posted
I see a lot of people giving away free boxes and free dirt on craigslist.org, but never free cages. But if you have a craigslist for your area, it wouldn't hurt to ask. Good luck Syn. Posts: 4116 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
I have a parakeet cage, about 2 feet each dimension, with a couple perches, food dishes and toys. Needs a bit of cleaning up as I haven't had both the time and inclination simultaneously. Are you asking because you need one or just because you didn't see any at craigslist?
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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A bit of both. I need a nice cage for a rabbit... That is, if I can convince my landlady to let me have a rabbit.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Bummer, I don't think this cage would work very well for a rabbit. Too tall, not wide enough, and lousy doors for furry types. Sorry!
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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When I was younger, my sister's pet hamster was on its last legs. A family friend was over and talking about how her teenage daughter wanted a hamster, but they didn't have a cage. So my mother promised her ours.
She called her daughter to tell her, saying "Guess what theyhave a hamster with a cage and when it dies you can have it."
The girl answered, dead serious, "What am I going to do with a dead hamster?!"
(The answer being, of course, "Put it in the freezer, with the cat!")
Posts: 2849 | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote: When I was younger, my sister's pet hamster was on its last legs.
That would be really really funny if it had been a rabbit. But probably just to me cause my sense of humor is weird like that sometimes.
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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I had rabbits once as a kid, and you're definitely going to need a cage that's designed for a rabbit. Preferably with a double mesh floor so their poop can fall through to a newspaper or something. Also, if you're going to be picking it up, it's crucial that you have it's claws removed. Rabbits can do some serious damage with those powerful legs, and they're not bright enough to really know when they shouldn't.
Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Okay, I've checked around, and it looks like declawing a rabbit is a pretty serious surgery. They do sell plastic claw caps that you can glue onto the nail every 3 months, but you'd have to remember to buy them and do it. I get nervous every time I think of snuggling with a fully clawed rabbit.
There's an article here about rabbit myths & facts. It's written for parents considering one for their kids, but it still has a lot of good info about caring for a rabbit.
Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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That must be pretty tough. It's a big production clipping our puppy's nails, it takes one person to grip the foot securely, clip, and sand down the nails, and another person to pin her down and give her treats. And she doesn't even mind it all that much, it's just a reflex for her to try to avoid it, and there's about 2 millimeters of leeway between properly cutting the nail and cutting the quick so she starts bleeding. I hate doing it. Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Augh. No declawing. It should not be done to ANY animal. Declawing is so cruel. Like ripping off fingernails. No way. No how.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I'm with AntiCool. If you're going to shut the door, it's not a nest. It's a justification. If you're keeping animals as pets, you have to accept that this is not a natural state of affairs for them. Sure it might be a good life, but it's not natural.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Congrats, ElJay -- I think you might be the first person ever to spell my new name the way I spell it. Posts: 1002 | Registered: Feb 2005
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The way people use the term, there is almost nothing "natural" about our lives. It's all artificial, since we normally use the word to mean man-made.
Man has only two "natural" roles to play with animals -- hunter or prey. The rest is agriculture and its spin-offs.
Posts: 1002 | Registered: Feb 2005
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Besides, domesticated bunnies aren't natural. They are essentially man-made creatures, closer to their original than dogs and cats, but still not likely to survive in an entirely natural state.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote: “If you're keeping animals as pets, you have to accept that this is not a natural state of affairs for them.”
“Could say the same thing about keeping any animal as a pet, ElJay.”
Kind of sounds like that’s exactly what she did say.
Um, yep. That was kinda my point. I advocate spaying and neutering, too, which certainly isn't natural.I'm just saying that it's kinda inconsistant to be all sensitive about not declawing if you're planning on keeping an animal confined, be it in a cage, in your house, in a fence, or on a leash.
AntiCool -- how do others spell it? Skip the second capital? As someone with a second capital myself, I'm sensitive to that. Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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To be fair, it's possible to think declawing is cruel in a way that spaying and confinement aren't without being inconsistent.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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We just don't want to be all conformist, man. Spelling is just another tool of the man to bring us down.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Dags... I'm just going to go with "I don't agree with you" for the moment, because all of my arguments could be taken as offensive to Syn, which I do not intend to be.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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I always get you mixed up with me, AntiCool. To avoid that, I try to think of you as being spelled correctly all the time.
Posts: 1 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Spaying, neutering, and confinement can all contribute to the animal's safety. Declawing does the opposite - it is generally done for the convenience of the owners. This excludes dew claw removal, which can be for the safety of particular breeds.
That's one difference right there. If someone happens to think that safety of the animal is a legitimate reason to take action, then they aren't being inconsistent.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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There's a difference between declawing a cat because you don't want it scratching up your leather sofa, and declawing a rabbit because it doesn't have the capacity to refrain from mauling you if you happen to be holding it when the phone rings.
I'm big on safety for humans, myself. Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Zeugma, I understand that. But that doesn't make the person holding the opposite view on declawing inconsistent.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Spaying, neutering, and confinement can all contribute to the animal's safety.
Declawing can contribute to an animal's safety, too. If a cat is declawed, then it has the opportunity to be a pet and recieve shlelter, food, and protection from many other people whan would otherwise be possible. It could be the difference between a content life and being put to sleep.
Is there any other way that spaying and neutering contribute to the animal's safety?
posted
I'm pretty sure that if our cat (she's strictly an indoor cat, for the record) wasn't declawed in the front, we, along with our furniture, would be shredded...as is she wreaks havoc with her teeth, let alone if she had front claws to attack with as well
Posts: 1158 | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Declawing can contribute to an animal's safety, too. If a cat is declawed, then it has the opportunity to be a pet and recieve shlelter, food, and protection from many other people whan would otherwise be possible. It could be the difference between a content life and being put to sleep.
Sure. It would be easy to point out that this contribution to safety is still based on human convenience.
quote:Is there any other way that spaying and neutering contribute to the animal's safety?
Yes. For one thing, it cuts down on wandering, especially for males. For another, it prevents several health problems.
I'm not saying declawing is wrong and spaying is right. I am saying that there is enough difference between the two that one is not being inconsistent by opposing one and supporting the other.
quote:Sure. It would be easy to point out that this contribution to safety is still based on human convenience.
Of course. I believe this is the reason that the vast majority of pet owners have their pets spayed/neutered also.
Posts: 1002 | Registered: Feb 2005
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Syn, how much have you researched keeping a rabbit as an indoor pet? I don't want to deter you, but just be prepared for a big mess unless you're able to teach it to use a litter box. We had a pet rabbit when I was a teenager, and it was really difficult to keep his cage clean and smelling good. Rabbits poo *a lot* and their urine has an odd odor. You will need a nice large area for the cage. We had ours on an indoor porch, set up on buckets with newspaper beneath. The newspaper had to be at least 2 feet wider than the cage as the rabbit would tend to back up in a corner and go, meaning that urine would spray out a wide distance or poo would roll everywhere.
Anyway, as I said, the warning wasn't meant to deter you! I hope if you decide to get a bunny that you become a very happy pet owner.
posted
I've done a ton of research on rabbits all this month. I even showed my landlady some stuff about rabbits and now she is letting me have one! Yeah! There is no way I'd even get a mouse or a rat without studying up on it first. Plus, I can't back out of it once I get the animal even if he (or she if I can't get Mike http://www.petfinder.org/fotos/MA256/MA256.3451964-2-x.jpg) claws up the place, bites everything and even me. Getting an animal=making a commitment. You can't just get rid of them because they might be inconvient. It's rather traumatic for them, I would imagine. So I must continue to think about it and also CLEAN THE HOUSE! ARRRRRRRRRRRRG. I REALLY HATE CLEANING.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I don't know anything about rabbits, so I know nothing helpful. Instead I vote you look into a parakeet or lovebird too. Smaller, less messy, probably cheaper in the long run. And they can be smart, affectionate, and adorable. And sing, and learn to talk. I always had a great bond with my birds.
Posts: 1990 | Registered: Feb 2001
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One of mine learned to mimic the sound of meat frying. Or maybe the vacuum. I can't remember which. But what I loved about my birds was how much they could interact with me. How they would show off in front of guests, light up when I came in the room, talk to me, listen to me, practically beg for attention. I loved the way you could tell when they were content or irritated and I even loved the squawking temper tantrums they could have if things didn't go their way. They have a lot of personality and they love to entertain and be entertained.
I love my cat. When I wrap my arms around him and he purrs and snuggles back, I know I have the best pet in the world. But several parakeets and my lovebird were amazingly helpful pets when I needed a friend. I've even heard of birds being taken to nursing homes to interact with the residents the way they take dogs to nursing homes. They are cheap to buy, don't take up much room, and their food and supplies are cheap. They make great pets.
Posts: 1990 | Registered: Feb 2001
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