QUESTION for Patti Moreno (and other rabbit owners!)

JadaE, member

no recommendations

Photo: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Add Comment
Print

Hi Patti (and other rabbit owners),

I have been seriously considering adopting a rabbit or two, and want to know just a little bit about your experience.  Of course I would love to have the "compost" created by the rabbit, but my 3 kids and I would love to have a furry little pet to love as well...I definitely understand the responsibility of owning them, just want to know how much is involved, if you have a minute!

I know it's off the subject of gardening, but I got the idea from here...for gardening! :)

Thanks so much!  Happy gardening! :)

Jada E.

Add Comment Print

QUESTION: Getting seeds off to the right start

Back to List

Covering gardens

Comments (4)

JadaE writes: Thanks Garden Girl! I really appreciate the info! There is a rabbit rescue organization in my area, that has either single bunnies or bonded pairs. I think a pair would be better too! I was thinking the Angora bunny would be harder to groom, so I'm looking for a mini-rex or dutch...
Thanks again! Happy gardening...Jada
Posted: 3:24 pm on October 16th

TheGardenGirl writes: Rabbits are a lot of fun. I am currently raising 10 rabbits. I wouldn't suggest getting more than 2 if you have limited room and it is best to get 2 females that are bonded together. Of course you need to get all of the things you need to house and water and feed your rabbits before you bring one home. They love to eat timothy hay not to be confused with straw which has no nutritional value. You will need to give them some daily. Angoras are great, but a lot more work. Mini Rex's and lion heads are adorable. My favorite book on the subject is "Raising Rabbits Successfully" That taught me a lot about raising them. Also know that rabbits are fragile and can die unexpectedly even if you did everything right. Since you have kids you should be prepared. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
Posted: 5:08 pm on October 15th

JadaE writes: Thanks Chris!
I will definitely check out that particular book! There is certainly no shortage of rabbits up for adoption in this area...there seems to be a lot of unplanned pregnancies in the rabbit community! :)

I think a pair (spayed/neutered!) would be a great addition to our family...I didn't realize how intelligent and social rabbits are! I've already found a source for timothy hay and my hubby is going to build a nice hutch. So, once we have a bunny house, we'll be good to go!

Thanks again for the info...mucho appreciated! :) Jada
Posted: 10:07 am on October 8th

ChrisMcLaughlin writes: Hi Jada,

I hope Patti doesn't mind my jumping in here. I have been raising rabbits for about 15 years and although I don't "raise" them at this point (because I got out of showing some years back), I still have 5. One is my youngest daughter's bunny as she's in 4H (I used to be the rabbit leader).

I would say that owning a rabbit isn't anymore difficult than having a dog or cat with the exception that you don't have to walk them (but they love human interaction if they are used to it). They do have special needs of their own like giving them fresh hay along with their regular pellets and water.

And because they are domesticated animals, they rely on us for everything including playtime. There's a fantastic book that I can recommend that is truly spot on with their advice on owning rabbits. It's called "Your Rabbit: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing".

I know you may not be interested in the showing part, however, there's wonderful general information in the book for keeping rabbits. I've run into other books that make me knit my eyebrows as they seem inaccurate from my experience. Anyway, I'm sure Patti can share with you her experience, as well. But I hope you decide to to share your home with them because we are still enjoying having rabbits around us after 15 years!
Posted: 10:17 pm on October 6th

You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.