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hi all

vilonor

Warren Scout
hope this is the right section, im new lol

hiya, im vickie, im thinking about getting a rabbit, and obviously doing some research prior to getting one, as i dont want to give it a lousy home .

i have a query really, i have a 2 year old son and was wondering if there is any breeds i should steer clear of, that dont like being handled etc or if there is any breed you can recommened?

oh and if tehres any that dont take well to training that i should steer clear from? as i would like to train it on a lead

any advice would be greatly appreciated :)
 
Hello and welcome to RU.

With regards to breeds not really its more about the personality of the rabbit. I would recomend getting a pair froma rescue as they will be able to talk to you about the rabbits personality ( a pet shop wont do this) and find one thats right for you. Many rabbits dont like being picked up as they are prey animals but most will sit happily and be stroked.

Hutch size needs to be a min 6x2x2 with attached 6x4 run.

There are mixed views on rabbits on leads on here personally I would stick to having a decent sized run.

Have a good look around the forum you will learn lots and ask any questions everyone is really nice and helpful
 
Welcome to RU! :wave:
With regard to training all bunnies can be litter trained, as long as they are neutered.:)
However, I don't think that rabbits can be trained to walk on a lead!:?
 
hi, yes I think it all depends on the actual rabbit, rather than breed

I agree with the lead thing, my niece has a rabbit and they bought it a lead for when they went to their caravan, anyway she took it for a walk round the caravan site and the rabbit got off the lead! luckily her dad caught the rabbit, but theyve sworn off leads since
 
Yeah, pet shop advice is terrible, I would go for an older rabbit if you have a 2 year old, my rabbits are 5 months old, and I litter trained them with no problems, but every now and then they 'forget' all about their litter box and go all over the floor! And they are very lively and naughty, which is great fun but hard work. The 2 year old I got today seems more mellow but he might just be frightened!
 
the thought of the lead came about as our garden isnt very grassy, but there is a field a stones throw away... but getting over there may prove a issue without a lead lol

thank you for advice, just really wanted to do my homework like i said... dont want to give it a aweful home lol so think i should think about all aspects prior to getting one.

our gardens a fair size so hutch size isnt a problem, it will be an housed outdoors ( unless its ridiculously cold ) and come inside pretty much every day.

my little ones good as gold where animals are concerened so it should be pretty safe from mauling lol
 
ahh ty for that nicola!

my method of thinking was a older one would be more mellow, but may be daunted by a 2 year old, wear as a young one you could begin training from the off..

i must say i quite like the idea of a cheeky one.... my son would have an allie lol
 
Hi :wave:

I have a two year and a 9 week bun (he is mine, not hers) I supervise any thing she has to do with Pip which is only talking to him through the wire, holding out hay for him to nom and stroking him when I have him settled with me. Rabbits arent good pets for children but over time I think a bond can be made. Children can be very heavy handed without meaning to so I would never let Chloe hold Pip on her lap or anything yet, rabbits can give a nasty kick, scratch and bite and I wouldn't want anything to happen to either of them!

So I think young or older bun you need to put the ground work in and gain their trust. A neutered rabbit will be alot calmer and if you go to a rescue they will be slightly older rabbits and neutered so that will be your best bet imho and you might find a rabbit that is already used to children.

As for breeds I have only ever had Dutchies and Lops and both are lovely, but it does depend on the individual rabbit though!

Hope that makes sense my posts tend to be a bit muddly! :lol:
 
lol ty, yes it made perfect sense.

bradley can be heavy handed , not intentionally just a child if you see what i mean, so supervision would deff be needed for a long time. like you said, feeding straw through the cage etc untill they are both used to each other.

this is prob a stupid question, but im guessing its not like dogs and cats when picking a bunny... no need to see it with the parents if that makes sense?
 
Hiya, welcome to RU! :wave: I agree with the others whole heartedly, except that I don't think it's fair to get 'a rabbit'. Buns are social animals who would naturally live in large groups, and while they can love the interaction they get from their 'hoomins' it's very important they have another bun to snuggle with, groom, and 'talk' to. I would definitely recommend getting a neutered pair from a rescue, that you can choose for their personality as well as their looks - that way you won't have to worry about the hassle of vaccinations and neutering, and it'll work out cheaper in the long run too. :)
 
lol ty, yes it made perfect sense.

bradley can be heavy handed , not intentionally just a child if you see what i mean, so supervision would deff be needed for a long time. like you said, feeding straw through the cage etc untill they are both used to each other.

this is prob a stupid question, but im guessing its not like dogs and cats when picking a bunny... no need to see it with the parents if that makes sense?

Well if you go to a rescue you wont see any buns with parents unless they have had a pregnant doe in who has then given birth but they would not be ready for homing until they had been neutered.

If you did decide to go to a breeder I would advise you find the most reputable breeder you can you will then get a chance to see buns parents, it will give you an idea as to the size the bun will grow to. Babies cannot leave their mum until 8 weeks old just remember this because the lady who I got Pip off asked me to take him at 6 weeks.

If you go to a pet shop you wouldnt see parents, I personally wouldnt get one from a pet shop you dont know if they have been inbred have dental problems etc and I dont think pet shops should be encouraged to sell rabbits, but that is just my opinion.

Hope that helps!
 
yes I would like to add about the pet shops we got our rabbit from a pet shop
we got him at 6 wks (so proves their wrong there) and within 2 days he died :( they let us pick another rabbit but out of all the dutch there was only princess left she was 16wks, poor thing as she werent a baby no one wanted her, so I took her :) I think thats a bit why shes a bit funny with me, cos of course she werent used to humans as such till 16 wks, anyway, a wk after having princess her eye was bald :( took her to the vets to be told mange, and I had to ring the pet shop cos they should pay vet fees and they refused saying she could have got it from us not them, yet my vet told me she could only catch it from another bun

also money wise, (not that Im tight-princess is worth it all) it cost us £25 for her, then £20 for each vaccine, (theres 2) then £95 for spaying.
 
yes I would like to add about the pet shops we got our rabbit from a pet shop
we got him at 6 wks (so proves their wrong there) and within 2 days he died :( they let us pick another rabbit but out of all the dutch there was only princess left she was 16wks, poor thing as she werent a baby no one wanted her, so I took her :) I think thats a bit why shes a bit funny with me, cos of course she werent used to humans as such till 16 wks, anyway, a wk after having princess her eye was bald :( took her to the vets to be told mange, and I had to ring the pet shop cos they should pay vet fees and they refused saying she could have got it from us not them, yet my vet told me she could only catch it from another bun

also money wise, (not that Im tight-princess is worth it all) it cost us £25 for her, then £20 for each vaccine, (theres 2) then £95 for spaying.

so sad :( my first 2 were pet shop bunnies, the advice wasn't great and Zero was covered in wee stains and difficult to handle, I'm sure they had been rough with him or worse. I got harvey first and was given better advice, and he's a real cuddle bunny, but I was still told to keep him alone. If I could go back and change it, I would go to a rescue centre, sounds like they give much better advice :) Also as they have neutered rabbits you can see their personalities not hormone-crazed buns.

These were the first rabbits I've taken care of myself (I've had others I shared with my sister when I was a younger), and some books I've found helpful are rabbitlopedia and living with a houserabbit (still good for outdoors rabbits as well). obviously this site is really helpful too, and the House rabbit Society's website, www.rabbit.org :)
 
ref rescued rabbits :

how hard is it to get one... i mean does your garden or whatever need to be a certain size lavished with lawn etc??? as although we have a fair sized garden there is no grass really, but there is a field about 20 ft away which i fully intend on taking advantage of, but im unsure if this will prevent me from getting from a shelter if you see what i mean?
 
ahhh i forgot, also, how are rabbits with other pets.. cats a no no obviously, but does anyone know what they are like with chipmonks?
 
ref rescued rabbits :

how hard is it to get one... i mean does your garden or whatever need to be a certain size lavished with lawn etc??? as although we have a fair sized garden there is no grass really, but there is a field about 20 ft away which i fully intend on taking advantage of, but im unsure if this will prevent me from getting from a shelter if you see what i mean?

I think a rescue *might* be concerned by the use of the field unless you can assure them that bun (or hopefully bunnies as a pair - they really should not live alone) will be safe and secure whilst using it. Personally, I don't think a lead is a good idea at all. Buns are prey animals and can bolt suddenly if they sense or see danger, with a lead wrapped around them they could get into awful difficulty - but more importantly they will not be able to fulfil this bolting instinct and will be left feeling very vulnerable in the open. :(

Buns are just not like cats and dogs, you can not exercise them in the same way by taking them for a walk. They need a great deal of space to play, not necessarily a lawn at all no, although it is ideal, it's not mandatory, but in this space to play they need somewhere to hide, tunnels, boxes etc. Any bun is going to feel extremely vulnerable out in an open field attached to a lead. I really would not recommend it. A safe secure run in your garden, or supervised play time in a secure garden is much better. Any reputable resuce is going to ask you to provide evidence of this at your homecheck. :):wave:

(It is worth bearing in mind that a field may be used by dog walkers and contain certain plants that bun shouldn't have access to as well. Buns also don't really like being taken somewhere strange to play. They mentally map their environemnt - this is extremely important for their sense of security and well being)
 
would pretty much have full rein of the garden , will make sure i make it interesting for them, lots of different things like borruwing etc would also be in the house too
like i said my main concern about rescue is the lack of grass... i wouldnt mind going and getting some for them though lol although i may become known as the weird woman who steals grass lmao, however i cannot lawn the garden as it is rented
 
You don't need grass to have a bun...Mine are house bunnies and rarely go outside. They just need loads of scrummy hay instead :wave:
With your lad I would got to your local rescue and ask them which buns are used to small children. They may have come from a home with them already.
Also (now I know this sounds bad) but it is usually cheaper to get your bun from a rescue....you don't have to pay for neutering and usually they come vaccinated (which you do have to keep up) AND you're helping the bun find it;s forever home.
If you get in touch with a local rescue as well then you'll be able to find out EXACTLY what they want, so you don't end up buying something only to be told it isn't suitable.
Personally, I would never chose to have a baby again...they are SO much work!!!
 
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