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!!

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
Rabbits are prey animals, they associate being picked up with about to be eaten. There are some rabbits that are okay being picked up but they are unusual.

We did have a house rabbit. He would come over for a cuddle but it was on his terms. Find litter training very easy with him tho. Apparently they like to go where they've been before so they follow the smell.

Re your reply. I still wouldn’t get a pet for a birthday even so.

Maybe some items for the pet but not the pet itself.

There are eye watering statistics on how much a rabbit will cost over it's lifetime (which can be many years)
Starting with accomodation, purchase of the animal and neuerting as one offs.
Then add vaccinations ( guinea pigs don't need vaccines )
Insurance
Hay (lots of hay)
Any updates and repairs to their house
Dental+ claw care plus Annual Health Checks
Food -pellets + veg
Boarding

And that's if you are blessed with good luck and don't need emergency vets .

And they are statistically the most neglected small pet .

We had guinea-pigs for eight years, a constant spiral of the little beauties.

Last year , when the last old timer died , we got two cats .
My DH always longed for cats (but I wouldn't let him while we had the pigs)
Everyone in the house in agreement .
We got two sibling m/f young adults.

They are less work than the pigs but so much more destructive .
They are tidier (use their litter tray) but what goes In and Out smells worse than the guineas did.

I am jealous that you have horses that would be my dream. Does your DD get involved with them?

Oh , must add, I do love the cats but of course we have the
"I am Fur Overlord , You are Cat Slave" relationship

@70isaLimitNotaTarget Yes DD has one of her own and as we are DIY livery she is there every morning and evening to help/do her stable chores, she’s pretty good and a huge animal lover.

Also would have meant a shortage of hay is never a problem!!!

Rabbits are difficult pets and expensive. They need to be kept in pairs, females spayed due to high uterine cancer risk, need yearly vaccinations. They need a lot of space, much more than you think and they can live a long time.

You would need to commit to the time and space and ongoing vet fees for the next 10 years.

We had a wonderful rabbit, really the perfect little pet; he was much more like a dog than what most people perceive a rabbit to be like - very social, very intelligent, and had a proper personality and character. He lived outside in a hutch but had free rein of our house all day long pretty much every day in spring/summer/autumn (I would open the door to our conservatory in the morning and leave it open all day so he could come in and out at will). In winter we would bring him in for the day. He was the happiest most healthy rabbit ever and didn’t need any attention from vets until he was nearing very old age (the vet was amazed that he was alive, never mind still so healthy and happy at that age, compared to many rabbits).

Anyway, he never chewed a thing. Never set a foot wrong in all the years we had him. But we were fortunate, he was a very good bunny indeed. Miss the little guy.

Re the vet bills, you can get pet insurance for that. We pay £12 a month and it covers everything except yearly jabs. Rabbit toys are cheap, as is hay. A bag of nuggets is about £7 and lasts a few months. You can use sawdust for their litter tray, which is dirt cheap.

I’d say don’t be put off- I posted here a few years ago asking a similar question to you and everyone said don’t do it- but I did anyway and am a very happy bunny owner!

Just because your kids can’t pick him/ her/ them up doesn’t mean they can’t feed them/ stroke them/ take care of them. Bunnies are hilarious at times- especially when they do binkys- and therefore bring a lot of joy.

Oh yes Binkeys are just the cutest thing. And the way they flop out all stretched and flat when they’re contented/exhausted.

Ours used to hop up on the sofa for snuggles.

(When i say he didn’t need vet attention until he was a very old aged rabbit, I mean out of the ordinary.)

maybe consider a couple of rats? they love cuddles, can be trained and live in the house!

We had a lovely pair of pet rats and I agree, they make great pets. But I think they’d be stressed out in a household with cats...

If you're a horse owner rabbits shouldnt be a problem.

You will need a pair though-- they're happier and more settled.

I'd start by having a chat with the rescues in your area and see what they say.

sounds a fairly pointless pet if you can't cuddle it, what else are they for?

they make a reasonable casserole.

They really are better in pairs so although you sound like a responsible pet owner if you cant commit to two I wouldn't get one. The ideal pairing is a Male and female so they need neutering, they need vaccinating, they aren't cheap! I adore rabbits and I'm a qualified vet nurse and I have just opted to get guinea pigs instead of rabbits because of the amount of work/cost that goes with them

We’ve had lots of rabbits. Mostly because our two rescue rabbits came to us pregnant.

Currently we just have one. We’ve had her 13 years, and she was a pregnant adult when we got her. For about 7 or 8 years she has very vicious, but that wasn’t surprising as she’d been badly injured in her previous home (cigarette burns, bald patches etc). She scratched and bit anything that came near her, and attacked magpies, but she’s wonderful now, although very very old.

Personally I wouldn’t recommend rabbits as pets for children, although your daughter does sound very competent. Guinea pigs make fantastic pets.

We have 2 rabbits from RSPCA. They came home us already bonded and neutered. The big one loves being stroked, the little one runs away from me, but will have a stroke off the kids. Rabbits definitely have contact on their terms though! When we went to the RSPCA there were lots of friendly bonded pairs. They were very strict on accommodation. To that end they have a large kids playhouse, not a hutch, and a 2m by 3m by 1m high run, that I had to get specially built because no shop provides anything that big. I spent a fortune on housing...we also have tunnels and hides. Definitely over £1000 to start. Not cheap but as I figured they would be with us for another 9 years or so it was worth it. They also go through so much veg you would not believe...loads of kale! I would definitely recommend a rescue if you are thinking about rabbits, it’s not only good for the animals it’s easier for the humans- an already bonded pair, used to handling and already neutered and vaccinated? Perfect.

Oh and even though they have that massive run plus extra tunnels, I still let them out in the garden too to properly let off steam.

Yes they need a LOT more room than people think - ours had a large pet shop hutch, but that was sufficient for him as it was really just his sleeping place and a shelter for when it was raining. He was able to go in and out of his hutch whenever he wanted and had free run of all the garden.