Before I can fully get a rabbit...

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FallenRabbit

Well-Known Member
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Jul 16, 2012
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San Diego, California, USA
So before I can start making a cage and buying supplies for a rabbit, I need to ask if having a rabbit is Ok. All the other times I mention rabbits to my mom she thinks they are messy and poop constantly. She worked at a pet store when she was a teenager, so she would clean the cages. I only want one rabbit, one rabbit doesn't create anywhere close to a bunch of petstore rabbits. Any idea on how to change her mind? It is not my dad who I have to convice, it is my mom. Ideas?
I want to try to make a deal.. like in about a week I can start buying supplies while doing all the chores I can without complaning, which I normally dont do. Then around my birthday (32 days from now) I will think about what rabbit I want to get and from where...
Any ideas? :shock:
 
Rabbits can live for more than 10 years. What are you going to do with a pet rabbit if you live in a college dorm?

Instead of getting a rabbit this summer, I'd suggest doing some volunteer work at a shelter or rescue group. Catsandrabbitsandmore.com is a great site & happens to be right there in San Diego. Check it out & see if you want to contact them or someplace else. Maybe then after awhile you could house a foster rabbit while a rescue group finds a forever home for him.
 
Okay, just had to ask....:)

You are definitely old enough to understand rabbits and take care of one. However (I'm gonna sound like a parent here) unfortunately part of life is "doing what your parents tell you" right? Lol.....

But, with that being said, I can see both sides.

For one, your mom is absolutely right...rabbits do poop and pee aLOT and they are messy. Even one. I can't go one day without cleaning up after Agnes otherwise I smell her litterbox and her cage gets a bit messy. Rabbits also dig, chew, rearrange, throw hay everywhere, they are, well, messy. When people ask me if rabbits smell I always say that they themselves don't smell but their pee does and if not kept up on it can be a nuisance.

Now, that's not to say rabbits don't make wonderful pets. I love Agnes dearly but she is alot of work. Rabbits definitely don't make good let's being stuck in a cage 24/7 and forgotten about.

And I'm not saying you will or won't do this. You could be very serious and passionate about taking care of a rabbit. But I don't know you and I'm not your parents :) have you had pets before that you "promised" to take care of but didn't? Do you have school activities or social time with friends that keep you busy? And what about college in a few years or moving out on your own? Rabbits can live for 10 years, sometimes more. Would you take bunny with? What about food, litter, hay, veggies, vet costs.

Now again, I don't know you and you could have the best intentions here but you do still have to answer to your parents. That's life! ;) if you really want a rabbit and are serious about taking on the work, than do your research on all these issues and bring the facts back to your parents. Show them this is important to you and that you know what is involved. If it is the smell your mom is worried about, tell her how you will tackle that. Look into the cage size you will need and the cost. Supplies, food, hay, veggies..tell her how you will cover that. Where will you keep the cage and the bunny? Is that area bunny proofed? Etc, etc, etc.......

I'm rooting for you if this is something you really can commit to. This is a great forum with lots of info to learn about rabbits.

Best of luck to you!! :)
 
Hi FallenRabbit! When I was reading your post I was thinking that I would have been doing the same thing you are if my parents weren't already into having animals around. We did have rabbits and other animals and since I liked them so much taking care of them wasn't a big deal to me.

I have a 14-year-old daughter. She really wanted a rabbit a few years back but came to hate the responsibility of the daily care. We're on our second rabbit now and I'm the primary caretaker of this one--she just pitches in occassionally but only on feeding and giving Jack attention. Taking care of a rabbit is a lot more work than I expected. They get lonely and need attention every day without exception. If they are outdoor bunnies they need protection from the weather. Mine is temporarily living in my kitchen because of the heat and I have to clean his cage out every 1-2 days. (Yes, he poops a lot!) I also can't let him out right now because he's a male and sprays urine all over the place.

I have seen pet situations go both ways--reluctant parents wind up really liking pets once they have themor parents winding up with total care of a pet a kid promised to care for. I do think it would be best to have mom on board because there are likely to be times when you'll need help, funds for a vet visit, etc. We did have a neighbor who bought their daughter a rabbit and it did live for ten years--they were caring for it long after she went off to college.

We love having a rabbit but it's good to know what you're getting into.
 
Honestly the smell is so much better after they are fixed. For the two weeks we had Sophie before she was spayed I would come into the house and it would smell like a barn, I hated it! Within a couple weeks all the hormones were gone and so was the smell. I have 4 house rabbits and you would never know by smell (the toys all over might be a hint though).

The biggest concern I would have is what happens to your bun when you go to college. I have seen so many come into the SPCA because their people went away to school. It's very sad and the rabbits really suffer emotionally.

What about the possibility of fostering? So many shelters and rescues are in desperate need of fosters. This way you can assure your mom that if you stop taking care of the rabbit it can go back. You would be providing a stable, loving environment for rabbits in need. Then you also wouldn't have the long commitment, but still will have the companionship. Once you get settled as an adult you will have plenty of experience to get a rabbit to keep.
 
I second the possibility of fostering a rabbit. :) Getting a rabbit was a big decision for me, especially since I'll be going away to college in a year. I have a job, I have to work enough to make enough money to care for the rabbit. My parents do not help with the cost of the rabbit, the only thing they ever helped pay for was her spay. Since I am close enough to actually going to college, I have a plan: I will be going to an in-state college, and will live with my parents until I find an apartment to stay in that allows pets. I honestly think you're too far off from all that to pick a pet that lives such a long time; You could try foster care, or maybe get a pet that doesn't live quite so long. I have had pet rats; I know they sound gross, but they actually make great pets! They're very smart and generally clean, and they live a maximum of four years.
 
While rats, in my opinion, are one of the most social and intelligent animals on the planet, I don't recommend them unless you are financial independent. Since they only live 2-3 years, you get most of the "elder care" costs acquired with other animals pile on throughout most of their lives since they age so quickly. In the three years I had them, total care was well over 2k. And I'm in college. If I hadn't been saving since I was 11 and working 40 hrs a week during school breaks since i was 15 I never would have been able to have them.

As for your bunny, I would look into fostering as others suggested. I got my bunnies at 16 and had to leave them for 3 yrs while at college (because they take up so much room. My mom and sister are very fond of them and were kind enough to care for them for me. If your parents were not as zealous, then it might not be a good match.

Also, they are A LOT of work. I sweep up twice a day, have to account for 2-3 hours a day where I can supervise them to their play time and if I go more than 3 days without changing the litter (I do it every other day) you would think I had 20 bunnies!
 
I get the college situation. I have 2 desert tortoises, they can live up to 80 years. My parents plan to keep them in their backyard till I have a house of my own, for the tortoises. Right now I'm thinking of just saving up for one. Then later on I will plan more. Thanks for the advice.
 
Another nice thing about fostering is that you are not on the hook for the medical bills, which can add up so fast. I have had three rabbits get sick. The cheapest one was $800 for treatment and she still ended up getting PTS. The most expensive I have spent well over 2k to keep her healthy.
 
I'm actually spending 2 years at a communtity college near my house then going to a private college for two years to be a vet(min.)
I will be able to house my rabbit for sure for an extra two years then have an apartment for the other two years im going to the private college.
 
Tell your mom about litter training and good litters that help with odour. Also make sure you clean on a regular basis and get the litter box really clean. Spayed or neutered rabbits tend to smell less than intact ones. Rabbits also have scent glands which may become smelly and need to be cleaned. Rabbits are generally very clean animals with little to no odour. I have 7 rabbits and don't notice any smell from them unless I get really close to the litter box.
I use wood pellet litter, and scrub out the litter boxes once a week with vinegar. My rabbits are litter trained, so not much in the way of poops or pee in the cage.

Rabbits in pet stores tend to be young and not litter trained. There tend to be anywhere from 1 to 6+ in a cage at a time, so that amounts to a lot of poop. Pet stores also tend to want to keep the cages really clean, so that means cleaning more often.

 
Is there someone you know that has a rabbit? If so, see if you can get mom over there to do a meet and greet. And rabbits are 4 legged, furry, poop machines so they need to be cleaned daily.
 
Only my neighboor. I'm going to just bring it up tonight. Not get very invovled it in, just say "Are you forever forbidding rabbits in this house?"
 
FallenRabbit wrote:
Only my neighboor. I'm going to just bring it up tonight. Not get very invovled it in, just say "Are you forever forbidding rabbits in this house?"
Click to expand...

Maybe use a positive approach like "What can I do to show you I'll be responsible & how do I need to set things up so I can have a pet rabbit?"

Be prepared to talk about who you'd use an xpen or nic panels, what litter you'd use [wood pellets], what hay, pellets, greens, etc costs, about vet bills, etc. If you have it all planned out, your odds of success are better than if you're vague.
 
LakeCondo wrote:
FallenRabbit wrote:
Only my neighboor. I'm going to just bring it up tonight. Not get very invovled it in, just say "Are you forever forbidding rabbits in this house?"
Click to expand...

Maybe use a positive approach like "What can I do to show you I'll be responsible & how do I need to set things up so I can have a pet rabbit?"

Be prepared to talk about who you'd use an xpen or nic panels, what litter you'd use [wood pellets], what hay, pellets, greens, etc costs, about vet bills, etc.  If you have it all planned out, your odds of success are better than if you're vague.
Click to expand...
Yes, Im taking notes as we speak. May ask her tonight.
 
Nancy McClelland wrote:
Is there someone you know that has a rabbit? If so, see if you can get mom over there to do a meet and greet. And rabbits are 4 legged, furry, poop machines so they need to be cleaned daily.
Click to expand...

Or three legged poop machine doorstops! Like someone spilt their marbles!!

Also, write down possible reasons your parents may have followed by an answer for good rebuttle lol. Plus the extra work shows you want one and wont be a short lived thing.

Ex. Rabbits stink! If thrir fixed they smell less and mskes potty training easier so smells centralized mainly from box instead of cage=easy clean up!

Eta: also buns make great fertilizer for gardens! As in their droppings not them. And they dont bark or meow.
 
fuzz16 wrote:
Nancy McClelland wrote:
Is there someone you know that has a rabbit? If so, see if you can get mom over there to do a meet and greet. And rabbits are 4 legged, furry, poop machines so they need to be cleaned daily.
Click to expand...

Or three legged poop machine doorstops! Like someone spilt their marbles!!

Also, write down possible reasons your parents may have followed by an answer for good rebuttle lol. Plus the extra work shows you want one and wont be a short lived thing.

Ex. Rabbits stink! If thrir fixed they smell less and mskes potty training easier so smells centralized mainly from box instead of cage=easy clean up!

Eta: also buns make great fertilizer for gardens! As in their droppings not them. And they dont bark or meow.
Click to expand...
My mom will like my notes and my dad will like the fertilizer idea. LOL
 
When I was younger and I wanted something I would be the most amazing child a good month or two months in advance. Picking up extra chores, helping with dinner, going to sleep on time... yadda yadda

When it was time for me to pop that question, there was no way for them to say no :)

BUT I always kept true with my promises, if I promised I would clean the rabbit poop I made sure I did. Things like that also secure a "yes" for the next want :)

shhhh dont tell my mom LOL!
 
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