So, getting a rabbit with small kids is always a risky thing. Your “chill” bun, might be a lunatic when it comes to other rabbits (I know mine is)
There is a chance the rabbit she picks will not get on with your bunny-so if they won’t bond, -one may have to be rehomed.
Bonding can take MONTHS. The fights can look and be upsetting -it’s not really a case of two bunnies will just get along, some never will. They’d also both need to be neutered.
I highly recommend two rabbits together, but I just want to let you know that it’s a lot of responsibility, and end of the day it won’t be her “pet”. It will be YOUR pets friend. Your house will need to divided, which you’ll need to talk to parents about, two separate areas for the rabbits plus a neutral area.

Personally I think the petsb that don’t last make great first pets-they teach you how to grieve properly, and also are easy to Keep even if she doesn’t want to do much with it After the initial excitement

I think if your sister is to get a rabbit, then either you and your parents need to assume full responsibility for it, as rabbits are not great pets for children.

I think it’s great that you want to bond your bunny, but there are a few really important things to consider (and it’s really great that you came here seeking information first!!).

First, in order to bond bunnies, both rabbits need to be spayed or neutered, and allowed several weeks for their hormones to settle. The bonding process often takes time and lots of effort, usually several weeks to several months, depending on the pair. You would need separate housing for the new bunny during the bonding process (pre-bonding, etc), so they couldn’t just live together right away, even if you get a new cage.

Second, you mention your parents not wanting to put in more money, so if the new rabbit needed any medical care, who would pay for it? With rabbits, the day to day expenses aren’t that much (hay, food, bedding, veggies, which you already know), but the main expenses can come when one is ill. With two rabbits, you’ll have double the bills.

If they are bonded, then you would want to make sure they would never be separated, even when you move out (not sure how old you are… but assuming you move out while you still have your bunny). So, you would need to make arrangements for who would care for both bunnies when that day comes.

Bonded pairs do need more space, but since you mention your bun is mostly free- roam, that will probably be fine. I don’t think you need to spend less time with them with a bonded pair, but I find I don’t feel as bad when I’m sleeping or at work with them bonded, as they always have a companion.

Since your bun is free-roam, you will need to think carefully about where you would bond. The space should be large and very neutral, so a room your bunny has never been. Bonding in cages isn’t a good idea, because if they fight it can be very hard to stop them from hurting each other.

Finally, not sure how old your sister is, but rabbits are not ideal for young children as they can be easily injured if they are handled incorrectly. As a bunny owner, you also probably realize that bunnies can become very sick very quickly, so having someone monitoring their health daily is important. I’m not sure how old your sister is, but like I said, you or your parents would need to assume full responsibilities for the new bunny’s care.

I think it’s really awesome that you are considering all of these things!

I personally think that guinea pigs are a much better choice for children… and they live longer than hamsters, so that might be an easier option. Easier to care for, less expensive, no need to worry about bonding etc.

Agreed with Dana and it’s the very first thing I think you need to establish before even considering getting another rabbit. Your guardian(s) need to be ok with being fully responsible for the rabbits, because two is too much for people who may not be able to drive to appointments and pay for both regular and unexpected expenses. That should be outlined to your parents very clearly so they understand the seriousness. Some parents just say yes, but not realize that there can be a significant dent in the wallet and they will need to drive and buy supplies. It’s not passive responsibility, it’s active.

Personally I would advise against getting one for your little sister, for the reasons below:

1) “Since she likes my rabbit so much and really enjoys playing with him (he likes it as well) that she should get a rabbit”
This isn’t a good reason to get one. My dad bought me my first rabbit when I was 12 years old. For the first few weeks I was diligent in cleaning out the cage, feeding it etc, then I just got bored of doing those things. Eventually my dad was the main person taking on those responsibilities while I just played with the rabbit. I enjoyed playing with it but didn’t want to bear the other responsibilities that came with owning a rabbit. I know a lot of kids who are the same. Bear in mind that a rabbit’s lifespan can go up to 10+ years and if she’s still in school now, phases of life like going off to college, getting a job, moving out, getting married etc will all contribute to instability and difficulties in keeping the rabbit afterwards. If she isn’t financially stable yet, make sure your parents are 100% willing to pay for stuff like vet bills (which is usually the most costly) when it’s necessary, because they will be the ones responsible for it since you already mentioned that you can’t afford another rabbit.

2) “She would end up being very sad once a small pet like a mouse, hamster, ext. dies after such a short time.”
Ditto to Dface on this point.

3) “Is it harder to have two rabbits then just one?”
Food and litter are long term costs and you will definitely need more for two buns. I think the killer is the vet bills though. If two bunnies are sick, vet bills can be a nightmare. When you get another bun, you also need to make sure both buns are spayed/neutered. It takes a few months for hormones to die down after that so you will need to keep them separately in the meantime. Which means you most likely need another cage or pen anyway. If the bunnies do eventually get bonded, they cannot be separated unless one of them dies as rabbits take their bond very seriously. This means that if your sister goes off the college in another state and wants to take the rabbit with her, she can’t unless your rabbit follows hers. And vice versa. They should stick together for as long as they live.

Kids often don’t know what they’re getting into when they request for a rabbit (or other pets for that matter), so you’ve gotta be firm if it’s necessary for the well-being of any pet.

As long your parents understand that they will be the primary caregivers for the new bunny and fully know the costs of that, then it should be fine. You can also opt not to bond the two bunnies to prevent complications if any of you needs to move out, but this would mean potentially keeping them separate at all times without “play dates” as bunnies are not like dogs who can just play with other random dogs. So it would be like having a single rabbit separately in the same house. It’s quite difficult if your original bun is free roam though.

Id think carefully about this if you’re going to college soon- rabbits and college are often a bad mix. I had a bunny get very sick in college and ended up dropping classes to care for him. I also got evicted at one point and my bunnies had to move home . This was never the plan.luckily my family took care of them, and it was only for the final 4 months of my degree.
College is a bit of an unpredictable time in life, where a rabbit can get very much assimilated into the rest of the house, so your parents may indeed become primary caregivers to your pet, and an additional rabbit if you cant care for both due to circumstances or time constraints.

Also if bonded it means your sister or you will lose a pet in 4 years (give or take) when you move out. By all means get another rabbit (I am a rabbit hoarder so I always want one more) but it just might mean that it’s not really her pet if you do, which might not be overly fair on her seeing as this is her pet.
Unless like kurottabun says you keep them seperate and as single buns.
Is there an option B here, where you get another rabbit to bond with yours… And she gets a separate small pet all for her own?

Sorry but no. Rabbits are not for children. Rabbits may be considered a small pet but the responsibility of rabbit ownership is huge and just not something a child can (or should) take on.

I’m sorry but I have to agree with those with a no vote. Children shouldn’t be given a bunny. It’s a very high maintenance pet and requires lots of time, work, and energy. If she’s not in high school yet, think of what a typical high school girl enjoys doing. They like going out and being with friends and sassing the world. She won’t be able to do that with a bunny. Those friday night date nights and football games will be snuggle sessions in her bed with netflix. those trips with friends will be a week of feedings and litter changes. I’m not trying to sound condescending, but it’s a big responsibility requiring her to sacrifice a lot. And not to mention bonding. those bunnies will have to remain together at all times until they die. if you move out and take your bun and leave her hers, both buns could get sick and die from grieving. if you do end up with two singles it means they can never play together. your bunny is your bunny and her bunny is her bunny. no co-mingling. I really don’t think its a good idea. not to mention you really don’t know how the health of a new bun will be. everyone assumes they’ll be as healthy as the first one, and it’s not always the case. emergency vet visits and chronic conditions can cost a fortune.

To echo what others have said, bunnies are not for kids. Unless that kid WILLINGLY and happily gets up in the morning and;
Washes the dishes
Scrubs the bathroom top to bottom
Takes out the garbage
and Mows the lawn……..Then they’re not ready for a bunny.

Which is why a lot of adults aren’t either. It’s a LOT of work, it’s not all carrots and cuddles, which is what people think.

I have to agree with the No votes. I struggle with my 2 and i am a 37 year old women. After work drinks need to be planned as i can’t just go out after work and then roll back home at midnight without feeding them.

Then there are the costs of the vet bills. Unless you have that access cash to pull out of the hat if your bunny gets sick then i wouldn’t do it. My male rabbit cost me $3000 in the first 6 months of having him! He still costs me on average of $90 per month with vet visits. Think its unlikely that 2 rabbits will get sick at the same time? Think again. Rabbit illnesses spread like wild fire.

What about when / if they are effected by Spring and start chewing your mum and dads skirting boards and carpet?

I was only thinking of rehoming one of my bunnies last week out of pure frustration and exhaustion, and I am an experienced rabbit handler. As one is currently mis behaving and it is truly tiring. Like your mum and dad, I don’t want my home being chewed to peaces and its very hard to maintain and control that behaviour.

If you are hell bent on getting a rabbit, make sure you sit down with your mum and dad and make sure they are aware of the vet bills. Its very importent as illnesses are more likely to grab them when there are 2 together. Then go to a rescue where they will be able to help you bond your rabbits and may allow you to return them if it doesn’t work out.

Please note, if you do bond them and it doesn’t work out with the new rabbit….you will have to rehome them both…so you would lose your current rabbit. 

Think carefully.

Yeah like others said having a bunny and a child isn’t a good combination. Remember bunnies have different personalities and could have one be mellow and sweet, and another one on edge and scared.

The vet prices these days are ridiculous in some places. Luckily its relatively cheap over here.

I would go for a hamster, maybe a guinea pig for now, Good luck?

Guinea pigs aren’t suitable for kids either. Just saying…

Emma-not to hijack the thread but just to say I’m right there with you, my girl is a whirlwind of carnage during spring. She can’t help it though, it’s just residual hormones-it helps me if I think of all the times I was on my period and randomly angry or crying for no reason-i guess it’s the same for them, minus the logic

Sarah- I think the reason people say guinea pigs is because they are easier going than most rabbits and quick to forgive any past discrepancy. No animal is truly suitable for children , but with good guidance and intervention from parents it’s not so hard to navigate

Posted By sarahthegemini on 6/06/2018 1:13 PM

Guinea pigs aren’t suitable for kids either. Just saying…

I don’t think any pet is really suitable for a child without the parent taking responsibility… but having had both piggies and bunnies, I do think guinea pigs are easier to care for than rabbits. 

Guinea pigs might be easier than a rabbit but if you’re going by that logic..a rabbit is easier to take care of than a beared dragon. It’s still not suitable for a child

Guineas are, like rabbits, very fragile animals with complex needs.

I really don’t understand why people insist on getting pets for their kids.

Yeah,I meant with the help of an adult, of course

Is a Guinea pig really right to keep with rabbits though? I mean their diet needs are different. This is normally not encouraged in the UK. I would say no to the Guinea pig also.

If your sister is above the age of 10, they will have enough brains to KNOW what not to do to rabbits to hurt and scare them. Whether they will make use of this knowledge is another thing, but that is based on personality and can be best assessed by people close to her. So in this case assuming she has the personality to be friendly to the rabbit, then I do think a rabbit may be in good hands when it comes to play time. You or your parents may need to help her taking care of the bunny though, not every child has the discipline to clean cages regularly. Be prepared to either help her with that, or if she is really lazy, take the task(s) over from her.

If she is younger than 10, then I would strongly suggest not to get a rabbit unless YOU would be the owner and she will just play with her every now and then just like she does not with your own bunny. They are fragile and little children often don’t understand that rabbits are not like cats and dogs and don’t always want cuddles, be picked up, learn tricks. In this case, if she really wants “her own” pet, I would suggest looking at something more forgiving like a cat. Cats are actually not always more expensive than rabbits, it highly depends on the area you live. But I suppose with “small animal” you mean “caged animal”.

It’s not necessarily twice the money if they are bonded. They use the same bedding and you want to clean out the litter box every other day anyay regardless of an extra bunny pooping in it. They may eat twice the amount of pellets and hay (unless you have a 1kg bun and buy a 5kg bun, or the other way around ofcourse) but pellets and hay are not a big expense anyway (unless you buy the super expensive kind of hay, then you may want to take that into account). They do use the same toys, cage, etc. The only thing that *might* double is vet costs and that’s only if you have 2 unlucky sickly buns. Out of all bunnies I had only 1 cost me a fortune, so this is hit or miss. You DO need to be able to go to the vet at any time without fussing about money though.

Furthermore, bonded bunnies may actually need less time than a single bunny, because they have each other and can entertain each other. My bonded pairs are much more interested in each other than in me. I’m basically their clean and feed slave, ha! This is assuming they have the space to play by theirselves, ofcourse, such as a permanent pen to live in. If they are caged they will still need you to let them out every day, but since 2 bunnies can play at the same time it will not take any more time than a single bun.

If they are unbonded, then yes you will need 2 cages etc, but things like bowls and cages are a 1 time cost that is unsignificant in the long run. They also use double the bedding. Like bonded bunnies, vet costs may be hit or miss. The main issue here is time investment: They require DOUBLE the attention. This is the worst part about having 2 undbonded bunnies: They are both single and get lonely easily but they cannot play together, you will need to devide your time between them. Don’t take this lightly, this is actaully a big time investment. You will also need to clean and maintain 2 cages.

Moral of the story; should your sister have a bunny? Depends on her age and personality. If you choose to do so, I strongly suggest getting a bunny that can bond to yours. This is done by getting a bunny that has already gone through puberty and is neutered (when male). After puberty and neutering, the true character of the bunny will form. The character is the determinant whether it can bond to your bunny or not.Thus, by knowing the character you can select the bunny that will fit your bunnies character best. Animal shelters have such bunnies readily available: Neutered and vaccinated and ready to go. They may also help you with selecting the right bunny and bonding, some will even take over the bonding completely and do it for you.

Posted By Emma on 6/07/2018 3:22 AM
Is a Guinea pig really right to keep with rabbits though? I mean their diet needs are different. This is normally not encouraged in the UK. I would say no to the Guinea pig also.

Definitely shouldn’t keep them together. The sheer size difference alone would be very dangerous for a piggie and rabbits apparently carry a bacteria that can cause pneumonia in guineas.

Posted By Daisy on 6/07/2018 4:20 AM

If your sister is above the age of 10, they will have enough brains to KNOW what not to do to rabbits to hurt and scare them. Whether they will make use of this knowledge is another thing, but that is based on personality and can be best assessed by people close to her. So in this case assuming she has the personality to be friendly to the rabbit, then I do think a rabbit may be in good hands when it comes to play time. You or your parents may need to help her taking care of the bunny though, not every child has the discipline to clean cages regularly. Be prepared to either help her with that, or if she is really lazy, take the task(s) over from her.

If she is younger than 10, then I would strongly suggest not to get a rabbit unless YOU would be the owner and she will just play with her every now and then just like she does not with your own bunny. They are fragile and little children often don’t understand that rabbits are not like cats and dogs and don’t always want cuddles, be picked up, learn tricks. In this case, if she really wants “her own” pet, I would suggest looking at something more forgiving like a cat. Cats are actually not always more expensive than rabbits, it highly depends on the area you live. But I suppose with “small animal” you mean “caged animal”.

It’s not necessarily twice the money if they are bonded. They use the same bedding and you want to clean out the litter box every other day anyay regardless of an extra bunny pooping in it. They may eat twice the amount of pellets and hay (unless you have a 1kg bun and buy a 5kg bun, or the other way around ofcourse) but pellets and hay are not a big expense anyway (unless you buy the super expensive kind of hay, then you may want to take that into account). They do use the same toys, cage, etc. The only thing that *might* double is vet costs and that’s only if you have 2 unlucky sickly buns. Out of all bunnies I had only 1 cost me a fortune, so this is hit or miss. You DO need to be able to go to the vet at any time without fussing about money though.

Furthermore, bonded bunnies may actually need less time than a single bunny, because they have each other and can entertain each other. My bonded pairs are much more interested in each other than in me. I’m basically their clean and feed slave, ha! This is assuming they have the space to play by theirselves, ofcourse, such as a permanent pen to live in. If they are caged they will still need you to let them out every day, but since 2 bunnies can play at the same time it will not take any more time than a single bun.

If they are unbonded, then yes you will need 2 cages etc, but things like bowls and cages are a 1 time cost that is unsignificant in the long run. They also use double the bedding. Like bonded bunnies, vet costs may be hit or miss. The main issue here is time investment: They require DOUBLE the attention. This is the worst part about having 2 undbonded bunnies: They are both single and get lonely easily but they cannot play together, you will need to devide your time between them. Don’t take this lightly, this is actaully a big time investment. You will also need to clean and maintain 2 cages.

Moral of the story; should your sister have a bunny? Depends on her age and personality. If you choose to do so, I strongly suggest getting a bunny that can bond to yours. This is done by getting a bunny that has already gone through puberty and is neutered (when male). After puberty and neutering, the true character of the bunny will form. The character is the determinant whether it can bond to your bunny or not.Thus, by knowing the character you can select the bunny that will fit your bunnies character best. Animal shelters have such bunnies readily available: Neutered and vaccinated and ready to go. They may also help you with selecting the right bunny and bonding, some will even take over the bonding completely and do it for you.

I would say the cash flow is more of a priority then personality. If the parents are not keen on spending more money on the rabbit then how are they going to afford vet bills? 

Please don’t bond the bunnies, if she gets one. It is a terrible idea for all the reasons mentioned previously. It brings too many complications that I don’t think kids are able to fully grasp, no matter the age 8-18. 

Posted By Emma on 6/07/2018 5:42 AM

Posted By Daisy on 6/07/2018 4:20 AM

*wall of text here*

I would say the cash flow is more of a priority then personality. If the parents are not keen on spending more money on the rabbit then how are they going to afford vet bills? 

Yes agree! I’m discussing that further down in my post mentioning that either OP or their parents need to be able to go to the vet right away without fussing about money. I’m awful at being short and to the point, haha.

To Asriel and Bombur, if the shelter bonds for them or helps bonding then chances of complications may be very little. Personally I find 2 single buns a worse idea because of the huge time commitment that the tiny sister may not be able to make, causing double time commitment on the elder brother/sister. But, if the sister of OP wants a baby bunny, then I totally agree with you; it will be a complete pain in the arse in the best case scenario (neutering, waiting until the bunny is old enough, praying that the characters match and having to do the bonding all alone), and in the worst case scenario you end up with 2 bunnies who hate each other and having to live as single buns.

My point was for college and moving out of the house for the OP. One of them will lose a bunny when the other moves out. And that’s not fair to anyone involved. Or they separate them, which isn’t good for the bunnies. No one wins in that situation.