The right kind of rabbit for our family?

Question

I'd like to get a rabbit for a family pet next spring but I'm wondering if there is a certain breed that may suit our needs better than another. I have two small children that will help out here and there but the care (and handling) will primarily be from me. I have had several rabbits in the past but haven't had much luck with their nature. Two of the three rabbits I owned were very aggressive and growled/bit when you went near them. One was a lop-eared. The other rabbit I owned was a large breed and was the sweetest, most docile pet! This is the kind that I would like to have for myself (and family). Can anyone recommend a certain breed that is like this. Size doesn't matter. Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi, I am rabbit breeder. I breed holland lop rabbits, they are very friendly and our usually great with families. I also have an english lop. they are bigger rabbits but make great pets. I love my english lop he is so well behaved. I think both of those rabbit breedes would be great for you and your family!  

Answer 2

Well, you have over 47 different breeds to choose from.  IMO, it is breed (and the breeding) that counts.  So first, find the breed then find the individual.  

I know breeds both tiny and huge that are known for being high-strung and/or aggressive.  There are also some fabulous choices of all sizes.  

Here are some of my favorite breeds for families with children: Holland Lop, Himilayan (the breed, not the color pattern), Jersey Wooly, American Fuzzy Lop, French Lop, Mini Rex, Dutch, Mini Lop (bigger than the Holland).  I like these breeds because they are well known for their wonderful temperaments.  My personal top picks of those breeds are JW, Mini Rex, Holland,  AFL, and Himilayan.

If you are a very busy mom and feel like grooming a rabbit once a week as baby and once a month at 6 months or older as an adult, then don't get the JW or the AFL.  Other wise, they can be LOADS of fun and super sweet/people loving.

I whole-heartedly disagree that rabbits do not like to be picked up.  There are some breeds that actually like heights (like the JW, AFL, and HL).  lol.  They are real climbers and will try to scale anything they can including their people.  :P  

Rabbits need to be picked up in order to care for them properly.  It is also important to teach your children how to properly handle the rabbit for the safety of the rabbit AND the children.  All my children from age 2 could properly hold a rabbit with my help.  They have grown up able to help with the rabbits from that age and now, at ages, 3, 6, 8, and 11 are able to handle rabbits better than most rabbit-owning adults I know outside of the show room.  Handling your rabbit well makes a better experience for the rabbit.

I have had the benefits of seeing and working with rabbits from the show tables to the barns, the house rabbit to the rescue rabbit to the shelter rabbits.  I can say with a certainty that the best place to get a good pet rabbit with a good temperament is from a show breeder.  They selectively breed for temperament, handling their babies from birth, know their lines and the individual rabbits so can pick out the best one for your family.  You may also get guarantees with purchase and won't pay as much as you might think.  

I've found that rescues/shelters make excuses for skittish, unfriendly rabbits or even aggressive rabbits and tell people that rabbits are "just that way".  I assure you that is NOT true.  Go to a rabbit show sometime.  You'll see a busy, loud, show room full of rabbits being toted, cuddled, groomed, and chillin' with the children who are their owners.  Those rabbits are not scared or unfriendly because they were bred well, played with, and handled a lot.  

I'm not saying you shouldn't get rabbit from a shelter.  I'm all for rescuing a rabbit, but your best bet for a calm, friendly rabbit is from the show breeder.  

You can learn more about the different breeds and where to find a breeder from the American Rabbit Breeders Association - it's the AKC of the rabbit world.

Answer 3

Guinea Pigs make much better pets and aren't aggressive.  Or better yet, get a dog!

Answer 4

When I first got into showing our rabbits, someone gave my daughter a mini rex so she would feel like part of the program.  Both Mini Rex and Holland Lops were highly recommend as pets for children and from our experience, that has definitely held true.

If size is truly not an issue, I am a big fan of French Lops.  They are big gentle giants.  They need a large cage (at least 4 feet) with a solid base (wire will hurt them because they weigh so much) but overall, I have found them to be a very nice pet breed.

Answer 5

dutch rabbits are so lovely, their easy to handle and so friendly, and they are fairly small so your children would be able to hold it easily. when they are handled everyday it will become a lot calmer and they generally don't bite unless you annoy it. ive got a dutch rabbit, and like you have had many rabbits in the past, he's my first dutch rabbit and by far the best!

Answer 6

As a general rule, the larger the rabbit, the more docile.  In my experience, the Flemish Giant is usually the calmest type of rabbit you can get.  Of course, there are large individual deviations.  

Aggression is actually very common and typical in a rabbit.  Spaying and neutering will help to reduce a lot of it, as it is often territorially motivated and heavily influenced by hormones.  However, please remember that they are prey animals and act accordingly.  Humans are huge, scary, and us picking them up and restraining them is rather like being attacked by a predator for them.  Most hate it, a few will tolerate it, and I have yet to meet a rabbit that actually enjoyed being picked up.  Most people who think their rabbit likes to be picked up do not realize that a major part of a rabbit's prey reflex is to freeze motionless.  These rabbits don't like to be picked up, they are so terrified they can't protest!  

Rabbits, in general, are very poor pet choices for small children unless you supervise all interactions and DO NOT allow the children to pick up the rabbit ever. They are very very delicate, and being dropped or struggling while being held by a child can very easily result in a broken spine for a rabbit. The rescue I foster with does not generally adopt to families with kids under 11, unless there is an especially knowledgeable adult in the home who truly understands rabbits and the need for 100% supervision. A very large rabbit that is difficult for kids to even try to pick up would be my choice if you do decide that you can make this work.  

Look for adults from rescues, as well.  The temperament of a baby rabbit is really an unknown.  A lot of formerly sweet babies grow into surly, territorial, aggressive adults.  Many rescues use foster homes, and they will have the best idea of whether a specific rabbit is gentle and friendly or not.  That's the way I would go.