I would like to get a pet bunny for my daughter. I would like a bit of advice on the breeds &other info I need

Question

I am thinking about getting a bunny for my daughter, she is 6 years old and we do have cats already. She is able to handle animals well (knows to be gentle blah blah blah) I know also that I will be the one to be most responsible for the care (as far as making sure it is taken care of, she will have chores related to the care but I understand it is ultimately on me) I am looking for adive from people that have bunnies and kids (maybe even a cat or 2) on the kinds of bunnies to get, how old should they be, where is a good place to get them (not a huge fan of petstores to buy animals from but I am not sure about bunnies) also what kinds of things I would want to get for the bunny ( I know about the cage and everything but again things that bunny owners find helpful to have) food and things like that I know a little about but (I honestly dont know that much about pet bunnies, except that so far I really like them) thank you very much for your help

Answer 1

Just a word of advise from past experience...rabbits are adorable..however they can be messy animals and they take a lot of daily care. Unless you are positive that you're willing to clean it's cage daily...I would opt for a different pet. I do agree that having pets is a wonderful way for children to learn about caring for them and handling them.
Here are some pros and cons about rabbit ownership;
Rabbits are social with gentle handling are generally quite tame.
They are playful and entertaining to watch.
Being social, they need a great deal of interaction with their owners and/or other rabbits to be happy. Daily playtime and exercise outside of their case is necessary.
They are not low maintenance - it takes a good deal of work to properly care for a rabbit.
They can be litter trained.
They do need to chew, so lots of chewable toys should be provided, and any spaces where the rabbit is allowed to run must be carefully rabbit-proofed.
They need a relatively large cage.
While they are generally quiet pets, rabbits are not a good match for active young children who may not be careful enough when picking them up or playing around them.
Rabbits like to be near their people, but they often would rather not be held.
They will likely require some veterinary care, which can be expensive.
They need to have their nails trimmed.
They should be spayed or neutered (by a vet experienced with surgery on rabbits) and they may require vaccinations depending on where you live.
Rabbit urine can have a strong odor so expect to change their litterbox frequently (spaying and neutering can help reduce the odor. In addition their urine is high in calcium so can leave a chalky residue when it dries that can be hard to clean up (vinegar is pretty effective for this).

In addition, try to consider adopting a rabbit from a shelter or rescue if you have one nearby. There are many perfectly good pets looking for homes. Don't worry about getting an older rabbit--you can get a good sense of their personality and they will bond with new owners just fine. Also, a shelter might even allow you to "home test" the rabbit...to see if it will get a long with your cats, etc.
Lastly, the average life expectency of a rabbit is 5-15 years.
Good luck!

Answer 2

Ok, so 1st of all the breed isn't a major problem... I would choose a minuture breed. The cats will be a big problem so you will have to train them not to attack the bunny. At first the bunny will have to get used to you...make sure you give it some room at first or it will pee on u... i learned that the hard way. to potty train it just let it go where it wants to and then when it has a spot but the litter box or whatever your going to use for the toilet(dont use kitty litter)
Bunnys r pretty smart so you can yell at them "NO" when they do something wrong and stick their head in it.
And remember to let the rabit loose because if its in its cage all day then it will become unhealthy
Good luck.
oh yah and rabits dont sleep

Answer 3

Exercise, interaction, and safety are the major concerns. Your bunny will need at least an hour of day of exercise in a supervised, bunny-proof environment. All bunnies have different personalities, so you'll have to watch it carefully and see how it interacts with it's new home. Depending on it's character, you could start to give it a little more freedom. But ALWAYS supervise it. They need regular nail trimmings (the Miller's Forge brand of nail clippers are excellent!!!) and chew toys to prevent their teeth from overgrowing and creating problems. You don't always have to go to specialty stores to hunt for bunny treats--they are probably right in your own home. Phone books, plain paper plates, baby toys (rattles/keyrings), and any untreated wood are perfect. My rabbits love playing frisbee with paper plates.

Rabbits are naturally litter-trained and will choose one corner of the cage to relieve themselves. You just have to figure out which corner it is and put the littler box there. The feces should be firm and round, NEVER runny. Diarrhea can easily and quickly kill a rabbit that was already ill, elderly, or very young. Also, they shouldn't make any sneezing, coughing, or wheezing sounds. You shouldn't be able to hear them breath. Don't be alarmed if you hear them grating their teeth together. That's "purring" and it's their way of telling you that you did something right.

Oh, and they are easily offended, so don't be too disappointed if it just turns its butt to you at first. Rabbits are all about politics. Give them a reason to give you the time of day and they'll be your friend for life. Or until the next bath.

Answer 4

I have a rabbit, and caring for it is more work than I had expected. First, rabbits need room to hop around and stretch their legs, so a cage 24/7 is not a good idea. If you must use a cage at all, I recommend you also set up some kind of play area where your bun can hop freely for several hours a day. Buns have extremely active teeth, so the play area should be free of things that you don't want chewed on, and free of things that could potentially harm your bun (like extension cords). My bun has not been caged at all in the two years that I have had her. She lives in my basement and is free to hop upstairs to hang out in the kitchen, which I have blocked off with a swinging child gate. Keeping a bun in the typical wire bunny cage is very bad on a bun's feet.

Second, buns are very litterbox trainable, which helps in regard to having a free-roaming bun. I use a paper-type litter for my bun, which she seems to like. I wouldn't recommend kitty litter-type litter. Also, I fill the box with hay, which buns need to have lots of (especially Timothy hay). Even if you must cage the bun, he/she will likely still use a litter box if you put one in there for it.

Third, buns need lots of veggies, at least once a day. Carrots and apples tend to be favorites, but they will make the bun fat. Try different kinds of lettuce (minus iceberg), cilantro, parsley, etc.

Fourth, your bun should be 'altered.' Seek a vet who knows how to spay/neuter your bun. this will ultimately make your bun happy, plus help with any possible behavior problems.

Finally, many states have a House Rabbit Society. I have gotten two buns this way. It's like a foster care program for home buns. It's a way to avoid buying a bun through a store, and a way to rescue a bun in need of a permanent home. Try a google search on House Rabbit Society and then see if there is a chapter near you.

I do have cats and many nieces and nephews. My cats are scared of my bun, which works fine for me because they are both bigger than she is. The bun, though, seems to want to be friends with them. My nieces/nephews love the bun and she loves them. She's not so great about being picked up, but all the kids, who are of many ages, have no trouble sitting next to the bun and giving her a good petting.

Answer 5

Just before Christmas my little brother (10yo) and I (15yo) got a little bunny each. In the last week I have learnt such an amount about bunnies simply by playing with and reading books about them. I've learnt all the good/bad foods, how much they constantly poop, lol.
We bought our rabbits from one of our local pet stores, which I don't think was a bad idea. The pet store owner is a rabbit breeder and gave us lots of info. We bought Mini Lops, which are a version of Lop Eared rabbits that grow to the size of Dwarf rabbits, but are lighter in weight (and also VERY cute). Mini Lops apparently have the best temperament a rabbit could have, they're very gentle, curious and small. My one is soooo curious about absolutely everything and energetic, but when you hold her she falls asleep, lol. My brother's is two weeks older and acts much like a mother to mine. She always tries her best to keep mine warm and protected and clean. My brother's is more quiet, but enjoys her cuddles too.
In all books I've read it's told me that rabbits enjoy and kind of need the company of another animal. Like another rabbit, or hamster or something like that.
I have a cat and a dog. Cats and rabbits get along well, as long as they've grown up together, otherwise cats can stress out the rabbit. And from what I've heard dogs always stress out rabbits, yet mine was trying to get closer to my large German Shepherd this morning. And my cat certainly doesn't phase them.
With food, I feed them fresh rabbit food daily, a handful of hay daily (I have two horses too, so that's handy), and a fresh piece of fruit and vegetable everyday, as advised by books and breeders (hay isn't necessary, but they like it).
It's good to occasionally kind of bury the fresh fruit and veggies in a pile of hay or soil, so the rabbit has to dig for it. It's meant to be good for them mentally.
The bigger the cage the better. They also need shade and some form of protection from wind, rain, heat etc. So an indoor area of the cage is great. Mine is only about 1.5m long, about 70cm wide and maybe 50cm high (estimates). Which is fine, but we want to give them more room, so this cage is temporary until we can get another one.
Oh and just a random tip... on real hot days it's really good if you fill a bottle up of water, put it in the freezer. Once it's frozen, you lie it down in the cage and the rabbit(s) will lie next to it and it will keep them cool.
And the best time to buy a rabbit is when it is between 7 and 12 weeks old.

Reading a few books about rabbits is very, very helpful and I'm sure there could be a few webpages about them on pet sites. Hope I've helped and if you have any more questions I've left unanswered, you can email me and I'll answer them as quick as I can. :)

Answer 6

in line with possibility a hamster? with the aid of fact all you ought to do is shop it in a cage at domicile. Plus, it incredibly is furry and fluffy on an analogous time. you've relaxing with hamsters given which you could %. them up and enable them to pass slowly on your hands and hands. it is likewise possible to video reveal it do something amazing and it incredibly is relaxing.

Answer 7

I'm sure you'll get some good info on upkeep, but I wanted to add that bunny urine is very strong, if you choose to have bunny in the house, please watch that the urine doesn't get on your carpet, it will stain and it stinks!

Answer 8

I had a bunny and all i can tell you is they are very cute, eat alot and poop ALOT! lol.