Is a fresh food diet feasible?

[bunnysam]

So here’s the story. My daughter is allergic to cats, dust mites and storage mites. (Blood test). And according to our ad hoc test at a rabbit show yesterday she’s allergic to rabbits too. Sensitised by her friends rabbit.

But since our cat died I’m desparate for a fluffy companion so I was still fantasising that if we kept the rabbit in one room and had a HEPA filter in her bedroom it would be OK.

But then I realised that not only would she be allergic to the rabbit but to its food as well! Because hay and presumably pellets, swarms with dust and storage mites and a bunch of other mites that prey on those! Its a whole microcosm, red in tooth and claw!

So this sounds worse than a cat! She’s not allergic to cat food! But we could feed the rabbit fresh grass. The same grass species that the hay around here is grown from. We have planted about 8sq. m. of pasture for the chickens but decided to cage in the vegie patch and let the chickens roam free, so the grass isn’t being eaten. At the moment it is quite short but I imagine it will shoot up in spring .. must check that with the fodder store man. It doesn’t snow here so the grass will be alive all year.

Do you think that would be enough to keep a rabbit in grass every day? In addition I have a plot of about 4 sq m. where I could plant either more grass or dandelions. And we have lots of apple trees that need pruning and I could plant another for the sole purpose of providing apple twigs.

And I could grow the same pasture seed as sprouts in the kitchen (I bought way too much of it).

As a back up, I could have some pellets in the freezer which would kill the mites.

Vegies would be bought from the greengrocers.

 

So is it possible? Can i grow enough grass and fibrous food for a rabbit?

 

 

[Tate]

I would be interested to see what more experienced rabbit owners have to say about this, but my gut instinct is no. I have a 2 lb rabbit and a 3 lb rabbit and they now go through about 1 lb of hay EACH per week, sometimes more. I would mostly be worried that the grass would run out.
I think that if your daughter is not only allergic to the rabbit itself, but also it’s main food source, it’s NOT a good choice for a pet. They do live 10-12 years, so it’s a pretty big commitment, as much as getting a dog or cat. 

[bunnysam]

And if grass is 50% water (and its probably more) that’s 2lb per week of grass and that is probably the whole patch!

So I’ve thrown the rabbit pamphlets I got at the show away. It was a nice idea while it lasted.

[Tate]

It always is. Hehe

[Beka27]

I’m sorry. :o(

Rabbits are great pets for the right person, but I think in this situation, it just would not work. There are people who are allergic to hay who choose to have rabbits, but I think with a young child being allergic to both hay and rabbits, it’s not fair to her to risk her being sick.

Would a small hypoallergenic dog be a possibility?

[Sarita]

I agree with Beka – I wouldn’t risk your child’s health knowing that they are allergic to a rabbit. Most people who have allergies are also allergic to hay and probably suffer more with seasonal allergies.

[mossling]

look in to a sphynx cat. they are not fluffy, but they ARE extremely soft, warm, loving, and a VERY good choice for people with allergies. my friend who is lethally allergic to cats (and most other animals) can still hold and snuggle my sphynx.

[Monkeybun]

I agree, it would be a bad idea to get a bunny at this point. It wouldn’t be fair to the bun, or your daughter. You wouldn’t be able to go near your daughter after sittign with the bunny until you change clothes, which would get annoying after a couple times. And bun wouldn’t get much attention if everyone in the house had to do that

I’m sorry it won’t work out!

[bunnysam]

My husband came up with this rather brilliiant idea. We could have a hutch attached to the house via a cat flap, so all the mites are outside!

Of course there’s still the issue of the rabbit itself, but unlike a cat, we could confine a rabbit to one room.

My husband must want a little fluffer as much as me if he’s thinking like that In fact he’s outside right now scoping out the area.

The more I think about it the more brilliant it is! The rabbit will be weeing outside, whereas our cat wee-ed inside and that’s a major source of allergen.  Although would we need litter box(es) inside as well?

OK, its a bit mental. I will give it more thought. I should add that she wasn’t so sensitive to the cat that I couldn’t hug her and I always had cat fur attached to my clothes. And my daughter could pat the cat as long as she washed her hands afterwards. In fact, since the cat wouldn’t let DD near her until later life, we didn’t realise she was allergic to her until dr suggested a RAST test. She is however, very sensitive to dust mites. If we add a HEPA filter to her room, she wont be as well off as with no pet at all, but she will be better off than when we had the cat.

But more thought … we have to be sure we can keep a rabbit for its lifetime. Will talk to the immunologist in July.

 

 

 

 

[Monkeybun]

Outside can be very very dangerous, even if the hutch is fully secured. Weather, insects, predators… its just too scary outside. Even if predators can’t get to the buns, it has been known for bunnies to die of fright with having a predator just nearby. Indoors is best for bunnies.

Litter boxes are bets, even if outdoors is where they have to be. If you let a bun go wherever outside, they will be hard to train to use a box inside when they are indoors. It gets confusing for them

If she isn’t sensitive enough to react immediately, and can pet one then wash her hands, it may be doable.

[mossling]

i think a hutch attached to the house is a great idea! that way, the bun can come inside if it is frightened or during bad weather, but you can feed it and keep its hay in the hutch and away from your daughter! it’s not like you would be actually keeping the rabbit isolated outside, more like adding an addition to your house just for it!

[Sam and Lady's Human]

I could never imagine having a pet that would risk my child’s health. Rabbits aren’t a “lock in a room” type of pet IMO, they are just as much a companion as a dog or cat.

I agree with Moss, look for a pet that’s basically breed to be hypoallergenic.

[bunnysam]

The room that we would “lock” the bunny in would be the dining/family room. The room I spend most of my day in. Not a storage room at the back of the house. Not much point in a companion animal if they’re not there!

My daughter’s reaction to the cat was mild.  My father lived for 21 years with a cat that made his nose and eyes run and he would not have contemplated for a moment getting rid of the cat, but he made that decision as an adult. And there is no such thing as a hypoallergenic cat or dog despite what people say. The health benefits of having an animal are hard to measure but non the less tangible.

I’m now looking back on the history of our cat and realising there were ways we could have reduced the impact she had on the environment that didn’t occur to me until today. I think we could have a cat or rabbit and make my daughter quite comfortable. Well we must see what the immunologist says (which I am sure will be “no!”) and then I think my husband must make the decision because he is more allergic to cats than my daughter and most of the time has the sense of an adult … not always when it comes to fluffy things though

[mossling]

i have an idea- have you considered fostering? contact a local rabbit rescue, explain your situation, and offer to foster a bun. then you can see how your daughter will react, figure out what you would have to do to make it work for your household, and decide if it is actually feasible. and while you’re at it, you are helping an animal in need!

and i don’t see how what bunnysam is talking about (confining the rabbit to one room) is any different than the members on this forum who have dedicated rabbit rooms.

[Sam and Lady's Human]

Posted By mossling on 05/16/2011 07:23 PM
i have an idea- have you considered fostering? contact a local rabbit rescue, explain your situation, and offer to foster a bun. then you can see how your daughter will react, figure out what you would have to do to make it work for your household, and decide if it is actually feasible. and while you’re at it, you are helping an animal in need!

and i don’t see how what bunnysam is talking about (confining the rabbit to one room) is any different than the members on this forum who have dedicated rabbit rooms.

The members who have a bunny room (from what I’ve read) don’t have a child with an allergy. I just don’t see how Bunnysam can put the bunny in a main room like the dining room and it not have an affect on her daughter. I grew up with a cat allergy and my mom developed one after a few years, the cats ended up (albeit happily) as outdoor cats. Pet allergies suck, and they only escalate over time and contact. 

I’m not sure why bunnysam thinks that hypoallergenic pets don’t exist, I’ve seen them.

 

[Beka27]

My concern is for the welfare of your daughter (and possibly husband: it sounds like he deals with allergies as well). I am also concerned because allergies are one of the top reasons that animals get surrendered to shelters. This is usually because people do not know ahead of time they are allergic, or as you said, the allergies develop over time. I think going into this already knowing that one or two members of your family are allergic is not a good idea. Of course, the decision is ultimately yours. Is your daughter old enough to express her symptoms? If her symptoms become too problematic or cannot be controlled with medication, will you be giving away the rabbit or surrendering to a shelter? As adults, you and your husband can make the decision to live with snuffy noses and watery eyes. Of course, your child is going to want a fluffy animal, but will she be very sad and upset if it has to be given away, mostly due to her allergies?

A few thoughts on allergies:

As you already mentioned a HEPA filter, probably one placed in a couple locations.
Daily vacuuming.
Orchard hay tends to cause less issues than timothy hay.
A rex or mini rex breed rabbit might be easier on allergies due to the short, dense coat, and minimal shedding. Stay away from any rabbit with longer fur (this includes lops and lionheads).

[KatnipCrzy]

You plan on talking to her doctor which is a good thing. And you mention a husband and a father that are allergic and have lived with cats- they are an adult and can make an educated choice. A child can’t make an educated choice- they only see a cute bunny or other pet- so they will choose “yes”- even if it is a poor choice that results in additional medical problems for them.

I would suggest fostering to try it- or look for a pet that does not cause allergies. How much joy will a pet bring if your daughter can not interact with it and has other restrictions (not feeding it, not holding it by her face, not going into its room, etc)?

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