Vanessa Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 Can anyone give me any advice or tips about dwarf lop rabbits. Are they okay for children? My 5 years old one is desperate for an rabbit and I just had a look at our local gumtree and there are two for sale with hutch. We had considered an guinea pig for him and his sister but I rather would give one a good home than buy "new". So a bit of turn from guinea pig to rabbit. Are they easy to handle? Any advice welcome. Thank you Vanessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriabunny Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 In a word, no. Dwarf lops are slightly more docile than the very small breeds (Netherland Dwarfs etc), but no rabbits are ideal for small children. As prey animals, they generally hate being picked up as it makes them feel vulnerable, and tend to struggle violently. They have very sharp claws and scratch readily, and many bite. They don't like being snuggled on small knees. The giant breeds (like French lops) tend to be more docile, but they grow far too big for children to be able to handle safely and as they require a minimum of a 6 foot hutch with large run, they are quite impractical. I would stick with the guinea-pigs - much more docile and easy for small children to handle under supervision (they do have fragile ribcages, so you must watch your children don't squeeze too enthusiastically!) They can't live alone though - a solitary GP will be very unhappy (and contrary to popular belief, they shouldn't live with rabbits either). Get two girls and they will keep each other company. Or, if you want indoor pets and aren't squeamish, go for rats. They are really intelligent and genuinely love people - you can train them to come when called and do tricks. They are affectionate and don't bite, unlike hamsters, and their size make them easier for small children to handle. Again, you must keep them in pairs, and they are active so they need the biggest cage you can get (Petsathome do one called the "Jenny" which is a good size, or you can get it online). They are very clean and don't smell as long as you clean the cage regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanessa Posted May 25, 2009 Author Share Posted May 25, 2009 Thank you for your reply - I forgot to update my post as we didn't went ahead with the bunnies. We got 2 guinea pigs on sunday instead. Two little boys called Wiggly and Patch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyDaizy Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Hia, I posted on here that "dwarf" is misleading as it refers to the size of the ears, not the rabbit. Our dwarf lop eared is the size of a small cat!!! Probably a bit big for small children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
