Guinea or rabbit

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BillyBoo

BillyBoo

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Bit of a strange one for this forum ... we lost our gorgeous guinea boy billy 6 weeks ago now and willow our girlie went into instant decline with bad skin reaction etc so we took her to wondreful louise at hopper haven who agreed willow needed guinea pig company straight away! we left her with louise and she settled instantly. We spent two weeks deciding what to do and also looking for another neutered boy... we didnt find one and as willow was so happy with her new gang we left her there... sad but happy for her!

anyway one of our friends recently rescued a mummy rabbit with babies from a market! she has offered us two baby boy rabbits.. which we can get any time,?! not sure about rabbits any views?


just to complicate told about a single 7 month boar in a local rescue, went to see him he is very sweet but will need neutering then finding a girlie, he did have a little red sore on each of his feet? should that worry me? like a little verucca? anyway thought he was lovely big boy too!


sorry i ve rambled what do you all think.. rabbits or guinea..(feet ok?)

daughter keen on baby rabbits but would melt if she met the guinea?x)
 
Rabbits and guinea pigs should never be kept together as theres a high risk of the guinea pig being hurt and could die if the rabbit kicks it.

If you were wanting to get two boys to keep together with no guinea pig kept in the cage again its a very idea, when they hit 5/6 months they will fight with one another and will both need to be neutered and rebonded.

Rabbits cost on average £2000 a year and a very expensive pets to own, they need huge set ups, vaccinations, neutering, constant supply of hay, pellet food, lots of toys and a load of attention.

I would personally advise you to get a neutered male guinea pig, if your not sure about the one you have seen have a look at the guinea pigs in need section on here, lots of rescues are happy to rehome all across the uk.
 
Can I just ad to what kayleighjennifer said - 2 male rabbits would have to be neutered before their hormones kicked in because un-neutered bucks, even litter mates can and will fight to the death. They can also inflict some pretty horrific injuries on each other.
 
Hi,

I think it would be great to go for the guinea pig boy andthen have him neutered to pair with a sow or maybe a baby boar:))

Rabbits make great pets, but you have to remember the vaccinations for two each year wich can make costs mount up:)
 
kayleighjennifer said:
Rabbits and guinea pigs should never be kept together as theres a high risk of the guinea pig being hurt and could die if the rabbit kicks it.

If you were wanting to get two boys to keep together with no guinea pig kept in the cage again its a very idea, when they hit 5/6 months they will fight with one another and will both need to be neutered and rebonded.

Rabbits cost on average £2000 a year and a very expensive pets to own, they need huge set ups, vaccinations, neutering, constant supply of hay, pellet food, lots of toys and a load of attention.
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I don't think the idea was to put the rabbits with the bunnies, I think it was either or.

£2000, did you mean £200? I have kept lots of bunnies over the years, they've never cost anywhere near that much. the vaccines are a must but not that dear. Some breeds are more susceptible to dental problems and it's worth considering that that can be costly, but my last rabbit who was castrated, had masses of dental work and all vaccinations probably cost me £500 in total over his whole life in vets bills. It can of course escalate but they're no more expensive to keep that piggies except for the vaccinations in my experience.

I agree, two bucks together isn't a great idea, not tried it myself, whether castration would help I don't know, I think I've heard they generally repsond more to castration than piggies but wouldn't be sure
 
This might answer some of your questions
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/two_heads.htm
Neutering two bucks can work, but I wouldn't even attempt bonding un-neutered bucks.
Ideal would be a neutered buck & spayed doe, or two spayed does.
The importance of spaying does - http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/uterine.htm

I would estimate my buns probably cost about £300 per year. I buy Wagg Optimum which is about £8 for a 10kg sack, this will last them months as pellets make up so little of their diet.
Vaccines are probably about £50 per rabbit per year, so makes up a large chunk.
Neutering I paid £38 for Archie and about £50 or £60 for Holly but that was about 4 years ago now.
 
like people have mentioned before i wouldnt keep rabbits and guineapigs together, but ive had 3 guineapigs and 2 rabbits(not all together ovb) and i found there both lovely types of pets to have, although rabbits can smell worse and i think can be more high maintenence x
 
haha :) i havent been on this forum in ages and i member speaking to you one or twice on here ( i member the cute pig in the photo ) :)
 
i have rabbits and guinea pigs but rabbits have always been part of my life and i loves them ^) so i think if your interested in having bunnies why not :)but must say even neutered boys tend to fight i have had a few given to me due to fighting and they have been neutered and un neutered, guess its not natural for two boy buns to live together, you are best to get a male and female ideally and neuter or two females
 
Wow everyone thanks for the replies... would not have rabbits and guineas together its an either/ or!
had a look at bunnies tonight and there is a gorgeous black buck and another girl and boy so i think listening to advice i will get the boy and a boy..think they are about 8 weeks now.. what age are they able to mate? so what age should i castrate??/
 
On does about 6 months, bucks whenever their balls have dropped lol
I would look to a reputable rescue, after the problems I had with my first bunny Tia (think nearly £1k in her 10 month life) there is no way I would ever go anywhere else now.
I have two rescues now and *touch wood* bar vaccinations & neutering they've never been to the vets in over 4 years.
 
ive owned, bred and showed rabbits and can honestly say that they **** never be kept in same sex pairs even if castrated/spayed, ive kept castrated bucks with a single doe with great results
 
oops sorry yes did meant to say i would go for boy and a girl! what happened to your vet for £1000 ?:{
 
I have had 2 girls ( french lop does ) , they came as a rescue to me .
They were un neutered and not the most healthy ( possibly genetic) but they never had a fight, however they were always getting a little "jiggy" with each other, the only things i would say if you are thinking about keeping bunnies is Space! think about what you would give to a Pig or 2 and then double or treble it and them some.

My girls had masses and masses of room and access 24hrs and day 365 days a year to a extremely safe run. And they were still very destructive.
Remeber rabbits dig, they chew, they spray and they can get extremely grumpy and are very inquisitive ( rembering fondly the lack of a bunny one day! to find her stuck at the bottom of the feed barrel after she had chewed her way ropund the lid, stod on it and fallen in!)
They are not the ideal pet for a child as some just plainly to not like being picked up and cuddled and can be quite vicious.
They can inflict quite nasty injuries to you and other bunnies with their claws and their teeth ( thay can really hurt you!)
They need an awful lot of stimulation and eat a whole load more than a piggie or 2 will.
They will be suseptable (sp?) to Mixi if you have foxes in the area as they can carry the fleas from an infected rabbit , as can your hay if bought in bales ( mosquitoes can also carry Mixi so if they get into your buns they can transmit, this was told to us via my Vet when my neighbours rabbits contracted it)

You will need at least the Vaccinations done every year (before April i think is best, if i remember correctly from my vets info) and also you'll need to keep the claws short and the teeth looked after



As for Piggies, well , they have their problems too but on the whole are easier to keep and handle, they still need space but not as much, they dont eat as much, and they dont have the ability to cause such nasty injuries if they feel so inclined they also aren't anywhere near as destructive.
Children are more able to hold and interact with Piggies and piggies don't have the problems such as Mixi to contend with.


Its a hard one to chose between.
Personally, i love both and have always had Rabbits or Gunea pigs just on the whole i have got more out of Guinea pigs than i have rabbits.

Good luck in making a decision
 
Tallulah said:
I don't think the idea was to put the rabbits with the bunnies, I think it was either or.

£2000, did you mean £200? I have kept lots of bunnies over the years, they've never cost anywhere near that much. the vaccines are a must but not that dear. Some breeds are more susceptible to dental problems and it's worth considering that that can be costly, but my last rabbit who was castrated, had masses of dental work and all vaccinations probably cost me £500 in total over his whole life in vets bills. It can of course escalate but they're no more expensive to keep that piggies except for the vaccinations in my experience.

I agree, two bucks together isn't a great idea, not tried it myself, whether castration would help I don't know, I think I've heard they generally repsond more to castration than piggies but wouldn't be sure
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I ment £2000, mine have costs me thousands over these last two years, they all have genetic problems all down to bad breeding, two came from a rescue and are full of problems mainly teeth and my other two. one was from a horrible home where she was kept the awful condition and the other was off a free ad.

Lola has sever gut problems and the slightest change in her diet can cause her to stop eatting, it costs me £50 every time we go to the vets this can happen at least once a month, then we have dentals £100 every 3/4 months for all 4 rabbits, Lola has developing signs of diabetes and thats costing £60 per visit, she also has troublesome ears that get full of wax and needs them cleaned out from time to time costing £30, Charlie is a snuffly bun that costs £60 for his meds and £15 just to be checked by the vet, every time he seems to get better it comes back just as bad, the next action we have to take is penicilin injections costing £20 an injection. They all have monthly health checks which cost £15 each, the vaccinations cost £15 each once a year and VHD £13 each twice a year. Neutering cost £62 for the boys and Delilah is going to cost £82 when I have her done too. Diet wise I am easily spending £40 a month on hay, pellets, herbs and veg, Lola is fussy and I am constantly changing her hay to avoid her getting bored of it.


Rabbits are not cheap!


If you are looking to get two males I would be very careful, its very likely they will fight and really hurt one another! The best choice is to go to a rescue, you will know if they have genetic problems and you will know if they have any dental issues, most dental issues arent visable until 6+ months.


In my eyes its much better to get another guinea pig.
 
I have to say, I used to have a rabbit a few years ago called Smokey.
One of the worst pets I've ever had.
I used to pet and hug her all the time, and she was horrid. I still have scars from her and this is probably nearly 8 years ago!
One time I had her out of the cage, showing my grandparents her, and she was used to be held, she for no reason, ran up my face. I have 2 scars on my cheeks from her nails.

Like kayleighjennifer has said, they also cost a fortune.
You need to get them vaccined every year, and they come with lots of health issues. I remember my dad having to shell out lots of money over her, due to her having dodgy teeth. That's on top of the cage, and all the bits and bobs you need like food, hay, sawdust etc.
They're a pain. If I were you, I'd stick with guineas, at least you know what to expect them them :) x
 
How old is your daughter? Rabbits are not the best pets for children and I'd only recommend them for older children (14+ in my opinion). They don't like to be petted or held all that much and they are very much their own 'people' in the sense that they won't do what they don't want to do. I'd say that males are friendlier - my best buns have been boys.

I have to disagree with the £2000 costs. Yes, if you get badly bred rabbits then they can get costly. But if you get them from the RSPCA or other reputable rescue then you know exactly what you're getting and won't cost anywhere near that much.

We had one rabbit cost us £300 once, but that has never been repeated and I've had rabbits all my life.

Rabbits are good pets if you like watching them. If you want something cuddly, child friendly and easy(ier) to care for, I would point you in the direction of a guinea pig (/s - should always have a pair if you can!) any day. My cousins who are nearly 14 wanted rabbits, but I told my auntie that if they want to pick them up a lot then a rabbit is definitely not the best pet. They now have a guinea pig each and they love being able to get them out for a cuddle. :)
 
rainbowstarsx said:
I have to say, I used to have a rabbit a few years ago called Smokey.
One of the worst pets I've ever had.
I used to pet and hug her all the time, and she was horrid. I still have scars from her and this is probably nearly 8 years ago!
One time I had her out of the cage, showing my grandparents her, and she was used to be held, she for no reason, ran up my face. I have 2 scars on my cheeks from her nails.

Like kayleighjennifer has said, they also cost a fortune.
You need to get them vaccined every year, and they come with lots of health issues. I remember my dad having to shell out lots of money over her, due to her having dodgy teeth. That's on top of the cage, and all the bits and bobs you need like food, hay, sawdust etc.
They're a pain. If I were you, I'd stick with guineas, at least you know what to expect them them :) x
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I totally agree with the aggression part, my 2.4kg male could easily break my arm if I didnt pick him up correctly he is highly nervous and refuses to be picked up or stroked, his girlfriend refuses any cuddles and is a little aggressive over me picking her up. Rabbits hate being picked up and will be happy to lash out, scratching biting anything to get down!

Housing wise mine all have their own bedrooms and are litter trained, mine react very badly to being caged they rattle the bars, try and dig their way out and get very stressed in them:(

Lola is my very special rabbit and I wouldn't change her for the world, shes unspayed due to health reasons but my goodness that rabbit doesnt have a bad bone in her body! She will sits for hours getting cuddles, she tollerates being held, shes not scared by anything, sits and licks me for ages and loves the piggies (when I have them out she comes up and grooms them) however I would never have them together at floor level or have them left unsupervised. Sadly Lola is going blind but its not bothering her at the moment, the catarcts in her eyes are getting bigger and its over £3000 to get them removed.

I have been told I am very lucky to have a female rabbit to be so loving and caring, shes so badly bred its such a shame, although she was a "planned" litter (her owners wanted cold hard cash) shes got very bad genetics her siblings havent lasted more than 1/2 years and the one sister I am still in contact with isn't healthy either. If anyone would ever want to breed their rabbits they should have the health and history of at least 3 generations, rabbits are so over bred these days its disgusting grrrr

Rabbits are also known to "just die" however this isn't true rabbits will hide any sign of pain and will still act "normal" you have to watch for the slightests of changes in rabbits and keep on top of their health 24/7. I have to listen to Lola's gut twice a day to make sure she isn't having a gut slow down and going into stasis.

For a first time owner of a rabbit it is very intense, everything happens so quickly with rabbits and although they need a friend they can end up fighting and injuring one another, boys are a fairly hard bond at the best of times but it is possible.

Also exercise and play time, I have spent a small fortune on toys just to keep them entertained and happy, they will get through toys like no tomorrow, if they are housed outdoors they need 6ft+ runs and need daily exercise. If kept in the house they will happily do a little re-wiring for you, Lola also has taken up interior desgining :(|)

All in all, knowing what I know I wouldn't personally have any more rabbits after my current rabbits pass, they are amazing pets but are too much of a constant worry. Guinea pigs are much easier pets to care for and much less demanding, less aggressive and get along in much bigger groups than rabbits if not neutered (same sex pairs).

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/ <-- Check this rabbit forum out for more info on rabbits :)
 
i have at present 16 rabbits and 2 rescue buns and i wouldnt part with them, i have no teeth issue as some of my rabbits are 3rd generation of my own babies and have good strong lines but thats the thing you have to go to a breeder (a good one) to know you are getting a healthy bun and they would be happy to show you mum and dad, as for females being aggressive yes they can be but not always it depend s a lot on the breed the smaller rabbits tend to be worse for it , where as certain breeds beverens, thriantas, lops and many others all have placid natures even in females :)
i do like guinea pigs and have many but they all came in as rescues and have stayed they are so cute but my rabbits are my passion and i really htink they are special animals :-)
 
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