A dwarf bunny for a 4 year old.?

Question

My coworker's daughter wants a bunny soooo much. She is thinking about a dwarf bunny. She asked me to post this to find out feedback...both pros and cons. I told her my neighbor got a dwarf bunny, but it grew big. Is that common? Or were they sold a wrong one. Thanks for any feedback. Again...pros and cons.

I am a little offended by some of the comments. My coworker is a very responsible person. They have a dog and love and care for that dog as if it were their son. They would treat a rabbit no different. They are more concerned about the rabbit being hurt by their daughter so that is why they are researching everything to make a safe choice for all. As for the rabbit being alone all day while she is at work, give me a break!! You have got to be kidding me. I think the rabbit can handle it, as ANY other pet can handle it. Get a grip on life. Just because you work, does NOT mean you can not give an animal a wonderful life. Of course kids can't have everything they want. But if the adults are willing to care for and pay for the animal's needs, it is their choice to get the pet. Geeezzzzz.......I wanted pros and cons, not judgment. Please don't repsond if you are going to judge people you don't even know. And by they way, they would love to have another baby if God would allow.

Answer 1

I would not recommend getting a rabbit for a child this age. Children at that age don't really understand the concept of playing nice. Bunnies are fragile. They need to be picked up a certain way and carried carefully to ensure they do not kick and break their back.

I'd suggest your friend go to www.rabbit.org and read up about careing for a rabbit and how well they do with small children.

Personally, I don't recommend any pets for small children. I've seen way too many of them torture the cats and dogs in their houses.

Good luck, and I hope your friend makes an informed decision.

Answer 2

First, I would NOT recommend a dwarf. They are inbred to achieve the smaller size, and are often aggressive because of this. As far as a large dwarf rabbit, many possible mishaps could have occured. A dwarf rabbit shoud not get larger that 3 or so pounds, but some dwarfs are descended from dwarfs, but do not carry the dwarfing gene. For a rabbit to be a dwarf, it must carry one dwarfing gene, and if it has two then it is considered a peanut and will likely die, and a dwarf can not have a dwarfing gene at all, but still be fairly small, no larger than 4 pounds.

A better breed would be a English lop, french lop, which are large, but couch potatoes and very sweet. I would recommend a Dutch, which is about 4 to 5 pounds, and most always have great personalities.

Pros-a soft cuddley animal to pet. Untold amounts of fun for the child.

Cons- the parents should always supervise the child with the rabbit, and clean messes and feed and water.

Also, rabbits do not need to be taken to the vet or vaccinated. They are nothing like a dog or a cat, and need only a toy or so to amuse them during the day.

Answer 3

first off, dwarf bunnies usually stay small, rangin about 1-3 pounds. Secondly, here is a webiste that will give u all the information you would need ot know about rabbit/children partnerships, and anytihng about bunnies in general.

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/children.html

If your family is considering adopting a rabbit, decide how you and the other adults in the household feel about taking on the responsibility of a rabbit. Do the adults want a rabbit as a member of the family? If the rabbit is an all-around family member (lives indoors, gets regular out-of-cage time) and play with the rabbit is supervised, then a child and rabbit can get to know each other and live together happily. Do the adults have an understanding of the basic nature of rabbits and what to expect in terms of time, training, and cost? Or, are you open to finding out? Are the adults willing to make a 5 to 10 yr. commitment?

Unless the adults of the household are enthusiastic, informed, and committed about the work involved, a stuffed animal rabbit is a better choice.



make sure she knows that the adult will have a lot of responsiblity.

Answer 4

I had a few dwarf rabbits throughout my childhood. I'm not quite sure what you consider to be too big. They don't stay the size they were when you bought them (if you buy them when they are babies). I loved having rabbits as a pet. The cage needs to be cleaned often to keep the smell down, for me it was an outdoor pet - not really indoor. We kept it in the garage in the winter and in the backyard in the summer. Should be careful with small children - I know my mom and I got a lot of scratches (if they get scared and their back feet start kicking - watch out). I would recommend getting a girl rabbit - if they can tell. Everytime I got one - I was supposed to be buying a female and they always turned out to be male, I guess it's hard to tell when they are really young. But male rabbits pee and it shoots up behind them - I don't believe female rabbits do this, but you might want to ask around.

Answer 5

a true dwarf rabbit doesn't get big at all but she needs to realize some rabbits bite and most do scratch.
I would suggest buying form a breeder as a lot of petshops don't know what they are selling.
I once before I knew about the breed got waht was suppose to be a dwarf but it was a new zealand or a newzealand mix that got to 40 pounds.
I would also suggeest her checking into the breeds i myself like Mini lops better they i think would make a better rabbit for a 4 year old they do get a little bigger than a dwarf but they are more layed back.

Answer 6

Don't do that to the bunny. Four years of age is way too young! And you know darn well that at four years of age, the child cannot be expected to properly care for the bunny. They just haven't the attention span. That means that YOU will be doing all the caregiving. You might as well have another child. Is that what you want? And do you have the financial resources for a pet? Will you do the right thing and take it to the vet, not just when he/she becomes ill, but also for preventative maintenance such as exams?

You say the interested parties are your coworker and her daughter. That means that she is gone from home and at work for long hours. Who will be at home with the bunny? A bunny is not a toy for the 4-year old's amusement.

Kids "want" lots of things but that doesn't mean it's right for them or at the right time. They may want to drive a pretty car just like daddy or mommy - but would you let a 4-year old behind the wheel?! Kids also have short attention spans. Remember, this commitment is for life. You don't get bored and 'dump' the bunny at the nearest pound.

Answer 7

I actual have a dwarf rabbit (properly we've been advised it became a dwarf yet ended up being a great ball of fluff lol) and that i no that our cat used to objective and sneak out the back and attempt to attack it! it is going to likely be farelly challenging to objective to cause them to get alongside. purely be careful once you introduce the cat to the rabbit. good luck! =)

Answer 8

I have a few dif. breeds of Rabbit's and Dwarf's can be a lil' scratchy. My calmest rabbit is my Flemish Giant or my Calafornain Giant!!
They are big but the calmest rabbit's ever!

Answer 9

Four is awfully young (just my opinoin). I'd start her off with a goldfish first.