I originally joined Reddit in 2011, and in the beginning it was dominated by cat content. It was rare to see a post about dogs. Sometime in the mid 20-teens this phenomenon reversed. It’s always been a “pet theory” of mine that this reversal was due to Reddit becoming mainstream, and that it’s initial nerdy/techie user base preferred cats to dogs.
I think my theory is further supported by Lemmy. It’s pretty clear that most of Lemmy’s user base are techies, and currently it’s dominated by cat content. Just a shower thought. May be wrong.
NOTE: I love dogs and cats. This post isn’t arguing favoritism.
I haven’t been able to login so I didn’t see your reply earlier, sorry. I’ve had 3 rabbits so I’ll give you my reasons for why I’m not getting another one.
-if you keep them in a pen, it needs to be large. And you need to give them time outside of the pen every day
-if you keep them free range (like a cat), you need to rabbit proof
-rabbit proofing is way harder than cat proofing. Unlike cats, they WILL chew. It’s not a maybe. My baseboards in the kitchen were ruined this way. I kept baby gates up at all times
-healthcare is sooo much more expensive and not every vet treats rabbits. You have to be very selective about where you take them - make sure they specialize.
-they die fast and easily. You need to be VIGILANT because what seems like an upset tummy can kill them in 24 hours
-leaving them alone with other pets is risky. Even playing with a bigger animal can break their bones
-Going on vacation? Get ready to pay for boarding. Or the hassle of bringing over all their stuff to someone’s house. It’s a pain in the ass compared to cats (friend can stop by) or dogs (friend with a dog can take them)
-The mess. They can (and should) be litter trained but they don’t bury it like cats. There will always be hay and poop flying around
They’re great, though. As affectionate as a cat and the way they purr (chattering their teeth) warms my soul. I miss my last rabbit more than any pet I’ve had but I’m not ready to put that much work into a pet again.
I actually have two free roam rabbit, but thank you for the rundown anyway :D .
I agree with your points, but luckily my rabbits haven’t developed the habit of chewing on everything. They put their teeth on something new they don’t know but they do it gently enough that it doesn’t leave any marks. Cables and plants aren’t safe though, they need to be kept far out of reach.
One of my rabbits has had GI stasis 3 times but luckily is still alive and well. It’s an (expensive) nightmare for sure.
Ohhh whoops then I’m preaching to the choir!
If it weren’t for the cons I’d definitely have another one but once I move, a dog will be the easiest animal for me to have as a pet for awhile.
Another con I forgot is the dangers (to the rabbit) with small children! That’s a big one for me right now