was adviced against getting a bunny :(

[rabbidu]

I wanted to get a holland lop rabbit but was adviced against doing so by a pet shop owner because their urine smells too bad to keep them in-house and they are too timid. Was adviced to get a chinchilla instead.
That sounds kind of suspicious, I've heard their urine smells bad but not that much if their cage is cleaned regularly.

So I have few questions:

1. urine smell
-really that bad?
-how often to clean cage?
-any anti-odor sprays maybe?

2. what should cage floor be made of to not hurt their feet and soak the urine?

3. Do I need to cut its fingernails? I mean do they keep growing and break and make them bleed or is it done to prevent them from scratching people.

4. How likely are they to bite or scratch a stranger?

Thanks.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Unlike some other animals, rabbit manure doesn't smell at all, but their urine is stronger. It's best to clean an indoor cage or litterbox at least every other day to keep smell down. Really, daily is best and only takes 5 minutes. I've never used any sprays, just cleaning.

The cage depends on your own housing situation and space. I prefer wire floors for rabbits who are not littertrained. Solid floors are fine for littertrained rabbits. Holland Lops have very thick fur on their feet, so flooring shouldn't bother them either way. If you do use wire, it's nice to include a cardboard or wood resting board to lay on just to make things more comfortable.

You do have to cut nails. Usually monthly or so.

Their temperament depends largely on the rabbit and where you get them. Mine are all raised by myself or were purchased from reputable breeders (I have show rabbits). 9/10 are fall out of the cage friendly. They love attention and run right up to you like a dog would. Some even follow me around when they're out playing and I'm working in the rabbitry. Then there are another few who were raised by people who may have been a little less hands-on, and they are sometimes more shy. But I've rarely been scratched, and only bitten once in 12 years of having rabbits. I highly recommend buying from a reputable breeder rather than a pet store, if you decide to go that route.

Shelter/rescue is another option. Usually spay/neuter is included in the rabbit's cost there, so that can be a benefit. However, it can be harder to find what you're looking for, depending on your area. It's at least a good option to look into though!

 

[BugLady]

Rabbits can be wonderful indoor pets!

A pet rabbit should be fixed, so I would recommend going to a rescue - they usually spay/neuter pets before adoption (if you do it at a vet, it's usually several hundred dollars!!). Pet stores are rarely good places to buy a pet.

I have two indoor house rabbits (never kept in a cage), they have two litter boxes. I never notice any smell. Also, if they are fixed, the urine smells less! I clean the boxes twice a week.

A cage should have a litter box, a hay rack, and carpeting or blankets on the bottom. There are lots of resources here with pictures and descriptions of cages.

Rabbits can be very sociable and friendly, though many are shy. They all have their own personalities. Did you know they can be trained to do tricks? One of my rabbits can spin, stand up, give me a kiss, and give me his paw. He learned all that in one month. But he doesn't like to be cuddled.

I trim their nails about once per month.

They are rarely aggressive towards people, unless they are kept in a cage too long. Then they can get cage-aggressive, like they are protecting "their space". That's why one of my rabbits was given up - they thought he was mean, but it's just because he was never let out! Now that he's a house rabbit, he's a total sweetheart.

I don't know much about chinchillas, but I've heard they're less social, and they cannot really be litter trained. I think rabbits are much better family pets. I'm sure if you do some more reading around here, you'll learn a lot!

 

[JBun]

Did that pet shop owner just happen to have an expensive chinchilla that you could buy? Sounds suspicious to me as well.

Holland lops can make a wonderful pet. As for being too timid, that really depends on the individual rabbit. There will be some that are timid, laid back, spunky, hyper, or snugglers. It all really just depends on the individual rabbit. It's the same with any animal, they all have different personalities. Smell wise, if you clean the peed part of the litter box out every other day or so, depending on what litter you use, then the smell is fine. Having your rabbit fixed also helps quite a bit, especially with the boys.

Nails do have to be clipped every 4-8 weeks usually, or they will keep growning. As far as the scratching goes, most rabbits generally don't like to be picked up cause it makes them nervous, but some are ok with it or they can get used to it, and once you are holding them, they are generally fine. It's different with each rabbit. I have some that are fine being picked up, and some that had to get used to it and once they realized they get snuggled and get nose rubs, they didn't mind the picking up part so much anymore. Same with biting, some will bite, most don't. And alot of times the ones that do bite can be worked with and trained not to anymore. One thing though, most rabbits are chewers. It's their nature. So some rabbit proofing or supervision, and training will have to be done to let your rabbit run around the house.

Getting one from the shelter/rescue can be a good option, especially if it's spayed/neutered. It can save you quite a bit of money as well. Good luck!

 

[whitelop]

The guy at the pet store just wanted to sell you that expensive chinchilla.

I agree with everything that everyone said. Rabbits are great pets and very loving. I would go to a rescue though to get a rabbit, that way you get a spayed/neutered bun. Although, yesterday I just got a rabbit from a pet store, but she was too young to be sold and they don't care who they sell rabbits to; so it was kind of a "rescue" thing, but I still don't condone the purchasing of rabbits from pet stores. lol I know that may make hypocritical, but there was a reason I got her yesterday.

 

[Nelsons_Mom]

Rabbit urine does smell before the rabbit is fixed, but as long as you clean the litterbox often and get the rabbit fixed when they are of age, it shouldn't be an issue.

As for the timidness, that totally depends on where the rabbit comes from. So a pet store? The rabbit probably is timid. They are hardly ever handled properly and are usually carted in from a mill where they get little to no human contact. But, rabbits will usually always be timid when they first come home and they are able to build trust with their owners.

For first time rabbit owners, I recommend an adult rabbit (1 to 3 years) old that's already fixed from the shelter. At that age, they are most likely litter trained and you can really tell what you are getting because their personality is more evident.

But, I think it's probably a good thing that you didn't walk away with a rabbit from that petshop yesterday. If you are asking questions about urine (which cudos to you for wanting to learn more), then it leads me to believe that you also have a lot to learn about behavior, lifespan, and feed, and medical expenses before making a 10+ year commitment. Rabbits can be great pets, but they are not the pets for everyone. I love my rabbits and they bring me joy all of the time. I don't regret getting them at all. But, I know that after they pass, I will not get any more. However, I did nearly a year of research before I brought my rabbits home and knew exactly what I was getting into. A lot of people don't (because they are so cute and so readily available) and that's why there are thousands of rabbits in shelters around the country.

So, I hope you stick around and find out of rabbits are a good pick for you. If you find that you would like one (or two, or three) in your life then awesome! I hope you continue to view and contribute to this forum. If a rabbit isn't in the cards at this time (maybe in the future) or at all, at least a lot of people post pictures and you can enjoy the cuteness without the mess!

 

[rabbidu]

Thanks for the info everyone.

By "fixed" do we mean "neutered"? Is there a difference when it comes to smell between a male and female rabbit then?

 

[Chrisdoc]

Totally agree with all the comments and rabbits are a massive commitment for a long time and are quite costly to keep so think about it long and hard before getting one.

Fixed means neutered. I have boys and their litter behaviour improved enormously after neutering. Hardly any accidents now outside their box and the spraying stopped completely.

If you get your bunny from a rescue, highly recommended, they will already be done and vaccinated.

 

[LakeCondo]

2. what should cage floor be made of to not hurt their feet and soak the urine?

3. Do I need to cut its fingernails? I mean do they keep growing and break and make them bleed or is it done to prevent them from scratching people.

4. How likely are they to bite or scratch a stranger?

I recommend keeping a rabbit in an exercise pen make for dogs. They have 8 2-ft panels, so can be made into a 4ftx4ft square. Between your floor & the rabbit should be something waterproof that the rabbit can't dig or chew through. A layer of flattened cardboard boxes with a plastic tarp underneath works well.

The rabbit can & should be litter-box trained. If you get it from a shelter, it will already be trained. The litter box should be a deep, large one made for cats, but not the enclosed kind. If the rabbit likes to dig the litter, you'll want to put a screen over it.

It will leave some poops around to mark its territory, but these are easily picked up, as they;re not messy.

The nails must be cut or the rabbit won't be able to hop around any more. At first if you want, you can get the vet's office to do it.

Any animal with teeth or nails might bite or scratch.

 

[Kipcha]

Everyone here has pretty much answered the questions and for the most part, I do not have much to add

However, I would like to point out that I find chinchillas MUCH more difficult to care for. They are extremely delicate and easily hurt, so handling them with extreme caution is necessary. They require very large cages, which rabbits do to, but chinnies are a bit more difficult in that they need to be tall and the shelves need to be done properly to prevent injury. I built my chinnie cage out of a 6 foot tall parrot cage and while it is an ideal chinchilla cage, it cost me quite a bit of money to do. They are very expensive little critters.

They are also notoriously messy. Unlike a rabbit that can be litter trained completely, chinchillas can be trained for where they urinate but they have no control over their poop, so it goes everywhere.

I would also point out that for the most part, chinchillas are a lot more timid then rabbits are. Depending on where you live, you also have to be certain that you can provide a proper home for the chin since their temperatures must be cooler. They overheat easily so if you have a very warm house, a chinnie would not be for you.

Honestly, I would recommend a rabbit over a chinchilla any day, although don't get me wrong, I love my chinchilla <3

Oh, and we don't really notice a difference between male and female smell when they have been fixed, but before I would say males smell worse.

 

[Hyatt101]

To be honest, rabbit urine smells really really bad! Females do tend to smell less than males, however. And it helps to litter train them.

BUT,
Rabbits make WONDERFUL pets! (If you know how to care for them!) The information said here is great, so I don't have much to add.
Good luck, i hope you find a nice rabbit!

 

[Imbrium]

spaying/neutering really does help with the urine smell a good bit, and improves litter box habits as well, making it easier to keep the smell down. my rabbits take up my whole living room and the only smell I ever notice is their hay, because I have an entire bale (which you get used to quickly).

as for how they'd react to a stranger... it depends on how well-socialized they are. my rabbits have been trained to accept being held for reasonable periods of time and handled however I need to handle them (like flipping them over for nail trims) because I've done that stuff to them since I got them. I don't generally hold them a lot, but if I need to do it, I can without a problem. my rabbits have met numerous strangers - my next-door neighbor, plus quite a few folks who have wandered by the yard to find out what I was up to (I have a 12'x15' run set up with playpens for supervised outdoor play time when the weather is nice). they let people pet them while I'm holding them and if I trust someone to hold one of my rabbits, the rabbits oblige. rabbit personalities vary as much as humans', but as a general rule, I'd say that if you can do something with your rabbit without getting scratched or bitten then a stranger could probably do the same.

I've been scratched plenty of times by a rabbit eager to get out of my grasp (usually when I'm trying to set them down and they want to jump free before I'm ready to let them go), but it never seems to draw blood. I've never been outright bitten (if they bite with intent to cause harm, you're going to bleed), but I've definitely been nipped at times. with most animals, it seems like once they decide to bite you, they full-force bite you... rabbits are a bit different - there's a distinct difference between a nip and a bite. a nip often doesn't hurt (and if it does, it's just a pinch) and never draws blood; it's usually given as a warning, for example "put me down, mom," "I know I'm molting, but that's enough of the furminator for today!" or "stop trying to syringe feed me that nasty critical care food, mom." (with the furminator one, Nala actually went around and bit me on the bootie like I was another rabbit, lol)

here are great sites to look at if you're researching rabbits:
http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Deciding_on_a_rabbit
http://www.rabbit.org/index.html
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html#babies
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html
http://www.3bunnies.org/feeding.htm
http://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/Default.aspx
http://language.rabbitspeak.com/
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=75235&forum_id=48 - first aid kit info
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f21/ - rabbit savvy vet listings
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=53690&forum_id=93 - great litter box system; I highly recommend the grid even if you don't want to build the whole thing (check 1/3 of the way down the first page)

 

[mochajoe]

I agree with almost everything that everyone else has shared with you...I have been an owner of indoor bunnies for years. I am not saying that bunny urine doesn't have a strong smell... however as long as it is cleaned regularly...I personally would rather have 10 bunny litter boxes in my house than 1 cat litter box! I am also a HUGE fan of Holland Lops! I have had experience through showing and owning...and Hollands are my bunny of choice...we currently have 4 of them and I will never own anything else! That is not to say that I don't love all bunnies....they are just my favorite! Good luck!!!