bunny or ferret???

[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

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!

[lute]

Originally posted by guineapiglover4life
I recomend a guinea pig!

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


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.