Can anyone help with bunny advice?

[whodunit3]

Moving away from Covid-19 for a moment, would I be unreasonable to think I could get my hands on a rabbit atm?

It my daughters 9th birthday and she has asked for a bunny for the last 5. We had already decided at the start of the year that we would get her one and we have now just found out my husband will be deployed shortly before her birthday so feel the pressure to make her dream come true even more...

How likely am I going to be able to find one and what is the best way to go about it, I realise we are in the middle of a pandemic but nature is nature and surely there are still baby bunnies needing homes?

Is there an option to keep it inside, we have a friendly lab and a timid cat but not sure it would be happier outside and worried about the smell...how smelly are they likely to get and how often do they need cleaned out?

Is there a specific breed that more suited to getting handled and are we better with a male or female?

Anything else I need to consider, advice would be much appreciated!!

Just to warn you rabbits are not easy pets, I have two who are lovely but there is no way I would get rabbits again.

You can keep them inside but they will chew everything (one of mine did the other didn't until it learnt off the other 😒) - this includes wires, skirting, they'll scratch wooden floors by trying to dig it. If you can keep them fenced off somewhere it's not impossible but is tough. I'm also not sure they'll love the dog and cat.

If keeping them outside make sure they have a large run that they can be out in all day. Ours have a fenced off area if the garden then we lock them in the hutch at night. I think the minimum size of a hutch is 6 foot but they really should have a run all day. I've heard sheds or chicken runs are really good for rabbits.

Think about what you'll do when you go away. We pay someone to come over and feed them twice a day, it's not ideal but it's rare and they've always been fine.

And finally nearly all rabbits really don't like being picked up. When we had ours in the house one of them is more friendly but the closest they'd get would be lying by our feet. The other was funny to watch but picking her up would've been cruel. Just to raise expectations with your daughter.

Like I said I do love our buns but they're not an easy pet like people think!

Oh and I forgot to add. Look at rescues first if looking for bunnies or maybe ask your local vet. Don't buy off a breeder but you might find someone locally who is looking to get rid of their rabbits, just check they're coming from a loving home.

lots of animal rescue places have rabbits, so they are a place to look, although you'd miss the cute baby stage.

dwarf breeds can live for just a few years, full size ones can live longer than your DD will be at home, so think about how long you want to be cleaning them out etc.

they can be indoor or outdoor, but with a dog in the house I would think about mainly outdoor - do you have somewhere like a garage they can come into during cold spells? They need to be cleaned out regularly, and will only smell of sawdust if you keep on top of that.

I would say that they MUST have a run for outside. It needs to be really secure (rabbits burrow) and able to withstand foxes. Rabbits need space to run. If you don't have outdoor space then it will need time outside of its hutch every day for as long as possible.In theory you can 'housetrain' a rabbit, but I never managed it, so be prepared for accidents if you let it run around indoors.

Get the biggest hutch you can afford - the best arrangement is a hutch that opens into a run so that it has lots of space. It's even better if the run is big enough for your DD to sit in and play with the rabbit. You want to handle it every day (gently, of course) so that you can pick it up and hold it without it struggling/biting.

I used to have rabbits and love them, but my DD is so allergic that it would kill her even to walk past it, so now I just have cats.

oh yes! the chewing. My sister had a rabbit that destroyed their living room, including the insides of their sofas. It even stripped wallpaper off the wall. It was really cute, though.

Also - you should never get just one. Rabbits are very social animals and will be very unhappy on their own. You will need two at least so they can keep each other company.

Essential viewing if you are thinking of getting rabbits!

They are great pets but need a lot of care.

You should do more research before getting one. They're quite often not great pets for children, they are often portrayed as fluffy bundles of fun that enjoy being picked up and cuddled, that is often not the case.

They need to be kept very clean, especially in warmer weather as they are prone to fly strike.

Echo what other posters have said. They are not great pets for kids. They don't appreciate being handled and can kick and scratch. Shouldn't be kept alone as they need a companion. Do more research first. Never get a pet for a child - they get bored and move on to other interests.

Rabbits can live up to 10 years. All rabbits should be neutered, so factor that cost in, plus the annual vaccinations. No rabbit can be kept (kindly) in a cage all the time. They need space to run. Most of the cages and hutches in pet shops are actually too small.

Think about what you'd do if you go away. It costs around £10 per day for boarding.

How would you plan to manage a dog, cat and rabbits? Factor in the cleaning out time, claw clipping etc.

Rabbits are hard work. Children see them as cute and fluffy and think they can stroke and cuddle them all the time but most rabbits like to do their own thing and only be stroked occasionally. That's why there's so many in rescues - children (and parents) don't want them when they realise they don't just sit on knees being fluffy.

If you are in army accommodation then a rabbit would be best outside as they chew everything.

Have a good read of the rabbit welfare website.

Rabbits should be kept in pairs- bonded pairs and the best way to ensure a bond is by getting a bonded pair from a rescue.

They need a large 'house' and run - a shed or kids playhouse are best not a hutch .

They will naturally toilet in one place if they have the space, so they can be litter trained fairly easily.

i feel like in my effort to keep my OP fairly vague I have maybe downplayed how responsible we are as pet owners, we are fairly rural with a decent sized garden and we also have a summer house witch wouldn’t fit a huge hutch in it but possibly a smaller one if it got a bit colder and keeping bunny in the house wasn’t an option...

We also have horses a dog and a cat so aren’t shy to a bit of work/effort regarding animals, just haven’t had a rabbit.

The child in question is very animal orientated and already spends a lot of time a day (especially atm) amongst them in a pair of wellies and straw in her hair so I have no qualms she would step up to the challenge of a rabbit!

However have taken on board the advice that they aren’t especially cuddly, didn’t know that and presumed if they were handled for an early age they would be ok with being picked up/loved etc...Is there a specific breed that is better for this?

I also didn’t know they got lonely and were better in pairs, I though rabbits were quite territorial and would fight, I’m not sure we are in the position to get two just now, does anyone just have one solo happy bunny?

I also hadn’t read about fly strike so I will read up.

Many thanks for your replies.

rabbitwelfare.co.uk/
Like a PP says this is a very useful resource for you.

I disagree they can't make good pets. You just need to know how to look after them. They only scratch unintentionally when frightened. There's right and wrong ways to pick them up. Same as any other pet. They can be very affectionate.

Very young children obviously need to be supervised around them but that's no different than with any other animal. Your daughter sounds old enough to understand what to do and what not to do.

Rabbits are very sociable creatures and one would be lonely. It's generally not recommended to keep two males together. That's what you would've read about fights.

You can rabbit proof your home if you want them indoors.

Loads of rescues have rabbits needing homes. Lots of little local ones. Google rabbit charity or rescue and your area.

Have had 2 rabbits, not at same time.
The girl was a fucking nightmare. She was a rescue and housetrained (great) but chewed everything despite being told she didn't. We ended up giving her back after 3 months by which time she'd chewed holes in all my carpets, several pairs of curtains, nibbled bits of skirting board and doorframe...

The boy refused any attempts to train him, but never chewed a thing. He was happier to be picked up too but we did get him when he was little. He used to sit on my lap and watch TV with me

Does it have to be a rabbit? Guinea pigs are smaller and easier to manage generally. I personally don't like their feet (too close to rats!) but I know most people don't have this issue . They do need to be in pairs but you can often get bonded pairs in rescues. And they're easy to keep indoors, though friends who have them put them in an outdoor run in the summer months where they have a great time.

Rabbits make great pets! Just think of them as weird little portable horses that fit on your lap - skittish prey animals, need to live in groups (so you’ll need a minimum of two), keep their hay nets filled etc

My rabbits are lovely but they chew carpet walls everything. They dont like to be handled although I know some people do have snuggly bunnies. They need a lot if space to live in and more to exercise. The more they have the happier they'll be.

Must have two otherwise they can get lonely and depressed. Vet Bill's can be high and not many offer good deals for them. Mine are insured and still cost me over 300 a year in things that aren't covered.

I'd recommend Guinea Pigs for a child and first pet. My family have them and in general they are less troublesome and easier to handle.

Please don't get a bunny as a child's pet. They hate loud noises, are super delicate and die of heart attacks very easily if frightened. I'd also say a Labrador is not a great co-pet. How can you be sure it's predator instincts won't kick in with something so small?

Guinea pigs are smaller and easier to manage generally. I personally don't like their feet (too close to rats!) ....

Shame on you Jo how could you resist these dirty little paws

OP come over to Small Pets in PETS to get the low down on the small furries .

I agree , rabbits (though I've never kept them) sound like hard work.
Guineas are too though.

To answer your question about pairs, I had a solo house bunny who happened to have a very sweet disposition and did love cuddles, however I would say she was pair bonded to the cat. We did eventually get a buck (male). I don't think a solo bunny would be happy on its own in a run. They're very social animals.

If you're on Facebook join Rabbit Support Group UK and spend a few hours reading. There's so much advice, especially on suitable indoor/outdoor housing and food.

Bunny owner here!

Our bunny lives in the house. He has a big cage that he goes in overnight, otherwise he has free run of two floors of the house. We have had to cover up a section of wall that was papered as he kept trying to rip the wallpaper off, and he did scratch at a few things, and err... nibble a few books... but he is adorable. He brings so much joy to our lives. Loves nose rubs and being stroked and will come and nudge you with his nose when he wants attention. No smell at all, he is a very clean animal, we just sweep out his cage every day and feed him. If you leave out lots of chew toys (like willow balls etc) they tend to chew those rather than your house. You can also tell them no and train them. Ours is fully litter trained and it was easy. He lives alone because he had an illness and had to be segregated for months as a baby so the breeder wasn’t sure how he would bond with others. But he seems very content with us and is always doing binkys (jumps for joy!) roubd the house.

Pic of him enclosed. I luffs him!

Please don’t get a rabbit as a birthday present - it just doesn’t send a great message.

70 I'm sorry I just can't. Dog/ cat/ bunny paws I'm fine with but guineas are just a bit 'claw-y'. my friend used to have a really long haired one and that was ok cos you couldn't see the feet, although it did look like a hairpiece running around I like the little noises guineas make though.

I'm convinced boy bunnies are friendlier that girls. My boy was lovely. However he died unexplainedly at about 5 (he was living outside and I think a fox tried to get into his hutch and scared him - it probably was a heart attack). Just remembered my childhood neighbour had a boy bunny too, he lived for a good 10 years in the garden, although it was a v quiet area with no foxes or other wildlife. He was very happy for us kids to pick him up too, never scratched or bit us.

I wouldn’t get rabbits for a young child. They almost always hate being chased, followed around or picked up. They panic at loud noises. They are very high maintenance in terms of mess, care and space requirements. They need a lot of attention and not to be left alone outside all day.

My neighbours grandchildren kept asking if they could have one of mine, until I showed their parents just how much work they can be and how powerful they can bite or kick if upset.

The local pet shop constantly had returns from parents who bought ‘nasty’ bunnies for their young children - the poor things just didn’t like being sat on like a pony or their ears pulled...

EmmaOvary

Because we have a cat!!!

@tamsintamsout

We have two horses, a Lab and a cat who have all been with us many years we are not irresponsible pet owners and we certainly don’t bring our children up with the attitude that a pet is just for Christmas/birthdays

Thanks everyone for all the constructive advice, a lot to mull over although now leaning towards not getting a bunny...

My (almost) 9 year old is my youngest but with 3 girls it’s not a quiet household and would hate to think we were worrying an animal, I also didn’t realise they were as cuddly as portrayed or could drum up such large vet bills.

She’s going to be absolutely gutted however as spends her evenings making list of what she needs, potential names and how she is going to train it. 💔😭