Rabbits for 6 year old

[ILoveGregoryHouse]

Hi, my 6 year old is desperate for a rabbit for his birthday.

I want to be sure they're suitable for his age and looking for advice on whether we buy a pair and what breeds are best.

They'll be kept outside in a hutch.

Thanks in advance.

I cant really help but I am interested in your post because I am about to get rabbits for my 5 year old.

Have been given lots of conflicting advice from Pets at Home but having looked on the internet we are going to get 2 dwarf lop eared females and at about 5 months old get them spayed.

Where are you getting your rabbits from?

Not sure what the best place is to get rabbits. Home breeders?

Not had a rabbit myself but a couple of friends did and found them not to be great pets. One sent theirs back after a couple of weeks and swapped it for a guinea pig (too much scratching from the rabbit, too difficult for the kids to handle). The other had a rabbit that lived in a hutch in the garden until a fox broke in and ate it (wait, make that 3 friends, a 3rd friend had this happen too, rabbit in garden pen eaten by fox). Again, the second friend found the rabbit a bit hard to handle and not very cuddly. Think the 3rd friend liked theirs though.

My DS finds our rabbits impossible to handle, the back legs are so strong, nails so scratchy and it's hard for small hands to hold them safely. And ours aren't even very friendly - too nervous. Rabbits also bite when afraid.
Rabbits need a lot of space - not just a hutch. Also two injections every year - £70.
I wish I had stuck to my guns and got guinea pigs.

I bought a pair of bunnies for my daughters when they were little which grew into huge rabbits. They soon lost interest. You have to handle them right or they get frightened and bite and kick you. After my daughter got bitten on the stomach she lost interest. One died in the summer aged 7 and the other last month aged 8. I done all the looking after and unless you have a large run i think its cruel. I would never get any more.

depends where u get them, i adopted two from a rescue and they were timid and frightened (this is when i was young). Recently we adopted two mini lops thru a private add, they were baught up within a family of young children and are super friendly. They cost alot tho, £30-£40 a rabbit but were well worth it for such friendly rabbits, my ds has them on his lap regularly.

Rabbits are in general NOT suitable children's pets. As a rule they don't like being handled (they are prey animals so they think a fox has got them when they're being picked up - and their natural reaction to this is to struggle, kick and bite). Their hind legs are very powerful and a kick is very painful. Their claws are sharp and draw blood easily. And if you get a bite from them you know about it! You can get exceptional rabbits that do tolerate being handled - but these are unusual. As a rule they resist it. They are also expensive pets to keep: you need a big run if they can't free-range safely in your garden (OP, a hutch alone is not suitable accommodation - they must have access to space in which to exercise. Most commercial runs are too small - as a rule a pair of rabbits must have access to a 6 foot by 4 foot run as an absolute minimum). A decent hutch (at least 5 feet by 3 feet for 2 rabbits, weatherproofed) is expensive. They need vaccinating every year, they need to be neutered, and unless you can find a farm that sells it cheaply, hay will cost you a fortune - it is the main part of their diet and they get through loads of it. You must also keep them in pairs - a single rabbit will be very lonely.

Guinea pigs are much better pets for small children. Even better still are rats - which have the added advantage that they are indoor pets, and don't live as long. A rabbit can live for ten years. They are really as much of a commitment as a dog or cat.

I'd agree mostly with lurcherlovers post.

In general though, I would say no small furry pets for kids unless you are into them yourself. I have 14 rats and the kids love to handle them but they are mine.

The biggest problem with rats, and why my daughter at the age of nearly 7 cannot handle them too much is that they have very sharp claws. If not socialised and petted regularly during infancy they can be nippy. And you do certainly know when you have been nipped. Handled right, they can be very affectionate....almost like a dog.

Lots of rescues have rats in that are adult and you will know the temperament but be prepared to pay out in vets bills and good quality cardboard based bedding. Shavings can make your rat ill. You;ll need a larger cage then those advertised for rats, these are generally too small.

Rabbits can be cuddly but not usually unless you are very experienced at handling them. Guinea pigs can be a better option in my opinion. But again, the kids will get bored and you must be happy to look after that animal. All small furry's require paying out for vets and you might be surprised how much it costs. To take one rat in for a check up costs me £30.

I agree with all that's been said

Rabbits are lovely, but they don't make great pets for some kids imo. Ours are very friendly and love being stroked but hate being picked up - so we don't.

They need lots of space, attention and company. Plus lots of cleaning out and they get through masses of hay/greens and rabbit food.

And if you're not careful - they breed like er, rabbits! In my case, anyway