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Bobblehead Biddy posted:This is Houdini. He's a 9 week old Dwarf Dutch, and has developed an adorable habit of nuzzling in my lap and falling asleep. Oh Jesus! So cute!  God bunnies never cease me make me squee like a gibbering retard. Be sure to keep us updated with cute stories about the little guy. Where'd you get him? How'd you decide to get a bun?
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Nov 6, 2008 07:55
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alucinor posted:The reason I forgot is that my first-ever bun passed away this weekend. He had sudden-onset lung failure, we are still waiting for biopsies but the initial suspicion is a tumor elsewhere that metastasized to the lungs. I had him since Feb. 2003, and while he was at least eight years old, I never expected to lose him this soon or this fast. Aw he looks so very very soft. I'm sorry to hear that  Hope he didn't suffer.
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Nov 6, 2008 09:51
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ShadowCatboy posted:Where'd you get him? How'd you decide to get a bun? I have two betta fish. As hilariously entertaining as they are, they can't really snuggle up with you at the end of the day. Deciding that we wanted something fuzzy (and adorable), my roommate and I researched rabbits and ended up going to this great pet store in the area. They give all the animals their shots and genuinely take superb care of them. (They wouldn't let us buy him until they were assured we knew what we were doing). Anyway, after browsing for a bit, this little guy came running up to us and we instantly fell for his charm. Glad you guys like him!
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Nov 6, 2008 21:02
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Bobblehead Biddy posted:I have two betta fish. As hilariously entertaining as they are, they can't really snuggle up with you at the end of the day. Deciding that we wanted something fuzzy (and adorable), my roommate and I researched rabbits and ended up going to this great pet store in the area. They give all the animals their shots and genuinely take superb care of them. (They wouldn't let us buy him until they were assured we knew what we were doing). Anyway, after browsing for a bit, this little guy came running up to us and we instantly fell for his charm. I'm glad the pet store at least appears responsible but you shouldn't have supported them by buying the rabbit. 9 out of 10 pet store employees and pet store sales policies are going to deliberately lie to you in order to have you feel good and leave with the animal. Most people buy cute baby bunnies from a pet store and then give them away or, worse, set them 'free' in the wild when they go through a hormonal stage and are no longer cute. The House Rabbit Society is doing all it can to save the MILLIONS of rabbits that are homeless, but pet stores just keep selling cute baby bunnies by the truckload. Please read carefully through this entire thread about proper cage size and diet requirements and how important it is for your relationship with Houdini that you get him neutered before he reaches sexual maturity at approx 6 months. Also, the cage that I saw pictured in the 'Post Your Pet' thread does not look appropriate for him, BTW, even if you're letting him out more than 4 hours a day. The pet store employees may have sold you on it, but that type of cage is just simply too small for rabbits to live happily. Look into building your own cage: there's instructions in the thread and it's very cheap and easy to do, and it will make Houdini much, much happier than he probably is now. You should also look into getting him a friend if you're in college and gone most of the day so he can bond with another rabbit. Rabbits are insanely social and some will even die from bored/loneliness.
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Nov 6, 2008 22:00
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Thank you for the advice! We've definetly been doing all of our research on how to give him the best possible life he can have. So no worries about his health and happiness...we love our bunny and only want the best for our little guy.
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Nov 7, 2008 00:15
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Bobblehead Biddy posted:Thank you for the advice! We've definetly been doing all of our research on how to give him the best possible life he can have. So no worries about his health and happiness...we love our bunny and only want the best for our little guy. Can I ask what specific steps you are taking to improve his health and happiness? I think building a new cage and getting him neutered should be your first priorities. What's his current diet?
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Nov 7, 2008 00:31
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I am getting my rabbit, Tom, neutered tomorrow. I completely trust this vet because he spayed my other rabbit, bun bun, and she was completely fine within 3 hours. I plan to keep them separated until he his healed up, any other thoughts? Edit: The vet is HRS approved.
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Nov 7, 2008 01:53
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Captain Foxy posted:Can I ask what specific steps you are taking to improve his health and happiness? I think building a new cage and getting him neutered should be your first priorities. What's his current diet? Already got the goods to build his new cage (loving the ideas/pictures posted earlier in this thread) and am checking with my roommate as to when we can make it to the vet for neutering.
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Nov 7, 2008 02:57
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Turns out "Tom" was female so she was spayed today. She's still a little shaken up, but I think she is recovering ok.
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Nov 7, 2008 23:41
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UGH I am so frustrated with my vet right now. It's not really relevant to anything, I just really need to vent. A couple weeks ago, I took my bunny, Bowser in because her eye had been watering and she had some little pimply bumps on the inside of her ear. Vet said her teeth looked great, ears were super clean, but her eye was a little inflamed and the "pimples" were, in fact, filled with pus. They were both on the same side of her head, so the vet figured it was maybe some funky infection that was manifesting in these ways. Put her on an antibiotic, eye drops, and pro-bi, and we were on our way. Two days ago, I brought her back in for her re-check. Eye is fine, ears are great, but her poops have been small the last day. So the vet takes some x-rays. Sure enough, looks like Bowser has the mother of all furballs. The vet doesn't want to send her home, so she says we should kennel her there. I ask how much this might cost, and she tells me it's like $20/half a day, $40/full day. Cool, fine, do what needs to be done. Now, don't get me wrong, I would have done whatever the vet said was the best idea, but I want all the relevant information when I ask a question. What she neglected to tell me is that I would also have to pay $100 for her to be transferred into emergency care for the vet's off-hours. I learned this when I went to pay the bill the next day, along with a full day's kennel fee. Saw the vet yesterday to pick up Bowser and go over how she's doing. She told me I needed to get her on papaya tablets, which I wouldn't be able to find in a store but could get online. Until then, she's giving me a laxative. Yeah, except I got home and called some pet stores and indeed, one less than a mile away from my house has the papaya tablets and I was able to pick them up the same day. Thanks for the $20 laxative I don't need, then. She also is giving me pain medication just in case, though she doesn't think I'll need it. She says since Bowser had an ear issue, she'd like me to clean her ears more often. I say okay, though now I'm thinking maybe she forgot what the problem was with Bowser's ear since she said at the last appointment that she had some of the cleanest bunny ears she'd ever seen. Whatever. She asks if I know how to do it- I say that I do, though I could always use a refresher. She asks if I will need ear wash, I tell her no. 15 minutes or so later, a tech comes in with a brand new, giant bottle of ear wash and proceeds to open it and show me how to clean Bowser's ears. She then puts the bottle in my bag. Ok, whatever. I go to the counter to check out. The receptionist says "You already paid, though, right?" I reply that I thought I only paid for the kennel stay and exam. She checks and says "No, you're all set to go!" So I leave. When I get home, the vet calls me to tell me they forgot to give me one of the antibiotics. ARGH. And just now, I got a phone call saying that they forgot to charge me for all the medications. Really? Even though I specifically asked? Yeah, and it's well over $100 for the meds. This includes the $20 laxative I don't need, the $20 painkiller they don't think I'll need, and the $20 earwash I didn't want. I also realized that they gave me another big bottle of $10 pro-bi, despite the fact that I've barely put a dent in the one they gave me 2 weeks ago. Again, I'll spend as much money as it takes to ensure my pets are healthy, but CHRIST, I just want my vet to be efficient and honest. I feel like I was scammed. I don't think it was intentional, but it's a lot of money when I've got so many other vet expenses for her that are actually necessary. Sorry for the rant. I am super stressed out, and this was just sort of the final straw. I'm also fostering 2 young boys, one of whom has tested positive for E. Cuniculi, so I'm just so tired of schlepping to and from the vet and medicating and cleaning up poop and pee. I also wish the shelter I'm fostering for would return my goddamn phone calls. Sigh. I guess I need to post a photo, so here's my jack-o-lantern.
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Nov 8, 2008 00:56
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One of bonded mini-lop pair just died We have no idea why. We put the little guy on ice until the vet opens tomorrow. I'm very worried it might be something infectious or something we're doing wrong - I just noticed another one (we have 4, 2 pairs... well 3 now) has been loosing weight. She seemed normal last week :/ It is just the saddest thing... a little pile of fluff and drooping ears and his little girlfriend kept trying to play with him. And now I'm really worried it IS something that can kill the rest of them and oh god it would be too sad.
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Nov 8, 2008 07:12
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Melicious posted:UGH I am so frustrated with my vet right now. It's not really relevant to anything, I just really need to vent. That is really frustrating and I know exactly how you feel. My vet is a small, private local practice and he's a bit scatterbrained too. He's got great staff who usually keep track of what I have to pay/leave with, but there's been one or two times we've had to come back for the meds. The worst time was when I went in to put my rats down....I left an absolute wreck and had to wait for a taxi home because the car was in the shop, so that didn't help matters. Then I get home (literally just in the door) and the receptionist calls all cheerful-like, saying I forgot to pick up Keeper's heartworm preventative. I was furious, because the whole time I'd been waiting for the cab I was in the lobby of the vet's, and she never mentioned anything about Keeper's meds. I get back there and she was apologetic but explained 'Well, I didn't want to say anything about picking up meds because you were crying.' Well, drat lady. Don't you think it's a bit more traumatic for me to get all the way home where I feel safe and then have to come BACK to the place where my rats just died? /rant. Anyway, I had calmed down by the time I got back, so I was able to have a calm conversation with her about how frustrating that was, and I think that might be what's best for your situation too. If you like your vet and don't want to change locations, then I think you should call them up and just calmly say 'Look, I love coming to you guys, but I'm frustrated by the lack of communication regarding the meds (explaining how you paid for some you didn't need or want, and had to come back to get them) and I just wanted to let you know that it was a hassle for me. If you could try to be more clear in the future it would help me out.' They'd probably appreciate hearing from you in an open, communicative way, because most people just scream, and I bet it would improve how much they keep track of your records and medications. Everybody benefits. 
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Nov 8, 2008 16:06
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Mr. Wynand posted:One of bonded mini-lop pair just died That visual made me tear up a little bit. I'm not even sure what I'd do if one of my buns died, especially inexplicably.
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Nov 8, 2008 23:50
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Mr. Wynand posted:One of bonded mini-lop pair just died Losing a pet is frustrating, but losing one unexpectedly is even more so. I urge you to take the others in straight away if you feel something is wrong, or at least take in the one who is losing weight. The longer you wait to treat a problem(especially where sudden weight loss/gain is concerned), the more expensive the care and likelihood of survival. I hope it's nothing serious and that the rest of your brood stay healthy! alucinor posted:
That is one squishy cute face, I'm so sorry I'll be completely broken if either of mine die before they hit a full life term. I want them to live forever. I actually met with my architect yesterday to go over preliminary planning for the nit-picky must-have's for my new place(if I ever get to finally build) and he chuckled when I told him why I wanted the majority of my outlets at least 2' off the floor. He was amazed that I kept my rabbits in the house. Everything I do, I plan around the bunnies, and I can't even imagine living in a new house without them there.My condolences to you both 
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Nov 9, 2008 00:07
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Our god drat vet isn't in until wednesday so I didn't have a chance to take them. The one that's been loosing weight (her name was Goomba) just died as well now. She seemed ok (but still thin) early this morning, about an hour after we checked on her she was on her side and refusing food. We took her to the emergency vet and they couldn't do anything - so we put her down. They don't know what the cause is. She was severely underweight and her stomach was empty (even though we SAW her eat a big meal last night). Only suspect right now is maybe a parasite in the hay. We're going to perform a autopsy (necropsy... whatever it's called when it's not humans) on the first one to die ... but again, it has to wait until wednesday. The remaining two are eating moving and pooping normally so I guess we just have to hang on. Having Goomba die is especially sad though because of her backstory: (Warning: severely depressing) She was a stray picked up by the SPCA - her first adoptive home sent her back because of bad behavior, and back at the SPCA she bonded with a much younger, much smaller bunny (called Blooper). Whatever her attitude problem was, it was completely gone by the time we got her - she was just all about protecting her little friend Blooper - they were just the sweetest pair of bunnies. Whenever there was food she would always let Blooper eat first, she never chased her around - just the cutest little pair of fluff you ever did see. But now Blooper is going to be an orphan  ... I just really hope her and Haskell's (the first bunny to died on me) widow (Hopper) will maybe bond so they won't feel lonely. When everyone was still alive the 2 pairs didn't much care for eachother - we had to keep them separated. But it was actually Haskell and Goomba respectively that were the alphas of each pair so they kinda started the whole animosity - I'm hoping these two will learn to get along. Something good better come out of this drat it
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Nov 9, 2008 23:33
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From left to right, Haskell & Hopper: Gooma (black) & Blooper (white):  I'll miss those guys so much edit: no that chord is not plugged in - they had just escaped and got into the food bag - it was very adorable.
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Nov 9, 2008 23:44
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I'm really sorry for your loss. Hopefully the necropsy will shed light on what is going on.
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Nov 10, 2008 04:03
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Aw I'm very sorry for your loss. Okay now I have a weird thing going on. My bunny's been humping things like mad lately, even though he's been fixed, and acting aggressively. Bit my hand, won't stop eating my curtains, and when I put him in his cage for a timeout he started throwing his litterbox all over the place. He's a year and a half old, a little late to be starting puberty... You don't suppose he's lonely do you? I didn't plan on getting him a friend until I'd found a bigger apartment for myself. (I should mention he's a dwarf lop so chances are he's just a huge rear end in a top hat in general).
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Nov 11, 2008 10:12
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Just a quick update on Houdini... Our little boy is all set with his new pimped out storage cube cage. Thanks to everyone for posting such amazing ideas on how to go about building a multi level condo. Houdini is very pleased with his new home! Pictures to come as soon as I get my camera fixed. Also, I have plans to take him to the vet when I go home for winter break (he'll be of neutering age then). However this means a 3 hour car ride for him. Other than getting a carrier, what specific steps can I take to ensure his comfort and happiness? The last thing I'd want to do is stress the poor guy out. Edit: I have Houdini out playing right now, and he just came up to me and licked my forehead several times. What does this mean? Bobblehead Biddy fucked around with this message at 20:55 on Nov 11, 2008 |
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Nov 11, 2008 20:31
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In my rabbit's case it means FEED ME just like with everything else he does. Or he might want you to pet him.
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Nov 11, 2008 22:50
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Bobblehead Biddy posted:Just a quick update on Houdini... He's grooming you. That's about the most affection you'll see out of a rabbit  DS, my neutered male went though a similar stage at about 1 year and a half. I just waited it out and gently disciplined him so that he didn't think he could be an rear end. I bonded him to Portia when he was...about 2 and a half and she was 1. If you want to get another bunny you should, just read up on the bonding process. Why have one bunny when you can have two?
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Nov 12, 2008 02:18
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The saga continues. Bowser produced close to no pellets today. Shortly after I got home from work, she also started having some sort of respiratory attack. She began sneezing and coughing, then aspirating the liquid coming from her nose. She was absolutely terrified. So I called the vet, only to find that THEY CLOSED 45 MINUTES EARLY. What the hell? Okay. Had to admit her to the emergency vet, where they are holding her overnight with oxygen and a billion medications. Along with tonight's estimate, we have now spent $1000 on Bowser in the past 6 days. Ugh. What a lovely week. Bowser has proved herself to be made of titanium in the past, so hopefully she will return to be the house diva shortly. Melicious fucked around with this message at 02:44 on Nov 12, 2008 |
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Nov 12, 2008 02:41
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Bunway Airlines posted:He's grooming you. That's about the most affection you'll see out of a rabbit Well it's tricky. In my opinion my current living situation is just big enough for one rabbit, but two would be more than a little crowded. Plus I have the added joy of having to keep him in my bedroom, which works out just fine most of the time, but I can't assume I'll be this lucky with another rabbit. I think his mood is a little confusing to him too, since he seems really cheerful when he's not being an rear end. Also he's started crapping all over the floor now. I wonder if there's ever been a recorded case of a rabbit regenerating a set of cojones.
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Nov 12, 2008 08:12
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Bobblehead Biddy posted:Other than getting a carrier, what specific steps can I take to ensure his comfort and happiness? The last thing I'd want to do is stress the poor guy out. Is it just you driving, or will someone be coming with you? Zen actually doesn't mind car rides. She much prefers them out of her carrier than in. The last time she was in a car was a cab ride to the shelter where we got Frith. I had opened the flap to the carrier a bit to pet her in case she was frazzled, she nudged her way out, and spent the rest of the ride on my lap with her front paws on the car door, facing out the window. It was her most dog-like moment, and it was unbelievably cute. So see if you can get someone to sit with him and let him out of the carrier to look around. To be fair, Zen is pretty unruffled about most things, so it might also be a personality thing.
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Nov 12, 2008 08:19
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angelicism posted:Is it just you driving, or will someone be coming with you? I actually won't be the one driving, so this works out great! Thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how things play out.
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Nov 12, 2008 17:07
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DS at Night posted:Well it's tricky. In my opinion my current living situation is just big enough for one rabbit, but two would be more than a little crowded. Plus I have the added joy of having to keep him in my bedroom, which works out just fine most of the time, but I can't assume I'll be this lucky with another rabbit. Yeah, he should get over it. I don't think anything physical is wrong with him since these are typical male bunny things to do. Are you sure he's nuetered? Did you have it done yourself? I've heard of stories of shelters messing up, you might wish to have a check up done with a vet.
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Nov 12, 2008 17:28
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What are the disadvantages of bunnies? This thread makes me want to get some. :3
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Nov 14, 2008 15:11
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happy cabbage posted:What are the disadvantages of bunnies? This thread makes me want to get some. :3 They don't like to be held. They MIGHT like to be petted, on their own terms, but they will bite if you do it wrong. They bite, growl, box, and scratch if they don't like whatever you are doing. They require 4'x4' pens (larger for two) and really need to be kept with partners, and need to have daily out time where they can run around in a rabbit-proofed room. They can be litter trained, but they still territory mark with pellets and urine. They chew through any wooden, wire, or paper item left in their path. They blow coat every three months, so everything in the house gets coated with hair, and they eat hay, which also gets everywhere and causes a ton of dust in the house. They need expensive veggies to eat in addition to premium pellets and tons of the afore-mentioned hay. Depending where you live you often can't just get their pellets and hay at the pet store, you have to pay double the cost in shipping to buy from internet sources. They often need to go to the vet every 12 months for a couple hundred dollars of dental work, especially as they get older. They live 8-12 years, get sick easily, and their vet care is ALWAYS expensive (like $200 for a regular visit, $1000+ for emergencies). It's hard to find a vet who can accurately care for them. Once they show their illness it means they are gravely ill, so if you delay seeking vet care for as little as 12 hours, they can die. As they get older they develop arthritis and kidney problems. They can harm themselves by kicking so hard that their back breaks, or by freaking out and running into walls and going into shock. Edit for a couple more: Young rabbits seem sweet, but they turn into bastards at 4-6 months. If you don't get them altered, they get more destructive and worse about peeing on things. Females who are unaltered by 3 years old have an 80% chance of developing uterine and ovarian cancers. I can't actually think of any advantages. They are fun to look at because it's kinda like having a wild animal in the house? But so is a cat, and they are much easier and cheaper to care for.
alucinor fucked around with this message at 16:23 on Nov 14, 2008 |
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Nov 14, 2008 16:21
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alucinor posted:The grey female is Lily Rose, the white male is Timothy. Only, my friend doesn't like that name for him. She wants a rabbity name that preferably begins with T. I've already had Thistle and Threarah shot down (the only two T-names I can recall from Watership Down). If we can't stick with T, any literary name, or botanical/herbal/vegetable name, will probably get a favorable reaction. So far he's pretty laid back, and her only comment about his personality is that he is "not at all heroic". I know I'm coming in on this about a month late and the rabbit is probably already named, but you forgot one very important T: Thlayli. 
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Nov 14, 2008 16:43
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happy cabbage posted:What are the disadvantages of bunnies? This thread makes me want to get some. :3 Everything alucinor said. Because of the fact they get sick quickly, if you are out of town you have to get a pet sitter that can come twice a day or you have to pay $$$ to get them bored at a bunny friendly vet. You feel insanely guilty if you end up being gone all day and the bunnies only get a few hours of out of cage time. The hay is a freaking mess, and sticks to your socks and gets dragged all over the house. Expect it to clog your vacuum. It's cheapest to buy hay in bulk, so say hello to storing a 50lb box or shelling out a ton of cash. Mine chew EVERYTHING! Woodwork, carpet, shoes, books, bookshelves... You can't look away for a second, mine will watch me to see if I'm looking and then if I glance away they'll start pulling fibers out of the carpet. It gets really frustrating. Things like to eat bunnies, so you'll be restricted as to what other pets you'll be able to get in the future such as dogs. Expect parents, landlords, ect to not be happy with you having rabbits. If you own your own home, fine. If you rent, you had better get it in writing that you can have rabbits because verbal agreements aren't going to protect you or the bunnies. If your living with your parents, or someone else then it's a risk you probably shouldn't take for the bunnies sake. In the time I was typing this my rabbits: ate through a cord that my husband didn't put away properly, removed several more carpet fibers, chewed more bristles off the broom because I left the pantry door open, and bit my leg probably because they want food.
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Nov 15, 2008 17:20
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alucinor posted:I can't actually think of any advantages. They are fun to look at because it's kinda like having a wild animal in the house? But so is a cat, and they are much easier and cheaper to care for. Well there's gotta be some or else none of us would be here and we'd all be just another PI Cat owner. I personally think they're far cuter and more interesting than cats.
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Nov 15, 2008 18:05
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Deceptor101 posted:Well there's gotta be some or else none of us would be here and we'd all be just another PI Cat owner. I personally think they're far cuter and more interesting than cats. Honestly, I got my first bunny on a whim because I was a shopaholic in a pet store. The second one was to be a friend for the first (they still hate each other, but now they're at the ignoring phase! Progress!), therefore he was from a shelter that I contacted a couple weeks before I got him. There wasn't a huge amount of forethought that went into this. That said, I think there is nothing sweeter than getting 'groomed' in an attempt to get pet back. I know cats do that head rubbing thing but I really love how Zen will bounce up and start licking my elbow, looking very expectant (she does not groom because she loves, she grooms because she wants to get pet -- Zen uses me :/ ). I also think buns have a lot more and varied personality than cats. I love cats; they were, until I got Zen, my favorite animal, and I was convinced I was going to have 1 -- or 12. But I feel like most cats are that lovely lazy, slightly aloof, personality. They just vary between how friendly they are. Zen has so much more personality than a lot of people I've met. Frith is developing (he's still a teenager  ). Or maybe I'm just making excuses for myself now that I won't be able to get a cat, since Zen will be seriously pissed.
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Nov 15, 2008 19:33
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Rabbits are neat because they're unlike any other animal. Most of them time they pretend to hate you and seem determined to destroy everything you love. But they have really unexpected sweet moments. They're little bastards though - they know when they're doing something they're no supposed to, but they don't give a poo poo. They're also really, really dumb sometimes, which is hilarious... seriously though, most people are better off getting cats. Cats stay litter trained, usually love (or tolerate) attention, can be handled generally, and are loving cheap when compared to bunnies. They don't die suddenly or ruin electronics, and the only bad thing about cats is the smell (but rabbit pee smells too!) and occasionally hairballs. And dead animals, I guess, if they're outdoor cats. ... And having rabbits has completely eradicated any chance of owning a ferret that I had... at least for a decade or so. I don't mind though, rabbits are very entertaining to watch, and soft to pet. ^.^
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Nov 15, 2008 21:19
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I have to agree, rabbits can be ungrateful little bastards, but they are incredibly adorable especially when they decide to like you for a few moments.
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Nov 15, 2008 21:49
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I have a male lionhead rabbit (Albert Hopmann) who is 22 weeks old. Over the past few weeks he has seemingly forgotten that he is litter trained, as before he would rarely even poop outside his cage but now he poops quite often. Not just that, but he likes to do a quick spray of piss aimed in my direction almost once a day and his accuracy is good. Would this be because he isn't neutered?
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Nov 16, 2008 20:03
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prompt posted:Would this be because he isn't neutered? (I'll respond 'cus I guess I got here first... though my experience is only anecdotal because all my buns were altered immediately when I got them) In a word: yes. ... There really isn't much more to it than that. If you read this thread, or the houserabbit society's website, both pretty much guarantee you that rabbits turn into little shits when they hit ~4 months if they're unaltered. There are also other benefits to neutering a rabbit: significantly longer lifespan, curbing (or elimination) of may behavioral problems, extremely reduced risk of cancer... much easier to bond to other rabbits, and no chance of more bunnies.
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Nov 16, 2008 20:13
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It's easier to dissuade happy cabbage from getting a rabbit than encouraging an adoption. That being said, if happy cabbage can afford the responsibility and understands that the next 7-10 years will be filled with a lot of happiness as well as misery, why not adopt one or a bonded pair? Like alucinor, I'd say I can't immediately think of any advantages to having bunnies around. It's been several years and I still can't pinpoint the exact reasons why I love having my rabbits.Bagleworm posted:Most of them time they pretend to hate you and seem determined to destroy everything you love. But they have really unexpected sweet moments. Oh. yeah 
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Nov 17, 2008 08:27
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If you're really attached to your furniture or curtains or carpet, you probably won't enjoy having a rabbit. Me personally I enjoy having a rabbit every day, they're just the right kind of affectionate, and provide lots of entertainment. But caring for a rabbit really is far far more trouble than I ever expected beforehand. I'm fortunate I'm in a position where I can spend at least 6 hours a day with mine.Bagleworm posted:There are also other benefits to neutering a rabbit: significantly longer lifespan, curbing (or elimination) of may behavioral problems, extremely reduced risk of cancer... much easier to bond to other rabbits, and no chance of more bunnies. About the cancer, could anybody link me to some hard evidence (study or credible source) that specifically mentions the risk of cancer in unaltered females? I have a friend who's being kind of an idiot about it and doesn't want to "put her bunny through something like that if it's not really necessary" because somebody from the animal shelter where she works (not a rabbit expert of course) said it's not necessary to get them fixed.
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Nov 17, 2008 10:16
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http://www.rabbit.org/care/bibliography.html Two scientific articles, one textbook citation. There's also numerous articles if you search Pubmed or one of the vet databases. Here is a very recent article (2007) viewable as a PDF, which cites the 80% statistic (more accurately reported as 79%) in the third sentence.
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Nov 17, 2008 16:02
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DS at Night posted:About the cancer, could anybody link me to some hard evidence (study or credible source) that specifically mentions the risk of cancer in unaltered females? I have a friend who's being kind of an idiot about it and doesn't want to "put her bunny through something like that if it's not really necessary" because somebody from the animal shelter where she works (not a rabbit expert of course) said it's not necessary to get them fixed. Honestly, even if the cancer weren't an issue, the behavioral advantages when getting them spayed are unreal. When I adopted Bowser, she HATED being held, peed everywhere, and humped everything that moved (especially our ankles.) She's now a complete cuddleslut who does not hump. She does pee everywhere again, but we attribute her worsening litterbox habits to her age. Regardless, she had a pretty solid 6 or so years of peeing only where she was supposed to. Of course, having said that, I'm still fostering two unaltered, mature boys who are the best behaved rabbits I've ever encountered. They don't spray, they love being held and snuggled, and I've never seen a hint of sexual behavior. It's weird, but I'm not going to complain.
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Nov 17, 2008 18:10
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