New to RO and rabbits in general

[ddmiddle7]

Hello everyone....I am new to this site and rabbits in general. I live in Indianapolis, IN. My wife and I are trying to decide whether or not we should get my son a rabbit or a pair of rabbits for his 5th birthday this summer. I realize that at his age I will be doing most of the maintenance and clean up with them. I already have some chickens and a dog and fish...I am use to the animal work. My biggest problem is the fact that I do not have the space for another inside animal. If we get him one/two they will have to be outside rabbits. I can build him a hutch, as I have tons of leftover material from the chicken coop I built.
Question is....should I wait until he is older? He seems to really enjoy helping with the chickens and isn't shy with cleaning up after them. I don't want to get another animal, just to end up in a year or less, have him not interested in it anymore. What do you guys think?
What breeds do you recommend for new rabbit owners and people with children. I want a breed that doesn't get huge and generally has a mild temperament. I would love for my son to be able to handle and interact with his rabbit(s). I have been doing as much reading online and have found a few breeds that I thought would be good and I'm leaning towards Holland Lops...is this a good breed for what we would be needing?

Thanks in advance everyone!!!

Dereck

 

[audrinasmommy88]

I dont see a problem with getting him rabbits as long as you arent going to get rid of them if he does lose interest. I mean you said it yourself, youre going to be the primary care giver. So you have to make sure its something you are ready for and arent going to lose interest in. Rabbits are hard work, but very rewarding there is nothing wrong with them living outside as long as you take all the precautions to make sure they are safe from predators. If you are going to get a rabbit, I would get a pair of them. They like to have friends. I only have one and I am looking into getting another one. As far as breeds go, Mini Lops, Holland Lops, Dwarfs, Rex, and Mini Rex are good breeds for children. They are very laid back. All of those are usually under 8 pounds full grown.

 

[MikeScone]

I'd be very careful to explain to him that rabbits don't like to be held or carried - a five-year old is likely to assume that rabbits are cuddly and want to carry them around, and the vast majority of rabbits are not tolerant of that. Moreover, rabbits are pretty fragile - especially their spines - and can injure themselves kicking out to escape from young hands trying to pick them up. Even they don't hurt themselves just in the act of trying to struggle, rabbit claws are sharp and can hurt the kid trying to grab them.

Rather than going for one of the small breeds, if you are going to get a rabbit for a five-year old, I'd recommend getting an adult of one of the very large breeds - Flemish Giant or French Lop. At ten pounds plus (Flemish can run 20-25 pounds) they'd be too large for the child to be tempted to lift. I've never had one myself, but from what I know from people who have, those larger breeds do tend to be on the laid-back side, and should tolerate small hands petting them in place.

 

[Ruki]

I really doesn't matter his age since your the one who will be taking care of the rabbit(s). If your up for having them as pets and your willing t take care of them then go ahead! You can always say they belong to your son, but of course, they are actually yours.
Rabbits make wonderful pets and I think any little kid would love to have one
Good luck on your decision!

 

[LakeCondo]

You would almost surely need to get the rabbit neutered when they were 6+ months old. If you had room inside for a cage for a guinea pig or 2, I would strongly recommend that instead of outdoor rabbits. They are much more sturdy than are rabbits & better suited for young children.

 

[ZRabbits]

Welcome to the Forum! Children and bunnies can be excellent together as long as parental supervision is there. For your 5 year old, I would look at bigger bunnies. The smaller ones are a little more nervous and could scratch.

Wishing you luck in finding your child and yourself (because they are really fun) a companion.

K

 

[Wabbitdad12]

I would like to welcome you to Rabbits Online, my name is Dave and I am a moderator on the forum. So if I can be of any help please let me know. This is a terrific website for rabbits and their slaves, not only is it very active but also friendly. I am so glad you’re here and I know you will enjoy it.

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*Here is a link to learn what your furry master is trying to say to you How to Understand Your Bunny's Language

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