Thinking about getting a Rabbit

[Jabbermama]

I am thinking about getting a rabbit for my children for Easter. My children are ages 4 and 9. They will have close supervision and the rabbits will be family pets they will just get them for Easter. Do you have any suggestions on the breed of Rabbit that would be nice for them?

I use to have Chinchillas so I do have cages. Would Chin cages be alright for Rabbits or should I get a different cage?

Thanks

Laura

[RSbunny]

I would recommend a larger breed for your children, the larger the breed, the more gentle they are. Males are also generally nicer personalities too, but if you plan on having the same sex rabbits living together down the track you will need to make sure you get a girl. I don't know much about chinchilla's but I know that they are small and I'm guessing that you are going to need a bigger cage for your rabbit. A rabbit cage should be three times the size of your rabbit at least (when it is stretched out) it should have enough room for a food bowl, a kitty litter tray and room for it to stretch up full length and stretch itself right out also.
Please please please make sure that your children are supervised around your new bunny. I have one of my rabbits cause she was a gift for the children of this family and they used to drop her when they held her and just basically tormented her with their love. Thankfully the parents realised that they weren't being fair to the rabbit and gave her up but the kids were crying when the rabbit was leaving.
Have you owned rabbits before? Have you researched into what it takes to own a rabbit? I'm sur you have but I just have to pre warn you of what you will need to do....don't take offence to it, just trying to be helpul!
A rabbit needs at least an hour a day of free time outside of the cage to stretch it's back legs. Rabbits will chew anything that they get their teeth on so you are going to have to do some great rabbit proofing!! They are also extremely social animals and if you are just going to have one then you need to be socializing them a lot more than just one hour a day. If you have a single rabbit then it will need to be with you when you are home. If you have two it is easier cause they don't require as much attention from you but be prepared that they won't socialize with you or your children as well either cause they have someone to be friends with. Boy/Girl combinations are the best but be careful when hormones reach to not breed....of course you should spray/neuter no matter what cause it reduces a great number of behavioural problems and also stops fatal diseases. At around 4 months of age your rabbit is going to become feral. It is called the 'teenage years' they are capable of grunting, biting, messing up their cage and being very very destructive. This generally lasts until they are spayed/neutered or it will come and go for the rest of their life.
Owning a rabbit is a wonderful experience and I own two, but I just want to make sure you are prepared for owning a rabbit cause they are not the easiest of animals. Also if you plan on getting a long haired rabbit be prepared for lots of brushing, they will get really bad knots if they aren't brushed and as kittens the long haired breeds will require daily brushings. Just warning you!!
Good luck with your rabbit adventures!!! Let me know what breed you decide on!

[Jabbermama]

Here is a picture of the cages that I already have (But I am most likely going to get more cages.) and the room that DH and I built, it measures 8ft by 8ft.

Thanks for all your information.

I have a lot to think about.

[RSbunny]

what are the sizes of those cages? Sorry I can't enlarge the picture to determine the size. I've been searching trying to find a picture of the cage that I am buying for one of my rabbits (I have tried to introduce my rabbits at older ages and they refuse to get along, we are bulidng a two story outdoor cage that they are both supposed to live in but it isn't going to happen so shadow will live in the two story cage outside and Molly will live indoors) but I can't. It is an indoor cage and it is on a stand with a shelf underneath it for food, litter, etc. It is a solid bottom cage which will be harder to clean than a wire cage but Molly is extrmely clean anyway. If you get a wire bottom cage then you will need to give your rabbit something to rest it's feet on, otherwise you will take the risk of your bunny getting sore hocks from the wire. I'm not sure on the size of the cage but it is quite big and she will live in it quite comfortably. I am also getting one that is off the ground so that the dog can't harass her. Just remember with cages the bigger, the better! It is amazing how quickly your rabbit will grow and how small the cage looks once they have grown. If you don't have a lot of room length ways think about going up instead!
In no way am I trying to turn you off a rabbit. Each rabbit had their own personality. My boy (who passed in December) was the sweetest little boy, he never chewed a single wire and he spent his days sitting on the window sill looking outside at the world (and yet he hated the outdoors!!lol) Once he got older (at around one year) I could leave him in the whole house unsupervised and he never disappointed me (but did when he was a teenager!) Shadow lived with Rodger and they were vey protective of each other. Shadow is very loving with me and will let me cuddle her etc. but she has a mean personality!! She will do anything to escape and looks for cords to chew on!! She's horrible but I love her and I doubt she'll ever change! She also flicks her litter out of her tray every day. I have given up on cleaning up after her 6 times a day! She wants to be a grot she can be!
Molly on the other hand has a nature similar to Rodger but she is a frightened rabbit who needs a lot of attention. She used to fight Rodger so she has always lived by herself here, but I have tried and tried to get her and Shadow together for four months now.....I haven't progressed anywhere unfortunately. Molly doesn't chew on things (except she used to have a wall fetish) and she loves a cuddle but you have to be very quiet around her cause she is very very skittish! So even with picking a better breed choice you can still get the bunnies that aren't the sweet little angel that will sit up and watch a movie with you so you still need to be aware of that. I think rodger was sooo great cause there was someone home with him all the time and he just loved attention. Don't get me wrong I love them all the same and I will never live without a rabbit, they are too adorable!
Oh and the reason why Shadow will live outside instead of inside is cause she prefers the outdoors. She is also a bigger rabbit than Molly and needs the bigger cage space. I can trust Molly to run around the house and stay out of trouble but Shadow is destructive and so she runs around outside on a harness. Ok time for me to stop rambling on!!! There are some great rabbit sites around that will help you with looking after a rabbit.
www.rabbit.org is full of information!

[RSbunny]

I have to add that I disagree with the fact that rabbits aren't cuddly.....get your rabbit used to being held when it is young and you won't have a problem and they will enjoy it!

[Jabbermama]

The cages measure 5 ft tall, 2 ft wide, 18.5 inches deep. The Door opening is 10 inches by 10 inches. The only real problem that I see, now I am still unsure about the cage size itself, in the openning from level to level. The openning is only 5 in by 8 in, but that is something that can be fixed. We can make the openning bigger. The cages are both 4 levels high with no way that the rabbit can fall from level to level. Each level openning is at the opposite end of the next one. It also has 2 balconies. I could email you a bigger picture if you would like. I really want to know for sure if the cages would work before I get a rabbit. We can buy another cage if neccessary. I want a big cage for the rabbits.

Also, I was just wondering if they could be housed in the room. It is 8 ft by 8 ft. I think I already told you that.. lol

[RSbunny]

you could certainly try the rabbit in the cage....the openings concern me. Is there any other way to get in there cause you won't fit a litter tray big enough for your bunny in that opening. The room could certainly be used for your bunny! It would have to have adequate air to it though....I can't see if it does so I'm just checking. Is there any way you can enlarge the opening of the cages?? If you could do that then I think that they could work quite well.....otherwise the room will be great too!!

[Jabbermama]

There is an openning at the bottom of the cage for a trey. It actually has a trey in it. I can remove it from the bottom of the cage. The small opennings are from one level to the next. But I can make the openning bigger. The room that the cages will be in has 1 window that will be covered with screen material and we plan to make atleast one more window. Maybe even two. Not sure.

[BrendaLynn]

I have to say that I would recommend guinea pigs over rabbits as they are more docile and easier to hold. I have both and my sons ages 9, 8, and 5 all prefer the guinea pigs because they are way easier for the kids to handle.
Rabbits are lots of work, tend to be smellier and they need to be a solo animal or neutered if you have more then one. More then one tends to be territorial and it is a big pain in the keester. Good luck with your decision.

[RSbunny]

I just want to clarify something here.......all rabbits need to be neutered/spayed if not being used for breeding purposes (which I wouldn't recommend with your first rabbit anyway) and rabbits actually don't need to be solo animals at all. In fact if anything they need to have a rabbit friend. Two rabbits that get along (my two refusing to get along is a minority in the world of rabbits and if introduced young you generally don't have the problem that I'm having) are much happier than a rabbit living by itself. They can be territorial why they are alone too...it comes down the individual rabbit, not how many of them there are. My best friend has a lone rabbit and she is exremely territiorial, a lot more so than what she used to be when she had a rabbit friend (who passed away). I push for people to get two rabbits at early ages because their pets are generally a lot happier in life with a companion than if they aren't. Yes they can live very happily by themselves but they need hours of attention every single day of their life if you are going to do it this way.
A rabbit will have many behavioural problems if it is not spayed or neutered no matter what, some rabbits more so than others, but again this comes down to their personality, not their living companions.
On the other hand owning Guinea Pig might be an option....I've never owned one before so I can't comment on that.

[Jabbermama]

We have our hearts set on rabbits. We found 2 breeders in our area. One breeds Netherland Dwarfs and the other breeds Netherland Dwarfs and Holland Lops. I am leaning twards the Holland Lops. I sent emails to both, just waiting for responce.

Thanks

[pammiedrew]

Hi all,
I am a breeder of rabbits and I have 4 boys. So I have to say that a rabbit is a good pet to get for your kids. I will help you with any questions you might have.Anyway. I raise mine outside all year. We build our cages, and they are up off the ground.I have been raisng rabbits for 3 years and have so much fun. My kids each have a their own rabbits and it has taught them lots of responsibility. It really is fun to see the kids playing and enjoying them. Of cousre I have my fun with them too. I have N. dwarfs and Holland lops. They lops are great and I would really try to get a male. They are nice to have as a pet. Females can get nasty and sometimes bite, more than males. But this is my own opinion. Some people might not agree. I have babies now and the males are going quick. I don't think they are smelly, but I do raise mine outside. But we bring them inside all the time. And they are smart you can teach them to use a litter box. Which isn't a bad thing if you will have them inside in a cage. I would get a corner box for it. They will use it each time and it it much easier to clean it out then the whole cage each day. Have fun!

[elfomatic]

I had rabbits for years and I recommend the Holland Lop. They are beautiful rabbits. I would also recommend a male ... what has been said before is true: they do tend to be nicer. You want a more docile rabbit if it is going to be around your 4 year old ... rabbits bite and you can't expect a 4 year old to understand that ... a male would be less likely to do so.

I can't stress enough that rabbits get their cage dirty quick! And once they do it stinks!

I would only recommend getting a rabbit if you are ready to clean the cage every day yourself. Coming from experience here -- your kids aren't going to take care of it. Your 4 year old is too young and it is a lot of responsibility to expect a 9 year old to carry as well (it's a big animal -- start off responsibility lessons with a hamster or something). Be prepared for them to not even be interested in it in a month as well.

I know it sounds negative but it is probably the truth. Unless you are willing for this rabbit to basically be yours -- care, attention, love -- I wouldn't get it. I could be wrong ... but it is what you need to be prepared for for the rabbit's sake. I know way too many abandoned rabbits come back to pet stores ... so you can understand why I have this outlook.

P.S. If you are a bit handy you can widen that cage door yourself very inexpensively ... can you get your hands on a Dremel?

[RSbunny]

I recommend the holland lops too....the netherland dwarf are way to skittish for a four year to be old to handle, and possibly too much for the nine year old too. I clean my litter trays out two to three times a week (depending on how dirty they get) and a full cage clean once a week and that way the cage stays clean. Some bunnies are messier than others, Rodger used to prefer to eat his food off the ground so he always had food everywhere and required regular cleaning.

[BrendaLynn]

You don't even want to see what Pinkie and Snowball did to the food bag that I had. Keep in mind they are both 10 lb. rabbits but they tore the new bag of food open and pushed the food all over the place.Your food on the floor story made me think of that one. Well that is what I get for not putting the 40lb bag inside the metal can I use to hold it! Live and learn!