Ex just bought 6yr old DD two bunnies

[Birkenshock]

It's her birthday tomorrow - he has bought her two 8 week old bunnies as a present (to live here )

What do I need to know? He bought them off gumtree, doesn't even know their genders or if they have been vaccinated or even what type of rabbits they are. Hugely irresponsible, I know - but I know nothing about rabbits, and now I'm about to be the owner of two - what do I need to know?

www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/rabbit_cacciatore/

Send him this link...

And say thanks but normally you’d prefer to go to the butcher

Twat - him that is

'He fully intends to hand them over tomorrow on her birthday and then I'm the bad guy if I don't agree.'

We all have to be the 'bad guy' sometimes. It's what responsible parents do.

If you decide to accept then that is your decision and you have to own it. Once the novelty wears off you will be the one doing the animal care and sourcing others to help when you go away, etc.

Totally your decision OP.

He is still controlling you

Agree.
Once you have them, he'll need/want to know all about them of course, plus your DD wull want to show Daddy how great they are doing and you can't possibly say no to that.
This is about so much more than pets.

@Birkenshock please post and get some help and support in dealing with him.

It's clear that he will continue to use the DC to continue to try and control and abuse you. You need boundaries of steel!

He really shouldn't have done this animals shouldn't be given as gifts. However they sound like they will have a lovely home. Definitely get insurance, we had 2 bunnies and sadly lost one last September, very upsetting and we spent a lot on vets bills. Yes a lot of the time I clean her out and feed, I don't mind now she's part of our family and she listens when you chat to her. We also have screwed on loose little blocks of wood on the top of each hutch door frame in case the bolt isn't fastened the wood block drops down automatically to stop the hutch door opening good back up!

Have the bunnies arrived?

Yes @sunflower they came yesterday- the OP updated.

I'm watching this thread just to see pictures of these cute fluffy bunnies, where are they?!

Picture of our new family members attached! I really like having them already. When the kids have gone to bed, I bring them in the house and they hop around the lounge. My evenings are usually spent on my phone/watching tv and it's so repetitive and boring, and actually having tiny cute bunnies around has been a real treat!

Aw how lovely!

Reading with interest, as my dd11 has been asking for rabbits, and we would've got them this year if it wasn't for the lockdown!

Oh they are gorgeous

I have never kept rabbits , my DD and I were "Team Guinea-Pig" and there are quite a few differences in their care .
DD did help look after the School Rabbits (only at school ) but she did prefer her pigs .

Love a good , solid , proper Stand-Up Ear rabbit !

There are loads and loads of threads on Small Pets , loads about feeding , housing , vaccines .
Things to loook out for when they're ill (very subtle changes can be a huge giveaway)
Keep a check on what they eat and what comes out . The state of their pooh is a big clue .
Bonding and keeping them in harmony .

And if there's any "Are Rabbits or Guinea-Pigs Better" threads ........
Well I'm biased but guinea-pigs squeak and purr . Some sing (just like a bird)
They popcorn....rabbits "Binky"

Pigs win paws down for me

Rabbits were described on MN as "Vegan Cats" which is probably accurate .

Are you on Facebook op? There is a helpful group called something like rabbit owners uk or similar. I'm sure you'll find it with a search.

Some basics:

Large hutch and run - or just roam, bunnies need space
Hay is the main food, just two egg cups of pellets a day
Carrots are for occasional treats only
Litter trays can be good, place droppings where you want them to poo)
Cover base of hutch with something, Lino squares are ever so popular, protects the wood and makes it easier to clean.
Fresh water daily, rabbits seem to often prefer a bowel to water bottle
Dandelion leaves are often a favourite!

There is much more. Please try to find the rabbit Facebook groups there is a wealth of information.

Good luck.

I missed te update! Cute bunnies...despite your ex being an ass I love rabbits. My house rabbit was so friendly and would lie beside me. We had two hutch rabbits too. So part of me is envious

Get them sexed as soon as you are able, they may need separating.

Speaks from bitter experience.

Also, avoid getting bitten at all costs. Rabbit bites really hurt.

@lorisparkle which type of pet is best in your opinion for small kids?

which type of pet is best in your opinion for small kids

Oh maybe one that is planned for , researched and everyone in the house is on board with before it arrives?

People always say Guinea-pigs ...and they are lovely , gentle little mammels but they do need careful handling and careful looking after .
Guinea-pigs aren't armed for defence except the teeth (they are rodents after all) but they very rarely bite (but not never )

But it just goes to show though all the "Don;t Buy Pets As Presents" campaigns by animal welfare groups just glance off the top of peoples' heads !

If you can keep them as house rabbits I think that's best for them. You'll need to rabbit-proof any electric cables. And rabbits can be trained to use a litter tray but they'll still have more accidents than a cat would.

I personally don't think any pets are 'best for small children'. It is really what animal would the grown up be willing and able to take care of and keep safe ( and keep the small child safe)

We had a hamster - lovely and friendly but still would bite and try and escape - I took full responsibility for caring for it with 'help'

We had Rabbits- need a huge amount of time and dedication. They again were friendly but tricky to handle and again I was fully responsible for caring for them with 'help'

We have cats- probably the easiest but our old cats were petrified of small children. We had kittens but again the children needed supervision and teaching how to look after them.

We have a Dogs - need a huge amount of training and dedication. No matter how friendly and well trained they are I would never trust a dog with a small child. Again children need supervision and teaching in how to be around dogs.

So probably from my personal experience- cats!

Your rabbits are very cute OP! I've attached a picture of my two.

Rabbits make great pets but they do require a lot of attention as they can get quite bored. As a PP has said, if they bite it hurts like hell. They've got one hell of a kick too so make sure you keep on top of the claw trimming or that could get very painful.

When I was 3 my rabbit froze to death. Clearly my parents didn't have google in those days to realise this was a possibility!

Please consider having them as house rabbits. My brother has a friend who has kept rabbits on and off and he built the most amazing run etc. It looked very sturdy, strong and secure then one morning a fox got in and killed it

Jesus no, even if you child finds out I’m sure you can find a way to make amends but no no no no!

Oh maybe one that is planned for , researched and everyone in the house is on board with before it arrives?

This

My friend's 10 year old wanted to buy a lizard with his birthday money, she let him by a book in keeping the type of lizard he wanted.

It was a good few months of him still wanting one and studying before they went to buy one. The pet shop owner then quizzed him on what they needed, feeding, temperature control etc etc.