Rabbits make good family pets....

I have recently bought a baby rabbit of 8 weeks to join our family. I have a 7 year old child.

I have been scanning for websites for info on 'care of your rabbit' (glad I found this website my search is over) and I found one that said don't buy a rabbit as a family pet as they hate cuddles and being held! Is this so? I am real worried now. My bunny at the mo loves to be held and cuddled and will lie peacefully on my knee for ever but will she still do that when she is older?

Worried she won't like cuddles when she is older and grows up!

Dawnie and Summer x x x

Theres a good chance she won't like being picked up as she hits maturity

I don't pick up any of my 13 unless its necessary

My 2 bunnies are both over 18 months old and one of them is cuddlier than the other, but they don't hate being cuddled. I wouldn't call rabbits in general cuddly animals, but they all have different personalities.

Depends what you want from a family pet really!

It depends on the rabbit's personality. When they are babies, they are very cuddly and enjoy being handled. This is a great time for you and your child to bond with the rabbit.

But in a few months your cute, cuddly bunny will enter its 'teenage stage'. This is what drives us bunny owners mad! Your rabbit will become extremely destructive, ripping, chewing, and peeing on EVERYTHING :roll: To fix this problem we all suggest that you neuter your rabbit at this stage.

After the neuter, it all depends on your rabbit's personality. Your rabbit may enjoy the occasional cuddle, but other than that would rather be left alone. You may have a rabbit that HATES being picked up, and you may have a rabbit that just loves it.

But if you love your rabbit, you should be able to work with whatever happens

As for your child, you have to educate him/her on the correct ways of treating/handling/picking up/feeding a rabbit. The only reason they say rabbits dont make good family pets is because they are extrememly fragile. If a child tries to pick the rabbit up and the rabbit kicks out, both the rabbit and your child may become injured.

Hope that helped a bit!

xxx

Beany isn't keen on been 'cuddled' and really doesn't like being picked up, but she will sit for ages being stroked or having her nose rubbed

I pick up my rabbits everyday to put them in their run and although they don't mind it they don't like it either. I'd say learning to be picked up is important for a rabbit so that if they need their claws clipping or you need to give medication to them it's less stressfull but I don't think many rabbits actually like cuddles. Don't worry though, you can still really bond with bunnies on the ground, my girls will sit on my knee, flop down next to me, climb onto me searching for treats :roll: and let me give them 'ground cuddles'. :lol:

I have some that would and some that wouldnt- interesting that the other day whilst moving Mollybun to her run, my daughter (24!) must have frightened her trying to keep hold of her when Molly struggled and since then, she has run away when I have gone to pick her up. She has been better the last couple of days so is getting her confidence back I think All of them bar Miffy and Craig struggle when I put them down and Pip doesnt like being picked up full stop :roll: Proper handling of a bun, as with most things, if taught properly to kids from the start will ne taken in and learned for life

Yes, my rabbits are a mixture too. They all get picked up each day to go out in the run. One hates it passionately, one loves to be picked up and cuddled and the others are somewhere in between!
I think the thing is to find ways to enjoy them on their terms. My children have been taught to NEVER try and pick up the rabbits but they will go and sit in the run with them and the rabbits will hop up to them for a nose rub or maybe will put their paws up on their laps. They also enjoy helping with feeding and so on, so there can still be plenty of interaction without having to handle them all the time.

to me the best bit about being a bunny owner is learning each rabbit's launguage. what is aloof to one rabbit is a great show of affection from another. bernie will clamber on me to get picked up, al preferrs to sit on or by me, or just be naughty or play chase, and steve will sit and look in my direction, only comming to me for comfort when frightened.

even if your rabbit does not like to be held (they can purr you know, they grind their teeth in pleasure...and pain, but i'm sure you'll know when it's pain) there will still be great rewards through interaction with her.

to me the best bit about being a bunny owner is learning each rabbit's launguage. what is aloof to one rabbit is a great show of affection from another. bernie will clamber on me to get picked up, al preferrs to sit on or by me, or just be naughty or play chase, and steve will sit and look in my direction, only comming to me for comfort when frightened.

even if your rabbit does not like to be held (they can purr you know, they grind their teeth in pleasure...and pain, but i'm sure you'll know when it's pain) there will still be great rewards through interaction with her.

Our little house bun, Squidgy, is not too keen on being picked up (although he doesn't really mind) but will sit next to us for ages being stroked and fussed. One pair of my outside buns likes being stroked, the other two don't really crave human attention.
All bunnies are different, but I personally think that by getting him used to the attention now will mean that he comes to you for cuddles in the future.

Generally it is said rabbits dont like being cuddled - I say generally cos there are a fair few who are an exception to the rule lol! :lol:
Just cos they dont like to be cuddled doesnt mean they arent cuddly... if you get on the floor with them and stroke them like that - some will be there with you for hours!

Zoe doesn't mind me picking her up and putting her on my lap, but if she thinks I'm putting her back in her hutch/run I can't catch her to pick her up!

Usually she jumps up on my lap by herself, I stroke her and she licks my hands and arms, when she gets tired she tucks her head under my arm and sleeps there while I stroke her, but sometimes she jumps off me straight away, she has a will of her own and is very affectionate, but it's on her own terms!

None of mine like being picked up, but if we go and sit in the run with them they love to come up to us for strokes, and climb up and over our legs. They like affection, but only on their own terms!

PS. tmak, LOVE your sig.

Molly loves cuddles if they're on his level, if i lie on the floor he'll love a snuggle. Or if i sit on the sofa or my bed ignoring him he'll jump onto my lap for a cuddle. I had rabbits as a child and I used to get on fine with them, I used to sit on the floor in their shed and have lots of fun gaining their trust. But then I was a pretty calm kid.

Rabbits love strokes but generally don't like being picked up. The lady who runs my local rescue centres explained like this:

Rabbits are ground dwelling - like dogs, and you wouldn't (usually) pick the family dog up.

If you can imagine what it feels like taking off in a plane, that's what it must feel like for a bun to suddenly be lifted 5 feet in the air.

As I said above, dogs don't really like being picked up. They're still good family pets though!!

With a rabbit I find the fun is in watching what they get up to - when you see one bolt around the room or garden and then binky 2 feet in the air, or when they lick your head, or tug your trouser leg, or you see your bun running around with a piece of wallpaper in its mouth, that's when you'll realise why they're a good pet.

cuddles

My 2 are 6 months old now, when i got them i bought a soft brush and they would sit for ages and let me cuddle and brush them. They will still sit for cuddles now but not fpr so lng, and they let me know when they've had enough! So I'm sure if yours is fed up of cuddles she'll give you a sign - mine gently nip my top or hand (not a bite, just a little hold) or sort of pat with both their front paws.

mine are both happy to run up to me for treats and sit on my lap if I sit in their run but dont really like to be picked up so I dont often do it

toffee said:

Rabbits love strokes but generally don't like being picked up. The lady who runs my local rescue centres explained like this:

Rabbits are ground dwelling - like dogs, and you wouldn't (usually) pick the family dog up.

If you can imagine what it feels like taking off in a plane, that's what it must feel like for a bun to suddenly be lifted 5 feet in the air.

As I said above, dogs don't really like being picked up. They're still good family pets though!!

With a rabbit I find the fun is in watching what they get up to - when you see one bolt around the room or garden and then binky 2 feet in the air, or when they lick your head, or tug your trouser leg, or you see your bun running around with a piece of wallpaper in its mouth, that's when you'll realise why they're a good pet.

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I think this is great advice - rabbits are prey animals, whenever they are picked up in the wild it is because they are going to be carried off to be eaten, hence their natural instinct is to panic and struggle. Children don't tend to understand that as a concept and naturally often get upset when their rabbit doesn't want to be picked up/cuddled and maybe even bites or scratches to prevent you from doing so! With time they can learn that you are nice and they can relax around you, but they may never like being picked up and cuddled, especially by children, with whom they feel much less stable.

I get so much pleasure out of just watching my rabbits being rabbits, giving them interesting things to explore (can be as simple as a couple of boxes) and lots of space for them to express themselves.