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Rachel Rabbit
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« on: 23 November 2011, 12:47:10 pm » |
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Hi everyone
My boys (4 & 6) would love a pet - ideally a dog, but that doesn't make sense for us. So I was thinking about a rabbit.....
I've never owned a rabbit so know almost nothing about them, so I have some questions I hope any rabbit owners can answer please....
Do they make a good pet? I was looking at dwarf rabbits - do they bite? Do they like to be cuddled?
Am I better off getting one for the kids to share, or 2, so they have a friend (and less arguments - kids that is!)?
Do they smell, esp in this heat? (My husband's chief concern!)
Do you tend to leave them in their cages most of the time and let them out to play?
Do they get bored - I'm not sure I could cope with the guilt of a bored looking rabbit when the kids are at school....
Also, the dwarf rabbits in the pet centre I went to today seemed exorbitant - $300-350 a go! Is there somewhere reputable where I can get one cheaper?
Sorry so many questions, and thank you!
Rachel
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ExpatSingapore Message Board
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« on: 23 November 2011, 12:47:10 pm » |
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Bunnie
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« Reply #1 on: 23 November 2011, 20:26:17 pm » |
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It is year of the rabbit - one of the SPCA's main concerns this year was that there would be lots of abandoned pet rabbits bought in haste for the event and then unwanted afterwards - so I'd suggest you give the SPCA a try first.
A friend of mine ended up with 2 rabbits, both that she found abandoned near her condo and took in - they were fine, lived on the balcony most of the time (it was one of those balconies with no gaps and didn't get much sun) and they just went into their hutch at night. They were friendly, didn't mind being handled by the kids but she did have to wash them quite a bit (they poo on the floor and then stand and sit in it!)
You could always go for a guinea pig - they're quite placid and lazy and like to sit in peoples laps and be stroked (well..........most of them are - if you get lucky).
Have a read up on rabbits and guinea pigs (loads of info on the internet) and find out which breeds are more placid.
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Pet owner
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« Reply #2 on: 24 November 2011, 17:12:09 pm » |
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Please keep in mind a rabbit is a 10 year commitment. They can live as long and think what would you do if your kids get bored. Yes, they need space to roam around, ideally a couple of hours a day. In case you decide to have 2 (they need company) try to have a look at the SPCA website, you could adopt them, they usually have several ones. Good luck!
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Old Mike
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« Reply #3 on: 24 November 2011, 17:30:08 pm » |
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Curried Rabbit
This is a very nice mild curry and easy to prepare.
However everything in this recipe can be adjusted to taste or availability
* 1 kg (about 2.25 lbs) rabbit cut up into pieces or about a pound of deboned rabbit meat.
* 30g (about 1 ounce) ghee or unsalted butter
* 3 large onions
* 25 mm (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger
* 3 teaspoons ground coriander powder (McCormicks have it in their gourmet
range)
* 2 cups chicken stock (an Australian cup = 250ml so this is about 2.1 US cups) - you can use stock cubes for this
* 1 teaspoon garam masala (you can make your own - there are recipes on the
net and McCormicks have it in their gourmet range)
* 250g (about 8 ounces) can or frozen sweet corn kernels
* salt
Method
* Ideally soak the rabbit for a few hours or overnight in water to cover with a
teaspoon of lemon juice added to whiten the meat.
* Drain off water and dry the rabbit pieces well
* Slice the onions and ginger very finely
* Heat ghee/butter and brown the rabbit pieces on high heat
* Reduce heat when browned and add onion and ginger and continue frying for a few more minutes
* Mix the ground coriander with the chicken stock and add to the pan with a good pinch of salt.
* Cover and simmer for about 2 hours or until the rabbit is tender. (If the liquid is reduced too much add more water as necessary.)
* Finally sprinkle in the garam masala and the sweet corn and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes
* Serve with rice
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Michelin chef
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« Reply #4 on: 24 November 2011, 18:11:53 pm » |
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Mike, that looks yummy yummy...!
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internet
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« Reply #5 on: 24 November 2011, 18:56:24 pm » |
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You need to do a bit more research. I looked at a rabbit for a while instead of replacing our cat that had died. I got put off mainly by the fact that they like to sharpen their teeth - on wood mostly. So if you have a lot of wooden furniture you won't be able to leave the rabbit unattended. But, you can teach a rabbit to poo in a certain place (like a cat) so if you're prepared to protect your furniture then they're probably quite a nice pet. Like a previous poster said, guinea pigs are generally easier.
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sparkling
Newbie
Posts: 21
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« Reply #6 on: 25 November 2011, 9:25:25 am » |
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FYI, rabbits eat their own poo.
Gross but it's a true fact that their digestive system are built that way, that they are required to eat their own poo to digest the food at least a second time to get sufficient nutrition.
If you regularly clean up the droppings such that the rabbit does not eat their poo, they will die.
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Pet owner
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« Reply #7 on: 25 November 2011, 9:34:00 am » |
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Many small animals eat their own poo, so what? I don't see what this has to do with the OP's question. Would that be a reason not to have a rabbit? I don't think so.
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sparkling
Newbie
Posts: 21
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« Reply #8 on: 25 November 2011, 12:52:29 pm » |
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No, it is not a reason not to keep a rabbit.
I did not say anything about that being a reason not to keep a rabbit as a pet.
The OP appears to not know much about rabbits, and the husband seems very concerned about possible smells.
Just lettting the OP know not to be overzealous in keeping the cage meticulously clean of poo for fear of bad smells.
The rabbit will suffer.
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hrss
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« Reply #9 on: 28 November 2011, 16:01:26 pm » |
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There is a house rabbit society singapore you can check them out at hrss net. There is alot of information about rabbits and you can also foster rabbits which have been abandoned. There are lots of abandoned rabbits please consider this option before buying one from a pet shop.
We loved having our foster rabbits they added alot of fun to the house and were very clean.
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Rachel Rabbit
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« Reply #10 on: 01 December 2011, 12:29:51 pm » |
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Hi everyone
Thanks so much for all the replies... and recipes (?!).
It's been really useful getting all the info, and on balance I've decided not to get a rabbit. I hadn't realised that they needed so much time out of their cages, and that they eat wood....
Interesting about them eating their poos - because the pet shop I went to had them in a cage with a litter tray underneath, so you just slide the tray out to empty it - ie the rabbit can't eat it's poo! It looked pretty uncomfortable for the rabbit too, sitting on a wire grid...
Thanks very much
OP
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Bunny ears
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« Reply #11 on: 01 December 2011, 18:14:42 pm » |
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Hi everyone
Thanks so much for all the replies... and recipes (?!).
It's been really useful getting all the info, and on balance I've decided not to get a rabbit. I hadn't realised that they needed so much time out of their cages, and that they eat wood....
Interesting about them eating their poos - because the pet shop I went to had them in a cage with a litter tray underneath, so you just slide the tray out to empty it - ie the rabbit can't eat it's poo! It looked pretty uncomfortable for the rabbit too, sitting on a wire grid...
Thanks very much
OP
yes, sadly a lot of the people who work in the petshops are pretty clueless |
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