Any Rabbit owners/breeders about to help?

[Inapickleortwo]

Hi!

We have finally caved to DSD's request for a bunny and I have found a local breeder who has some mini lops available (lilic mini lops) however, she's just mentioned the Netherland Dwarfs are 'so much more friendly' than the mini lops. This has thrown a spanner in the works.

I thought I done a lot of research in ensuring we go for the right bread as I want to ensure the rabbit is friendly, playful but also able to make a great first pet for DSD6 who will be the one mainly handling it. Obviously her Dad and I will be looking after its day to day care but DSD, in my view, needs to be the one who holds/gets it out/play with it etc. Ideally we don't want a huge rabbit when it becomes an adult which again swayed our decision for the mini lop initially.

Can anyone tell me the difference between the Netherland dwarfs and the Mini Lops and if you have one of these, do you find they are ok with children handling them? Are there any serious health problems known with the breads? And which would you recommend! The photos sent of both bunnys are adorable but I don't want to make a decision just on how it looks in a photo

Thank you in advance from a very stressed SM!

No rabbit is happy to be handled by a child. Rabbits should live in bonded pairs, preferably as housepets. Smaller breeds tend to be more feisty and bitey.

Rabbits live for 10 years (my last was 12), are expensive and difficult to keep healthy.

I’ve kept rabbits and worked in rabbit rescue for years. Please, don’t get a rabbit as you really don’t sound ready for it.

Nethies tend to have "small man syndrome" and I can't say I know of any that aren't tiny terrorists....Minilops are more placid in my experience. You will need to keep an eye on their eating as minilops can be prone to dental issues, also breathing (flat faces mean more predisposed to ear, nose, throat problems).

That aside I agree with @Margay, they are prey species and not a fan of cuddles. They also shouldn't be kept alone, they thrive with a bonded mate once spayed/neutered.

Bunny owner here. l haven't had nethies, but l have lops.
First thing to think about is, will you keep your rabbit in the house, or outside?
Also, rabbits are not solitary animals. They're much happier with a friend (or more). When l got Bertie, l was determined he was going to be a single bunny. l'd never had a rabbit before.
Then after a few months, l found him grooming his toy bunny. He was lonely. lmagine if you were told you could live with three rabbits, but never ever see another human before.
So, l adopted him a friend.
l now have three. They live in the house, in their own room. My neighbours got a rabbit around the time l got my second one. She's now nine, she was four when we adopted her. Their rabbit lived on it's own, outside, in a hutch. He died at two years old. Bored, lonely, and ignored, once the novelty wore off.
Nethies are adorable, but they can be quite grumpy and territorial. l have two lops and they're sweet. l've found that boys are more affectionate than girls, but maybe that's just me. My girl is an old lady now, but she's always been feisty and isn't shy to nip if she doesn't like something.
The boys are both sweethearts. Total cuddle buns, not in a 'pick up and cuddle' way - (rabbits are prey animals. lf they're picked up, they think they're going to be killed), but in a "run to the door to meet me" and "allow me to pet them on the floor" kind of thing.
Also, rabbits aren't an easy pet. They're very fragile, if they stop eating or pooping for less than 24 hours, they can die. Two of mine have been in vet hospital more than once each for gut stasis. £600+ each time, for a week. lf you keep your bunnies outside, you may not notice til it's too late. Fortunately, mine are in the house, so l notice quickly if anything's amiss.
They need vaccinations and nail clips. Some have dental problems. Mine are all insured, thank goodness, that mostly covers the vet hospital costs.
A rabbit can live to 10+ years if looked after properly. That's a big commitment. Are you able to do that?
What you really need to ask yourself is :
Am l going to buy a solitary rabbit, and keep it alone, where it will be unhappy and lonely. A human is not the same company as another rabbit.
Am l willing to look after the rabbit and a friend for it. lt's not up to a child to do it. Rabbits are not an easy pet like a hamster.
Can l afford it? They need a lot of hay and a very carefully controlled diet. They need neutering.
Why buy from a breeder when there are rescues full of rabbits who are there because they were bought for a child, who then got bored with it. l know, my friend runs one, and l've had two rabbits from her, and l look after the rescue when she goes on holiday. lf you adopt, the bunny will be neutered and likely vaccinated.
A hutch is not enough. A single rabbit needs a lot of space, not just a small hutch and the occasional run round the garden. l'm not trying to put you off, genuinely. l had no idea about rabbits when l got Bertie. There's a fantastic group on Facebook called We Love Our House Rabbits UK. They gave me loads of brilliant advice and help. (and it's not just for house rabbits). Maybe have a look on there and ask for opinions.
Feel free to ask me anything (l'm going to work soon, so won't be able to reply straight away, though).
Also, please have a look at this website. The 'new to rabbits' bit is particularly good.
rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

Rabbits don't really like to be handled.

That's not to say they're not affectionate; some are, but it is very much on their terms and takes a lot of time and patience to build up that trust with them. They need to come to you, rather than vice versa.

They're really not great pets for kids - they should be kept in pairs, need a lot of space and can be very destructive and messy.

I don't think there's a huge difference amongst the breeds in temperament. I've found bucks generally less temperamental than does on the whole. Does will always need to neutered, BTW, even if no males about. There's an 80% occurance of uterine cancers otherwise.

By handled, I mean for her to move the rabbit from its hutch inside to the outdoor runaround we will be getting for it. If the recommendation is in pairs then we will absolutely follow this although the breeder hasn't stated she recommends we have two but I will ask her.

I appreciate your concerns over them being 'expensive' however we understand rabbits can last for 10+ years with the right care and accounted for this in our decision making. We had a dog prior to it passing away due to ill health and are very well able to look after animals.

Our main focus is ensuring we have the right bread for our family just like a person wouldn't buy a St Bernard for example because they like the film Beethoven when they only have the space for a chihuahua. From what I have read online the main difference is the size but I am looking to see if there are any other differences in temperament/health issue.

@StartingGrid Ah I have read they can be a little nippy - nice to know they have a little nickname!

l agree 100% with Margay and StartingGrid.
This is extremely good advice. Please don't get a rabbit if it's "for a child". l'm 61. My bunnies are loved and our vet says "that's how rabbits should be kept". They live in (what would be) the dining room. lt's a 12 foot square room, they have toys and litter trays, and access to the kitchen. They can see outside, and through to the rest of the house through glass doors. Not sitting in a tiny box alone, staring through a wire prison.

@katseyes7 Thank you for the insight!

We would be happy to keep it in the house as we have the space for an adequate house for it. I have also read it can mess up there temperature gauge when moved from outside to inside in winter to summer which obviously we wouldn't want to do.

I have just messaged the breeder regarding a pair as we don't want to be in the position when we have the bunny home it is lonely. Again, we have the space for two and our aim is to have a lovable pet(s) that are happy and healthy.

Thank you for the insight regarding the buck and does - the mini lop available are bucks. The Netherland Dwarfs are 3 of each available. We will definitely be ensuring we have pet insurance for them as we did for our dog. Will look at the website you sent.

I've had rabbits for years and they have all been very loving companions.
Pet insurance is a must as they can prove very expensive when things go wrong.
It would be very unfair to have just one bunny on their own as they need to be kept in pairs and thrive on companionship.
A LOT of space is needed rabbits in the wild can run for miles a day and they need to be able to do that in captivity.
I've have 2 mini lops and they are extremely lovable and full of personality, just remember it's easier to keep a male and female rather than two males/females. I really recommend neutering them both as it helps with behaviours and eliminates common cancer.
Good luck on your new pets i'm sure they will bring many years of happiness as mine have me

@Inapickleortwo
Thank you for taking my comments in the spirit they were intended. l was a bit worried it might not come across the way l meant it!
l'm not sure how it would work with very young bunnies, but you may find they need to be bonded - even if they've been fine before, once puberty and hormones kick in, they can start fighting - Bertie was a horror until he was neutered - very feisty and not averse to nipping and spraying pee. And bunny pee stinks!
The hormones take a few weeks to calm down after neutering. Bertie's the sweetest, gentlest boy now.
l have two boys and a girl, and the girl is most definitely the boss! The two boys have a lovely bromance, they're always grooming each other and cuddling up together, but they all get on fine in general. lt's the sweetest thing to see them all snuggled up asleep. (Bertie is the tiny one, the big grey one is our girl Missy, and Red is the other boy)
Good luck!

Yep, pairs are definitely the right way to go.

Have a Google of 'the language of lagomorphs' which is a pretty good user friendly guide to bunny behaviour and can really help with understanding rabbit body language.

They can be very affectionate once you've got that bond with them - mine will hop onto my lap for cuddles or nudge for strokes, but generally will only tolerate, rather grudgingly, being picked up for brief periods so we tend to avoid it unless necessary.