Does anyone have a pet rabbit?
 

My son would love to have a dog, but feels bad about it being alone while he's at work. He works 12-hour shifts sometimes and sometimes at night. He worries about a dog barking while he's gone. He isn't a cat person. He is thinking of getting a rabbit, maybe a Holland Lop or Mini Rex. Does anyone have a pet rabbit and what would you recommend about what breed to get? Can they be littler box trained? Anything to be careful about or to avoid? Are females better pets than males or does it make any difference? Can you walk a rabbit on a leash? Should they be neutered? He lives in Boone, Iowa. It would be an inside rabbit and would get lots of attention.

Anyone have any suggestions for a furry pet he might enjoy besides a dog or cat or rabbit? I have a ferret and he's also considering a ferret. I don't know if he'd consider a reptile or lizard. He wants something furry, I think.

I use to raise both holland lops and mini rex. :) I love them both, but most people are partial to the fur of a mini rex.
They are very easy to litter box train, but the best boxes are the ones made for bunnies that have a tray with wire over it. (they tend to sometimes rat cat litter and will sit in shavings.
As far as males vs female. Some males will spray just like a cat. When coming into breeding age, about 6 months they tend to get moody. It is best to get them fixed then they usually won't spray and seem to be better behaved.
Just like yorkies, its best not to purchase from a pet store, most bunnies that go to pet stores are those that are of low quality or sick. You can also find a rabbit show in your area by going to American rabbit breeders association.

Good luck!

rabbits
 

I have touched a mini rex and their fur is amazingly soft and so nice to pet. I would go for a mini rex. I had rabbits when I was a kid, a male and a female. The male couldn't be petted or handled after he was grown, but the female was very tame and affectionate. Neither of them was neutered. They were always housed separately. The female was white, named Thumper, of course, and the male was black and white. My son lives in Boone, Iowa. I don't know if there would be any rabbit shows in his area. Maybe in Des Moines.

I had a mini Holland Lop and he was the CUTEST bunny EVER:D!!! He was so sweet too, and I did have him neutered b/c as one poster mentioned, he sprayed....I was kind of shocked; I had no idea they did that til one day he started running circles around my legs and then just up and sprayed on me:eek:. He never did it after he was neutered though.

He was a GREAT pet and I had a big wire cage for him that he stayed in while I was at work and at night but the rest of the time, I let him out. I didn't have a dog then, but I had 2 cats and they never bothered him at all (although, before he was fixed, HE tried to hump them when they were at their food dishes:rolleyes:).

If I weren't married, I might consider getting another one. He really was the cutest.....they look like little stuffed toys they're so cute! Got mine from a breeder that I met at the county fair. This is the time when all the fairs go on, so it would be good for him to go to the animal exhibits; that's where I ran into my breeder!

One thing to be careful of: FLEAS. They killed my BR....not that he had them, my cats brought them in and it took me forever to get rid of them in the house and by that time, BR was sick. It's hard to get rid of them (or at least it used to be) on a rabbit b/c you're supposedly not supposed to bathe them and I think they said you shouldn't use the powders either....it's been a long time, but even if I did use the powder, it didn't help. Maybe they have something nowadays that they can prevent them?

I have a netherland dwarf rabbit. he weighs about 3 lbs. He is pretty easy to care for and doesn't eat much. I would suggest a girl. Mine is a boy and at certain times is very aggressive to me and I have had him since he was about the size of a base ball. :)

rabbits
 

I think I would go with a girl, too, since I had rabbits when I was a kid and the female was very tame and affectionate, but the male couldn't be petted or handled after he was grown.

My daughter has four. 2 males, 2 females. Each pair in separate runs. Sometimes the males have run of the garden. They say boys fight if together, but I think they're gay because they get on so well. lol. (Literally sometimes) They also get on with the dogs. Katie my Yorkie loves playing with them.

No idea what breed they are, have never asked her. One is lop eared but the others not.

Hugs Shirl x x

Yeah, my male attacks me with his back feet when I put my hands in the cage to feed or water him. And he bites when I hold him or try to pet him. Nobody else will touch him they are scared of him LOL.

I had a dwarf. She was very easy to box train and she was very sweet. I would def. suggest it as a pet.