Should I get a rabbit or a chinchilla?

Question

My cat recently died after somebody threw her off a 6 story building and she fractured her pelvis in 5 places and then had a blood clot and died the next day. I miss my cat a whole lot but don't feel ready to get another cat. I wanted something semi-small, and have narrowed my search to a rabbit or chinchilla.

Now I have gerbils but they are near the end of their lives and was just wondering, how should I take care of a chinchilla or rabbit ? Which would you reccommend? Boys or girls? What kind of cage? Should I feed them chew sticks like gerbils?

Just wondering. =) Details would be extraordinary.

NOTE: I have also considered a degu but it is not on the top of my list. If you think I should get a degu, please tell me why. =D

Answer 1

i would highly consider a rabbitmore than a chinchilla because chinchilla's are very very very quick and could slip out of your arms and it will take foever to catch....a rabbit can be very playful and is not to fast so is easy to catch and are very snuggly and cute! i would suggest going to petfinder.com to get your bunny i found 4 bunnies that are very very cute and very young...here they are.

1. Carson a baby bunny...in san jose, CA

2 pair of females Rascal and Frisky San Jose,CA, that come together...

3. goldy a very cute bunny! My favorite! in San Jose, CA

i think they do ship them if you do not live near there! check them out! They are so cute!

Answer 2

i have owned many rabbits and they are allot easier and cheaper to look after than chinchillas. rabbits like to live in pairs however boys are not recommended to live together if they have not been with each other since birth and can even still fight then. girls however do not fight and any two or more female rabbits can be kept together. as you probably know unless you want babies do not mix sexes as they can have up to 12 babies depending on their size. they need a large hutch to live in because they need lots of space depending on their size they also like to run around alot in open spaces but be careful as i have had rabbits dig themselves out of my back garden. they are easy to handle and do not mind being picked up.  they like a diet of hay, rabbit food and straw and water.  fresh vegetables such as carrots, apples and lettuce should be given up to 3 times a week. you should not give them acidic fruit and vegetables such as oranges as this can lead to stomach ulcers. i live in england and rabbits can range from around £30 - £120 and their food and other requirements are reasonibly priced. on the other hand chincillas also like to live in pairs or more and are not as friendly and can be very hard to handle im not entirely sure as to what they eat but i believe that they have a more complexed diet than rabbits. they also need lots of space. they also nocturnal and get very hyperactive at night. they also need lots of entertainment such as toys. they themselves are also more exspensive than rabbits and range from £95 - £200. personally i would go for the rabbit. = )

hope this helps and good luck with whatever you get    

Answer 3

I was deciding between the same two animals. I ended up with a  chinchilla. My teacher had a little cage (not to little). But I think they would prefer a one that was long and tall but not to tall. I loved watching him roll around in his dust. Thats what I named mine after too, Dusty! Ive never had a bunny so i have no advice about them other then I love Lionhead Rabbits. Good Luck!

Answer 4

Are you going to be keeping them inside or outside? I've had both rabbits and chinchillas, and to be totally honest, chinchillas smell a lot less than rabbits.

Both rabbits and chinchillas are easily tamed. Mine were all handled on a regular basis and were good to run around. Chinchillas are a bit smaller and quicker to run, and can get into tight spaces easier. Male/Female doesn't really matter, they are all pretty mild mannered. Both have amazing personality and make good pets. Chinchillas can also be placed on your shoulder, I did with mine. Also, I bought a huge "wheel" ball, so I can put my chinchilla inside and let her roam around the house without worrying about her getting into places where I can't find her. (The big hollow plastic ones you can find at pet stores, where there's an openable and latchable top that opens for you to place your pet inside).

Both have many different brands of formulated pellets for food. Add in some alfalfa hay for them to nibble and eat, some chew blocks and you're basically ready to go. Both like fresh fruits and veggies for treats as well.

For chinchillas, they are a bit more active and like to jump around a lot more than rabbits. They do prefer multi-level cages. Although for mine, I had a large(5 ft x 3 ft x2.5ft ->approx) cage where I just added in stepping blocks that you can attach to the sides of the cage. I also got her a large glass flat sided fish bowl for sleeping in. Also, chinchilla likes taking dust baths. You'll find the appropriate dust at pet stores.

But like I said earlier, it really depends on where you are keeping it. If you keep a rabbit indoors(I did) I basically had to clean the cage daily, or else the smell can get pretty bad. Chinchilla cage, I cleaned 1-2x's a week, and there was minimal smell(I had her cage right beside the kitchen, the rabbit had to be down in the basement). Although to make your life easier, it IS possible to litter train rabbits(find out which corner the rabbit likes to go more often, and put the litter pan there).

Good luck! ^_^ Both would make excellent pets.