Rabbit for my son

Question
My son is turning 7 years old in a few weeks and he absoloutely loves all animals and has a special bond with them.  I lead a very busy life with full time school, part time work, and 3 children.  I want a low maintanence pet that he can love.  I was seriously considering a rabbit, but I want to know if they are condusive to living in an apartment?  Two days out of the week, no one is at my home for more than 14 hours, is that O.K. for a rabbit?  I will probably be adopting a rabbit from a shelter, is this advisable? What do they eat?  How do I care for a rabbit?  

Answer
Well, the first thing I would tell you is that rabbits are not a low maintenance pet.  You might find this website of use in deciding what pet might meet your requirements: http://www.todaysparent.com/lifeasparent/parenting/article.jsp?content=1191184 (it's Canadian, so the dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars).

But, to answer your questions, rabbits can live in apartments, thousands of them do.  And rabbits respond best to routines, so as long as they know yours, they can adjust.  

Having worked with a rabbit rescue group for years, I would love it if you do adopt an animal from a shelter, there are many that need new homes.  And some shelters have guinea pigs, gerbils, rats, and hamsters too, if you decide on one of those instead.

I think the best information on caring for rabbits can be found at http://www.rabbit.org/care/new-bunny-index.html  This talks about diet, litterbox training, spaying/neutering, and what to expect in the first few weeks.

Whatever you decide on, I hope you are all very happy together.

Kim