Welcome zvonne,
I'd strongly suggest you get your bunny from a reputable breeder or ashelter rather than a petstore. Petstores often times sellbunnies that are too young to be separated by their mothers, and don'talways know as much about rabbits as they should hence giving badinformation.
If you're in the U.S.A., you don't need to get shots for your rabbit,however you do in Australia and England. I do thinkit's wise to research a rabbit-saavy veterinarian because when you'rehaving an emergency, it's important that they know how to treat itquickly. Unfortunately, by the time a sickness reveals it'ssigns, the rabbit is in trouble because they're masters at hiding theirailments from predators. You'll need someone who knows whatthey're doing.
I prefer a wire-bottom cage with a drop pan underneath.Rabbits have to stay dry and having a wire bottom assuresthat. I do have a litterbox in the cage as well and clean itdaily. It's most important that your rabbit not have to siton soiled litter, and definitely don't use cedar shavings as when theurine mixes with the cedar, the fumes it creates is toxic to yourrabbit.
You should provide your bunny with a good quality pellet feed usuallypurchased from a feed store rather than a petstore. It shouldhave at least 12%+ of crude protein and 18%+ crude fiber.
I'd provide your three year old with a list of rules in having thebunny...not chasing it, scaring it, the proper way to hold it,etc. If she/he isn't good at following instructions, I'd waita year or two. Not all bunnies enjoy being held or cuddled,and you have to consider the chewing of wires, their inability to roamaround unsupervised without getting hurt or chewing something you don'twish for them to chew, etc. Be prepared to learn how to trimtheir nails.
I don't think it matters much of genders, but I've heard people saythat males seem to be better companions than females. Fromthe likes of the people on this board, you'll find that we all love ourrabbits and that each rabbit is different. Best to judge onpersonality, I would think. I have a girl and a boy and bothare absolute loves.
It's a good idea to always provide your rabbit with fresh water (beingthe most important part of its diet) as well as unlimited timothy hayto keep their systems flowing, preventing fur blockages, it helps theirteeth with the chewing, and generally, most rabbits love it.
Their teeth are constantly growing, so you should provide them with agood piece of hard wood. I use Apple, and there is a post onthis forum about bad treats for rabbits. In there, there's alink for safe foods for rabbits.
You might be better off getting a rabbit from a shelter because youwill get a sense of their personality if you really want one that ismellow.
In the summertime, my rabbits are provided with a placemat in theircages for a bit of bedding, and in the wintertime, they get little fauxfur rugs. These items are washed frequently and I'm able tocheck on my rabbit throughout the day so that if I notice they'resoiled, I take them out and wash them to prevent bacteria problems.
Spend some time reading the posts on the board and if you have any questions, hop right in.
-Carolyn
