my daughter wants a rabbit:
what are the easyest one to care for?
what are the hardest one to care for?
she is alomst 8
2007-01-15 07:50:19 · 13 answers · asked by jlw78418 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Rabbits are wonderful pets but they are so much more than an animal in hutch. Before you get your daughter a rabbit answer the following questions:
1. Will our new rabbit have freedom out of the cage for a good portion of each day? (My rabbit is free all day and only goes in his cage at night.)
2. Does my daughter understand how to behave with a timid and ready to jump pet? (I can kiss my baby all day but he does not like to be held like a dog or cat.)
3. Am I ready to provide the rabbit companionship for a good portion of the day? (Rabbits are very social animals. Mine goes with me to school and interacts with my kids all day long. Keeping them shut up in a hutch all day is just wrong... rabbits by their very nature need freedom to move.)
Good luck with your decision!
2007-01-15 08:17:08 · answer #1 · answered by Sciencemom 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
With a child this age the question you should be asking yourself is 'Do I want a pet rabbit?'
Rabbits are quite long lived, so it's a big commitment. They require feeding and watering daily. Their hutch and/or litter box cleaned out twice a week. Grooming and nail check at least once a week and they can get sick very quickly if it's not picked up early.
One mistake a lot of people make when they consider rabbits is thinking they're snuggly and cuddly. Most rabbits don't like to be carted around and can really hurt or be hurt if not handled correctly. They're also very social animals and really need companionship, whether from another rabbit or human.
If you do decide a rabbit is right for you and your daughter I'd suggest a breed that is placid and hardy, like a New Zealand White. They're often overlooked because of their red eyes, but they really are the most placid, loving rabbits and are very tolerant.
2007-01-16 01:20:36 · answer #2 · answered by mbunnyau 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am afraid that an 8 yr old won't have the deternimation to take good care of the rabbit in the long term. You will have to let the rabbit out of the hutch a few hours a day, to play with it, make sure that food and water supply is alwasy available, and it is best to clean the entire hutch twice a week, and the poo area daily.
So, if your 8 yr old is unable to do that, you have the responsibility to carry out her duty and make sure that the rabbit lives happily.
Erm, i think easiest one would be dwarf lop. Heard that they are more gentle. My is quite gentle.
Hardest would be any long hair type, like Angora, needs special attention on grooming, or else might get hair ball and die!
Hope u make the right decision! :)
2007-01-15 09:17:29 · answer #3 · answered by Squid 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think your 8 year old will love a rabbit. I have one and she is so much fun to take care of. Careful! some rabbits can be aggressive. Mine is, to my little brother and mom, but she is really attached to me. Rabbits will easily attach to the owners if they take good care of them. Rabbits live probably a maximum of 10 yrs. and all breeds are fairly easy to take care of although if this is your first rabbit then i would advise getting a dwarf rabbit. one problem is that they do start to smell and you do have to give them baths about every three months, but they don't usually smell extremely bad. Another problem is that you should let them run around in the backyard once and a while so their muscles don't cramp up (watch out for cats, they like to eat rabbits). if you are getting a rabbit, a large cage would be best even though most people keep them in tiny cages. having a rabbit would be an excellent experience for your daughter and she will really enjoy it!
2007-01-15 08:36:47 · answer #4 · answered by 288bunny 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
do not get any type of long haired rabbits like angora, they must be groomed everyday and sometimes by a professional. Lopes are good rabbits, so are dwarf dutches, they are the 2 most common to find in a rabbit store. Feed and water once a day, clean out maybe every 2 days, make sure they have fesh veggies and make sure you have time atleast once a day for 30 minutes to play...they can also be littler trained!
2007-01-15 07:56:15 · answer #5 · answered by sassy2sloppy 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
promptly to this youngster's mom and pa or guardians. there is each and every so commonly a leeway to age gaps yet this has none. There might want to weren't something scuffling with you from calling or chatting with this youngster's mom and pa or perchance going to the police. Friendship lost or not, conflict presented about or not, this 15 three hundred and sixty 5 days previous boy has no reason to be relationship a 51 three hundred and sixty 5 days previous guy.
2016-12-02 08:01:01 · answer #6 · answered by miracle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
an 8 yr old is a good age to get a rabbit for, not to young. try to get a rabbit that weighs less then 5 pounds and has normal fur ( not wool). if you live in NJ. i raise rabbits and have some available. here is my website www.freewebs.com/creekside_rabbitry
also get a male and not a female, females are aggressive.
2007-01-15 09:14:37 · answer #7 · answered by Olivia W 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
In my experience, rabbits are hard to pick out for a child. I have an excellent one, for free, if you are near Athens, GA.
Otherwise, the dwarf breeds are less skittish but more pushy. I named mine Satan, and with good reason. It wanted down, it scratched. It wanted attention, it scratched.
The hardest to care for are the longest haired ones, angoras, but they are calmest.
Good luck!
2007-01-15 07:58:47 · answer #8 · answered by Niniva 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The following website helped my family make a decision when choosing our bunny. Hope it will help you as well.
http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/breed_profiles/rabbits/index.htm
2007-01-15 08:05:27 · answer #9 · answered by motomouth_1965 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here is an excellent article on kids and buns.
2007-01-15 07:59:38 · answer #10 · answered by sugarcarat 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋