Looking for a bunny in central Virginia

[Isabella Whateva]

Hey guys. My mom and my sister (age 11) really want to get a rabbit. We don't know a ton about them. I had rabbits as a kid but I think we did a lot of things wrong, so now I turn to the animal experts (you guys) to try and get off on the right foot this time.

Is getting a rabbit from a breeder as important as it is for chinchillas? Does anyone know of any reputable rabbit breeders near Charlottesville, Virginia. It's definitely farm country out there so we could easily find one, but we want one that has been handled since birth so it will be more friendly with my sister. We would also like to check out a rescue or two if anyone knows any in the area.

Also, does anyone know a good website or forum or know any general information off the top of your head? Like, are certain breeds "better" for kids to be around, are they any common misconceptions about rabbit care? What kind of cage should we look for?

 

[2manypets]

Here is a good forum.
http://www.binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/Default.aspx

 

[minrex]

Good breeds for kids include American Fuzzy lop (long hair), Dutch (females tend to be better pets), French lop (very large), Havana, Himalayan (extremely gentle breed), Holland lop, Jersey Wooly (long hair), Mini lop, Mini Rex, Rex, and Thrianta.

With the lops, males tend to make better pets; female lops often become territorial due to hormones. Some of the most aggressive rabbits I've known were lop does; conversely, some of the very nicest rabbits I've known were lop bucks. If you don't mind larger rabbits, some of the big commercial-type breeds, such as Silver Fox, can make very nice pets. Flemish Giants and Giant Chinchillas are also known for having extremely gentle temperaments, but their huge size can be off-putting to some children. One breed that is often overlooked is the Himalayan, but as a whole, it's one of the very gentlest and calmest breeds out there. Himalayans are also quite small, with an average adult weight of around 3 - 3 1/2 lbs.

I would personally not recommend some of the really small breeds such as Netherland dwarf, Polish or Dwarf hotot for young kids, because those breeds can be fairly temperamental and are also more fragile because of their tiny size.

Getting a bunny from a reputable breeder is just as important as getting a chinchilla from a good breeder. To help find a breeder in your area, check out http://arba.net.

 

[lauralynne]

Since you're asking for feedback and information, I've moved this to the Other Pets General Topics rather than Classifieds.

 

[Sycamore Chins]

My friend rescues rabbits, and is also a part of the House Rabbit Society, and some others. We go to school in Blacksburg, so not very far away - PM me if you're interested and I can put you in touch with her.

 

[pamszoo]

Here is a bunny looking for a home on the forum.

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=25022

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Well my mom just called and she already got the bunny. She got it at a pet store, even though I told her not too, but she's pretty stubborn and likes to do things spur of the moment. She got a male mini-lop. She's planning on getting him fixed as soon as he's old enough, as I know males can get aggressive if you don't. She said he's very sweet. I really would have preferred that she researched breeders and gotten one from a reputable breeder instead of a pet store, but oh well.

She got a standard superpet rabbit cage to start with, and her boyfriend (who is super handy) is working on building a little indoor hutch to go in my sister's room to replace it.

Thanks for all your help, everyone! Too bad my mother is super impatient :/