Might be getting a bunny

[Fran101]

Originally Posted by dogsarebetter

yes, it does sound like you might be better off waiting. Rabbits are more work than people think. the idea that Buster wouldnt like a bunny is what worries me. a lone bunny needs to be out and about hanging out with you most of the time. not in a cage

i 2nd this. from experience. people expect rabbits to be more like hamsters.. but really they are harder than cats to care for, in my experience, harder than dogs! lol my friends 3 bunnies above are very lucky because we went through HELL to learn how to care for them right lol expensive stuff, expensive vets, litter training so they could have a better environment.. it was such a mess.

the pros? they are adorable animals. once you get through all the crap.. like litterbox training and spaying/neutering. they are quite special inquisitive animals.

my friend tho has a senile old beagle who doesn't care about the rabbits. plus, there are 3 of them so they do a very good job at entertaining eachother. if he had a dog that didn't like rabbits, having them would be impossible. to a young dog, rabbits are just too hard to ignore. they run around really fast, they are soft, they have no real defense against a dog. and all it takes is a second, even of the dog didn't even wanna harm the bunny

if he got someone to clean the enclosure and give them food/water everyday, they probably wouldn't even notice him missing lol as far as affection/care wise.


The enclosure he has for them is simple really. a bunch of litterboxes, 2 cat carriers, some carboard boxes, toys, food dishes, hay, some fruits and veggis.
and the whole thing is 2 expens connected together.

[Xandra]

Hmm...
If you bunny-proofed your room that would work, but depending on the rabbit you'd have to put up anything you really cared about (usually it's just a nibble but I've had the entire covers eaten off novels lol). That poor bunny that you found wouldn't be the best candidate for a carpeted floor though, something to keep in mind.

If you were to get him you could cage him and just be sure to put him out on the lawn in an X-pen (like that have for puppies) for some grazing and playtime. You could also set up an x-pen on one of those plastic mats they have for office chairs. He's old and looks mellow and after getting out for a bit (he'll probably just hop around and graze if he can) you could probably take him inside and keep him on your lap on a towel while you watch TV. I would guess he's the type that would be neurotically trying to jump down or eat the towel, but it's just a guess. Maybe instead of adopting him you could just foster him?

I obviously can't speak for your dog but my dogs have always treated rabbits differently than cats. Rabbits act like they're meant to be eaten by dogs because... they are meant to be eaten by dogs. What I mean is they are prey animals and they start easier, and have those jerkier movements that seem to trigger a dog. Does that make sense? I mean when you watch a cat they're sort of smooth, a rabbit "hippity hops" and their heads kind of twitch around.

Good luck!!!

[dogsarebetter]

my whole house is rabbit proofed. it is hard to rabbit proof though. they will eat books, cords, and some even base boards and table legs.

[mrose_s]

lol my last rabbit pretty much destroyed my bed cover. She loved getting in and digging around in it all so after a while I figured I'd just let her go.
I know what you mean Xandra, there are a lot of feral rabbits around here, we see them everyday when we're out walking and Buster is just so switched onto them. He's only been here 3 days and he already knows the places he's most likley to find them.
I'll wait till I can atlest set aside a room for a couple. Last time I had rabbits it blew me out how much care they needed, I wasn't prepared for it and my rabbit probably didn't have the best life she could have. I don't want to make the same mistake again.

[iluvdogs]

Originally Posted by dogsarebetter

my whole house is rabbit proofed. it is hard to rabbit proof though. they will eat books, cords, and some even base boards and table legs.

You got that right..lol I can't even remember ALL my stuff my rabbit ate!! He was a little brat..lol PS2 cords, Phone Cords!..CLOTHES!!

He did LOVE my other pets (both dog and cat)

I had about 3 in my whole life and I have to say all 3 were VERY different!!

[Xandra]

My ethernet cable was massacred in seconds. It was the rabbit's first time in that room and she'd been there for about 5 minutes. You'd think she'd hop around first, but no, she went right over and ate my ethernet cable.

That same rabbit stripped the bathroom of wallpaper like bark off a tree.

I've found rats worse on clothes than rabbits. Mine used to be in my room and they'd pull any sort of material through their enormous cage and make a nest out of it.

Keeping them outside is a breeze but keeping them inside is much more intensive than cat or dog keeping (generalization).

[mrose_s]

...and now you've got me looking at cats. lol.