| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| woolgirl |
Posted - Feb 26 2011 : 4:56:52 PM
I had angoras growing up, but am looking some something less furry. This will be a first pet for my daughter. Any suggestions?
Farmgirl #1947 |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Oggie |
Posted - Mar 07 2011 : 4:46:15 PM
I don't want you to think I'm being preachy, I'm just going to tell you what I have observed over five years of having an indoor pet mini lop who's name is Oggie, which is also my user name on here. After rescuing him, so to speak, from my daughter in college, I was trying to learn about indoor bunnies and ended up creating a mini business called The Dew Hop Inn. You can go to my website and meet other bunny owners ( www.thedewhopinn.com) You will have to be accepted but just tell Randy I sent you.
If you are going to have an indoor bunny, remember to bunny proof one room you keep him/her in. We put plastic down on the wood floor, then an area rug over it, then built him a "cage" that is made of NIC cubes. He can go in and out of it freely. He can roam the entire house freely but he doesn't because he hates walking on the wood, laminate flooring, and tile floors we have so he follows the carpet "trails" we have made for him. This is great for us because then we only worry about his room. But in his "room" we put all cords out of reach or in those holders that run across the baseboards. We tied up tightly all lamp cords and don't forget the telephone! They see cords as roots and will chew them like crazy. Also you need to make sure they have lots of chew toys and/or wood and cardboard they can chew on and then they won't chew up the house. Rabbits MUST CHEW in order to keep their teeth short or they get absess's in their teeth & gums and it's very costly.
They are easily trained to use a litter box but don't use cat litter as it's toxic to them. We use pine shavings we buy at the feed store but most folks use hay. Oggie just hates hay, which some rabbits do. Most bunnies however love to chew hay and tend to sit in their litter boxes and chew hay at one end while pooping out the other. I've seen buns who sleep in their litter boxes! While he loves being "free" he tends to stay in his area because he isn't as social as most rabbits. We have two cats, and one of them and he, do not get along at all.
Rabbits are very social animals with other rabbits but when it comes to humans they really hate to be held, picked up, carried, etc... unless you train them as babies and even that might not work. But if you have more than one bunny make sure you get them as a pair otherwise you have to bond them which may or may not work and can take months of keeping them seperate. Two from the same litter or two already bonded is best. If two bunnies don't like each other it's very hard to break up a fight and rabbits fight to the death.
Also, bunnies are not really good pets for kids. Because they hate being held, chased, etc... they will bite if picked on. Their nature is to be skittish since they are prey to most other animals. They are very sensitive animals and have long memories. Kids want to pick them up and cuddle them and chase them and rabbits hate all of those things. For Oggie to get use to us, we would sit quietly near him and read a book, ignoring him, and soon he would come to us. Or we would lay down and eventually he would come to us and jump on us and check us out. But even today he hates being picked up! So if your kids are older it should be fine, but little ones and bunnies don't actually go together.
Hope this helps you some. If you are raising them, that's a different world altogether and normally they are in smaller cages outdoors. But as a family pet, you really do need to know all about them before getting one and if you do get one, please get it from a shelter. Also, keeping them in a small cage you normally buy at the pet store when you get the rabbit is really cruel to the rabbit. They will be completely bored. They love to play, they love to "redecorate" their area's (move the litter box, the food bowl, etc...), and they love to be left alone. They are very smart too.
Oggie comes under our table when we eat dinner and starts nudging my foot which is his way of telling me he wants a treat so I give him a treat. If he hears me feeding the cats, he runs to where I can see him so I don't forget about him. If I haven't fed him on time he takes the plate his greens were on and bangs it around. He will also come running into our livingroom from his room when we are watching TV and jump on the couch and expect to be scratched or brushed because his skin is dry. But you try and hold him he runs off.
His cage has two stories and we often see him sitting on the top floor. He has cardboard cement forms you can buy at Home Depot placed behind chairs which he hides in and sleeps in. Bunnies always need places to go and the moment you change things around they are there to figure out how to move around in case of danger. he has a foot stool he hides under too. They always need a place to hide in every room he's allowed in.
Sorry, I could write a book on bunnies I think they are great pets!
Ginny
Farmgirl #2343
www.thedewhopinn.com
"I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with."
"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Both by Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) in the Movie Harvey
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| ladyfarmer29 |
Posted - Mar 03 2011 : 09:53:26 AM
Michelle, there are a couple of yahoo groups that have TONS of info on it. It is rabbit hopping usa I think. Our 4-H club is going to do some exibitions with it so I am trying to get a couple of bunnies trained so the kids can practice and I can help teach too. We are hoping that by next year we can do some competitions with it. :) They have also just announced that they will have a jumping competition at nationals next year. Very cool....
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." |
| Prairie Gypsy |
Posted - Mar 03 2011 : 08:47:40 AM
I agree with the mini-rex recommendations. My kids raised them for 4H and they were awesome. Highly suggest a male or to get the female spade.
Farmgirl Sister # 2363
http://twilightburrough.blogspot.com/
Warren, MI
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| theprimitivepilgrim |
Posted - Mar 03 2011 : 07:45:53 AM
I grew-up with mini-lops and dutch for 4-H. Both had really good dispositions. My son now raises mini-rex, great size, and oh so soft to cuddle with.
Tina~ I am so interested to hear about your bunny hopping. I am a rabbit 4-H leader, and we have had rabbit agility the last two years at fair, but would like to expand with hopping events
~Michelle |
| ladyfarmer29 |
Posted - Mar 01 2011 : 11:08:07 AM
I have a holland and a dutch that I am training for bunny hopping. Very good disposition. Hollands have a playful personality...at least the ones we have had did. My daughter has californians (for market) and netherland dwarfs. The netherland dwarfs are fiesty and it is their nature but she loves them.
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." |
| miraclewelsh |
Posted - Feb 27 2011 : 8:47:40 PM
I'm very partial to Dutch rabbits--they are a very nice size and I like their dispositions. Mini Rex are another good choice.
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Miracle Welsh Mountain Ponies
http://www.miraclewelsh.com
http://www.foxhillphoto.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/miraclewelsh
http://www.facebook.com/foxhillphoto |
| amomfly |
Posted - Feb 27 2011 : 05:24:04 AM
I had angoras, palominos, new zealands and mini loops as a teenager. I loved how gentle the mini loops were.
Come visit my blog
http://angieruralliving.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
| maggie14 |
Posted - Feb 26 2011 : 9:37:23 PM
We had a mini lop too and they are the sweetest bunnies! Just love them!
Hugs,
Hannah
Farmgirl sister #1219
Lifes not about the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away.
Just a small town country girl, farmgirl,loggergirl, trying to live her dreams. :)
P.s. I've been playing around with the spelling of my name ( weird I know) and I've decided that I will stick with Hannah for good. Sorry I got you all confused. Hugs!! |
| bjhuff |
Posted - Feb 26 2011 : 6:30:31 PM
We have a mini lop and love here she is now three years old and we got her as a baby and our daughter who is 14 loves her and have used her for a 4H as well!
***BettyJo**** |
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