What are ideal vegan pets for vegans?!

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My companion animal is a house rabbit. Her name is Penelope.

She is a rescue. I adopted her through the San Diego House Rabbit Society. http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/

She was already spayed and litter box trained when we adopted her. There was a small adoption fee to help cover the cost of spaying and basic care, but it was so much less than it would have been to pay for spaying out of pocket! Spaying is very important for female rabbits. They are prone to reproductive cancers, and spaying helps them to live longer, healthier, happier lives.

The House Rabbit Society has been a fantastic resource for us in learning how to properly care for a rabbit, as well as how to deal with a long-distance move! We drove across the country with her when we moved back to Boston. It was a long haul, but we made it!

Your city or region probably has a House Rabbit Society branch as well, or you can adopt through the ASPCA or your local branch of your-state-SPCA.

Penelope eats unlimited hay and lots of fresh veggies. Basically, she eats the trimmings from what I eat - parsley stems, lettuce butts, cilantro, celery. Carrot tops and pieces of fruit are special sugary treats. Some varieties of rabbits need more calories in the form of pellets, but Penelo is a smaller type and she doesn't need pellet food. The House Rabbit Society or a qualified exotic animal veterinarian can help you determine the needs for the particular rabbit you fall in love with after attending an adoption fair!

Penelo doesn't live in a cage. In some of our apartments, she has had a 12-16 square foot pen set up with an open door, so she has her own kind of burrow area but she can enter and exit as she pleases. In another apartment, she had her headquarters in a huge bathroom which she could also enter and exit as she pleased. Rabbits should be kept indoors for their own safety and health, and so they feel like part of your family!

She has a litter box, which is just a medium sized cat litter box, lined with rabbit-appropriate litter called Carefresh. You may be able to get Carefresh through your local HRS, or SPCA, or even pet stores like Petco and Petsmart. Try to get the natural kind that isn't bleached or colored. On top of the Carefresh, put some hay. We used to get hay through the HRS, but since we moved, we get it from Agway, our local feed store. You can also order it online or pay way too much to get it at a pet store. Rabbits need to have a steady supply of hay to keep their digestive systems moving.

She also has a HEAVY ceramic bowl for water. Rabbits love to play, and they knock over water bowls that aren't super-heavy. She also has some carpet squares and a little bed I crocheted for her.

She has a few simple toys. She LOVES cardboard boxes. She hops inside and takes a nap. She digs. She tears pieces off. She climbs up on top. She loves to rearrange her "furniture." She also has a couple wooden toys, including a cute rattle shaped like a bunny. She has a plastic ball with a bell inside. Sometimes I make her a toy out of a toilet paper tube stuffed with hay.

Penelo is sometimes affectionate, and sometimes solitary. She is always soft and lovely. She loves to have her head petted and her cheeks rubbed. When it's cold, she curls up on her little bed. When it's hot, I give her a frozen water bottle to lie near and keep cool.

Rabbits are crepuscular, which means they are most active (and most hungry) in the early morning and late evening. They are the ideal companion animal for someone who is busy or out most of the daytime, as they are most active in the before-work and after-you-come-home times. Their schedules match most humans' work schedules pretty well!

Good luck choosing a companion animal. I strongly recommend attending an adoption event at your local rescue organization to see if you and rabbits are a good match! They work well one at a time or as bonded pairs. Fortunately, the cost in keeping a bonded pair is not substantially higher than keeping just one rabbit.

Have fun!

I wouldn't get a dog. Although they can and do eat some vegetable products, they are carnivores and do best with at least some meat in their diet. Cats need meat even more.

I think a rabbit would suit you. They are smarter and more long lived than most people realize. Although a rabbit would probably have to be caged at least part of the time, you can make it a nice environment for your bunny. You can get a rabbit from a rescue, also.

How much room do you have? If you have the space, a miniature horse or donkey makes a good pet (or a full sized one, for that matter). I've heard of people allowing mini horses into the house! Another suggestion is a goat.

What about a house rabbit? You can get a rescue rabbit and keep it free in your house, you can even litterbox train rabbits, and they are vegans.

Hello

Horses - Try natural vegans

Ummm vegans don't have pets! The idea of a pet is the idea that someone is property and that goes against veganism. I will admit it is something that many of us including myself are still trying to unlearn...it ain't easy.
However you can have companion animals and there are lots to rescue out there. If you are looking for an animal that can be vegan, dogs and rabbits are a pretty easy choice. Really though it all comes down to who is in most need. You might find some snot-nosed brat decided they wanted a dog but didn't want to take care of them so they got left outside and you need to rescue them. Maybe like a friend of mine you might see an idiot who got an iguana and mistreated them so you need to take care of the iguana.

I cannot tell you who needs rescuing where you live but usually there are tons of dogs and cats (who are obligate carnivores) because people with small brains love to breed them or not spay and neuter them as well as not take care of them.

If you have the space and the knowledge, farmed animals always need rescue from the grips of our murderous capitalist society. However in most cases to give many of these creatures a proper home you need a lot of space and you should know what you are doing first and that for many will usually lead to building a sanctuary like Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary or the United Poultry Concerns Sanctuary or Farm Sanctuary.

Also keep in mind that taking care of an animal is a big job and responsibility. Don't take it lightly and make sure you are committed and if you are in a relationship make sure your partner or housemates are cool with the idea of adopting somebody.

Wow -5 I love how people can misinterpret veganism so greatly and then hate it when someone gets it right!

Vegan because animals are not property

Bunnies make good pets. If your rabbit is the only pet you have, it doesn't have to stay in a cage during the day (although I would suggest keeping him or her in a cage at night.) Keeping a rabbit outside of a cage requires that you litter train them and bunny proof the house (keeping wires and other dangerous chewables up high) but it's worth the effort. Just make sure you keep him or her in a hatch when outdoors, so that you don't lose your bunny to a hungry hawk.

Hmm most "vegan" pets I can think of are usually caged. That includes
-birds (parrots, parakeets, finches, etc)
-turtles
-iguanas
-chinchillas
-guinea pigs
-hamsters
-fish
-antfarm

I've heard some people claim you can have a vegan dog since they'll eat anything. If you do that though you'll probably want to talk to your vet about suitable diet substitutions so they stay healthy and strong!

If you have a yard, you can have chickens! You'll probably want a fenced off area/coop but you dont need a "cage". You'll also want to make sure there's no cats/dogs that might want to snack on them lurking in the neighborhood.

chicken storage info:
http://www.ruleworks.co.uk/poultry/coop-…
http://www.madcitychickens.com/coops.htm…

Dogs can eat Vegan dog food and live very healthy lives. VDog is one brand.

alpacas!!!!!!!!

According to PETA, owning a pet is animal cruelty.

I get thumbs downs for stating a fact. Ha

poodles! luv em.