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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Breed of rabbit

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    • BunnieLover
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        Looking for a family pet, that will be affectionate and good to handle. A small size rabbit is ideal but we are unsure of what breed would be suited for teenage girls. Your help will be much appreciated, thankyou


      • CinnabunMom
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          Welcome to BB!
          Well, first off, it’s important to know that smaller bunnies are not necessarily calmer or easier. In fact, the small breeds tend to need even more space and exercise than one might expect because they are really full of energy. Also, I’m not sure how familiar you are with bunnies, but it’s VERY important to know that cages that you would buy at a pet store are really quite inadequate for any type of bun. They need lots of room to run, stretch, hop, and play. We recommend an exercise pen at minimum, a condo you can build out of NIC cubes, or a bun proof free ranged room. They must have at least enough space to hope in one direction four times. That’s the minimum from the House Rabbit Society.
          I don’t know if there is a specific breed that is tailored for teenagers. I assume you’ll be taking care of it, so it’s really up to you. Like I said, small breeds do not mean calm animals. I have a mini lop myself. She’s 4.9lbs and eats about a pound of hay a week, 1/8 cup of pellets per day, and about 4 cups of veggies a day. She goes through a bag of Yesterday’s News litter about every 4 months, so keep those things in mind for cost. Bigger buns will require more food (though there are some small buns who can really NOM!) One of the most docile breeds is actually the Flemish Giant, which can get up to 15lbs or more. Some people say they are like dogs.
          Also, “good to handle” please note that buns are prey animals. They generally do not liked (in fact most HATE) to be handled. They assume that when they are picked up it’s because they are about to be dinner. This means they will resist, nip, try to run away, cower, ect. If the human chases them, again, they think it’s because they are about to be dinner and it instills fear into them. Trust must be built between a bun and its human. Bunnies are not lap animals, not at first (and some never become them. There are some buns who do love their owners but never want pets or love, every bun is different).
          Something I can recommend to make sure you get the bun you want is go to a bunny shelter in your area. So many buns have been given up because people didn’t realize how hard having a bun really is. It’s just as complex and time consuming as a dog or cat. Lots of unwanted bunnies at shelters that you can meet and see who will fit best into your family. We really encourage people not to buy at pet stores because often times those buns may have medical issues.
          My final piece of advice is: do your research. You’ve done a great thing coming to BB to ask questions but make sure you read everything under bunny info, especially about food and housing.
          Feel free to ask any other questions!


        • Sam and Lady's Human
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          2001 posts Send Private Message

            You got a ton of great advice from Cinnabun, so I’m just going to second her and say welcome!


          • tobyluv
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              Welcome to Binky Bunny! You did get some great advice from CinnabunMom. You can find a lot of information about rabbit care here, and on the House Rabbit Society website – http://www.rabbit.org. I definitely encourage people to do their homework and make sure a rabbit is the right companion animal for them, and to make sure that they are prepared to properly care for them. There are so many rabbits in shelters and rescues waiting for a home, which is why we hope that people will adopt and not buy from a pet store or breeder. It’s important to know that a rabbit is a 10 year commitment, and to think of the rabbit’s future when your daughters may be gone from the house.


            • Hazel
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              2587 posts Send Private Message

                Rabbits are really pets for adults. I would advice you against getting one for your teenagers, unless you expect to be the caretaker. They don’t like to be picked up, a lot of them don’t even like to be petted too much, they don’t play like a cat or a dog would, and they require MUCH more attention and care as well. Your kids might get bored quickly with a bun, so you have to think about weather or not you are willing and have the time to take care of it yourself.


              • peppypoo
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                1945 posts Send Private Message

                  Welcome! Wow, great paragraph from CinnabunMom! She covered a lot of great considerations like housing needs, feeding, handling, and adopting. Personally, I think that rabbit breed behaviors are kind of similar to dog breeds (caveat – I’ve never owned a dog haha). The smaller dwarf breeds are like a yappy hyper chihuahuas – they can be quite high-energy, high-strung, and nervous. Then again, each rabbit is an individual and the breed generalizations are just that – generalizations. Another benefit to adopting from a shelter is that a mature bunny (6+ mos) will already have developed their personality, so you can see what you’re getting into so to speak.

                  One very important thing to add – regardless of breed, rabbits make better house pets if they are spayed/neutered. Hormones can bring out “unwanted” behaviors such as territoriality, marking, and associated aggression. Not to mention that females have a dangerously high risk of developing reproductive cancer if left intact. Just another thing to consider in your quest to add a bunny in your home!  Bunnies can be more involving pets than many people realize, but all of us here will tell you that they are wonderful and worth it.

                  Feel free to ask any more questions you might have .


                • Beka27
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                    Lots of great info in this thread already! Welcome to BB! Please feel free to ask if you have anymore questions.

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                Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Breed of rabbit