Bunnies.

[AuntyVague]

After having to put up with her parents two surly cats and two antisocial ducks for several years now my daughter wants a pet to call her very own (well, one a little more substantial than a stick insect anyway). She is interested in getting a rabbit, but I don't know much about them and we don't know many people who have kept them as pets. Has anyone got any experience to share on looking after bunnies? Any thoughts on the care required would be very helpful!

[Tonyblack]

You have to keep their bums clean - very important.

[Quatermass]

I thought that was sheep. I mean, we Aussies even call people what we call clogged up bits of sheep crap on the rear end: dags. And that's not even really an insult, believe it or not...

[Tonyblack]

No, it's rabbits as well. They can get serious infections if you don't wipe their botties.

[KingCarrot]

I once had a white fluffy rabbit when I was young, living with my parents. Their garden is pretty big and we used to let it run around while we cleaned out it's hutch. I have NEVER heard of this before, but it was pure evil - it looked cute but it used to chase you down the garden and try to take chunks out of your leg. Ever seen Holy Grail with that white killer rabbit? I can assure you I am not joking.

I know it is hard to believe but it was exactly like a badly-raised jack russell, and it was FAST. My dad was terrified of it - there was something seriously wrong with it. I just wish I could've filmed it in action because it is very hard to believe.

[Tonyblack]

Sounds like it needed to be neutered. A friend of mine had two male rabbits and they used to be vicious to each other until they were done.

[KingCarrot]

I wouldn't have changed it for the world though, it was good exercise trying to get away from it lol.

That rabbit had a personality. Given the chance it would've taken over the universe.

[Dotsie]

I know everything about rabbits They don't make very good pets for children as they need too much attention and cleaning out, and the affection they give back is more that they will allow you to groom them, rather than the other way around. You would also need two of them because they are very social animals and leaving them alone for hours at a time leads to depression, and they would need their own space permanently attached to their hutch (I know a lot of people just have a hutch, with free run of the garden on weekends, but that's not fair on the rabbits). They would definitely need to be neutered or they will just fight and/or shag all the time.

My advice would be, get a guinea pig

[Tonyblack]

Guinea pigs are great!

[chris.ph]

rabbit and sweetcorn pie is lovely

[Tiffany]

We had a pet rabbit, named Hazel, but unlike his namesake ours was an evil bunny. He bit, scratched & wee'd on us all the time & when given the run of the garden terrorised all the cats in the neighbourhood & refused to be caught. We should have had him neutered but didn't know enough about buck rabbits then to get it done. He lived for 6 years.

Hazel, refusing to be caught.


Now ratties make far better pets for kids. They are clean, don't smell if looked after properly. If well handled from very young don't bite or scratch & they love their owner.

[Watchman44]

Have none of you seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Bunnies are deadly!

[michelanCello]

Have none of you seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Bunnies are deadly!

My uncle has 3 children and they've had all sorts of pets, but they didn't last very long... now they have a hamster (or two?) and they seem to be doing fine

[AuntyVague]

I was half expecting something along the lines of Dotsie's feedback as the little I had heard was that Bunnies do take more care than people expect. Still lots to think about, but my daughter is almost 13 and she has had to take on some responsibility for exisitng pets to show some capacity to take something on herself. We should be able to decently accomodate and exercise a couple of bunnies too...

...but I wasn't expecting to hear that bunnies are vicious and evil I have seen the Holly Grail...but I didn't think it was a documentary account

And as for cleaning dags, well I'm used to cats being self cleaning in that department, but it will be good food for thought for my daugher before she goes and takes on a weevil wabbit

[Dotsie]

Bunnies are not usually evil, unless they are unhappy or haven't been neutered. If you get rescue bunnies, the cares should be able to tell you something of their temperament as well. Good luck!