RABBIT (possibly)

[MikeV]

Hey guys

I am thinking of getting myself a rabbit but before I do I need to know something:

Can a rabbit live alone for a few years without a 2nd rabbit present?

I heard its best to get 2 or else they will get depressed. Is this true?

[Jyson]

Hey guys

I am thinking of getting myself a rabbit but before I do I need to know something:

Can a rabbit live alone for a few years without a 2nd rabbit present?

I heard its best to get 2 or else they will get depressed. Is this true?

As long as you give it plenty of attention it can be housed alone just fine.

[MikeV]

As long as you give it plenty of attention it can be housed alone just fine.

Great!

Yeah I would be giving it hours of attention, so that shouldnt be a problem


Thanks again!!!

[Tim Mead]

You'd find a guiniea pig much more personable..IMO..

[El_Dorado]

I've owned rabbits for years and I can say, it really depends on the rabbit. I've had some rabbits who need 2 or 3 friends to keep sane, but some others will sit outside the group and be content with that.

If you're getting a young rabbit, just get one for the start. They can be quite a handful, which is why I prefer my oldies! Such a great pet, though, I absolutely love mine. Full of personality, just make sure you rabbit-proof your house first. They will chew paper, wires, wood, floors, walls... *sigh*. Otherwise, if you do get one, make sure to post pictures!

[MikeV]

I've owned rabbits for years and I can say, it really depends on the rabbit. I've had some rabbits who need 2 or 3 friends to keep sane, but some others will sit outside the group and be content with that.

If you're getting a young rabbit, just get one for the start. They can be quite a handful, which is why I prefer my oldies! Such a great pet, though, I absolutely love mine. Full of personality, just make sure you rabbit-proof your house first. They will chew paper, wires, wood, floors, walls... *sigh*. Otherwise, if you do get one, make sure to post pictures!

Thanks!

Yeah im gonna try at all costs to get a baby. Then I can get it a friend in a year or two.

Thanks for the info!!!

You'd find a guiniea pig much more personable..IMO..

had one, it bit me like 10 times

Im afraid of them now lol

[mommanessy247]

ive had a rabbit & a guinea pig & i have to say, they're both great. guinea pigs will eventually be able to tell when food is coming & they'll whistle for it, but if their food is in a plastic bag they'll whistle every time they hear plastic, lol. mine did.
+ it's absolutely a blast to make a "salad" for the guinea pig & watch it go to town on it!
my daughter's rabbit used to "throw" paper balls. she'd pick it up in her mouth then flip it up into the air, it was absolutely adorable & we would play "toss the paper ball". i tossed it to the rabbit & she'd pick it up & toss it into the air.
unfortunately i had to have the rabbit put to sleep to end its suffering due to a severe back injury it got while in its cage.
rabbits hind legs are immensely strong and if they kick the wrong way they can severly injure their backs.
im not trying to scare you or anything...im just trying to educate you.
+ i 2nd what el dorado said about rabbit-proofing your house if you get a rabbit.
guinea pigs need LOTS of space to run as they like to race around at full speed. i had a friend who kept her piggies in a child's pool, the kind with no slide or ladder. thats plenty of space & they can do laps in there, lol. both rabbits & piggies need alfalfa or timothy hay as a supplement to their pelleted diet, as well as a "salad" of fresh veggies 2 x's a week, well thats how often i gave mine salads.
also guinea pigs do not make vitamin c in their bodies so they need that as well.
rabbits & piggies CANNOT be housed together as they have completely different dietary needs & different personalities. rabbits like to groom each other but piggies do not.
anyways best of luck in your decision. keep us updated.

[El_Dorado]

Just another thing, find a good rabbit vet before you bring it home. Do your research. Some vets won't take rabbits, others have no idea about rabbits, and I've met a few 'rabbit vets' with interesting practices. Rabbits go quite quickly once they get sick and if you had other rabbits, they grieve. Just be prepared for death and always keep a close eye on them for subtle changes in behaviour. They will have dry and wet poop and they will eat the wet poop (hey - atleast you don't have to clean it up! haha). If you see too much of this poop, you should probably take them to the vet. After a few weeks or so, you'll notice the different between the poops that should be wet (they look much different) and the poop that should be dry, but isn't. Poop and urine are the biggest indicators for rabbits.

[MikeV]

ive had a rabbit & a guinea pig & i have to say, they're both great. guinea pigs will eventually be able to tell when food is coming & they'll whistle for it, but if their food is in a plastic bag they'll whistle every time they hear plastic, lol. mine did.
+ it's absolutely a blast to make a "salad" for the guinea pig & watch it go to town on it!
my daughter's rabbit used to "throw" paper balls. she'd pick it up in her mouth then flip it up into the air, it was absolutely adorable & we would play "toss the paper ball". i tossed it to the rabbit & she'd pick it up & toss it into the air.
unfortunately i had to have the rabbit put to sleep to end its suffering due to a severe back injury it got while in its cage.
rabbits hind legs are immensely strong and if they kick the wrong way they can severly injure their backs.
im not trying to scare you or anything...im just trying to educate you.
+ i 2nd what el dorado said about rabbit-proofing your house if you get a rabbit.
guinea pigs need LOTS of space to run as they like to race around at full speed. i had a friend who kept her piggies in a child's pool, the kind with no slide or ladder. thats plenty of space & they can do laps in there, lol. both rabbits & piggies need alfalfa or timothy hay as a supplement to their pelleted diet, as well as a "salad" of fresh veggies 2 x's a week, well thats how often i gave mine salads.
also guinea pigs do not make vitamin c in their bodies so they need that as well.
rabbits & piggies CANNOT be housed together as they have completely different dietary needs & different personalities. rabbits like to groom each other but piggies do not.
anyways best of luck in your decision. keep us updated.

Thanks for the info! This helps in deciding between rabbits and the guinea pigs. (I love both to be perfectly honest lol, even if guinea pigs scare me a lil )

Just another thing, find a good rabbit vet before you bring it home. Do your research. Some vets won't take rabbits, others have no idea about rabbits, and I've met a few 'rabbit vets' with interesting practices. Rabbits go quite quickly once they get sick and if you had other rabbits, they grieve. Just be prepared for death and always keep a close eye on them for subtle changes in behaviour. They will have dry and wet poop and they will eat the wet poop (hey - atleast you don't have to clean it up! haha). If you see too much of this poop, you should probably take them to the vet. After a few weeks or so, you'll notice the different between the poops that should be wet (they look much different) and the poop that should be dry, but isn't. Poop and urine are the biggest indicators for rabbits.

Yeah If I do end up getting a rabbit these are the biggest concerns for me. I dont know of any vet in the area that will take rabbits and I dont even know if the pet store will sell the hay I need

Im gonna think about it long and hard and Im gonna check ofcourse if I can get the proper food ect first before I buy it.

If I cant find a vet near me or a place to buy the hay I need then I wouldnt buy it

[El_Dorado]

Do you live near farms or anything of the sort? You could buy a bale of hay off of them and feed him/her off of that.

Glad to see someone actually think buying a rabbit through before actually buying it, you're doing yourself and rabbtis a favour!