Has anyone ever used a fake animal in a livestock production? I want to do a bunny vanish but I hate using animals on stage, so could I just take a rabbit out of a cage, show it off real fast then into the magic box it goes?

I have seen many shows with rabbits and most don't move, there just held so they don't get away. If you make it believable it should work, right?

We already have Doug Malloy's fake bird for the Orange, Lemon, Egg & bird trick.

Input please.
Thanks,
Lance

I often used to ring in a realistic bunny doll whether I was using a real rabbit in the show or not. If you handle it as if it is a live bunny, most audiences, both adults and kids, will assume it is one. I have a Dollar Store bunny on my site that is quite realistic.

Tip: Don't show it fast. Take your time with it. Pet it and make it move ever so slightly, or even shiver a bit.

Do not forget people love humor. If you show it as a puppet, put humor into the show. Put some ventriloquism in the show. I do use live pets, but I am working on hooking up a sound system as if my animals are talking to me as I talk to them. All the lines are going to be humorous to make the audience laugh. I've seen magicians use puppets and got great applause.

Dynamike,
What a great idea to have a 'conversation' with your live bunny. Let me know how it works out for you.
Max

Not quite a bunny, but last year I wanted to do Ink To Goldfish and decided to use a fake fish - around that time I got a male Betta fish that's now coming up on his first birthday as my adopted pet and that solidified even more that I didn't want to subject the goldfish, even at 25 cents a fish, to stressful traveling and handling.

The last time I did Ink To Goldfish at a school, the kids and teachers thought it was real (it was an Abbott's Imitation Goldfish. When I first got my imitation goldfish, it looked like it'd never fool anyone - but in water did the job quite well). So I'm a big fan of using fake animals either without explanation or as a humorous piece.

I have seen a spring animal used for this. It can look very realistic.

Lance,
If you're going for comedy (i.e., The whole audience can tell you've got a fake rabbit, but you keep pretending he's real) then the fake rabbit idea is wonderful. Magic Makers puts out one of the best fake bunnies, it's got real rabbit fur and is a spring animal.

If you really want to produce a rabbit, then the fake one won't cut it, especially for kid’s shows. That's the climax! Producing a rabbit, keeping it in view for 5 seconds, then vanishing it cuts the climax short and leaves expectations unfulfilled.

When you produce a real rabbit, it takes the audience a second, but as soon as they realize it's real, they gasp and start applauding. It's a wonderful moment in the show, and then allows for some comedy play with the live rabbit.

But, if you don't like live animals, the spring rabbit might be the way to go. I'd just be careful how you play it off; it could be a strong moment, or a weak one! Hope this helps!

Kevin

I tend to agree with Kevin. If you want to use a fake rabbit that is fine, but I would be hesitant about trying to pass it off as real.

Regan

I combine a fake animal along with a dove, that way there isn't a big mess to clean up, for only one animal actually poops.

Lucy mixes animals in her show. There are times when it is the most effective way to solve timing problems.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

Thanks all, great info.

Lance

Folksingmagic: It's fun to teach the kids how to talk to your goldfish after you produce them. You rub your forefinger up and down between your upper and lower lip very fast, while saying between your teeth: "Hello Goldie! How are you?"

You pretend the fish bubble-talks back to you and have a short conversation with her. Then you get all the kids saying "Hello Goldie" using the finger bubble-talk method. It's hilarious!

On the topic of fake animals.

I took a fake dove walked into my sisters room, and casually pet it.
Then I told her to catch it. She almost had a heart attack!

Anybody here use the Doug's mechanical parakeet?

For kid shows, I use a Rocky the Raccoon for a disappearance (stick to the rabbit for the appearance). I have read (David Ginn among others) and observed that in kid shows; at least, audience members get disoriented by the disappearance of a real animal, but are not bothered by a puppet disappearance (even with the dagger disappearance box, I use with primary school kids but not pre-schoolers).

So consider the animal for comedic disappearances, but if you can, spring for the non-spring animal for appearances.

http://www.wildlifetreasures.com/rabbits.htm

http://www.magicnook.com/WIZJ18/wizj18-09ByeByeBunny.htm

I once stopped into a bar after a show, with my real live rabbit and convinced the bar owner it was a puppet.

Maybe in 2007 it looked real, but now it looks like a fake puppet. I just bought this and frankly it stinks.

The fact the fur it had real rabbit fur is kind of creepy to me too.

Wow, those look real.