To bunny or not to bunny

Rappel

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 4:49 am

My neighbors have a pair of bunnies. My children love bunnies with an insane, obsessive love. In several weeks, there are going to be baby bunnies next door.

What should I do?

I don't want one indoors - we already have a cat and a dog, and with several children in the home I'm finally convinced that animal hair belongs outside.

I told my very eager son that we can build a hutch outdoors, but the more I read, the more I regret it. EVERYTHING wants to eat a bunny. It would have to be caged up any time that the children aren't playing with it (them?). And I hate keeping animals in cages.

I'm also fairly certain that some of the baby bunnies from the pair next door will get loose and go wild, so there should be plenty of loose bunnies around to tame unless the mongooses are extremely efficient.

And I can't keep one bunny alone caged. It would be so sad. I would have to give it a sibling companion. And then I'm concerned that we'll either have fighting bucks, does whom mate with wild bucks through the wire, or our own little homemade brood to take responsibility for.

So to bunny, or not to bunny?

[In case you haven't figured it out -- I'm perfectly fine with not owning a bunny in a land full of vegetable gardens. But my children are ardent bunny lovers, all their friends will have personal bunnies, and it's a good opportunity to teach them responsibility for a pet. I just don't know if I know what I would be getting into.]

Rappel

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 6:07 am

Success10 wrote:

Bunnys are cool with being in a cage. They are not like other animals in that sense. But you can't have just one bunny, they need company. And as you know, once you have two bunnies...they multiply. Unless you verify they are two of the same gender.

Have you kept them before? What makes a bunny chill out and happy with his lot?

Aye, I know it would have to be two, since I'm not expecting my very young children to be constantly with them. And as you say, two may become more.

Will two bunny brothers fight?

Success10

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 6:31 am

I had one bunny for a very short amount of time. So I'm no expert, but I did some research. I read that they like to have company. And also, they are animals that are used to living in the burrow, so they enjoy a small, snuggly little cage that should be dark at night. You should once a day let your bunny hop around for a bit, but they are not intelligent creatures like cats and dogs that really need to explore and run around all the time. They don't crave freedom that way. Although the bunny we had did find a way to break out of the "kluv" over and over and over, so they might be smarter and more freedom-craving than I give them credit for. Our bunny was a biter, so we gave her back.

I don't think siblings would fight, but I'm not sure. In general, they live as families in crowded conditions. I find them to be cute, but boring animals.

Zehava

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:08 am

From everything I read bunnies do need to be let out. The cages misconception comes from being used for experiments. They can actually be taught to use a litter box. They can be very affectionate, the one I had for a little while would snuggle up under my chin and lick my face. If you’re worried about two multiplying you can have them fixed at the vet.
And they are pretty animals so would be nervous outside smelling predators everywhere.
Oh and domestic bunnies don’t just “go wild”. They’re a totally different breed and are not great at surviving in the wild. They’ll be eaten.

Last edited by Zehava on Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:09 am; edited 1 time in total

Siriusly?

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:08 am

Success10 wrote:

I’m not sure where you did your research, but a lot of this is inaccurate. First off, rabbits are actually highly intelligent and with some patience can be trained to all sorts of things from litter training to cute show tricks.

They very much do need to run around, explore and dig, as it is part of their nature, and when cooped up without this opportunity they can become aggressive and/or destructive.
If kept in a cage, it should not be the kind sold in pet shops which are usually way too small - they need to have space to move around in, and even with that they need a few hours a day out of the cage to run around.

It is true that rabbits thrive better with company, but if you can give them enough of your time and affection, they can thrive on their own too. The best option is a spayed female and neutered male (for halachic reasons, better to buy/adopt them after they’ve been fixed, but it is possible to get a non-Jewish vet to make a kinyan and do it for you.)

Siriusly?

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:12 am

It depends on where you live and what wildlife is around, but outdoor life can be very frightening for a rabbit and they can die of fright alone, or of predator attacks...

Plus, if your neighbours aren’t keeping or selling all of their babies, they should be given to an animal rescue instead of being allowed to get free, since pet rabbits lack the ability to survive on their own in the wild.

chanatron1000

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:23 am

In general, it's not a good idea to let domesticated animals out into the wild. They'll either just die, become an invasive species, or in some cases mix with the wild population (if there is a wild version that can mix with it) and probably weaken it.

Last edited by chanatron1000 on Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:23 am; edited 1 time in total

crust

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:23 am

I had bunnies for a while and my children would do anything I should bring them back so I understand your kids.

Rest assured that I did not take care, touch or go near the, bunnies but my heart went out to them.

I felt that it is צער בעל החיים to keep them in a cage long term.
They look so small but when you let them run around they stretch really long.

Letting them run around freely outside meant they would get lost or hurt so I dont really see how it is possible to have them in a way that they are safe and also fair to them.

Can you build a wide, long cage so they have enough room to stretch and run?

Success10

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:30 am

Siriusly? wrote:

I am not a bunny expert, so I for sure could be wrong. I find them not as bright and certainly not as socially interactive with humans as cats and dogs.

Fox

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:40 am

Before maaking a decision, I recommend watching some of the many YouTube channels dedicated to house rabbits. My favorite is Lennon the Bunny.

A cage outside is a bad idea, but you can use a baby gate to create an enclosed space for times when the bunny needs to be confined.

Rabbits need a lot of gentle handling and interaction to build trust -- as you said, they are prey animals -- but they are lovely pets and good for reducing anxiety in their owners.

cinnamon

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:44 am

Our cute bunny Gilbert will be a year old on Chanuka. We keep him in the house. He's litter trained and out of his cage most of the day. He does go into his cage on his own at night.
Most of the day he does his own thing - hiding under a bed or running from corner to corner, but he can be really friendly sometimes and comes up to us and asks for a nose rub. He likes playing with balls and my son got him to roll a ball to him a few times but we're not sure if it's really a trained trick or just an accident cause he doesn't do it on command only when he feels like it.

I wouldn't keep a bunny in a hutch outside I think that would be to stressfull for him.

amother

Powderblue

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 8:53 am

I have a bunny and love it. It is one of the few animals I will tolerate in my house.

I second watching Lennon the bunny on YouTube. Some of what she recommends is a little over the top but it gives a good idea of what bunny's need.

I have our bunny in the basement in a gated in area. It has lots of space and boxes to chew on and hide in. We let it out to run around the house sometimes. It can be very friendly and likes to be cuddled. Feeding it is a lot of fun for our kids. The bunny is trained to go in a litter box so the mess is very minimal. The only annoying thing is that it chews on stuff (wires and cords) so watch out for that.

Fox

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 9:36 am

amother [ Powderblue ] wrote:

I second watching Lennon the bunny on YouTube. Some of what she recommends is a little over the top but it gives a good idea of what bunny's need.

Imamother Confession Time:

I watch these videos and have to exert all my self-control to keep from running out and adopting a bunny. Like Amother, I don't see myself putting my bunny in a stroller and going on hikes, but they seem like good pets for busy frum households. They require consistent, disciplined care from kids (or parents) but are also happy to stay out of the way when things are hectic.

My mechutanista had a bunny, and I may or may not have commented to DH on occasion, "But Shaindy had a bunny!"

Alas, running a computer business out of your home is not really compatible with a bunny because of their wire-chewing habit, so I live vicariously through other people's bunnies.

Zehava

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 9:39 am

Fox wrote:

You do know there are wire protectors for that