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Post by newpig on Mar 23, 2008 19:10:32 GMT
I'd really like to know what any of you with rabbits think of them as pets, how you find they are with children, what sort of vaccinations, annual treatments they have to have etc?
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Post by Val Amirault-Vale on Mar 23, 2008 21:55:39 GMT
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Post by Melza on Mar 24, 2008 7:56:28 GMT
i love rabbits! they make great pets! certain breeds are better than others with kids, you'll want to look into the more docile of the breeds. minilops are normally good *but thats an NZ minilop.. which means, you'll be looking for a holland lop* and i personally love the dutches, because they are quite intelligent. but all said and done, any cross breed rabbit that has been brought up well will be friendly with kids. im not sure about vaccinations over your end, ours have to get done for RCV rabbit calici virus, but thats all they have to get done for. you can take them in for yearly check ups, but really, they are healthy animals. they really are great pets, i have found them to be more similar to cats than to rodents *i know rabbits are not rodents...* so yea!
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Post by newpig on Mar 24, 2008 9:21:51 GMT
My sister-in-law has a lop but she finds that my guinea pigs are a lot more cuddly and friendly than her rabbit. It always put me off them in the past but am thinking might venture into one or two!
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Post by mweekieme on Mar 24, 2008 9:25:06 GMT
I used to have a dutch and a dwarf lop. Both were male, but I have to say, I did prefer my Dutch (Skippy) to my lop (Thumper), as Thumper was very skittish around me for some reason, whereas Skippy used to allow me to stroke him. Mweekie!
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Post by Melza on Mar 24, 2008 23:32:50 GMT
thats odd. minilops over here are the most docile of all breeds, but im sure everywhere is different. if you get any young rabbit and give it lots of loving and careful handling, then they will all turn out sweet!
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Post by newpig on Mar 25, 2008 9:25:51 GMT
I'd like to find one or two that are up for adoption so thinking they might not be so young. Just wondering what I might be in for as when I was looking into getting the piggies I was told buns can be quite aggressive.
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Post by Melza on Mar 25, 2008 9:31:39 GMT
CAN being the operative word.
most rabbits are not agressive, and you would want to look for those which arent.
rabbits are not naturally agressive, it is *once again* the doing of man kind
if you are going to get 2, they will need to be fixed.
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Post by newpig on Mar 25, 2008 9:59:01 GMT
I have been trying to read up on rabbits and still a bit confused. I get the general impression that they are happier with company so thought two would be fairer on them. I'm still not sure what the best combination is but did think a neutered male and a spayed female. What do you think Mel? And what sort of size hutch and run would they need?
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Post by threelittlepigs on Mar 25, 2008 12:56:43 GMT
Good thread, newpig! I think I told you before that I considered having a rabbit before I thought of guinea pigs and I'm still quite intrigued by them...
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Post by newpig on Mar 25, 2008 13:04:59 GMT
It doesn't help that I keep seeing so many gorgeous lops!
I always wanted one as a child but my parents weren't having any of it. I want my children to be used to dealing with animals and have a good bond with them. I thought of rabbits before guinea pigs but decided the piggys would make a better family pet. I am so glad that we have them and they have become such a huge part of our lives.
I would eventually like to have a shelter for buns and piggys. Finances permitting I would like to look into having a couple of rabbits as pets now because they are so gorgeous and so that I can learn more about them.
However, I want to be 100% certain that I can take them on and give them a forever home before I commit.
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Post by Melza on Mar 25, 2008 19:54:24 GMT
yes, they do thrive on company of their own kind.
the nuetered male to spayed female is one of the best options around. you get the closest rabbit to rabbit bond that way.
if you are having them in outside runs, then bigger is better. one of the ones we have with 2 bunnies in it is about 2.8 m long by 2 m wide. i feel it is a decent sized hutch and the buns get room to stretch their legs out of the hutch aswell.
our other hutch is 3 m long by 1 m wide, its more of a long hutch than a square one, the rabbits tend to like running up and down it.
they do need fairly large hutches, depending ofcourse on the size rabbit you want to take on. but you can get away with smaller hutches if you give them plenty of run time out of the hutch.
i have had rabbits all my life and really do think they are awesome pets, they are right characters!
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Post by newpig on Mar 25, 2008 22:20:20 GMT
Melza I have been trawling round the internet (feels like have been on this computer all day!) and I found these 2 hutches on sites I have used before and found to be reliable. This seems to be among the biggest commercially made hutches can get here. What do you think of these for 2 buns? Lops and dutch seem to be the most widely available here. www.bitsforpets.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_2&products_id=3167www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/rabbit_hutches/53359#moreI still have to get a new hutch for Rodge and Podge too so hoping if I went for one of these and a 4' hutch for Rodge and Podge they might offer some discount.
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Post by PiggyPerson on Mar 25, 2008 23:30:27 GMT
those hutches look awesome o.O well to me anyways, i had a bunny when i was like 2, named zipper i dont remember him though, my parents gave me the description "grey bunny with droopy ears" anyways, my cousin has 2 bunnies, but i dont like their living conditions at all, 2 dog crates together, they never get handled (because they're vicious little boogers ) and they're kepy in a cold basement anyways enough of my negativity, good luck with your bunnies
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Post by Melza on Mar 26, 2008 5:29:24 GMT
oooh lucky!! i love dutches *as if i have not said this a thousand times before.. * they are so cute, and smart! it never ceases to amaze me how smart my Minty is... heh heh, everyone who comes around comments on how beautiful she is, apparently she is near on perfect in terms of colouring, i dont really care about that... she is beautiful on the inside! those hutches look very nice, about 100X better than the commercial hutches we get here! i have always liked the idea of 2 storey hutches. my only problem is how cold does it get where you are? since the run is on the floor... *and i presume there is wire on the bottom of the hutch... rabbits dig* that mightnt be so good for winter, the hutch part is up high which is good for keep heat, but the fact that the run is on the floor when you may get cold temps is a concern. unless you have some form of shed that it could go into during winter... the hutches i have were either made by my father *same guy who built my aviaries. hehehe* or bought seccond hand, our commercial cages really are quite pathetic. www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Pets-animals/Rabbits-Guinea-pigs/Other/photos/a-146655774/p-56660950.htmthats an example of one... i would love to show you a pic of the ones we sell at my work... then you could see why i tell people to shop else where! ;D i hope they will give you discount, those are so expensive hutches!!! *your currency is pounds? or euros? either way.. thats a lot of money in NZ terms! * and piggyxperson, rabbits are only viscious if they are badly handled/ not handled at all. or if their trust has been broken with people. they are not naturally viscious.
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Post by Stanley Max's Mummie on Mar 26, 2008 6:20:34 GMT
I would not go with a small breed if you have young children which I do not remember if you do. Meaning do not go with lionheads, mini lops, etc. flemish giants are very good breeds with children around. But it also depends too. Here is my flemmie I had. MeatHead My two lops. Abby Thumper
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Post by Melza on Mar 26, 2008 6:40:51 GMT
flemishes are lovely, but they are huge and do require a great deal of space.
there is no real reason why small breeds can not be around children.
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Post by threelittlepigs on Mar 26, 2008 8:12:52 GMT
I have been looking into rescuing a lionhead as I have read that they make good lap bunnies. They are so pretty too...
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Post by newpig on Mar 26, 2008 9:02:23 GMT
I've spoken to someone who owned lionheads, lops and dutch here in Northern Ireland and she said they were lovely buns. I guess its all individual experiences.
Thanks for your insight into the hutches Melza. The ones in NZ are a lot different. I can get a wide variety. There are the standard hutches like I have for the piggys but I preferred the idea of these for buns as they need so much more room. Any hutch with a run attached will be on the ground and no others have as much room. I am starting to run out of room so have to make a choice. Its either this large cage and no shed or a shed and a smaller hutch/run. It does get cold here in Winter but rabbits are generally kept outside here all year round and do well. I don't know of anyone who has lost one to the cold.
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Post by Melza on Mar 26, 2008 9:10:09 GMT
oh yea, NZ hutches are waaaay different, typical NZ, just has to be different LOL that is true they adapt i suppose? i mean, it makes 100% perfect sense to me, i mean our lot do fine outside during winter, i suppose if it got chilly over your end, they would just spend the day in bed! ;D LOL but in general, i really do like those hutches you are looking at, they really do look very good for a bun, if you could afford to get such hutches, i would advise them. exactly, i have never heard of the small breeds not being suitable for kids before, but each bun is different and how your bring them up around people makes all the difference.
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