Way OT (even for this forum!!)

[angelsmom10]

We used to have a rabbit in the house (caged).  It was very smelly and a pain to clean/keep the cage clean.  We had him for about 8 yrs.  It was the one animal we had that we really wished we had never done, but never had the heart to give to someone else.  We were attached.
 
Outdoor oasis does sound nice!

[birol]

Don't rabbits need to have room to move ? WHen I was a kid (Don't remember how old I was), my parents purchased me a rabbit. it was kept in a big cartoon (box) top open, I recall it getting paralyzed (hind legs), and it couldn't move. I remember being told that rabbits need to be able to move freely otherwise they get paralyzaed. I don't remember what happened to i, I must have been really young but I still feel the sadness in me. I just kept looking at it trying to move it  trying to talk him into moving his back legs and so on ....


I see rabbits being sold everywhere here and the cages they are in are not bigger than the box we had for it (as far as I can remember of course), how do they survive that ?

[MommaMia]

She was an indoor cat because we never had an outdoor cat live longer than a few years.  So when we got her we decided to keep her inside.  What I'm thinking is that since we just bought this house in October of last year, maybe the previous owners used poison to kill thier mice.  We never poison anything because we have kids, a dog, etc.   - it would be foolish.  But it was just an older man living here before.  Plus our cat used to go up into the dropped ceiling in the basement (don't ask me how!)  and a few days after she died I found a mouse (half-eaten) in the basement.  It' s really the only conclusion I can draw.  She wasn't outside once while living here, and she was only 9 months old.  

Well, enough said.  Now I'm thinking of making a duck pen (or oasis as I like to think of it) in the back yard.  Either that or rabbits, I'm not sure!  Anybody out there have any ducks or rabbits??

Rabbits are great kid pets.  They are quiet and easy to keep.  Most rabbits are very easy to train to use a litter box as they like to go in the same spot every time so they can be given the run of the house.  One thing you have to keep in mind for a rabbit with free run of the house is that they are, by nature, chewers.  So all electrical wires must be kept up and out of reach , otherwise it's rabbit fricassee for dinner! :eek:  Also make sure the kids understand that rabbits are NEVER to be picked up by their ears!  

One of our favorite kid pets that we have are rats.  Yes, rats.  They are clean, relatively odor free as long as cage is kept clean weekly.  They are easy for the kids to handle as they are not too little, not too big.  They are friendly and love to be held and cuddled.  They are very smart and can be taught a variety of tricks.  You can get a harness for them and take them outside for exploration time.

[birol]

DD keeps looking at rats when we are at pet stores, I hate rats She goes, daady they are soo cute, can't we get one please ? Why do you hate them, sigh .... Good thing we have the rescue dog on the way

[angelsmom10]

My sister years ago got a rabbit for her kids and left it run the house.  It was litterbox trained.  But it did like to chew... chewed many a cord (telephone and electrical), her DH finally made her get rid of it before they had a fire or a fried rabbit.  She ended giving to a friend who had a farm.

[Miss-Teri]

I have a little Mini Rex rabbit.  He is a lot of fun, and very friendly and tame, but only because we've spent LOTS of time with him.  Since most rabbit owners don't have them out like a cat or dog it's very easy to forget about them and just do the minimum of care (feed/water).  I would think it would be a fairly lonely existence in a cage with no companionship for those type of bunnies.  

You do have to be careful of their backs.  I have a friend who has one that is paralyzed from a broken back.  It is a spoiled indoor bunny and won't be euthanized, but they stay very busy caring for him.  

Rats are excellent pets, but my problem with them is they have so much personality and are so easy to train so you fall in love with them and then they die within just a few years!  Dogs and cats live too short lives - I'd hate to own something that is such a good pet but is guaranteed to not live long!

If you do decide on a dog or cat, please check an area shelter.  I rescue literally hundreds off of death row each year, sometimes minutes from euthanasia because the AC officer was waiting on me to get there first.  An example of what you can find there - my last rescues, on Thursday, were a fullblood white Pomeranian about 2 years old, super sweet, a teeny tiny Schnauzer mix about 1 year old and 5 pounds, a Chihuahua mix puppy, a Collie/Husky 6 week old puppy, an Aussie/Collie puppy, a Pointer/Basset mix puppy, and a Cocker mix puppy.  Two days before that I rescued 5 cats and kittens.  And you can't even begin to imagine how many beautiful healthy young purebred and mixed-breed animals I leave behind.

Keep us updated on the new pet (if there is to be one)!

Edit:  Here is a link with pictures of those latest rescues - there really are some beautiful animals in shelters out there:  http://groups.msn.com/PuppyluvsPawPrints/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=96118&LastModified=4675468596248654446
And my last batch of kitties:  http://groups.msn.com/PuppyluvsPawPrints/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=95194&LastModified=4675467991121283864

[Acts 2:38 girl]

Oh,  Miss-Teri - You're killing me!  How beautiful!  I love those little golden puppies!  However, puppies are almost like babies, since they need quite a lot of attention.  (hmmm... I might try that the next time that baby urge hits!!   )

I need to do some research on mini-lops and other breeds before I make a decision!  My SIL had rats when she was a teen.  She loved them, but they are prone to cancerous tumors and die rather quickly, as mentioned, a few years.  I know DH does not want them in the house, and I don't think I do either.  We have to many little feet running around!  But I do want to have an enclosure outside for it to run around in.  We'll see, and I'll let you know!!!