any rabbit owners?

by River Thu 07 Jul 2016, 7:39 pm

My rabbit is getting old - he's only five and a half, which for a well-bred rabbit would just be late-middle age but since he's from a feed store, I consider him to be old. He's got some skin hanging from his belly, like you see in the older cats and dogs (and larger breeds of rabbit). I got him for my birthday once, but my parents care for him and the others in the sense of buying food and cages ad stuff, so I guess he really belongs to them. He's a white new zealand, and his name is Thumper Houdini, but we shorten it to just Thumper. He's a show rabbit but he usually gets disqualified because he's underweight by a few ounces.
We also have a broken blue netherland dwarf, Bandit! She got first place, BOB and BOV last year. She's a little over a year old now. She's a bit shy, but she likes being pet if she's in the mood. She loves to play with toys - she has a pinecone which she's constantly tossing into the air.
We have another netherland dwarf; Wolfgang. My parents adopted him from a livestock auction. He's unshowable, and he absolutely hates me - he bites whenever I come near. He likes my sister though. Who knows what's going on in his head! He's adorable, though.
And lastly, a white mini-rex named Kale. He's gotten 2nd place. He hates being held, but he loves pets! He has some fur missing from his hocks, though. It's common for this to happen in rex breeds, so I'm not too surprised. We've given him more solid platforms though, and we'll see how it helps.

We've fostered two lionheads; Akito and Yeti, as well as a dutch girl, Bambi.

This year, we lost two. Clover, a red mini-rex doe, and Oslo, a broken-black holland lop buck. Oslo was very sweet - he'd beg for pets, and always wanted out-of-cage time. Clover was equally as sweet, and she'd stand on her hind legs whenever you were near to get your attention.

by CinnamonPearl Thu 07 Jul 2016, 7:44 pm

Oh, I wish I could have a rabbit! I want one sooooo badly. I was begging for one after my parrot died, but I got mice instead, so I'm content. I wanna have one though!

I take care of the rabbits at my animal shelter. Or at least, I did, but I'm getting back into it. I'm in charge of exercising and socializing them. I even helped organize an easter egg hunt fundraiser to get them a huge outdoor hutch! My favorites were a group of five who came in named Flopsy, Mopsy, Beatrix, Potter, and Mum. They've all been adopted out now, and they were by no means perfect rabbits (Beatrix was the meanest bunny you ever did meet), but I miss them. The book I'm writing even features them as characters, with some alterations to their names. We only have one bun at the shelter now, a lazy boy named Cody. He's pretty sweet, so I think he'll get a home quickly.

Sheesh, I've been rambling. I'll probably get a bunny once I don't have to live on campus during college.

by River Thu 07 Jul 2016, 8:05 pm

My rabbits prefer being outdoors - everyone I've met who shows says it's actually better for them than it is indoors, which shocked me at first. I thought it'd be dangerous, but every expert I've asked recommended it too. My parents set up some big old rabbit hutch that's got a roof and some sides that can go down if the weather looks bad. I'm still skeptical, but they seem to enjoy it. I just take them in when I don't like how the weather is looking!
I love rabbits. I've always liked the larger breeds best, though. They seem sweeter, but that just might be me being biased since my first boy was a big breed.

by CinnamonPearl Thu 07 Jul 2016, 8:06 pm

Huh! I know outdoor hutches were popular, but lately I've heard more about rabbits living indoors. I'd probably keep mine inside and just take them out for walks and playtime if I ever get any. I'd just let them be free range in the house.

by essentiallysue Thu 07 Jul 2016, 8:08 pm

I have only had one bunny in my life. He was Tony. He was a dwarf, and lived 8 1/2 years in my apartment with me. I slept with him on the floor with him under my arm when he was old and unable to stand upright. Finally, I had to put him to sleep. For so long, I would get tears whenever I saw a bunny in the store. I could not get another one, so I started with hamsters, and now mice. There is nothing like bunny love.

by River Thu 07 Jul 2016, 8:10 pm

CinnamonPearl wrote:Huh! I know outdoor hutches were popular, but lately I've heard more about rabbits living indoors. I'd probably keep mine inside and just take them out for walks and playtime if I ever get any. I'd just let them be free range in the house.

Thumper loves freeranging! He used to do it more often than not, but since we've got Pixel - my very territorial dog - it's pretty hard to let him do that. The other dogs don't even care about him - in fact, sometimes, he'll chase them around and then go back to resting! Like he thinks he's one of them. I wish he could've free-ranged permanently, but my parents wouldn't allow it. Maybe when I move out he'll get to! He loves to rest in dog beds, I'd have to get him a nice big one.

by River Thu 07 Jul 2016, 8:11 pm

essentiallysue wrote:I have only had one bunny in my life. He was Tony. He was a dwarf, and lived 8 1/2 years in my apartment with me. I slept with him on the floor with him under my arm when he was old and unable to stand upright. Finally, I had to put him to sleep. For so long, I would get tears whenever I saw a bunny in the store. I could not get another one, so I started with hamsters, and now mice. There is nothing like bunny love.

Oh that's so sad. I've never been super close to a rabbit and had to lose it. I loved Oslo and Clover, but I was never quite as close to them as I am to Thumper...I'm dreading it. I can't imagine...

by Artistwolf Thu 07 Jul 2016, 9:08 pm

Aw, I love bunnies so much!! Photos?
I would love to have a bunny... Like Cinna, I think mine would be indoor simply because the temperature fluctuates a lot in St. Louis... And we can get down to like 0 F in the winter and up to over 100 F in the summer. I could see it working in Florida or somewhere temperate like that, but not here!
I would totally take my bunny for walks. That would be awesome XD I actually want to teach my future cat to walk on a leash, even though he would be indoor/outdoor Laughing

by MouseLover Thu 07 Jul 2016, 9:54 pm

House rabbits seem to be more popular nowadays. I've never had a rabbit, but if I did I think I'd go for something in between - outdoors in the daytime and indoors at night. I'm sure bunnies love being outside, but we have a lot of foxes round here, and when my boyfriend was a kid, his rabbits were killed by a fox who managed to break into their hutch. Foxes are nocturnal so I'd want them to be safe at night.