Bunny Rabbits

[Mu33y]

I’m out of my depth and need the PH collectives input.

My 4yo daughter is gunning for a bunny rabbit and I’m happy for her to have one for Christmas. I’m very aware that mum and I will be the primary carer which is fine, but I don’t want to get her some feral demon eyed, big eared monster.

I’d like, perhaps with rose tinted glasses, a little floppy eared cuddly thing that is happy to be picked up and cuddled (a lot!) and can live in and outside and generally won’t maul the daughter and her 1 year old brother to shreds.

I’ve been researching lop eared miniatures etc. but I’m getting mixed messages.

If anyone has any salient advice it would be very welcome.

[moorx]

I've owned 11 rabbits now (I currently have 6 in three pairs).

A few things spring to mind:

Whilst they are often bought for children, they are not necessarily the best pets, especially for young children like yours. They can bite, and bite quite badly (one of mine bit my finger down to the knuckle bone not long after I got her). They also have very powerful hind legs and can kick and scratch.

Although they have a reputation for being friendly, I'm not a big fan of the lop eared rabbits. Partly because I just prefer rabbits with 'sticky up' ears, and partly because of the health issues associated with lops - they can have dental problems. The vast majority of my rabbits have been rexes. They have lovely coats and tend to be fairly laid back.

Also, unless your rabbit is going to be a house rabbit and have lots of company, you really need more than one. The best pairing is a male and female, but both need to be neutered. I have two neutered males, but they are brothers who have always been together. You can't just put two rabbits together, either, they need to be 'bonded', which can be a complicated process and is not always successful.

They're not cheap animals to keep properly, either. You need decent housing - if they are living outside they really need a hutch of at least 6 foot with a permanently attached run of 8 x 4 foot minimum. Some good advice here:

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

Personally, I think guinea pigs are more suitable for children as they generally cope with handling better, though they still obviously need to be treated gently. Again, though, you would need more than one as they prefer company.

Happy to answer any other questions you have.

[Fluffsri]

Mu33y said:

I’m out of my depth and need the PH collectives input.

My 4yo daughter is gunning for a bunny rabbit and I’m happy for her to have one for Christmas. I’m very aware that mum and I will be the primary carer which is fine, but I don’t want to get her some feral demon eyed, big eared monster.

I’d like, perhaps with rose tinted glasses, a little floppy eared cuddly thing that is happy to be picked up and cuddled (a lot!) and can live in and outside and generally won’t maul the daughter and her 1 year old brother to shreds.

I’ve been researching lop eared miniatures etc. but I’m getting mixed messages.

If anyone has any salient advice it would be very welcome.

We have a mini lop called Paddy. He has been with us for 8 years now and lives in doors.

As the prev poster has said rabbits are very sociable and if living out side they really need to be with another, they get lonely. Also living outside they will be in a hutch and to be fair most hutches aren't big enough. Paddy has the run of the house.

The hugging thing, I know of a few people that have really affectionate rabbits and can hug them, Pads isn't a fan of being picked up and wont sit on my lap but will sot on the wife's lap. When you put him down after picking him up, he shakes and cleans himself as he has been touched by a filthy human.
LOL.

I know there is the problem of rabbits that live inside chewing stuff. We fully enclosed all cables and gave him lots of chew toys and over the years he has only done a surround speaker cable, an Iphone cable (My mates, I warned him not to leave on the floor) and when we took him away at Christmas to a friends, he chomped her crimbo tree lights.

They aren't cheap to look after properly, rabbits can go into a thing called gut stasis. We just paid over £500 to have him sorted from this. It seems to happen for no reason.

We bought him from a show breeder and has been fine teeth wise, it took a while for us to work it out but we think she sold him as he was deaf.

All of this said, we love having him around. Hes litter trained, few beanies elsewhere now and again, he exercises himself around the house and is always pleased to see us.

[Zetec-S]

moorx said:

I've owned 11 rabbits now (I currently have 6 in three pairs).

A few things spring to mind:

Whilst they are often bought for children, they are not necessarily the best pets, especially for young children like yours. They can bite, and bite quite badly (one of mine bit my finger down to the knuckle bone not long after I got her). They also have very powerful hind legs and can kick and scratch.

Although they have a reputation for being friendly, I'm not a big fan of the lop eared rabbits. Partly because I just prefer rabbits with 'sticky up' ears, and partly because of the health issues associated with lops - they can have dental problems. The vast majority of my rabbits have been rexes. They have lovely coats and tend to be fairly laid back.

Also, unless your rabbit is going to be a house rabbit and have lots of company, you really need more than one. The best pairing is a male and female, but both need to be neutered. I have two neutered males, but they are brothers who have always been together. You can't just put two rabbits together, either, they need to be 'bonded', which can be a complicated process and is not always successful.

They're not cheap animals to keep properly, either. You need decent housing - if they are living outside they really need a hutch of at least 6 foot with a permanently attached run of 8 x 4 foot minimum. Some good advice here:

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

Personally, I think guinea pigs are more suitable for children as they generally cope with handling better, though they still obviously need to be treated gently. Again, though, you would need more than one as they prefer company.

Happy to answer any other questions you have.

+1

Lots of sensible advice here, especially worth considering the bit in bold. My family has had plenty of rabbits and guinea pigs over the years, and I'd say that most guinea pigs have been pretty docile and amenable to handling, whereas some of the rabbits (especially smaller breeds) can be a bit more temperamental and less suited to young kids.

[HTP99]

Having owned rabbits in the past and now my eldest (19yo) has 2 Guinea pigs I would go the Guinea pig route all day long, particularly with younger kids.

Guinea pigs are far hardier than people think and a lot more chilled than rabbits, they are skittish but over time with plenty of handling and human interaction they can be quite tame, our 2 come out of their slepping area when it's feeding time and will nuzzle your hand when you put their food in.

Had a miniature lop, gorgeous and so cute but was the devil, so vicious and would happily go for our cats.

Also I've never been bitten by a Guinea pig but I have been bitten by a rabbit.

Teddy (L) and Gus:

[bazza white]

Id probably also think about something else.

Some mini lops are not so mini btw, depends on how much of the gene they have. We have one smaller one and one that everyone says is massive. They dont like being picked up. Some will tolerate it others go apest.

Again need to be in pairs ideally as do guinea pigs.

Others may correct me but lion lops can be a bit more nippy or protective of their home atleast.

They need space, far more than you think.

Also if you do get some and they have been raised indoors then its the wrong time of year to be putting them outside. April/may time or sept october. They need chance to climatise.



They are very lovable pets though and have quite a bit of character.

[ciege]

Others advice is probably better however in my time I've had:

As a boy:

Hamsters - cool, easy to keep, fast little buggers, rarely bite, entertaining

As a big boy:

Gerbils - like hamsters, can keep together, too quick to let out, not as cute, easy to keep

Love birds - boring and pointless, felt guilty keeping caged birds

Rabbits - just evil, fast and bitey little buggers, best kept under a nice crust or in a stew

Dogs - awesome, but obviously hard work

Fish - hot and cold - great fun, easy to keep, come and say hello, put don't cuddle you back


Hamster or pinniegigs everytime for kids...

Oh and we're about to get a cocker puppy in about 3 weeks! wish me luck!

[Mu33y]

Thanks all for your help, very enlightening.

We’re now on the hunt for Guniea pigs. The daughter is being swayed through propaganda and promises of getting 2.

I always had an inclination that rabbits had a dark side, and my daughter will want to play/hold with whatever pet she gets, so something less potentially ‘bitey’ makes sense.

Is it worth having an in and outdoor hutch for guniea pigs? Or is it a case of one or the other? I fear SWMBO will be overcome with guilt if anything with a heartbeat belonging to us is outside in less than tropical temperatures at night and I’ll end up with both. I’d rather not.

Thanks again.

Edit to add, I’d have a dog all day every day. Very nearly got a fox red lab pup a few months ago but chickened out, work commitments etc. When kids are a bit older and work permits there will be a four legged, woofing addition to the family.

Good luck with the cocker. A friend has one. Absolutely beautiful. Totally bonkers, but beautiful.

Edited by Mu33y on Tuesday 20th November 22:41

[Fluffsri]

A friend had sorted Guinea pigs for his daughter early in the year. She is on her third as they keep dying. He was telling me that he was explaining this to another friend when the daughter came in with one of the pigs. They found out why at this point, I love them soooo much I just cuddle them! Apparently she was squeezing the poor thing so hard that my mate had to take it off her and check it was alright. Very upset daughter when told she shouldn't squeeze them so hard.

[moorx]

Mu33y said:

Thanks all for your help, very enlightening.

We’re now on the hunt for Guniea pigs. The daughter is being swayed through propaganda and promises of getting 2.

I always had an inclination that rabbits had a dark side, and my daughter will want to play/hold with whatever pet she gets, so something less potentially ‘bitey’ makes sense.

Is it worth having an in and outdoor hutch for guniea pigs? Or is it a case of one or the other? I fear SWMBO will be overcome with guilt if anything with a heartbeat belonging to us is outside in less than tropical temperatures at night and I’ll end up with both. I’d rather not.

Thanks again.

Edit to add, I’d have a dog all day every day. Very nearly got a fox red lab pup a few months ago but chickened out, work commitments etc. When kids are a bit older and work permits there will be a four legged, woofing addition to the family.

Good luck with the cocker. A friend has one. Absolutely beautiful. Totally bonkers, but beautiful.

Edited by Mu33y on Tuesday 20th November 22:41

Don't get me wrong - rabbits are fab, and once they get used to you, they don't tend to bite. But I think they're better for older children really. As someone else said, they often don't like being picked up, being prey animals. A lot end up in rescue because people don't realise just how much care they need.

I have guinea pigs too - mine are outside, same as the rabbits, because I have several dogs who are not small animal-friendly so they couldn't live inside.

You would probably need to make a decision to have them inside or outside, although plenty of people move their hutches into sheds or garages (sacrilege I know, on PH!) during the winter. I haven't ever brought mine in, but I do make sure their hutches are well insulated and that they have heat pads in the really cold weather.

What I will say is that, unless you get adult pigs that have been used to living outside in colder temperatures (ie from a rescue or private rehoming), you cannot put them outside at this time of year. Baby pigs would be unlikely to survive. If you go down the 'inside' route, there is no reason why you can't put them outside in a run in warmer weather to stretch their legs.

[BossHogg]

An end of an era today for me, I had my last two rabbits put to sleep. They both got ill with different things and had slowly deteriorated over the last few weeks despite the best efforts of my vet. So I took the sad decision to help them over the bridge. This evening felt strange going in the shed to no rabbits as it has housed 5 of them over the last 17 years. I cleaned their hutch out and disinfected it before making both hutches into one big one for the guinea pigs, who coincidentally, couldn't believe how much space they had and ran round like pigs possessed!

[S11Steve]

I've had many house rabbits over the last two decades, but currently "sans-lapin" due to moving house and gaining a dog and two kids.

Already covered, but they are not generally great with kids - most of them don't like being picked up and cuddled, they can snap quickly - biting and scratching, and can be expensive when it comes to vets bills.
That said, mine have always been in bonded pairs (another tricky thing to handle) and lived indoors, so had lots of human interaction from a young age.
They have bundles of personality, and attitude....

My last pair were huge french lops - 6-7 kg each, and regularly chased cats out of the garden, both were handled from birth, litter trained and generally friendly. One slept on the sofa at night, so when the kids got up early one morning to watch TV, he growled and scratched at the to get off "his" sofa.

[Fluffsri]

We have had a very happy and chilled bunny for a long time now, he seems to have recovered from whatever he had and has been great. Last week we noticed red wee on the carpet, he was still bouncing about, eating, normal pellets so all was well except for the red pee. Saturday morning he left a big puddle of red so we took him to the vet, this is where it all has gone weird. The vet picked him up and then put him in her arms on his back, I thought to myself, that's weird, not seen that done before by a vet (Had I not been so worried I should have said I wasn't happy with that) and then when she was trying to extract urine I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head.
As soon as we got back he was different. Laid around, wont let us near him, wont take any treats and instead of following us about he seems to be actively avoiding us by hiding in far corner of his cage.
He is still weeing blood but we are reluctant to take him back to the vets for more stress. Really stuck with what to do. He is still eating and pooing, hes just not his normal happy self.

[S11Steve]

Red urine is fairly normal in rabbits, and is diet related - https://rabbit.org/journal/3-1/red-urine.html but it freaked me out the first time I noticed it.

Holding the rabbit upside down is known as the "trance position", and is a "play dead" defence thing. Some rabbits get really stressed about it, others take it in their stride, but generally it's not thought to bea good thing - https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-health/trancing...

[Fluffsri]

Apologies, should have explained that this isn't the first time has been in the vets. He was in 2 weeks ago and tested with blood in his urine. He came back and was still a happy bunny. Pads does not like being on his back, we have had the poor fella for nearly 9 years now.

Just spoke to the lead vet and he has asked us to bring him in and he will take a look at him, we know and like this guy and he specialises in small animals. Hopefully it wont stress Pads out too much.

I know the little lad is pushing on but last week he was playing like he did when he first arrived with us, now he is sad and miserable!

Edited by Fluffsri on Monday 11th February 09:53

[Fluffsri]

Scan and Xray showed bladder and kidney stones. Going for an op very soon ☹

[moorx]

Will keep my fingers crossed for you.

[Fluffsri]

Thanks, going to need it! hes an old fella now.

[SGirl]

HTP99 said:

Having owned rabbits in the past and now my eldest (19yo) has 2 Guinea pigs I would go the Guinea pig route all day long, particularly with younger kids.

Guinea pigs are far hardier than people think and a lot more chilled than rabbits, they are skittish but over time with plenty of handling and human interaction they can be quite tame, our 2 come out of their slepping area when it's feeding time and will nuzzle your hand when you put their food in.

I respectfully disagree. Guineas need careful handling - I've seen many injuries to piggies that have belonged to young children, where the children have dropped them or squeezed them or tried to dress them up or whatever. They're delicate little souls, and they break easily. I'd never buy a guinea for a young child. And like rabbits, you can't just buy two and hope they'll get along. Two unneutered males might live together happily, but more often than not they won't. I don't know about females because I only ever had one, a tiny thing with a horrible birth defect that I found being sold in a pet shop (!). But a friend of mine used to rescue them and he had about 80 at one point, of whom about 30 lived together in a single huge run in his living room.

That said, piggies can be friendly, but they need "little and often" handling to get them to that stage. If you leave them alone, they won't be that interested in people - they'll just happily live in their own little world. Personally, I prefer my piggies to live indoors - because it's cold out there, and they like company so they're happy if people are around them even if there's no interaction. But they do like to spread their bedding around!

HTP99 said:

Also I've never been bitten by a Guinea pig but I have been bitten by a rabbit.

I've been bitten many times by guineas - admittedly, usually because the short-sighted little sods thought my finger was a carrot. But not always. They can give quite a nip if they're very unhappy about something, and they have sharp teeth. I still have a scar on my hand where one of my boys bit me, and held on. Even holding him up in the air (with my hand below him so he didn't fall!) didn't persuade him to let go. So please don't think piggies don't bite. They can, and they do.

[Fluffsri]

Quick update. He came out of the op all good. He is now eating, drinking, lots of descent sized beanies and peeing. Vet has said not fully out of the woods yet but showing great progress!