Would a bunny be a good pet for a 16 year old?

Question

i'm turning 16 in like, 3 months, and we already have a dog that stays outside.

well, i have always wanted an inside pet, but my parents don't want it to smell inside.

well, i thought that for my 16th birthday, they could get me a bunny.

do bunnies smell alot? are they hard to take care of? how much do they cost and how much would a cage, food, and etc cost?

i have a huge walk in closet, do you think it'd be ok to leave the cage in there, if i left the door open and stuff? because i don't really have a big room, but my closet is very spacey.

what would it need to eat, and how much would it cost monthly to provide food?

are there any good books out there about keeping healthy bunnies?

also, how could i convince them to let me get one? my grades are very good, and i'm a very hardworking & repsonsible person. but i don't think they'll let me.

Answer 1

The first thing you have to think of and seriously consider is, "what will happen to the rabbit when I'm done school?"  A bunny will typically live more then two years if properly cared for, and when you leave to college or university (if you choose) who will care for it?

A rabbit does not smell enough if you use proper bedding, have a well ventilated room and change the cage once a week atleast.  Also, by litter box training the rabbit you can save alot of mess and trouble.  A rabbit isn't hard to take care of, all you really have to do is feed, water, clean their cage and play with them.  Where I live a bunny is around30-50 dollars and most pet stores will give you a deal if you purchase all supplies from them.  Around 200$ will suffice.  I feed my own rabbit vegetables, as it hates pellets but you can choose to feed is pre-made food or do as I do.  My choice costs more.  

As for your parents, you will have to slowly work them around the idea.  Give them plenty of time to consider it as you point out the pros and your plans for keeping the animal... Just be reasonable... It's about all you can do.

Good luck =]

Answer 2

I have a rabbit and they can be fun but also sometimes boring. You have to make sure you let them out everyday, and clean their cage at least  once a week if not more. They don't cost alot of money, for your first rabbit get the breed called a mini rex, they are very loving and aren't very expensive ( i bought my rabbit for 30$), and they don't grow to be too large. A cage can be expensive but if you look in classified ads or if you have a friend that has an old cage that works too. You could also make a cage from wood and chicken wire. The food can be expensive but it lasts a long time. I think it'd be fine too leave her in the closet just make sure the door is always open and that there's nothing around her she could chew.

If you decide to get one you could try a shelter, like the SPCA, or something like that, that way your saving a homeless rabbit and it might be a little less in-expensive.

You could try this website www.kijiji.ca ( or .com if you're in the US). This is a classified site that has loads of animals and animal supplies on it. You might be able to find a free or in-expensive rabbit + cage.

Hope this helped! And good luck!

Answer 3

Yes, as long as you have plenty of money and love then it would be a good pet. Indoor cages are around £20-£50. You can use a normall outdoor rabbit hutch but they are not as nice and harder to clean. They only smell if you don't clean them out. Rabbits can easily be litter trained. Food prices vary but they aren't too much. Bedding is a bit more expensive. Go to http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/rabb...  or  http://www.margush.com/hannah/a-wonderfu... Be sure to check out books and websites to find out more on rabbit care. Good luck :D

Answer 4

Actually the price of adopting a bunny can be expensive, but worth the extra money. Bunnies at shelters are neutered or spayed which is a must for bunnies. If you don't get them fixed you might see them exhibit bad behaviors that is what get them placed in shelters in the first place.

I'm just wondering how big your closet is, you want them to have room, in fact, bunnies can be litter box trained just like cats. Some people just let their bunnies roam free in the house. Of course that comes with the task of "Bunny Proofing" the house. Just as if it were a child. Bunnies love to chew, especially wires, but they have items such as Bitter Yuk that you spray on the wires so that the flavor is unpleasant and the chewing habit stops, at least on the things you don't want your bunny to chew on.

Another point of space, is that just like a cat, ferret, dog, or guinea pig; you can take your bunny outside, just make a pin that will enclose the bunny so that it is safe and wont escape. This is a good opportunity to let the bunny graze and give treats such as alfalfa hay. Be sure to provide water at all times. Just beware of your weather, know that your bunny shouldn't be left outside in the summer heat, and summer brings fleas. Just an F.Y.I.

You can also feed your bunnies veggies like carrots and collard greens; lettuce is not very beneficial.

Again my biggest thing is that you have to let the bunny have space, I really wouldn't see a problem about keeping the cage in your closet as long as you kept the doors open and the cage open until bed time or when peace is needed. You have to make sure you keep your room clean; they'll get into stuff.

As far as food, you'll find everything you need at a pet store. The set up can be pricey. The cage needs to be a good sized cage. Again, as someone stated above, that a good place to find discounted cages and supplies is in your local newspaper. I know our classified section here in the Dallas metropolis has plenty of offers, which of course varies due to the size of the city you live in. They eat on timothy hay, use alfalfa only as a treat, as it is rich in stuff that is not really necessary but tasty for them. Rabbits will have their own type of food, I suggest always using the designated food for your bunny. They are specifically designed for your rabbit. Seed foods should only be used as a treat. Nutriphase is a good Rabbit food. Pellets provide better nutrition because rabbits can't choose the stuff they like. Remember you can still give treats!

On top of a cage you have to make sure that they have a house inside their cage and plenty of things to chew on. Rabbits need to chew because their teeth continuously grown. Many bird toys are able to be used for rabbits and other small animals. Just beware of toys with bells. They can get there nails stuck inside the bell; in some cases amputating a toe. So choose wisely. If you are getting a young rabbit you will probably need a good amount of bedding. It is a transistion of using soiled bedding and placing it in a litter pan, until they get used to using the restroom in the litter pan. You can find more information about that in books.

People in pet stores are willing to answer your questions to the best of their knowledge. That doesn't always mean that they will be 100% accurate but it never hurts to ask.

I personally think that you being at the age of 16 is old enough for you to be able to take care of an animal- if you're committed to take the responsibility. It sounds like you are a good kid, so it shouldn't be hard to convince your parents. What I tell people who are trying to convince their parents to allow them to get an animal is to get as much information as you can, start by looking at articles online and printing them off; then going over it with your parents. Show them that you are involved and that will almost always work. When parents see that you are involved it shows you are making an attempt to be responsible. Which starts by knowing how to properly care for your animal. So, that answers the question if there are any good books out there about keeping healthy bunnies. Yes, plenty! Search the internet and look at the reviews on the book before you buy it. Some books are more useful than others. Also try looking up online some rabbit breeders and emailing them questions. They will be able to answer you a lot better than just some random store clerk. Here is a link to the Petsmart Rabbit Care Guide. It's a start at understanding. Another link will direct you to supplies that Petsmart carries that are specifically pertaining to rabbits. I hope that this helps you get started.

http://www.petsmart.com/uc/petarticles_d... - Care Guide For Rabbits

http://www.petsmart.com/family/index.jsp... - Rabbit Supplies

On the second link, when you enter the page there should be a list on the left hand side that says "Small Pet". Under that is the supplies they carry for rabbits. There you will be able to establish general prices on food and etc.

I hope that helps!

Answer 5

they don't smell if you clean the cage often but they p**p a lot so be cautious.  they are easy to care for.  they just need a cage big enough to allow them to lay down.  believe me they can stretch out very big.  

           they cost about  $35 and they need a lot of attention.  you would have to keep the door open all the time and they are nocturnal animals so they are active at night.

                   if you go to the pet store they should have a 20 pound bag of food that should last about 5 months don't give them too much they will get fat.  the food would cost about $15. a cage can cost from $25-$125 it all depends on the size and what it comes with.  

              you can get any rabbit book from the pet store and if you need to convince them then you can get a lot of rabbit care books from the local library and read the books by your parents and show you are serious about wanting a rabbit if they are really up to having  a rabbit they will get you one.  my parents were a little unhappy about getting a rabbit but i got one =}

Answer 6

They are not cheap pets if cared for properly. They do not smell if they are neutered and you clean their litterbox regularly http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/r...

But you want to consider the cost and their care as well as their lifespan. They do live up to 12 or so years though the average is 8-10 if kept indoors and neutered.

You will have the bunny when you go off to college, and graduate and etc.

Some books are filled with bad info and written by breeders but there are some good books here including the House Rabbit Handbook http://www.bunnybunchboutique.com/books....