bunny or ferret???

[lute]

which is better for me?....

1. not smelly
2. cheap to care for
3. friendly with kids
4. easy to care for
5.something i can let run around my room

thanks:D

[Jods]

Bunny... Ferrets are really expensive they are like 200$ to buy and their cages are about 200$ the food is 20$ a bag :eek: Plus a bunny would like to be with you more my ferret only wants to run around when he's out. where as my bunny likes to sit on me and stays still LOL... My ferret is a nut job! :rolleyes: I'm not trying to deter you from getting a ferret I just know they are very expensive and require a lot of energy LOL not that a bunny doesn't they are just easier to care for. Good luck!! Lops are nice I also like Lionheads... I have a dwarf bunny and I've had both I don't think dwarfs are as friendly as others although thats my opinion... They both are smelly I would say a ferret is more though, you need to get your ferret desented most places do this before you buy, but soem don't. Also some places ferrets are illegal so check into that.. For kids I think a bunny would be good also cuz it would liked to be held more then a ferret would...... This is only my opinion, They are both great pets and I love my ferret and my rabbit just the same!

GOOD LUCK HOPE I HELPED
:)

[CathyBogart]

1. not smelly: Ferrets, even descented and properly cared for, have a bit of a musky odor. Rabbits....ahve moderately smelly urine but it's easy to keep them clean enough not to notice.

2. cheap to care for: Let's see...Ferrets need a somewhat specialized diet, an enormous cage, are prone to some health problems that can be expensive to fix, and tend to get into trouble everywhere around the house. Rabbits...are vegetarian, need moderately sized cages that can easily be built yourself, are NOT prone to expensive health problems, and are relatively mellow and well behaved.

3. friendly with kids: Ferrets are mischevious and endlessly playful, and when they get overexcited they can get nippy, and BOY do they have some sharp teeth. Rabbits usually only nip in self-defense, most don't care for being picked up in the first place so most of the playtime is on the ground, and they are playful in an entirely different way from ferrets, and much gentler.

4. easy to care for: I think this was covered in #2

5.something i can let run around my room: full time? Niether. Supervised? Both, but a rabbit will not climb all over the place.

[PJ's Mom]

I vote for a bunny. I've never owned ferrets, but my neighbors did, and they seem to be a handful, and an expense. We have a bunny (Thelmer) and when she's not attacking me, trying to bite my fingers off, she's a great pet. :D

[Karen]

Bunny! Bunny! Bunny!

[lute]

thanks.....i have had rabbits before,but i was younger and don't really remember much about them.

i guess i should have specified. i want one that can run around my room *supervised*.

i guess im kinda leaning toward a bunny. i never knew ferrets were so expensive.i'm glad i asked.

oh yeah,is there anypleace that i should steer clear from when buying a bunny? are petstores ok?

[Desert Arabian]

NO! Do not get a rabbit from the pet store. There are just as many homeless rabbits at the shelters as there are cats and dogs. Get one from the humane society or rabbit rescue- give a homeless rabbit a home!

My princess Peanut was at the shelter for 1 year in a crampped cage too small for her!

Research, research, research, research is all I can say. There is so much to know about them...I am still learning. I was at the vet yesterday with both of them and I was there for an hour and a half chatting with the bun specialist on general rabbit care stuff and learning how to bond them.

My rabbits do not stink, they are 100% litter trained so their fece and urine smells are masked extremely well by the litter. Ferrets make me gag, they smell too much for me.

So far, I have learned that they are not all that cheap to care for, just like rats, they require a lot of little things that add up quickly (litter, veggies, etc). I have had Peanut since September 9th and Buster since October 7th and I have already spent around $750 or so. No animal is "cheap" to care for unless you cheat them out of proper care (IMO). Rabbits do not do well with little kids, they do not like to be cuddled and held much- in fact they are one of the worst pets for little kids- one reason why there are so many in shelters. They are pretty easy to care for.

Go to the library and get all their rabbit books, start looking around on the internet- RESEARCH! :D

[Aspen and Misty]

About Bunnies.....

If you room has furniture, cords (which should be removed or hidden) or wooden furniture then you will need ot watch your rabbit like a hawk. I have 4 large holes in my carpet b/c of my rabbit. My Whicker chair was chewed to pieces. Besides these itoms they have destroyed : 2 books, 1 mattress, 1 homework paper, 1 workbook and the list goes on. Of course I take full responsiblity for these lost itoms because I didn't know they were there (well the chair and matress, but I didn't know he would eat them, lol) and I should have checked better. But everytime my bunnies roam in my room, I have to clean it.

My rabbits require an hour a day of clean up and then 2 to 3 hours on the weekend of "full cleanuop". I daily have to set up and take down a cage for them to play in which requires about a half hour a day.

Rabbits also need large cages. My rabbits cages costed about $40 each (Half the price of the 3 story ferret cage I own). It took me only a day to build it, which isn't bad. The cage department is pretty simple.

As far as food. They need Hay, and lots of it. We are spending $20 weekly on hay alone (Although you should only spend maybe 10 or so). It's something you can't skip either. They have to have it. There litter cost us about 5 dollars a bag and there food cost us 8 dollars a bag. With one rabbit A Bag of Litter *should* last you 2 to 3 weeks. The food should last you for a month (or more) if kept well. (Of course, this is my food and litter, your bags may be smaller)

Most rabbits do not like to be picked up, so cuddling with it is out of the question. They do however like to be pet on the head.

If your rabbit is not spayed or nuetered, you will need to do this. Luckily, our vet does ours for cheap ($100 for Females, $90 for males) but most vets don't, so I can't give you a price on that.

We've probly spent about $200 dollars on vet bills for the buns this year (not including nueteres and spays). So they will require vet care.

Research is a must before you get a rabbit! They have special needs that need ot be met and you also have to watch for things, like hairballs which can kill a rabbit quickly.

On a brighter note!

Rabbits are wonderful pets. They love the people who take care of them. Everything I do for my rabbits is well worth it. They are such wonderful animals and I think you would find what a blessing they are by adding one to your family. I really hope you are happy with wichever pet you choose!

Ashley

[lute]

thanks for all the info!

i will most definatly adopt one from a shelter.:)

i do have a couple questions about litter training. what kind of litter should i use? how do you litter train a rabbit?!

thanks lots!:D

[Jods]

for rabbits I wouldn't use regular cat litter... Dunno maybe some ppl do, but my other rabbit ate it... How about yesterdays news.... Dunno that one will hafta go to the litter train ppl lol my current is not litter trained he goes in the same corner anyways.. and when he's out we hafta put him on newspaper, but he will jump back in his cage to pee :o yes I'm horrible lol... I tried to litter train him he just wouldn't learn....

to train them whenever they go to the bathroom place what they did with bedding in the box put the box in the corner he/she uses they usually use the same corner... they catch on pretty quick usually...

[Aspen and Misty]

Originally posted by lute
thanks for all the info!

i will most definatly adopt one from a shelter.:)

i do have a couple questions about litter training. what kind of litter should i use? how do you litter train a rabbit?!

thanks lots!:D

Just a thought. If you are going to be leaving your bun bun alone for long periods of time (school, work, vacation, etc.). What about adopting a bonded pair? They get into less trouble. To me it's like only having one. They share one litter pan, one cage etc. The only thing that is diffrent is the food intake, but I've found 2 isn't much more, food wise, to one. Although, this also means double the vet bills, I think in the long run your bun would be happier. :)

What I did for litter training is, Walmart has these little cat pans. They are fairly in-expensive. I bought 4 of them and one the first day placed them in every corner. Then, I would look to see what litter pan the bunny used the most. I would then remove one litter pan (this could be the same day, days later or whatever, just when you see most of the bunnies poops in one pan). Then I leave 3 litter pans in his cage for a day or two. And then I would remove one. If he is going in another corner, I would put another back in and leave it till he started useing only the one litter pan again, or at least 2 to 3 days. Then I would take out the litter pan again. If you keep doing this, eventually he will only use the one. A thing to remember though, if your rabbit if already full grown he may be to big for the little litter pans and if you notice he is peeing just on the edge of his box, it might be because the pan isn't big enough, so you would need to buy him a bigger pan. Julian litter trainined in One Day useing this method (but he is freakishly smart). Jacom litter trained in *about* a week.

I personally use Kay Kob, but bunnies can eat it and choke on it. I've been looking and trying diffrent things and havn't found one that even compairs to it. I find yesterday news doesn't obsorb the odor enough, but diffrent things work for diffrent people. Alot of people like Woody Pet, but I also don't like this because of the way it breakes down when it gets wet. If, however, you do like it, and you want something really cheap, buy a product called AMB at your local feed store (our tractor supply carries it here). it is acctaully Horse Bedding, but is just like woody pet. My friend uses it, but first asked her vet about it and he said it was a wonderful bargain and completly safe. (Here is a product like AMB and Woody pet. http://www.guardianhorsebedding.com/pinepellets.htm ) You cna buy 40 pounds of AMB for $4.00, if you live in Ohio. The price may vary where you live though, but it's a really nice saving!

Ashley

[flamepony12]

Originally posted by lute

1. not smelly
2. cheap to care for
3. friendly with kids
4. easy to care for
5.something i can let run around my room


sounds like a rabbit to me! :p :D

[lute]

Aspen and Misty thanks!

i also heard that if you put the litter pan in the corner then put a few of it's feces in the pan it will learn to go in the pan. would that work, or is the person pullin my leg?

[Aspen and Misty]

I tried that with my foster rabbits, Molly and Golly, it didn't work for either.

Ashley :)

[Desert Arabian]

Yes, that can work. That is what I did with Buster and he is 98% potty trained, he still leaves some presents to mark his territory.

Peanut was already potty trained, so honestly I am not sure how to potty train rabbits because they were already potty trained when I got them.

I use Feline Pine and aspen pellets for litter. Do not use cat litter of any form, it is bad for their lungs and if they eat the crystals it is bad for their GI track. I tried using apsen shavings- it was too messy, did not mask the odor well, and they ate it too much.

[cookieluver7]

Definatly bunny! They aren't expensive, and they are really easy to take care of. And they aren't too smelly if you keep their home clean. WARNING, WARNIG!!! Make sure when you let the bunny walk around your room, put newspapers down so it doesn't go potty on your carpet. Good luck with whatever pet you choose and have fun with it!

[Aspen and Misty]

cookieluver7 - If your rabbit is properly litter trained there is no need to put newspaper down. My bunnies have never had an accident since they have been litter box trained.

Ashley

[HollandLoppy89]

I cant really choose between those...cuz i have both. The ferret...is quite stinky, has a big ( not to mention expensive ) cage, pretty expensive diet, and a pretty expensive pet!!!! but it is all worth it with a ferret they well, are a handful, but it is well worth it. It will keep you company and not fail to make you smile:p

I have a bunny too. They aren't very expensive...about $30, hutches can get up to $200...but I got one that was $99, Not very expensive diet, vegetarian...the urine does smell sometimes, but you should change the litter every couple days anyway. Rabbits are easy to litterbox train, while ferrets are not!

I'm gonna attach a pic of my cutie patootie ferret, bam

[Prissyrabbit]

I vote for rabbit simply because ferrets stink! I can not stand their smell. Bunnies can stink if you do not keep up with changing their litter boxes. One trick is to feed your bunny a few sprigs of cilantro every day. This decreases the urine smell. When you walk into my house, you would never know I have a rabbit.

I disagree that rabbits are not expensive. Realize that rabbits are considered to be exotic. So when you walk into the vet, it's probably gonna be at least $50.00 to walk in the door. Also, you should not use just any old litter! Yesterdays News of Carefresh have my vote. They are not scented (unlike pine or cedar shavings - which can be rough on a rabbit's sensitive respiratory system). Do not use cat litter!

As far as diet, rabbits need lots and lots of fiber. A good quality timothy hay is what I suggest (like Oxbow or American Pet Diner). Make sure the hay is still green and smells fresh. Do not buy this nasty brown/yellow, dry stuff sold at the pet stores. And rabbits need a good quality pellet to eat. Again, I recommend Oxbow. Do not buy the nice, colorful stuff sold at pet stores. It has too much "junk food" in it! And just an aside - please don't buy the junk food treats sold for rabbits in the pet stores like the yogurt treats, etc. They are not good for rabbits!

Contrary to popular belief - rabbits should not have carrots every day. They can have small amounts of carrots for treats, but it shouldn't be an every day thing. Also, you should limit the amount of fruit and veggies. Fruit has a lot of sugar and the veggies can cause painful gas in some rabbits.

Also, rabbits should have their teeth checked regularly. They can over grow and cause the rabbit to stop eating. And teeth grinding can cost a pretty penny to have done. But some rabbits are just more prone to teeth problems than others.

And then, as mentioned, rabbits are chewers and diggers - it's their nature. So just expect it! Fortunately my bunny is not a digger - just a chewer. So I have to provide her with lots of chew toys, treats, paper, etc. so she doesn't get bored and chew on things she shouldn't. And my bunny is fully litter trained. She never has accidents. She always returns to her litter box to use the bathroom. I let her have the run of the house except for when I am at work - which is when she stays in her three story bunny abode (condo). Take a look at the cages on www.leithpetwerks.com. They may be too expensive - but it gives me peace of mind to know she has lots of room when I am not home. A bunny's cage should be at least tall enough for the rabbiut to stand on its hind legs without its head touching the ceiling, and long/wide enough for the bunny to be able to stretch out fully. I bought one cage for when my bunny was a baby, and another for when she was grown.

All in all, I absolutely LOVE my bunny. But don't be fooled that they are cheap or easy to take care of. Once you get your routine, they are easy to take care of. But you can not just leave them by themselves all day every day and expect them to be a good pet. It takes me just 15 minutes three times a week to clean her cage and litter box. Once a month I do an extreme cleaning of her cage, which take me probably an hour and a half.

So do not be discouraged by my e-mail. I am just wanting to present you with the facts so you are not taken by surprise. If you want, look at my pics on "pet general" of my Prissy. She is so sweet and cute! Rabbits are so great - but they are not for everyone. Some people tell me a guinea pig is a lot like having a rabbit, but doesn't need such a big cage. I have never had a guinea pig, so I do not know if they stink. But from what some people write, they are great pets to have as well.

Hope this helps you some!

Prissyrabbit

[ConnorsGirlr0938]

Bunny Def!

I have always had rabbits and they have all been very friendly and love to run around my room. And most are kid friendly...but when picking a rabbit, make sure you can hold it and pet it and things like that before you rescue.

And ferrets are expensive and smelly!!!

[lv4dogs]

Although I opt for lute to get a bunny, pretty much because of financial reasons.

But I see a LOT of people here flamming ferrets for their stink. Actually a well cared for ferret has hardly any smell at all.

What a lot of people don't realize that w/ ferrets a LOT of things can cause them to smell.

When their ears get dirty they smell, they don't need to be infected to smell like most dogs etc.. just dirty.

If you bathe them oftem it makes them smell more, it strips their coats of needed oils, therefore their systems have to work overtime to re-produce them therefore making them smell worse.

Their bedding needs to be clean & washed.

Certain foods can not only make their feces smell worse, but their whole bodies too.

Make sure you clean their litter boxes often, and certain litters may not destroy the order.

I can go on & on w/ a few other reasons.

I just wish people would get the proper information before saying anything about any animals.

I have 5 ferrets (2 dogs, 1 cat 6 rats) & you can ask anyone, my home does not smell like even one animal lives there.
A lot of my friends have ferrets, none of which smell. One even has 24 ferrets & you can never smell the "ferret" smell in her house.

[ConnorsGirlr0938]

sorry about what i said about smelly ferrets,,,i didnt realize that much about them... my friend used to have one but she gave hims baths so thats prob why he smelt...thanks for the interesting info!!




-Caroline

[hootowltony]

I think you should get a bunny because they are all of what you wanted.:) :)

[Prissyrabbit]

You are correct - if people take care of their pets (no matter what type of pet it is), they probably won't smell. I should have explained myself better. When I said ferrets stink, I was talking about in general compared to rabbits (at least when I pass the rabbits vs. the ferrets in the pet stores, it seems as though the ferrets always stink worse). Obviously if rabbits are not taken care of properly, they will stink to high heaven too. It seems as though ferrets will stink quicker. But I will agree that I have a ton of rabbit knowledge and very little ferret knowledge. So I will say that I definitely agree with you - whether it be ferret or rabbit - they both will stink eventually if not taken care of properly. Sorry it seemed as though I slammed ferrets. I am bias because I have such a sweet bunny I guess. But I am sure you love your ferrets just as much as I love my bunny. And if I thought someone was saying my bunny stunk, I would get pretty upset. So sorry about that.

Prissyrabbit

[guineapiglover4life]

I recomend a guinea pig!:D

[lute]

Originally posted by guineapiglover4life
I recomend a guinea pig!:D
i like guinea pigs,but my mom thinks they are ugly. i know she's WAAAAAY wrong! but hey,she has her opinion.

[guineapiglover4life]

Yeah, some moms are squeemish towards fuzzy squeaky rodents. She has the right to have her own opinion though. I still like them though. ;)

[guineapiglover4ever]

ferrits are allegale in california
they have killed infents
i say bunny or
guinea pig
every animale stinks
srry

[lute]

FERRITS HAVE KILLED INFANTS!!! that's terrible!:(

i'm talkin to my parents about gettin a bunny. i enjoyed the ones we used to have so i think i'm gonna get one....sometime. i've done some research and i think i like the rex rabbits. i might see if i can find one of those. of corse it doesn't have to be pruebreed.

[lv4dogs]

This is a great site for mny ferret ?'s
http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/part1.html (http://http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/part1.html)


as far as the killing infants, it is just like dogs or cats, you guys are giving a ferret a very rap, just like lots of people do w/ pitts & rotts. GRrr

PLEASE RESEARCH BEFORE MAKING ANY REMARKS OR STATEMENTS especially negative ones!!!

here is a part I copied from that site

There are several stories floating around about ferrets attacking babies, some more true than others. Ferrets are unfamiliar to most people, so it's easier for them to make sweeping statements on the basis of a tiny amount of information. Some of the reports are simply rumor, or the result of confusing another animal with a ferret. Others are based in fact, but omit important information (for instance, that the child and pets had clearly been neglected or abused prior to the attack). A small number are unfortunately true.
However, plenty of children have been attacked and even killed by dogs and cats. The number of people injured by ferrets each year is a tiny fraction of the number wounded or killed by dogs. People don't claim that all dogs and cats are too dangerous for pets, but rather that more responsible parenting and pet ownership is needed.

According to Chris Lewis, former moderator of the Ferret Mailing List:

The FML has carried confirmed reports of two, possibly three, cases where an animal identified as a "ferret" has seriously injured, and in one case, I believe, killed, infants. One in the UK, and one or two in the US. In none of these cases has it been proven that the animal was a ferret - particularly in the UK, it is quite possible that the animal was actually an European polecat which are raised for fur and sometimes for hunting (in the UK). And in each case gross child and animal abuse is well documented. But it's important to remember, that even the most pessimistic statistics on ferrets show that a ferret is about a thousand times *less* likely to cause injury than a dog. Indeed, every year there are hundreds of very serious or fatal dog attacks in the US alone. Worst case statistics show approximately 12 ferret attacks ever recorded in the US.
Dr. Bruce Williams, DVM, adds:
I can say from personal experience that there are many, many more bite incidents with the household dog or cat, and that either of these species tend to do a lot more damage. I have seen children require over a hundred facial stitches from getting between the dog and its food, but never anything like this with a ferret. But I've also been nailed by my share of ferrets too.
Personally, I don't recommend ferrets for people with children under 6 or 7 - either the child or the ferret ends up getting hurt.

[lv4dogs]

Heres another story
http://users.1st.net/hammock/ferrets/fergus/ (http://)


This one is a MUST READ, especially by CALIFORNIANS:
http://www.ferretsanonymous.com/archives/fa_000800.html

[Daisylover]

PrissyRabbit is giving you great advice regarding rabbits. You can also read up on rabbits by going to www.rabbit.org
They have everything you need to know about house rabbits.

Rabbits are wonderful pets, I have 10 of them and have volunteered at a rabbit sanctuary for 6+ years and taught rabbit care classes. As such I can say they are NOT inexpensive to own, there are many factors involved, hereditary background among them. In my particular case it's my fault (that they are expensive) because I have so many, and yes, they all live in the house and are absolutely worth every penny I spend on them.

A primary need will be to find a rabbit specialist vet BEFORE you need him/her. Rabbits are a prey animal and tend to hide illness. As such, you will need to be really in tune to your bunny--how he acts, looks and moves (or doesn't move). It's not unusual for a rabbit to hide an illness until they are indeed very ill, and then you can bet it is going to probably be very expensive to have them treated. DO NOT trust a regular dog/cat vet who has not had the training in the care of exotics (rabbits are considered to be an exotic animal). What will work in treating a cat/dog will kill a rabbit. The above website has a list of bunny vets and you can always call around your area or contact your local rabbit rescue group to find one.

Their diet, in order, should be
fresh, clean water of course available all the time
unlimited green timothy hay, available at all times
a variety of 5-7 diff DARK green veggies 2x day
Except for a baby rabbits or a nursing mom, VERY limited amount of pellets, 2 TB per 5 lbs of bunny. (My rabbit vet puts it this way,
do wild rabbits eat pellets???? and she prefers that rabbits do not get any pellets at all). Pellets tend to be made from alfalfa hay which is high in calcium, which adult rabbits do not need, and can cause bladder sludge (cloudy urine) and eventually bladder stones.

A key point, which I don't think I saw anyone mention is to spay or neuter your bunny....do not try the cheap way out and not get it done. Spay/neuter has many benefits besides not adding to the homeless rabbit population: the smell of their urine tends to be considerably less strong; with their hormones not circulating in their body they concentrate more on their people friends than on their sex drive; consequently they calm down and become more friendly. Again it is vital that a rabbit vet do this as rabbits only tolerate 1 anesthetic and the rabbit-specialist vet will know to use only that (I think it's isofluorine that the bunnies tolerate well).

Also regarding the several comments I saw about rabbits not being cuddly and not wanting to be picked up.....that's true somewhat. It also depends on your rabbits breed, some are more placid than others, and it depends on the bunny's previous experience with people before he came to you....
Of my 10 bunnies 4 love to be held (2 will sleep with me and be perfect with no "accidents" in bed), 2 I can barely get near, 3 can only be petted while on the floor, and my 10th is a 6 yr old rescue who was once terrified of me and how comes up and asks to be picked up and have her ears rubbed.... So it all just depends on the bunny you choose and their personalities.

Good luck in choosing your bunny. Please consider giving a bunny a second chance for a loving home and be sure to try and get one from a rescue group or your humane society.