Posted by Melony on 8/2/2008, 7:55 am, in reply to "Does a bunny need a friend"
124.188.84.17
One bunny is fine as long as it gets a lot of human interaction. Rabbits are by nature social creatures, sadly many spend their days alone in a hutch down the back of a yard once the novelty wears off. It's good that you're doing the research in advance, you'll have a much better idea on what to expect.
If you're considering a lone bunny I'd strongly suggest that you make him an indoor pet. They are easy to litter train and everyone will benefit from the closer contact. Having a rabbit inside and being able to observe their behaviour first hand will give you an entirely different perspective. They will need to be caged or restrained inside if you're going out as they can get themselves into a lot of mischief if left to their own devises!
I would also recommend one of the larger breeds, such as New Zealand White or Checkered Giant for a first time pet. While each rabbit is most definitely an individual when it comes to temperament, my experience has been the larger ones tend to be much more relaxed and laid back. Dwarves on the other hand seem imbued with an oversupply of attitude. Out of the 5 or so I've had, only one will tolerate a lot of handling and even then I have to stroke him just right or I get told off.
One thing to keep in mind, you mentioned your son is scared of anything that moves. Rabbits move, a lot and very fast when they're playing. This may work to actually convince your son that there's nothing to be afraid of, or it may frighten him more. You know him best, so the decision will ultimately be yours but it's something to keep in mind. I will say that there is nothing that could be construed as aggressive when they're playing, basically they are just letting off energy and the results are highly amusing.
I've got some links here from You Tube. If you can watch them they'll give you a good idea of the activity I was talking about
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNy1x3Lg26A&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5hKVUN_oAo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDXgYa3La_0
Good luck!
Melony
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