No bunny…..until collage

[bigsis7]

Hey guys. So I was at the pet store and went to look at the magizines. I couldn’t decide between ferret, rabbit, or rat magizine. So I asked my mom what she thought. She said rat or ferret because I am never going to get a bunny while I live with her!. She said that the bunny poop was to much. And she said he stank! I couldn’t smell anything and cleaned the playpen  that had with blankets in it as well as I could everyday. I’ve tried explaining to her about neutering litter training ect. but she won’t believe me. Would a cage not stink as much if it had proper bedding? I want to know if I was doing something wrong about the stink. So no bunny for me. probably no pet sitting a bunny either. Or fostering. I feel so bad! Now I have to wait years when I am fully capable of taking care of one right now if it was litterbox trained, neutered, and actually had a proper cage and supplies. I’m afraid I blew it because I’ve read if you take good care of a rabbit it shouldn’t stink, but did Spinner stink because he didn’t have a cage just a play pen and he had old blankets as bedding that were sprayed with vinegar/water mixture everyday or every other day to get the stain out? Four years I have wanted a rabbit now I have to wait longer.  

[MarkBun]

I’m not sure what the stink could be. The poops don’t smell at all. It is the urine that you need to watch out for but if you clean the litter pan daily, that shouldn’t be an issue. It is just the litter training you need to deal with and most shelters will tell you which ones have impecible litter habits. My Dono will leave poops willy nilly but Maryann won’t let a single poop outside of her litter box. And both only pee in the litter boxes.

A ferret will be much more ‘smelly’ than a rabbit will be. And A rat, well a rat’s a rat if you want something that has no real personality or affection (at least none of the ones I’ve seen have been).

[bigsis7]

I have three rats and they are very sweet and loving, but I wanted a ferret or rabbit, but my parents wanted me to get rats. Why I don’t know. I have read that ferrets have a musky odor, but that some people don’t mind it so… I have no idea what the stink could be because I couldn’t smell anything.

[Beka27]

as far as i know, ferrets have much stronger urine smells… and i think they’re more aggressive than rabbits.

i really don’t think your mom will be convinced… which is sad… but rabbits are very misunderstood animals.  they always have been, and i don’t see that changing anytime soon.  i’m 24 and even now i have to put up with my dad (who doesn’t live with us!) making rude comments about Meadow.  to him rabbits are rodents and rodents don’t deserve the same respect as a cat or dog.

maybe in ten years when you have a couple sweet, affectionate, litter-trained, non-smelly bunnies, your mom will realize the truth… but i wouldn’t hold your breath.

[Deleted User]

Ferrets are spayed/neutered before they are sold and they are descented (musk glands removed) But they do have a tendency to get a little stinky and since they are carnivorous their poops do smell. Just for order control alone, a rabbit is better. Bunny pee on blankets would have a smell that is harder to get out than proper litter and cleaning the pan with white vinegar.

I would be concerned with a ferret and your rats…I believe the ferret could harm them.

[osprey]

Our current foster bunny Marilyn is not yet spayed, and boy does she stink!  She has a very musky smell to her poops, I have to change her litter box every day or two.  For my bunnies, I only have to do it once or twice a week.  The people at the rescue told me that unaltered rabbits produce a lot more of the shiny, stinky poops for marking, and that is why her smell is so strong.

[Beka27]

that is interesting and good to know Bunzai!  growing up we had a neighbor friend who had a ferret in their basement and boy did he stink.  and he wasn’t too nice so that’s what i was basing my opinion on.  i’m thinking that between ar abbit and a ferret, a rabbit would be a better pet for Bigsis… but if mama says no, mama says no.

[Hannah]

Proper bedding and neutering makes a world of difference. I live in an itty bitty dorm room with my bunny and I were going by smell alone I would really only need to change his litter like once a week, if that. He’s neutered and his cage is filled with carefresh, which is a bit expensive but an excellent odor control substance. Blankets are neither good for odor control nor particularly sanitary unless you were laundering them daily. (Vinegar is also very bad for little bunny feet) Has your mother ever read anything on this forum? Maybe if you printed her out a few posts explaining proper odor control, she’d be more willing to see your side. For example, with both my bunnies neutering made them go from havign to be changed practically every day to keep the odor down to being able to go a week or so without an issue.

Ferrets, on the contrary, are actually quite stinky. Their feces tends to be very squishy and… I guess dog-like, only tiny, so it would need to be cleaned daily to reduce any sort of unpleasant scent. Some people also suggest regular baths for ferrets to keep their natural odor down.

And not to make it seem like you’ll have to wait even longer, but most colleges won’t actually let you have pets. The only reason I can have pets with me is because (a) I live in a very secluded dorm (a castle, in fact) where no one of authority ever checks on me, and (b) if I ever were somehow found out, my real house is only 45 minutes away and my mom takes care of her own bunny; ergo, if I had to send my bunny and chinchilla home, they would have a safe, comfortable place to go. So you would also, if you did get a bunny, have to know that where you would eventually be going to college you would either be able to have a bunny or be very, very good at hiding a bunny. You would also have to have a proper back-up home arranged in case you were found out.

[BinkyBunny]

Maybe what you can do for now is volunteer at a rabbit rescue or animal shelter with rabbits.

You can also print out some of the information you find here, and see if your mom would be open to reading. It sounds like your mom has had some bad experiences or has not received the correct information and so she has based her opinion on that. So maybe it would be helpful for you to give her some information to read.

On another note: Since you will be off to college in a few years, and rabbits live for 10 years, this might not be a good idea anyway, just for that reason. Doesn’t sound like your mom would be into taking care of your bunny while you were away, and with other roommates around in dorms etc, and all of your studies and activities, it may be better to wait. But you could still try and get your fix by volunteering.

[Beka27]

HJSoulma and BinkyBunny have very good points.  college might not be the ideal time to have a bunny.  it’s hard when you want something so bad and it just cannot happen for whatever reason. 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I can soo relate…My parents would not get me a horse (I wanted one from the time I was five) because I’d be going to university after high school and not have time!!! Seriously seemed so unfair. In fact, since I’m planning on going back to do an after degree I *STILL* don’t have a horse and I”m 25!! Twenty years I’ve been waiting…( I lease a horse, but so not the same!!)…So I feel you pain!! I really do!
***HUG***

[bigsis7]

So i emailed my mom some articles on bunny stink control, spaying and neutering, and litter training. She still doesn’t believe me. *sigh*

[Scarlet_Rose]

I am sorry to hear about this bigsis. But perhaps it is better if you wait until you have your own place and you can edicate a whole room to your rabbit(s).

[apanda]

I dunno about college not being a good time to have a rabbit. A lot of colleges do allow pets that can be kept in “cages or aquariums”. Doesn’t mean your rabbit technically has to live in the cage all the time just he has to have one and be in it if inspector people come. Also at a lot of colleges people move off campus regularly after their freshman year. Off campus housing and cooking for yourself is WAY cheaper than dorm housing/dining hall food. As for the not having time thing, I personally find I have a lot more time to play with Truffles than if I had a 9-5. You tend to have a lot more time during the day for sure. Also you stay up later, which my bun personally loves. Of course I am a senior and don’t have classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so I could be a little biased. It might not be a good idea to get a bun right at the start since as a freshman you will almost certainly have a crappier room, one or more roommates, and not be as used to the course load. But I am something of an advocate against the stereotype of college students not being good rabbit parents (not saying every college student is a serious caring parent, but definitely NOT worse on the whole than adults with 9-5s who get buns for their kids and dump them!)

[Beka27]

apanda has good points too.  i never went away to college so i cannot really relate to dorm life and all of that… you just need to be sure you have enough money for proper food, litter and vet care, which i know as a college student, extra cash does not come easy.  also you cna’t do the “party thing” where you’re away for the whole weekend and have bun at the apartment alone.

[Hannah]

Even though I brought up the fact that college isn’t necessarily a good time to have a bunny, I do agree that it’s not impossible. I’m a sophomore in college right now and have both my rabbit and my chinchilla in my dorm with me, although with my college and with many others that’s actually not allowed. However, I have a very hectic schedule and do feel that Humphrey gets very lonely when I’m not around– but of course, it’s sort of a catch 22, because I don’t really have room for a second bunny right now, so I can’t get him a mate. One other issue with college and rabbits is vet emergencies– professors don’t usually take “I couldn’t do my paper because I was at the vet with my rabbit” as a reasonable excuse, so there may be times you’ll have to take a lower grade on something so you can get your bunny fixed. I mean, I certainly feel that the benefits of having a bunny outweigh the inconveniences, but there are still some problems inherent in being a college student with a rabbit, particularly if you go to a college where a bunny isn’t allowed or one with a particularly heavy workload.

[kimberleyanddarren]

i am sorry to hear that, but it would be better to have a bunny in a good environment rather than it causing arguements all the time, do u have to wait years to leave home ie. because of your age or are u just choosing to live there? if you have to wait a few years its no biggie, from my point of view i have a dog and a rabbit because my mom let me have them, now i am trying to move out so i can live near my uni and the council wont give me a flat because it has to be ground floor due to the dog, and if she had said no i wouldnt have the problem.. im not blaming her (we dont get on anyway so she is never here) i love my dog and rabbit but they have put be back abit especially sweep (dog) given the choice i would have had a rabbit and waited till i had my own house to get a dog.. cant change it now though so.. but its ok just be happy u have a loving family and the pets you already have! its sad you cant have a bunny but u will have one someday

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I would say seriously if you want to convince them instead of talking about what you know (I’m sure they know you’ve done your research) show your responsibility and dedication by helping more so with chores and by saving your money towards an ’emergency vet fund’ . If you show that you are ready for the work and expense, this may sway them more then a great argument about what great pets they are or how every college allows them on campus

[bigsis7]

My mom would probably let me get a rabbit if she thought they didn’t all stink! That is the only reason. She knows I am responsible because I clean the whole house with my 2 sisters once a week, I have a baby sitting job 2 days a week 2 hours a day babysitting a 2 year old and his 1 year old twin sisters. She knows I am capable of taking care of a bunny and am knowlegable enough. It’s just that she thinks they are stinky. She won’t let me even pet sit rabbits anymore so I am stuck for a few years. I will be moving out for college so just wait a few years I guess. SHe thinks my rats are stinky which I can’t smell, but maybe if I cleaned their cage every two days or something?? I don’t know. IF you have any ideas please tell me!

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

If she thinks rabbits are smelly and destructive, she definitely doesn’t know what she’s in for if you get a ferret! Haha

[Staja]

How often is one supposed to clean a rat cage?  I reckon if she does think your rats smell, you could probably clean them on a more regular basis. Sometimes, as pet owners, we get used to pet smells, which can bother others, so she may still smell dirty cage.

My parents didn’t allow me to have any pets until I moved out of the house, and then I only had fish (for a very brief time, until my ex-roommate killed them). I got Warren when I was 22, and living in an off-campus apartment. I was also very lucky that my parents were willing to take him in for a year while I was living in a no-pets allowed apartment, when I moved back home after breaking up with my fiancee.  They lived a mile away from the new apartment at the time, though, and I was over there at least every other day to spend time with him and clean his cage.

[apanda]

in my experience rats smell a lot worse than rabbits. but I could be a little biased because my housemate has about 6 rats and he rarely cleans their huge condo. but rats DO usually use that soft fluffy bedding which can smell awful after wet. since rabbits can be box trained you can use nice absorbant and odor controlling pelleted litter in their box. actually you are supposed to be able to litter train rats too, so if they mess in the same spot try putting a box there and see if they will go in it. if it works the you can hint to your mom that the subsequent smell reduction would be similar to what you could do with litter training a bunny!

[Hannah]

It sounds to me that your mother is making up excuses as to why she doesn’t want you to be getting more pets, particularly if she already thinks your rats, which you think are fine, smell funny. (Rats are pretty clean, so unless your letting their cages go for like… week-and-a-half stretches, I can’t really how stinky they could be.) I’m not sure about the reasoning behind her not really wanting you to get another animal particularly if you’re taking care of them and they’re in your room, but maybe she’s worried that she’ll end up taking care of it if you “get bored of it” or that you’ll become like a crazy bunny collector or something. Or maybe she just has really sensitive smell receptors. In which case I kind of hope you get a ferret just to show her what “stinky” really is…

[Lagomorpheus]

Before you go to “collage,” please learn how to spell properly =P

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

^^ LOL for sure!!

Yes, maybe if you cleaned your ratties more often…Also, the persistance (keep asking) tactic I find wears them out (parents, boyfriend whoever LOL) …Also wheeling n’ dealing…”IF you let me get a bunny, I’d do this and this and this’ although not the best tactic for us; So I could get Rupert, taking out the garbage is now my job, plus once a week I have to do all my boyfriends chores, plus he doesn’t do any rabbit chores anyways…I’m pretty busy now!! but it did work…

[bigsis7]

Posted By Lagomorpheus on 03/13/2008 9:00 AM
Before you go to “collage,” please learn how to spell properly =P

^.^ I was typing fast!

 Anyways it may be the bedding I am using that makes my rats smell, so I’ll try a new kind I guess. Some weeks it takes about a week for it to start smelling and some days it only takes 2 days so it’s not very constant. I am just not sure why she is making excuses. She only comes into my room once a week if that so…. I heard ferrets smell sorta like fritos or sun chips so I don’t have a problem with that!!! It’s most likely not exactly that smell, but still. I guess I’ll get a rabbit when I’m older and make my mom feel bad that she didn’t give me a chance to get one when I was younger. Maybe she’ll still let me when I am younger!! I don’t know! I will not be getting a baby pet so if I get one sometime before COLLEGE it will probably have passed () before I go. Well thank you all for your input. I’ll keep trying! Thanks!

[Author]

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