Need Info on Bunnies

M.,

My boys are in a Montessori (Adobe in Chandler). I don't know how you feel about the Montessori method, but my kids are excelling. My 5 year old can already read, he started at 4. PLUS, it was cheaper than KinderCare (although I like the KinderCare on Chandler/Kyrene)

Good Luck

My family had bunnies when I was growing up in Ohio. We kept them inside in a cage during the winter months, and outside in a cage during the warmer months. (They need moderate temperatures, nothing too extreme). We fed them bunny food (it's like little grain pellets you can get at any pet store), and they also ate a lot of vegetable scraps (carrot tops, leftover lettuce parts, etc). They poop a lot. We had a cage that let the dirty stuff, for the most part, fall through the bottom onto a removable tray, to make cleaning up a bit easier (though it was still a pain). I have met super-nice and very smart rabbits-- my friend had a large white bunny with floppy ears, which she could actually take for walks around her back yard and which acted almost like a dog. However, the bunnies we had (smaller, and with straight ears) were, truth be told, kind of weird pets. They didn't really enjoy being held, and always seemed kind of freaked out. They were super soft and very cute though. Personally, I like cats better than bunnies as pets. About the same amount of work, but a lot more loving interaction as a reward for all the effort of cleaning the cat litter etc... Oh and we never washed our bunnies that I can recall, they seemed to keep themselves pretty clean. We also used to put out a moveable fence (made of chicken wire I think?) to let them hop around for a while outside, so they could get their exercise. And as someone else mentioned, they do have nails that can get pretty sharp and are sort of difficult to trim.

My son and family have had domestic bunnies for some time. For starters, I don't know about your 3-yr old with a bunny. Bunnies kick and fight (when afraid) with their hind feet which are powerful and have big sharp toenails. My son & family had one bunny in house that was litter trained just like a cat. Most of them they kept out in back yard. Backyard was enclosed with cement block fence. Beware, bunnies can dig just like a cat or dog. If out in backyard, do you live in a neighborhood where you must be concerned about coyotes and threats such as that. Do you have flower plants and/or gardens? My son had his backyard all landscaped nicely ... forget that. Bunnies ate all the vegetation. Domestic bunnies also make good meat. Meat is just like white meat on a chicken. They did have a neighbor at one time that got one (they found out much later), and made it the Sunday dinner. But in long run, they like their bunnies. Hope I have just given you some realistic facts and have not depressed you.

I can't give you advise on bunnies. But we've had hamsters and now we have guinea pigs. The hamsters are ok, but not much fun to play with since they are nocturnal (the wheel squeaks all night too). The guinea pigs are great with the kids. They are kinda like bunnies (smaller ears though). They are easy to take care of and are gentle with the kids and love to cuddle on their laps and eat. Whatever you choose, maybe check out a book at the library first to help you decide.

My son's friend is wanting to give away a bunny. If you want one for free.

You need to check out my sister's website section on rabbits at http://petsweekly.com/Pet_Rabbits_Need.htm

It is a brilliant resource for all things pet and if you have any questions, she is definitely the one to ask...email her through her website and she will get back to you.

Good luck and remember to watch your kids carefully around any kind of pet not just for their safety, but for the safety of the animal. It takes some time for kids to learn the correct behavior around animals so that they don't upset them or hurt them inadvertantly. Also, in Arizona heat, ALL pets should be kept indoors until the heat subsides.

We kind of learned by experience on bunnies. We bought 3 bunnies about 3 years ago and just winged it. We really didn't know anything about bunnies and our youngest at the time being only about 2 we didn't have much luck. Our little one always wanted to hold them and play with them and not knowing that bunnies can actually be 'scared to death' we lost one in that fashion and the others met their fate trying to get away from the little one. Needless to say we didn't try it again for a while. Now my youngest is about 5 and we recently bought two adult rabbits and they are doing very good with them. We built their cage our selves and do keep them outside in the shade and feed them twice a day. We make sure their water dish is always full which entails us going out about 4-6 times a day to make sure they have water. Our rabbits are on the bigger side and drink ALOT of water. We bought an alfafa bail at Wal Mart for about $4.00 and also some rabbit food for about the same price and we put quite a bit in their cage and they eat as they get hungry. We also go to our local little grocery store here and get the lettuce and carrots that are to old for them to sell but still good and give that to the rabbits. They can eat a whole head of lettuce in one day. We have only had our rabbits about three months and are going to build them a bigger 'house' soon so they have more room to climb and play. Their restroom usage is very easy to clean up also. Their poop are little round balls that are easy to sweep up and don't give off any kind of terrible smell and can be used in your plants and trees as a furtilizer also. I think your kids will enjoy having the bunnies and it will teach them some responsibilities.

Hi M.,
Growing up my son attended a pre school that had a bunny that was allowed to run free during the day and the children were allowed to take him home for weekends. He was adorable and my sons fell in love with him. He was trained fairly well to a litter box. My husband decided to purchase one of our own for the boys with the cage and everything else. Since the one at school was allowed to run free for a while, they allowed ours to in our home as well until one day he got behind our TV/ stereo system and chewed into the wires. Luckily we were home, because it singed the poor bunny and completely destroyed our very expensive stereo receiver. We were not aware but apparently they are attracted to electrical wires.

I didn't have time to read the previous responses so I may be restating things here but here is my two cents:

Yes. Bunnies make great first pets, but as with any pet don't buy one if you expect it to sit alone in the backyard. Me have a 3 year old male rabbit (thought we bought a female, but surprise a few months later when his testicles dropped). We propmtly had him neutered which eliminates the male need to "sprat" their territory, it also makes the males more docile.

He is a "house bunny" and has free roam of the house about 2-3 hours a day. He is litter box trained and will return to his open cage to urinate and poop. If we remove the cage for cleaning while he is out he will poop where the litter box usually sits. I put a layer of strong cat litter in the bottom of the litter box and cover with the soft bedding that covers the bottom of the cage. It is ridiculously expense white recycled paper stuff that you buy at PetCo but it is amazing for oder control.

he desn't have the cage with the wire floor. I think they are cruel. He has the three story "ferrit" cage. Poops on the bottom level, eats on the second and sleeps on the third.

I have heard you need to provide them with a covered sleeping area but our rabbit has been out in the open in the midst of chasos since day one and is fine. He flops on his side when bored and just stares at us eating dinner (which usually gets him fed some of the leftover veggies).

Timmothy hay is neccessary for their "grazing" needs and help their urine smell better. We feed ours a seed mixture, fresh veggies and a chewable log to help his teeth grind down.

You need to trim their nails, brush their coat and we only wash ours when he has been in the fireplace. (We usually block it off when he is roaming but occasionally we forget and our white bunny turns black). He went comotose the first full bath he had (I thought I'd killed him) so I don't reccomend it unless you have a mess. We usually just "spot clean" his paws with baby wipes if he treads on something that discolors the white fur.

I hope this helps. Long I know, but we love our bunny and he truly has a fun personality. (they are also great because you can leave them for a weekend vacation, unlike a dog).

Google "house bunnies" for more indoor bunny care ideas.

they need to be inside during the summer, and they stink. we changed our cage every few days and they still smelled bad. its their urine not their poopies. I never washed mine but had to trim their nails and you can brush them, if they get a hair knot you will need to cut it out. We were all allergic to ours, I would take the family to a pet store or local feed store that sell them and hold, and rub near face to make sure noone is allergic. Good luck.http://www.fuzzy-rabbit.com/ check out this site

Don't buy them, my neighbor is wanting to get rid of her 2 bunnies and will give them away for free. She just isn't a pet type person and doesn't want them anymore, let me know if you want them, or anyone else reading this post. We live in the Queen Creek area. Oh, and they are both female rabbits. ____@____.com

Rabbits make awesome first pets! I am not sure about the 3 year old but the 7 year old will get much joy and fun out of a bunny! First they don’t smell if well taken care of! My sister has one who lives in her very small city condo with her and unless she goes weeks without cleaning her cage you would never know she had a rabbit! They are like cats in that they can be walked on a leash outside and are easily litter box trained and that makes for cleaning the cage easier. There is little care involved with their fur, you just need to brush them and make sure that their claws are cleaned and once a month their anal glands, which is easily done! I would suggest you NOT go to a pet store but rather a rabbit rescue. They had a ton of rabbits that need great homes and they will have them already neutered (which also cuts down on the smell). A rescue is also there for you for the life of the rabbit and will usually help with cutting nails, and such. If you want two they should either be very young or a bit older and bonded to each other. Rabbits can some times get a little territorial and not like having a new guy invade, again if you go through a rescue you can pick two and they will keep them and help them bond before sending them home! My only suggestion is that you avoid the cute fluffy long haired bunnies… They take a lot of brushing and eye care which is not a good idea for a little one’s first time pet! In the Arizona heat I would say that they are better kept inside besides the more they are handled the friendlier they are! They sell rabit cages that are single and two story, the rescue my sister worked with uses a bedding called yesterdays news for the litter Opals litter box. She also has toys she plays with when no one is around. The Rabbit is out to play a few hours a day and her litter pan comes out and sits next to the cage and she uses it instead of the floor which is nice!She also loves nothing more then to be turned on her back and held for a nice nap! Her diet is lots of dark green leaves, timothy hay and a high grade pellet food. She gets treats once or twice a day but other then that she is really easy to care for!
I see that you are in Mesa, you might take a look at Rascally Rabbit Rescue, they have rabbits that are up for adoption that you and your girls can look at! http://www.rascallyrabbitrescue.org/ They might also have an open house/visitor hours so that you can go and look at the rabbits and make sure this is the pet for the family! Good luck!

HI M.- I will be honest you are getting into a lot. I had 5 bunnies growing up and my parents helped me alot but they were alot of work. I loved them so much and they are great little animals but here is the part that was not so fun.
They do need to be indoors in this heat. It is way too hot even on a patio with water and ice. We had them inside and I would let them run around my room but the pooping is crazy and the worst thing is that their urine smells so so bad. You can litter box a bunny which is great but that does not stop the smell.
You do not have to bathe them, some brushing just like any other animal to prevent hairballs etc. You need to keep an eye on their teeth as well and have plenty of toys for them to chew on so their teeth do not get too long or other issues will happen. The bunnies cannot be together as they get very territorial and will fight. The other thing is if the pet store or vet makes a mistake and does not tell you the right sex you will have tons of bunnies. That is what happened to us and had a little of 5 but kept all of them since I could not part with them. They were my babies. I suppose if they get the sex right and you start a male and female out together they can live together and not have babies. There is alot that goes into bunnies- I dont think my parents realized it when they got me my first one- then my husband(boyfriend at the time) rescued a female from a pet store for me and they had 5. We built a huge enclosure for them outside as well as on the patio and I had 3 cages in my room during the summer.
I really hope I have not come across as a party pooper- I loved my bunnies so much and they gave me so so much love and joy but my daughter has been asking and she is 8. After all I did to keep my bunnies safe etc I dont want her to have to do all that at such a young age. The vet bills were crazy too since they are unpredictable animals and dont have a very long lifespan. That was the worst part of it for me.
If you really want to get bunnies I would talk to numerous vets to get alot of feedback- research them online and talk to people that have had bunnies.
The scariest thing for me is because of their urine smell people tend to leave them outside in the shade and I personally do not agree with that. They are fragile little animals and should not be in the heat.
If you have any other questions I would love to help:)
D.