Potential New Rabbit Owner - Help

[JayNad]

Hi All,
We're considering a rabbit to add to our household. No previous experience. We have a 1 1/2 year old and an outdoor cat that rarely stays home. Here are my questions:-

1) Has anyone successfully been able to introduce a rabbit to a household that has an outdoor cat? If so how did you do it?
2) Given that there is a young child and a cat in the household, i've read that a big rabbit breed is best. Since we are new to the business of owning a rabbit, what breed would you recommend? (We already have the flemish giant on our list but i feel it's a bit too big for us)
3) Dream: I would love a rabbit with a bit of personality and who can be best bud with my daughter growing up. So if a particular breed is more quirky, comical or etc...that would be a plus too!

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Ivythelionhead]

I found that lops or lionheads have a good personality, lops act a lot like dogs and are very friendly of course lops and lionheads aren't considered big and really any rabbit can be quirky and have a good personality, I'd look around maybe go to a few shelters and the SPCA and sit down wit the bunnies and see which one fits best within your family, also I have cats and they and the bunnies get along splendidly without incident, you just have to be careful because rabbits are prey and cats are predators but as long as you keep and eye there shouldn't be any problem especially if you want a bigger rabbit.

 

[RavenousDragon]

My cat and rabbits get along extremely well. I can even put the cat with either rabbit in the same pet carrier if I have to do so! Granted, the cat has been around rabbits since she was only 2-3 weeks old.

In terms of personality- the larger rabbits TEND to be calmer and potentially better around a young child. The smaller ones tend to be a little spunkier and jumpier. Of course, that's all relative to the fact that all rabbits are quirky.

Before getting a rabbit, please make sure to do your research (as you are doing here) because they are a LOT of work. Much more than a cat. And their veterinary care is often expensive. So please keep that in mind.

 

[Akzholedent]

And before you get one, make sure that there is an exotic animal/ rabbit savvy vet nearby. When rabbits get sick, their health quickly goes downhill. A regular cat or dog vet won't be able to help you.

 

[Aki]

I'm more concern about your dream than about your cat. A small child and a rabbit are generally a recipe for disaster - I know a lot of breeders who refuse to sell their rabbits to household with children under 7 or 8 years old. About your questions:

1) yes, by keeping them strictly separated. If your cat hunts, I would be very cautious about introducing the rabbit to him. In that case, a big rabbit would be better to avoid the cat grabbing him and shaking (which would kill the rabbit). Some cats get along with some rabbits. Some cats also kill rabbits. You can't know it beforehand.
2) Big rabbits are recommended mostly because the bigger they are, the less risks you have of the child being tempted to carry the rabbit (and accidentally kill him or getting bitten / scratched, knowing that rabbit's claws can do quite a lot of damage, I still have a scar from my wrist to my elbow from trying to get a dwarf lop in a pet carrier)
3) A child should never NEVER handle a rabbit without supervision, it's dangerous for both parties
4) Rabbits aren't dogs. Their best friends are mostly other rabbits. They are generally not recommended for children as most of them are skittish, they don't like to be handled, they are not active during a big part of the day (especially during winter, I don't see mine between 12pm and 7pm). You have to be very patient and gentle with them. Some of them don't even really like to be petted. A lot of rabbits end up being abandonned because children are frustrated or bored with them. I also see a lot of rabbits being given away because the child ends up being scared of their pet. Contrarily to their image, rabbits aren't cuddly plushies. I've actually never met a rabbit who liked being cuddled.
Also, rabbits are fragile. Rabbits need good quality hay which will go everywhere in your house, pellets, vegetables and litter (from a litter box you will clean every other day). Rabbits need long hours outside of their cage and you will need to bunny proof everything because rabbits eat everything (zippers, electrical cords, clothes, your favorite shoes, books, your pillow, your duvet, your wooden furniture, your plants, cardboard...) You will need to get the rabbit neutered - spayed because most intact rabbits are unbearable and aggressive and spray you with urine (around 200-300 $)
So, think very carefully. I suggest you read this article too, it's from the House rabbit society which is one of the most reliable source about rabbits:
http://rabbit.org/faq-children-and-rabbits/

PS : whatever you do, do NOT take an animal from a petshop if you don't want scabies, behavior problems and/or a rabbit who can't stomach vegetables in your house and never listen to what the sales assistants from the aforemention petshops tell you - they seldom know anything about rabbits.

 

[lelanatty]

Other breeds I would add to your list are French Lop and Harlequin, and as others have suggested, there are always rabbits of all sizes at shelters.

 

[Charmander]

I don't agree with you depending on the age and the rabbit, a child can handle a bunny alone. I was 6 (I think) when I got my first bunny, and I handled her all the time and had no problem. She was a calm little black dwarf rabbit though

 

[Charmander]

Just the majority of big bunnies are calmer and smaller are more finicky. I also noticed when I got my first rabbit that the white ones of the same kind, were very jumpy when my little black dwarf was calm as hell.