bunnies. You and your daughter could even participate in the pet section of the show. Costs $1 per entry, and they can win prizes for twitchiest nose, most like owner etc.
Hope that helps.
Registered User
Rabbits
. Maybe ask about that at a pet shop.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks