Advice on getting a rabbit.

[Connie2]

Hi, my son will be turning 8 in a few weeks and has been desperate to have a rabbit for the past 3 years so we have decided to get him one as a surprise for his birthday.
Having never had a rabbit before I don't know where to start! Any advice on what type would be friendliest/easiest to care for etc is greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Be prepared to do the work yourself.

Minimum recommended hutch and run sizes are pretty tiny - get the biggest you possibly can.

There are loads of rabbits in rescues, please look there before buying from a pet shop. You'll get loads of brilliant advice and support that way, too

Think about getting 2 -most small furries (I say most, hamsters seem to be the exception) like company of their own kind.

Think how long your bunny will be alone.
All night (they'll sleep/eat/sleep)
Breakfast ,hello, quick check
Maybe a few hours in the run, you can chat to them
DS will play with them after school.
Then alone.,more eating.

I've not got rabbits, I've got 2 GPs. My DD is 9 and loves the <span class="italic">bones</span> of her pig.We got 2 for the reason above.
My DS is 12 and a bit <span class="italic">meh</span> about his, but TBH I wanted the GP2 and I do tend to take over a bit.I think he just said he'd have him because he was part of the package.

But don't imagine that a child will do it all himself.
And legally, the responsibilty-all of it- lies with you.
(Buying food, cleaning the cage, cutting nails, checking teeth,ears,fur,lumps ,bumps, flystrike...)

<img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Grin" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/grin-D7Eg_B6y.png"> We give it to ya Fair'n'Square . <img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Wink" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/wink-ClU7UaDM.png">

Thanks guys, am totally prepared to do the work myself although my son who wants the rabbit is totally caring and sweet to our old dog (the only one out of my three children to sit and cuddle her etc!) so I am sure it will be fine.

My youngest will be 7 in August and has voiced his love of Guinea Pigs... would this work if I had one in with the rabbit? I will of course read up on it all but agree that two together would be better than one.

I will also look at rescue rabbits - thanks, I hadn't thought of that.

PS... cutting nails?? Wouldn't a vet do that?? I wouldn't attempt to do that myself on our dog... I have heard it can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

There is a difference between cuddling & cleaning out the poo-ey cage in the rain though

I've had bunnies & guineas - currently have two guinea girls (babies from a rescue) & they are fabulous. Whilst we loved our rabbit (she was a house bunny) my experience generally is that rabbits are a lot more work - they have lots of health problems & are much more tempramental ito their attitude to being picked up & cuddled - a lot of things I've read haven't recommended bunnies for children....Bunnies also need more space.

I am biased, but I would defn think about guineas as an alternative if your youngest is interested (& your 8 yo might be persuaded!) - our two are the most patient creatures - always happy to snuggle onto your nap & 'purr' and chirrup away.

Btw, unfortunately, not recommended to have one guinea & one rabbit (as many used to) - danger of rabbit bullying the guinea.

What funnypeculiar said, plus buns and gps have different dietary needs.

We have 3 bunnies. All boys. They need jabs twice a year and neutered (just the once!). My 3DS clean them out once a week (ours are indoors) and change their food and water everyday. To date they have been fairly easy - although I have spent two nights up with one of them who has a 'disorder' which attacks his nervous system, I just lay him on me and keep fluids in him with a little syringe ... thought he was going to die the first time it happened . The amount of sawdust, hay and food they go through is quite astonishing. DH thinks we are mad as we overrun with wild ones in the garden!!!

Our GPs have my DC old playhouse (lovely little wooden Swiss Chalet house with a wooden .slightly raised floor. The floor space is 5'5"x5'5".
They've got a wooden hay box with a lid (carpeted) and a carpeted ramp. Currantly 2 cardboard boxes to make a Pig City.Solid wood door and a screen door half wood/half thick mesh.

DD and I cuddle the pigs everynight, and go down to the hoghouse, put the light on and chat to them
They are lovely, noisy chatty little characters, each with their own ways.

But definately no bunnies with guineas.

When GPs were created they were right at the end of the queue when they were handing out defences,.
They don't dig, or climb to any degree.Don't kick, their claws are blunt.
Even when they bite (which is rare- usually if they smell food on my hand-then it's a 'taste') or when I cut their nails- it's never broken skin.
And big bolshy boar GP1 has never bitten DD.

Guinea pigs are miles better than rabbits for children. They are much friendlier and more cuddly - rabbits hate being picked up on the whole and are quite ready to bite and kick. Get two girl guineas - he will love them! Plus if you have the room for the cage they make great house pets, which is always easier to look after.

In my bunnies defence - they are very cuddly and have come nowhere near to biting or kicking anyone. I even took them into school for circle time - they were brilliant despite being poked and 'roughly' handled by 15 very excited 4/5 year olds...

My DD helps look after the school rabbits every 2 weeks (they have a rota) but they are completely different character to her guineas.

If your DS has set his heart on a rabbit he might be a bit dissappointed if he doesn't get his wished for pet.

Would you consider a rat Connie2.

Alot of people are a bit eurgh at the thought. I think of them as having the agility of mice, the handle-ability of GP but much cleverer. (Which is why I bought GPs- not the sharpest tools in the shed DD reckons)

I would echo everything said here. Don't put a rabbit and a GP together. We do have both and they sometimes run round the kitchen together and get on well for that short time but I would never leave them alone, as our GP's seem to view our bun as a mountain to be climbed over.

GP's make great pets for kids. They don't mind being handled, don't need as much room to leap about, don't have to be vaccinated (or neutered if you get 2 the same) and they are very chatty. Rabbits need all of the above, plus don't really like being handled. If you do go for a rabbit, try and get 2 so they have company. You must have them neutered, for their health and for your own sanity. An unneutered rabbit will be territorial and an unneutered female can be aggressive. Both GP's and rabbits need claw clipping which you can do yourself if the animal is co-operative. They both need to checked for mites etc regularly. If you get young rabbits and handle them a lot, they may well get used to it (our previous rabbit used to tuck up in bed with my kids for story). An older rabbit will take a lot more work. We adopted ours when he was 7 months old and he had never been handled - he's lived with us 6 months now and still does not like being picked up and struggles (they are strong). On the plus side, rabbits can be trained quite well. Our previous bun came when called, and understood other vocal and hand commands. Our current bun is still learning!

Whatever you get, it's a lot of work, but they are all great fun.