Considering getting a rabbit for a childs Christmas gift

Question
I am planning on buying my daughter a 3 month old rabbit for Christmas. Can it be kept safely in a cage in a unheated garage?
The cage is a wire rabbit cage. What kind of bedding would be good for her?

Answer
Dear Marcy,

Please think very carefully before you do this.  A rabbit, despite what you may have heard, is NOT a low maintenance pet.  It is not something you can stick in a small cage kept in an unheated garage.  If you would not do that to a dog or cat (or a child, for that matter), you should NOT do that to a rabbit!  Keeping a bunny in a cold, small cage in a dark, lonely environment is cruel and inhumane.

Rabbits are social, require a lot of expertise and care, and they actually do not make good children's pets.  They do NOT like to be held and carried, and will bite and scratch to defend themselves.  Before you consider a rabbit as an addition to your family, please read these articles very carefully:

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/children.html

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/4-9/kids.html

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/shybun.html

And for all the correct information on how to prepare for life with a rabbit, please go to:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/new-bunny-index.html

I repeat:  Rabbits are NOT NOT NOT low maintenance "starter" pets, nor should they be considered "pocket pets."  Owning a rabbit (or, more accurately, being owned by a rabbit) is a huge commitment.  It will require that you learn about a species that most vets are not very good at treating, a new "language" (that of an herbivorous prey species, not a predator such as a dog, cat, or human), and be ready to recognize signs of illness in an animal that does not readily show those signs, instinctively trying to avoid being noticed by a predator that singles out the sick.

Having a rabbit is a little bit like having a small horse:  very specialized diet, LOTS of social interaction necessary, and lots of respect for an animal that does not like being handled and can do serious damage if not handled correctly and with due consideration.

You don't say how old your daughter is.  But unless you are willing to be the primary caregiver and main "parent" of the rabbit, then please consider a different type of animal.  Rabbits are intelligent, social, active, interactive, and love the company of their own kind.  If you read all the information above and still think a rabbit is right for you, then please contact your local rabbit rescue group:

http://www.rabbit.org/chapters

and adopt, rather than shop.

I hope this helps you make the right decision.

Dana