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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A DO NOT get a bunny if: Updated!

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    • CheriB603
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        Thought it might be time to revisit: For those of you thinking about getting a bunny, here are the top (but by no means ONLY) reasons why you should NOT:

        Do not get a bunny if:

        ~ You were at the pet store and saw a cute bunny and want to cuddle / save it.

        Bunnies are EXPENSIVE to house and care for properly. And if you can’t do it properly, don’t do it at all. Pet store bunnies are often the most unhealthy due to poor care in the store and exposure to many other buns and their illnesses.

        ~ You are poor. See above. Bunnies need BIG cages (even the biggest “pet store” bunny cage is too small.) which cost money, food, a variety of fresh veggies, toys, bunny proofing your house, vet visits, spaying & neutering.

        ~ You really don’t think your bunny needs to be neutered because it will be an only bunny. You are wrong. Your arguments are invalid.
        Unspayed females have an 85% chance of dying from uterine cancer and unneutered males are frustrated and may become agressive and/or pee everywhere to mark their territory. Plan to spend $60 to $250 dollars or more to neuter or spay, depending upon where you live.

        ~ Your 2, 3, 4, 5 year old wants a bunny. No, nope. Bunnies are delicate and pretty much violently hate to be handled. They also have sharp teeth and nails. One scratch / bite and your child will be over it.

        ~ You “think” you can convince your parents to let you have a bunny and MAYBE they will let you keep it in your room if it doesn’t smell or chew things.

        Bunnies chew, bunnies smell a little, bunnies COST MONEY! (See above) if you are a busy kid / teen who does not have a job, don’t count on Mom & Dad paying expensive vet bills. More likely you’ll go to school one day and while you’re gone Dad has “taken bunny to live on a farm”. There are too many posts here from teens in distress because “nobody will drive me to the vet or the store or buy my bunny food or pay for their medical bills”… if YOU can’t afford to pay for EVERYTHING your pet needs, do not get a pet!! And if you HAVE a pet and find yourself in this situation where you can’t give it a proper life and your family will not help you – do the right thing and give it to a no-kill shelter.

        ~ You heard bunnies can be litter trained, so that’s good because you hate when animals pee and poop on your floor. Yeah, good luck with that and if you rent and have carpets, kiss your security deposit good-bye.

        ~ You are going off to college soon but you’re sure someone in the family will just love to care for your bun while you’re gone. Sure, for a week.

        ~ You are going off to college but it can stay in your  (teeny tiny crowded) dorm room… Providing your roommate isn’t allergic, doesn’t mind having their clothes, books, computer cords, cell phones etc chewed up and peed on. ‘Nuff said.

        ~You recently got married and you guys want a widdle bunny to spoil. You’ll be pregnant within a year and bunny will be on Craigslist. So NO.

        ~You found a bunny outside. Take it to a shelter or rescue where it will be properly evaluated, treated for any mites, fleas or medical problems and will be spayed or neutered.

        ~ You had bunnies when you were a kid and they lived outside in a hutch all year and were not neutered and they lived just fine. You are wrong. Your arguments are invalid. Outside bunnies get too cold / hot, get fleas, mites, fly strike and are less likely to get much needed exercise and attention, can become victims of predators and their life span is usually much shorter than inside bunnies. Don’t even think about it.

        ~You already have a bunny, but it is very destructive/clingy/sad/old/lonely/not cuddly – so you want to get it a “friend”. Think really hard. If you think a bunny will keep your bunny company and then you won’t have to spend so much time and effort with it, you are wrong. Your commitment just doubled. There is also no guarantee they will bond and may severely injure each other when fighting. Be prepared to have 2 “only bunnies” if it doesn’t work out. 

        ~You want a bunny but you have a dog or cat with a strong prey drive – but that’s okay, because you can just use a baby gate to keep them apart or simply close the door.  Why not just feed the bunny directly to Rover and save yourself some time.  No.

        ***I know there are exceptions to every situation, but these are the situations that most often people find themselves having major difficulties with. Bunnies can be a commitment for a decade or more, so think twice, READ READ READ and READ SOME MORE!***


      • Muffinluv
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          Yeah, good luck with that and if you rent and have carpets, kiss your security deposit good-bye.

          it can stay in your dorm room… Providing your roommate isn’t allergic, doesn’t mind having their clothes, books, computer cords, cell phones etc chewed up and peed on. ‘Nuff said.

          I had to laugh at these bits, but yeah, there really is nothing to laugh at. Think alot before you get a bunny. Do you really need him?
          Points to add:

          ~You want to prove to your mum you can take care of a pet and eventually get a dog or cat. Ummm No! Bunnies require almost as much work if not more than a dog! If your parents don’t trust you with a cat a bun is way to much work.
          ~ Your friend has a cuddly bun and it would be cool to have one too! Don’t get pets because ‘Susan’ has this or ‘Marty’ has a that, they are living creatures that require a commitment of devotion and care, and prepare to provide this for a decade

          If you want a bun, think, rethink, think again, reasearch, reasearch, reasearch some more, reasearch so much that you could almost be a terrible vet! Plan your future, think again, are you able to provide, plan some more, decide

          Do I really want to make this commitment? Will I follow through with it, remember, buns are living creatures that form strong bonds and have feelings, don’t get a bun if you think “If I change my mind, Sally will take her, Sally loves animals!” YOU are responsible!


        • sleepy538
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            ~You recently got married and you guys want a widdle bunny to spoil. You’ll be pregnant within a year and bunny will be on Craigslist. 

            love this!


          • Timberlee Fields
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              Posted By sleepy538 on 08/28/2013 08:51 PM

              ~You recently got married and you guys want a widdle bunny to spoil. You’ll be pregnant within a year and bunny will be on Craigslist. 

              love this!

              I’m engaged and pregnant (: I’m the exception! I don’t do the whole “I’m gonna get an animal that lives for 10 years but not keep it that long” thing.


            • Beka27
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                This is a hilarious list!!!

                The sad thing is… I’d say that almost EVERYONE fell into at least one category at the beginning, whether you want to admit it or not! I think 4-5 of them applied to me years ago when we got our first bunny!!! Fortunately, we learn our lesson very quick and adjust accordingly!

                Muffin: I seriously LOL’ed at your quip, “Research so much that you could almost be a terrible vet!” :o)


              • Roberta
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                  Oh I got tossed in at the deepend with a pocket full of lead… 3 week old rescues… No supplies nothing but a large dog carrier and a neighbour with hay… I spent the next 50 hrs online and running around shops for food and supplies…and crawling through the internet for info. Forget the learning curve, mine made a 90 degree turn from horizontal.
                  I still agree with all of your points BUT there are always those rare exception to the rule… HOWEVER as the exercise is to make people think before leaping into bunny ownership I think it is successful.


                • Sarita
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                    ~ You are going off to college but it can stay in your dorm room… Providing your roommate isn’t allergic, doesn’t mind having their clothes, books, computer cords, cell phones etc chewed up and peed on. ‘Nuff said.

                    This one is very relevant because there is a post in the Rescue Section that a university in Gainesville, FL is changing it’s policy on allowing rabbits and other pets in dorms and the rescue that used to allow the students to foster their rabbits is struggling to find more foster homes for these rabbits….so that is a very real situation…


                  • CheriB603
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                    • CheriB603
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                        Just wanted to bump this topic up for another look see.


                      • Bam
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                          I fall into the You found a bunny outside-cathegory. If there’d been shelters or rescues in Sweden, I’d have taken the found bunny there. But i had to chose between the police, who would’ve put him down, or to become a bunny-mommy.

                          I became a bunny-mom. Turned out a bunny was what had been missing from my life =)


                        • CheriB603
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                          • NewBunnyOwner123
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                              Haha I fall into a category or two :p this is pretty funny list but make valid points.


                            • SugarbearNPepper
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                                Perfect!


                              • rayray
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                                  I think this list could go for any animal. I’ll admit when I got Ziggy I wanted “a cute cuddle bun”. But at least I did my research before I got him. I took 2 months to read up and consider how I would handle the bad bits. Overall, I’m happy with my decision. I love Ziggy, not for the rabbit I WANTED, but for the rabbit he IS.


                                • CheriB603
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                                    Exactly, rayray!
                                    You did your research and adjusted your expectations to your bunny rather than the other way around!


                                  • Deleted User
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                                      Yep, I’m with rayray on this one – I wanted a ‘cuddlebun’, gee, I got that one wrong! I was worse though – ‘NO’ research! I met all you guys ‘after’ I got Henry. Boy, did I learn my lesson (the hard way).


                                    • Kbana
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                                        I’m in the same boat as you AndHenry. But at least we are smart enough to accept our buns for who they are and love them nonetheless.


                                      • niniliefie
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                                          Yup! Silly me tooo! ” Bunnies are so qt and cuddly and a dog requires so much more attention” yeah right!

                                          I’d add -if you like sleeping late! Hahaha mango lives in our room and 5 AM… Is as late as I get to sleep!

                                          I’ve had him 3 months he has cost me tons and a day hasn’t gone by that I haven’t read up on buns or worried about something!!!

                                          (He is an absolute joy though-lying next to me for a cuddle now and I wouldn’t trade him-but honestly… If I knew beforehand how sensitive and expensive they are… I might have gotten a bird instead… Hahaha)


                                        • CheriB603
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                                            Lol!
                                            I know exactly what you mean!


                                          • Deleted User
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                                              You know Kbana, every time I think back to when Henry was first bought home – I am actually mortified ‘at myself’! (Who knew one bunny wee was that big?) I was in no way prepared and thought it was all cuddles? If only I had the opportunity to read your forum CheriB603 before I made the commitment, and had a better understanding that bunny’s weren’t just for cuddling 24/7 (if ever?) and that their care is ‘more’ involved (way harder) than caring for my 3 dogs (who would of guessed?), I may have “chose” not too? And that’s my point adding this post to your forum, as embarrassed as I am to so. But for what you are trying to achieve – bunny education before you commit, I thought it was worth exposing myself. Like Kbana, I accepted my Henry for all he is and I love him to the moon and back, though I still frown upon how I have changed my world (home) to accommodate him, ha ha hah! (I would never ever had done that for my kids, lol).
                                              Our adjustment to Henry was sooo overwhelming – when the hubby and I joke about breaking up, instead of saying “I get the tv and you can have this…” we both say – “YOU GET Henry”! Ha ha ha hah – just jokes…..
                                              So yes – if your not that way inclined (prepared to turn your life upside down over a little cute bun) and are ‘thinking’ about getting a bunny, for ‘your sake’ (and most importantly the bunny) be realistic about what you are getting into. In ‘my’ opinion, caring for a bunny doesn’t come close to a dog. Henry is way more ‘involved’ than my 3 dogs put together? Go figure…..


                                            • Bam
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                                                AndHenry, you seem to be a lovely person =) “You get Henry!” What a threat!

                                                I too was baffled over the amount of care a bunny requires – way more than a 62 lb German Shepherd dog. Then I got my other rabbit and had to have a gate made that divides my apt because these two tiny boys hate each other – but that’s quite normal once you’ve become a bunny-mommy, it’s like a whole new logic of things. And yet it’s so rewarding, every day, when a bunny comes to snuggle and I think Wow! This little creature actually seems to like me!

                                                And I love the BB forums because here are other people who also operates within this logic system, the bunny-owners’ logic.


                                              • Deleted User
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                                                  Yep! I just got Henry his dinner (vegies) ready on the breakfast bar – and he knew, finally (clever boy) and ran over to my feet – I got all excited!!!!!! (I just texted my hubby at work to tell him). Does that make me super sad/pathetic that I got all excited over something as simple as that? This bunny is the worst pet I have ever owned – yet he makes me soooo happy! He cleans his ears and I still gush! When I pat Henry, I have to stop myself and pat my dogs too. Thankfully I can laugh at myself – so please Bam, go ahead and laugh at me too! (I have at you, actually your dog – ha hah! I still chuckle at his thievery!). I couldn’t imagine my life without my rabbit! (bugga!).


                                                • CheriB603
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                                                    So glad you guys get my intention with this post.
                                                    How many times have we heard from folks who seem to be shocked that their cute little bunny “hates” them, pees everywhere and chews on EVERYTHING! And how do folks think all those buns arrive at their local animal shelter? I bet 99% of them were surrendered because their owners were overwhelmed by the amount of care a bun needs and how destructive they can be if they have not prepared their homes properly. It really breaks my heart. I hope the BB moderators consider prominently posting this or a similar list so that potential bun owners can get an honest view of what they’re getting into.  


                                                  • rissakai007
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                                                      My cousin recently wanted a rabbit for her birthday. She was turning 18 so I wasn’t concerned about her age. I WAS concerned with several other things. I don’t think she knew much about caring for rabbits, first of all. Her parents didn’t want her to get a pet. She was asking a friend to just buy her one and show up at their home with it. Her logic was that is someone bought if for her as a gift then they couldn’t say no. Very childish if you ask me…! They probably wouldn’t have made her get rid of it but I assume the friend would have just picked up the rabbit at a pet store. She is also starting community college in the fall but if she was forced to get an apartment I wonder if she would try to get one that allowed her rabbit or just ditch the rabbit. Thankfully it passed over. No one bought her anything. No pets harmed. Sigh.


                                                    • rissakai007
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                                                        My cousin recently wanted a rabbit for her birthday. She was turning 18 so I wasn’t concerned about her age. I WAS concerned with several other things. I don’t think she knew much about caring for rabbits, first of all. Her parents didn’t want her to get a pet. She was asking a friend to just buy her one and show up at their home with it. Her logic was that is someone bought if for her as a gift then they couldn’t say no. Very childish if you ask me…! They probably wouldn’t have made her get rid of it but I assume the friend would have just picked up the rabbit at a pet store. She is also starting community college in the fall but if she was forced to get an apartment I wonder if she would try to get one that allowed her rabbit or just ditch the rabbit. Thankfully it passed over. No one bought her anything. No pets harmed. Sigh.


                                                      • CheriB603
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                                                          Good thing…


                                                        • niniliefie
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                                                            Pets as prezzies are awful! My mango was a gift from a patient! And although I am now grateful! At the time I was excited, but had no clue what to do with the little thing! (7weeks old) they gave me 1/2cup of pellets and 4/5 strands of grass-from the field by their house- and that was it! I didn’t have a cage or anything!

                                                            One of my friends saw my pic of mango on my profile today and wants a bun! I gave him this thread to read! Hahaha he responded ” but everyone seems happy about it in the end” (25year old mans argument) so I gave him the breakdown of start-up costs and vet visits etc… And with the numbers at hand… He settled for sharing an occasional cuddle with mango(who doesn’t seem to like any guys except my best bud?silly bunny)

                                                            I just told him that love isn’t enough(horrible as that sounds) and it really isn’t! When I got home today and mango had figured out how to open his cage, gotten out and feasted on chargers and extension cords(all unplugged luckily) I felt like I could kill him(for like 2min-cause he seemed so impressed with himself)! Over $ 40 just in electrical cords and the box with 3 brand new Dr Brown baby bottles(another $30) which was intented as a gift was without corners… Even if you are prepared… Buns have a way of shaking things up!!!


                                                          • rissakai007
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                                                              oops sorry that posted twice. My phone always messes me up!


                                                            • Zombie-Sue
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                                                                .________. Not everyone in the whole world wants to get pregnant


                                                              • rayray
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                                                                  I’ve only had cats, and more recently birds and a snake. My cat was high maintenance as he liked to be cuddled and carried around like a baby. So I guess I’m use to being an animal’s slave. I honestly don’t find Ziggy to be much more work. Except, I’ve had to be more creative in buying/making toys or things for him to do. And I have to watch him more. He’s 2yrs old, and it really feels like have a 2yrs old human with how he curious and stubborn he is. haha!!


                                                                • Boing
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                                                                    I think it really depends on the person and the pet.

                                                                    My childhood family pet was found outside and went unclaimed. We took good care of her, and no one would ever have guessed that it had been unplanned.

                                                                    As for my rabbit, he has never soiled the floor. He is cat-like in that respect and uses his litter box faithfully. He’ll hop back to his pen if he’s out and needs to go. I am very happy about that!


                                                                  • kcomstoc
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                                                                      I have a dog with a strong prey drive but for some reason mostly ignores Caleb most of the time (unless binkying/zoomying) and even then when he’s interested he is on his harness with a leash attached and we are holding on to that leash every second but with some training some dogs don’t care there is a bunny on the floor. anyway that is a huge exception to this rule….I also want to say

                                                                      -DON’T GET A BUNNY IF YOU CAN HAVE A BUNNY BUT REALLY WANT A DOG/CAT/HEDGEHOG (WHATEVER OTHER ANIMAL)….I DID THIS AND EVEN THOUGH I DON’T REGRET IT I REALLY SHOULD’VE RESEARCHED RESEARCHED RESEARCHED BEFORE HAND.


                                                                    • mollys1
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                                                                        I love the quip in one of the first comments ‘research so much you could almost be a really bad vet’…I knew the vet was awful when I either knew everything she told me or the stuff she told me was incorrect. And she called herself an exotics vet :/ This list is good for the perspective bunny owners!!


                                                                      • Dwarf Sparrow
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                                                                          Zombie-Sue, I thought the same exact thing! I’m slowly, subtly(?) trying to get my bf to come to terms with the possibility of only ever having fur-babies, no human babies haha


                                                                        • Bam
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                                                                            I would never have gone out and bought a rabbit, because before Bam I honestly though rabbits were boring pets. I had a rabbit when I was a child of 7 and she sat in her cage all day long and in the summers, she was in a hutch outside during the days. She was never tame or friendly. Sometimes I think Bam was given to me as an opportunity to make good for all the things wrong I did to my childhood bunny. Or rather didn’t do, because my sins against her were of omission. I often think of her and feel bad. She became 5 years, then was scared to death by the neighbour’s dachshound.

                                                                            I actually believed that there was no way you could litterbox-train a bunny, that bunnies never ever want to cuddle or be pet, that they have to be kept in cages at all times. So imagine my astonishment when I’d found Bam and googled rabbits and found a whole new world of bunny-knowledge that totally contradicted my notions of rabbit-ownership.

                                                                            But what really won me over was of course Bam himself.

                                                                            I think rabbits are pets for grown-ups. But probably most pets are unsuitable for small children. Maybe cats work. Cats are more durable, they can take pretty rough handling without breaking.


                                                                          • Deleted User
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                                                                              Just going back to niniliefie’s post – One of my friends saw my pic of mango on my profile today and wants a bun! I gave him this thread to read! Hahaha he responded ” but everyone seems happy about it in the end”.

                                                                              I think that may be the problem with ‘this’ forum? We (BBer’s) are ‘happy in the end’ (look at me and my previous post? I’m one of the worst! Lol…), and that’s why we are BB members. Are we really being a deterrent, getting the true message across to those who think ‘well they did it, etc., so can I?’. For all those BBer’s who sought out, or came across their bunnies not knowing any better, luckily ‘we’ made it work – how many people didn’t because they didn’t get to see/read about all the bad (hard) bits – just the ‘Kleenex Tissue Add on TV’ (as I admitted – that was me) but couldn’t make it work? Shame the message (without our ‘happy endings’ can’t be out there beforehand to those who think ‘I’m having a cute moment – lets get a bunny?’. For all of us who ‘made’ it work – good on us! For those who are clever (obviously not me) and found this site ‘first’ – good for you! Cheers.

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                                                                          Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A DO NOT get a bunny if: Updated!