# Rabbits?



## Fusion200 (Apr 30, 2014)

Does anyone here have a rabbit? I am interested in rabbits but I'm scared of bordetella, just wanna know how it works for you and if your rats (or guinea pigs, ferrets or whatever you have alongside) every got sick from it? They wouldn't be in the same room.


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## Akita (Aug 25, 2014)

I have two rabbit (used to have six) But I never have had a problem with Bordetella. Back when I lived with My mother All my Mice, Hamsters, and rabbit lived in my small room. If You live somewhere where the can live in outside rabbit hutches they would be much happier though. Before I moved my rabbits outside they were happy but after I hot them outside rabbit hutches The became more Lively and want more attention (Not a bad thing) But then again I do not know much of Bordetella since I never had a problem


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## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

We have rabbits, rats and guinea pigs, currently in the same room. Havn't had any issues and the piggies have been around rabbits since late april, early march. Rabbits are wonderful, we have 10. Not all together, we're still working on fixing and intros, and a few of ours cannot be with other rabbits due to agression, so they get seperated. But our front two rooms are basically goin to be bunny/guinea pig rooms. (Guinea pigs on top of tables, buns on floor). They arn't super social like rats, or guinea pigs for that matter. They are a lot like cats I like to say. Some lovvvve attention and snuggles and scritches. Some want love when they want it. And some will kill you for looking at them. I honestly belive breed determines temperment to a minor extent. We have three Lionhead/Lionhead mixes and they are the biggest snots. Especially with being touches. One is a lionhead Californian mix and she is the best behaves of the three but still a brat! Our Californian and New Zealand mixes are more easy to handle and are more relaxed with interactions. We have a lop, mini i think, who is pretty chill, he's a dork. Then my Flemish mix is a big butthead. Sweet but he is only about 6 months so for him he is still young. Like a lab puppy. Hates to be picked up. Then our newest two are Netherland Dwarf or mixed. So far easy to handle, but cheeky. Especially the tiny youngest. Got out of his cage and was hopping around the room like no problem! Xp Sorry for rambling. I love our buns and kinda go off about them sometimes... But anyway I'd say so long as they don't interact face to face you shouldn't have to worry to much.


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## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

Sorry just to add, actually rabbits should never be kept exclusively outside. It's dangerous as they are sensitive health wise. They don't handle extreme hot or cold well either, and they can get frightened so bad that basically they die of fright, or panic so bad they can injure themselves. They do best indoors either free range in the house or with a large pen style cage to bounce around. If they are of a calmer nature or your yard is more private and quiet they do love outdoor trips though. I plan on growing a grass patch in the bun room for them so they can play as if they were outside.


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## Pandorascaisse (Mar 12, 2014)

I agree with Lita. Perhaps an outdoor run for fun and exercise... but never outside full time. I know meat breeders and fur people do it simply because of the sheer amount of rabbits they have... but I don't really condone them either. I would say that probably if a rabbit becomes more "friendly" while outside it's probably because they want to be around you more. 

The "wanting more attention" could probably be because they want to get back inside, back into your home with you. 

Free range rabbits, if you can do it, are the best... followed by large penned off "cages" for them in a large portion of a room. They do best in opposite-sex pairs, with one spayed or neutered.

Another good tidbit is that rabbits don't actually need pellets! There's a really big movement going on for free range, free-foraging buns and it seems to really help out especially with digestive aspects. It requires a LOT of hay, though.


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## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

And a lot of veg! Man i would love to be pellet free but the cost of veggies would make me go bankrupt! We limit pellets anyway, aside from the ones still growing. The lionheads only get about 1/8th of a cup. Mochi gets a little more but he's a bit of a chunk, not in a bad way. I'm scared how much my Flemmie will eat when he reaches adult weight... X.x He's hit another growth spurt again, fourth youngest in the house and the biggest by far. XD


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## Akita (Aug 25, 2014)

My rabbits do come inside when its to hot or to cold but we're more in a contry area so inever had problems


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## Pandorascaisse (Mar 12, 2014)

^Living in the country probably makes it even scarier, to be honest. Especially at night. One little break in one section of a fence is all it takes for hawks, coyotes, wolves... I live in the country too and I lost one rabbit to a disease she never could have gotten if she was an indoor rabbit (at least, it wouldn't have been deadly because i would have been able to NOTICE it) and another rabbit who escaped and was eaten even after wood, concrete, everything was placed around her pen to keep her inside.

It's dangerous.


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## Akita (Aug 25, 2014)

I've had rabbits ever since I was fourteen I've never had a problem my grandfather raised 100's of rabbits before and he never had a problem. My rabbits go to the vet every month and so I never had a problem and they seem happier


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## Pandorascaisse (Mar 12, 2014)

I'm not challenging your raising methods and how you do them. You can do whatever you want. But I'm saying OP should NOT raise their rabbits outside.

Also the vet every month? That's super excessive unless your rabbit is actually ill and probably causes more stress. Sadly, there really isn't a way to tell if an animal (besides a dog, sometimes) is "happy". Even with rats, bruxing and boggling could be extreme happiness or extreme pain. Happiness is subjective and saying "well I did X and my animal is happy as a clam!" can really be misleading.


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