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monica
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| Posted: May 06 2008 at 2:21pm | IP Logged
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my friend has two rabbits she is giving away and we are considering taking one. (one because we arent interested in a million) we would keep it outside in a hutch, not an indoor rabbit. would it be possible for our 5 yo son to be responsible for cleaning and feeding it? is this a good pet? any advice, warnings, horror stories? 
thanks
monica
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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: May 06 2008 at 2:55pm | IP Logged
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A 5 year old, only with help.
What kind of rabbit? what sex? We had 2 different varieties and they were like night and day personality wise! If they are a gentle personality, that could be great. If not, forget it.
ck
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Maria B.
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| Posted: May 06 2008 at 5:06pm | IP Logged
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From my experience, a five year old is too young. If your bunny is gentle, he can handle the feedings, but cleaning the cage out is a bit challenging. It is more work than you might think. My kids were excited and willing to handle it at first, but overtime, cleaning the cage out became a real "chore".
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Barbara C.
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| Posted: May 06 2008 at 5:41pm | IP Logged
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Some vets will not deal with rabbits because they are prone to just suddenly dying with no warning. (Which I had a horrible experience at age 15 of our rabbit seeming to have a heart attack and dying while I was home alone and unable to reach anyone for help.)
I don't want to be a party pooper, but rabbits also have no control. I have been peed and pooped on more by one rabbit than by two children. Some also like to be escape artists. And they run much faster than you would think.
I agree that it would be too much work for a five-year-old alone.
On an interesting note, when I was a child our beagle had a love affair with the rabbit next door. They would sleep up against each other on either side of the fence every night.
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juststartn
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| Posted: May 06 2008 at 5:57pm | IP Logged
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And I don't know where you live, but they don't handle the heat or humidity very well, without help. Obviously, this is the domesticated rabbit. The wild ones are more than capable of fending for themselves.
And I don't think a 5 yr old would be ready for it. Shoot, we just got a puppy this last Friday, and I know I am going to be the one doing the vast majority of care for him. At least, for the foreseeable future. And my oldest is 8.
Rachel
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crusermom
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| Posted: May 06 2008 at 7:26pm | IP Logged
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We had pet bunnies. They were really cute. They were also pretty boring. The kids lost interest. I was always having to remind them to give them food and water. We gave them away. We paid for the bunnies and the stuff. I would say my five year old could not take care of them. But, for free, you could always try it out.
My kids found chickens much more fun!
Mary
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mom2mpr
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| Posted: May 06 2008 at 10:23pm | IP Logged
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We just got a baby bunny. Ds(who is 10)was begging for about a year. He wants to show it at the county fair for 4H. She is so sweet. A mini Rex.
I balked. I hoped the desire would go away. I had him do a huge research project on bunny care, cost of everything, health issues,,etc. He never backed down. So, he is 10. We went for it. He saved money for her and all her stuff. He is a wonderful "dad."
I don't think a 5 year old could do the cleaning tasks alone. Feeding and watering would be fine jobs. I think playtime would need to be supervised. My 5 year old can get a little excited and her lap is kind of small for holding the bunny. She is learning though.
My concerns had to do with the mess and smell. We don't let the bunny in certain areas of the house because she usually does poop-a lot. She hasn't pee'd--yet. But it is spring, so we set up the Super Yard outside and when we are out we play with her, and do yard work, while she plays in the grass. We also guard her from the hawks and occasionally have to remind our lab she is our pet, not a wild bunny for chasing.
Her hutch is in the basement. We have found it needs to be changed twice a week and that seems to keep the odors away. I told ds that was my concern with a bunny in the house and he has been so good about doing the cage that often. His friend from 4H has litter trained one of her bunnies--the rest are barn bunnies for show. Indoor odors wouldn't be an issue for you if it was to live outside full time though.
She has grown on me. I thought they were boring. They really didn't do much. But, she really has a cute personality and is very tolerant of a lot. She nuzzles my neck when ds gives her too me(she knows she needs to be nice to the "boss" )
We might need to try chickens next! If they are more fun than rabbits..my kids would be game...dh, probably not
I'd love fresh eggs!!
Good luck with your decision.
Anne
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SallyT
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| Posted: May 07 2008 at 5:39am | IP Logged
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A rabbit is a good pet for an older child. For youngers, they're not very rewarding: don't like to be held, don't want to be pursued to be petted, will kick and scratch (badly) if picked up and stressed out. My teenager has had several and loves them, but they really just do not meet those younger-child needs for cuddling and sturdiness. And my youngers (5 and 4) have a hard time with the idea that the bunny doesn't WANT to be "loved on" the way they want to love on it, in their hands-on fashion.
On the brighter side, our rabbits have been pretty well litter trained -- the one my daughter raised from birth was VERY well trained, and also much more sociable than other rabbits we've had, who have all been "rescues" of one kind or another.
Socialization makes a big difference -- in general I believe in adopting rescue animals, but our current rabbit, for instance, who was found hopping around a middle school here and went through a couple of homes before he came to us, does not interact much with humans. He's gotten better, but he's a far cry from her sweet Charlie bunny (born in our house -- we had several "rescue" bunnies, including an unneutered male, and the little kids decided that the buns were lonely in their own cages and needed to play together), who would come to meet my daughter at her bedroom door, lick her feet, follow her around, etc. Early socialization makes a HUGE difference in how rewarding rabbits can be as companions.
They are also destructive. Bosco, our current bunny, has eaten a lamp cord and a sewing machine cord, to date, as well as chewed any book left on the floor. Charlie chewed the woodwork at the bottom of Ada's bedroom window. You can't not let them out to exercise -- they canNOT just sit in a cage all the time and not be miserable -- but you have to watch them like a hawk when they are out. If outside, they will dig out and escape, or wreak havoc in the garden; if inside, they can wreak havoc on furniture, books, carpet, electrical cords, and pretty much anything else that's chewable.
It's also a VERY good idea to have a rabbit spayed or neutered -- we found that out the hard way when our rabbits were given their unsupervised play date, but also an unaltered male rabbit can become quite unpleasant in various ways, and does are prone to cancers of the reproductive tract. Our current male rabbit came to us neutered, which was a very great blessing.
We like rabbits as pets, because they do have quirky personalities -- on the other hand, I'm not sure I would have chosen a rabbit. They kind of chose us, and we've continued to have them, because my daughter likes them and takes responsibility. I would NOT choose a rabbit as a pet primarily for a younger child, however.
A guinea pig might be a better choice -- again, you have to supervise to make sure the child is gentle enough, but we had guinea pigs when my older kids were small, and they were quite fun. They're vocal and sociable, they don't mind being held, they don't need quite as much space (though they really do need much more than the standard "guinea pig"-sized cage you see at the pet store), and they're reasonably clean and odor-free.
With a 5-year-old, any pet you're going to have is going to be YOUR pet to oversee, so in addition to considering what's going to be rewarding for your child, you also have to consider what you're willing to do to care for it, because with a child under the age of 8 or so, that responsibility will primarily fall to you.
Again, we like rabbits a lot and have enjoyed the ones we've had (even with their various destructive behaviors), but I would never consider a rabbit as a pet for my younger children.
Hope that helps!
Sally
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wahoo92
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| Posted: May 07 2008 at 11:41am | IP Logged
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At the state fair each year, we always end up spending quite a bit of time in the rabbit house. We will likely get one at some point, although we have not so far. The guides always point out that the bigger, fatter rabbits are usually more willing to be loved and snuggled, are slower and, for many families with children, make a better pet compared to the smaller, more lively ones that are just simply harder to keep up with. That is a broad generalization, but makes sense.
They also always emphasize that many, not all, can be housebroken with some effort, can be leash trained, and are destructive if left to their own devices.
I think the two larger breeds are the Flemish Giants and the Giant Lop-Eared. So cute! Have fun.
Sarah
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: pet rabbit- good idea or not?
