Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum THE LOUNGE So, Why a Rabbit?

Viewing 27 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • Andi
      Participant
      1048 posts Send Private Message

        I’m curious to know why people have chosen a rabbit as a companion?
        Cat’s & Dogs are kinda the norm for companion house pets, even though we all have a rabbit compainion (or two or three, or..) many people still see it as sort of an odd pet (specially if it’s not in a hutch in the backyard).

        So what made you decide to dedicate you life to rabbit slavery?

         

        My Story –
        After I found out my allergies to cats and had to leave my career as a Vet Assistant, I never thought I could live without a cat as i had always considered myself a cat person. When i bought my first home, i decided I could do foster work. I wasn’t able to foster cats obviously, and my Dog hates dogs so that was not an option. I found a all small animal rescue and started working with them and fostering gerbils & hamsters. In that time a had researched many species of animals like Ferrets, Chinchillas, Rabbits, Degus & Guinea Pigs trying to find one that could replace the ‘cat’ I needed. Rabbits & Ferrets stood out, but I wouldn’t allow my home to have a ferret when I had many rodents already (bad combo), reading and see the hundrends of rabbits coming into rescue I took the plundge and foster to adopted my first pair Baby & Bubba.

        8+ Rabbits later, these are the best ‘kitties’ for me and I couldn’t imagine ever having a rabbit free home.


      • mocha200
        Participant
        4486 posts Send Private Message

          I went to my friends birthday party and there bunny had just had baby’s and they let every one hold them and when my mom came to ppick me up i asked her and she said maybe.( i was very surprised cuz i had wanted a rabbit the year before and she said no) and then we got a free hutch so thats how we got mocha! ( yes he used to be an outdoor bunny)

          my sisters friend had two bunny’s and when my sister was pet sitting for them there bunny’s got out. ( they had covered a hole in the bunnys cage with cardboard.) they were outside bunnys too. when my sister came the next day the bunnys were gone! then she noticed lulu hopping in the lawn, but she didn’t see her sister. as it turns out her sister had been eaten by a fox (they new cuz they saw the blood and the fox used to hang around the barn cuz it new the were buns in there) and lulu had some scares were the fox had bite her. they didn’t want lulu anymore cuz she didn’t like to be held ( they liked the sister better) and so i got lulu.


        • Elrohwen
          Participant
          7318 posts Send Private Message

            I got a rabbit because I wanted a dog 😛

            I’ve wanted a dog of my own for as long as I’ve lived on my own (I grew up with them) but I could never get one because of my work travel schedule and the fact that we’re still renting. Since we probably wouldn’t own a home for at least 3 years, I started looking into other pets. Neither DH nor I are cat people, and I’m fairly allergic. I’ve had gerbils for 15+ years and I love them, but I wanted something that was more engaging and actually enjoyed affection. Not sure how I got turned on to the idea of bunnies, but it took only a few weeks of research to realize they would be the perfect pets for us. I finally convinced my husband and we brought home Otto exactly one year ago.

            We still want a dog someday, but we agree that we’ll never be without rabbits!


          • Barbie
            Participant
            1581 posts Send Private Message

              Andi, that’s a great story!  You found something wonderful (bunnies) out of something seemingly sad.  Mocha, that’s great that you rescued your bunnies and that they’re not indoor bunnies! Elrohwen, I’m in pretty much the same boat as you – wanting a dog, but still renting (and my bf is allergic, so it’ll take awhile and, I’m guessing, a good deal of $ – ie… flying out to breed specific rescues etc. to find the right dog).

              I got my first rabbit when I was 6.  She was a present to my sister and me since we had been begging for a pet for forever, but my mom is incredibly allergic to dogs and cats.  (We have since gotten a dog – a lab no less with a double coat of fur that sheds like crazy! Poor mom. Lol)  We saw some bunnies at the State Fair and found a breeder there.  And then got an itty bitty REW netherland dwarf.  I don’t remember much about when we went to get Little Sugar but I do remember the breeder’s bunnies were all kept in small wire cages in a barn away from the house.  I was too little to recognize/remember if the bunnies looked sickly or if they were well taken care of.  But I’m guessing that the breeder we got Sugar from was a typical breeder – in it for the shows and the $.  That still bothers me.  Anyway, that being said, Sugar lived for 8 years, so she must have been healthy!  I’m sorry to admit that we never even once took her to the vet, let alone got her spayed!  And unfortunately she lived in a wire cage in our basement.  I know that I was too young at the time to really understand all that is required to properly care for rabbits.  And the books we had said nothing about spaying or feeding hay.  So I know it wasn’t my fault per say, but once I grew up and realized how much she required and all that I didn’t give her, I felt incredibly guilty.  I still do, but I’ve started to heal from it and to forgive myself.  So part of the reason I got a bunny was to “make up” for past sins. 

              I wasn’t ready for another bunny for several years, but last summer I was just dying for a pet.  Since getting Little Sugar, we’ve had several hamsters, a dog, and a horse, so after Sugar, I was never without a pet, but when I went to college, I moved out of my parent’s house and couldn’t bring Teddy (our lab) and I felt like something was missing.  I was happy and everything, but felt like there was a hole in my life…. I needed a pet!  My apartment does allow dogs and cats, but for a fee.  However, rabbits and other small animals are allowed without a pet fee!   Also, I move every summer for an internship, so I get new roommates every summer.  I figured a bunny would be MUCH easier to convince my new roommate to allow than say a dog or cat, since if I have to, I can keep them in my bedroom 100% of the time.  (And I’m sure, receive lots of stink eyes and bunny butts for the summer, lol).  Soooo a bunny just made sense!


            • Monkeybun
              Participant
              10479 posts Send Private Message

                I got my bunny girl because I’m in an apartment. Weird I know. But I didn’t want to have kitties in an apartment, and I had a bunny when I was little and seemed like a good apartment pet.

                So naturally, when i get a house, it will so be a bunny haven. With a kitten or 2.


              • HatterBunny
                Participant
                269 posts Send Private Message

                  I have wanted a rabbit for awhile.  My husband knows how much I love Alice in Wonderland and thought it would be “cute” for me to get a white rabbit….I KNOW…wrong reason entirely.  But, because I had already done a lot of research on rabbits I saw this as my husband agreeing to me wanting a rabbit for the past year.  Also, because we live in an apartment it worked out the best for us. I have had cats and dogs when I used to live in FL but our apartment in CA would be too small for a dog, and a cat just wasn’t the best option for us. I went online to Petfinder.com and found a local shelter that had quite a few rabbits. I immediately fell in love with Gable…now known as Hatter. I went to the shelter and we had a special connection. The volunteer said that for him usually being a “grumpy pants” he was getting along with me quite well. Thanks to my previous education on rabbits I knew it would take some time and love for him to come out of his grumpy pants shell.  Now, after almost 2 monthes later I could not have asked for a better rabbit. Hatter is my special bunny boy that brings a smile to my face every time I see him…even if it’s after he got into trouble.


                • babybunsmum
                  Participant
                  3896 posts Send Private Message

                    i wanted to get a small fuzzy pet and thought a rat or hamster would be cool. not having a clue about shelter and rescues (i was young) i went to the petstore and there was a wee adoreable bunny who caught my eye. he hopped along next to me every time i wandered past his cage. and i fell for him<3 couldnt leave with out him! the rest is history!


                  • MarkBun
                    Participant
                    2842 posts Send Private Message

                      I was given a rabbit as a valentine’s day gift by my girlfriend in college.  I had the rabbit in a cage in my closet and attempted to discipline the un-spayed girl as one would a dog.  Needless to say, things got ugly fast.  Litter habits consisted of attempting to get to my pillow to pee on it or simply going under my bed.  She’d say hello to my roommate but hated me.  4 years later, she died of ovarian cancer.

                      About 15 years later, I found an emptiness in my life and thought about getting a pet.  My first thought was for a rabbit because they are quiet and could be kept in a cage so they couldn’t destroy stuff when I wasn’t around.  I went to the Alameda shelter and they had a black and white dutch dwarf named Maryann.  I sat down and asked her if she wanted to come home with me and she hopped over into my lap (and the last time she did that! )  After that, I decided to really look up how to take care of rabbits and was dumbfounded about how wrong I had been and how incredible they could actually be.  She taught me what I was suppose to do and from that day on, I devoted a good amount of my time to helping educate people about rabbits, helping at shelters and doing my best to make up for my poor treatment of my first bunny, Laser.


                    • Snaper
                      Participant
                      10 posts Send Private Message

                        My family has always had  rescue animals, but I never even thought about adopting a rabbit. I didn’t really understand what care they required & just thought that they were cute but not for me. Well when I was 16 (almost 17) I was going out with a guy named Rob. He was always very… well protective, almost on a abusive level. Never letting me hang out with friends/family.  We had only been going out three weeks. So I broke up with him. The next day he shows up with a  TINY rabbit, trying to get back together with me. Begging is more like it.  I told him to leave me alone & so he left, leaving me with the rabbit.

                             I was not planing on keeping the little guy, just long enough until I could find him a new home. But well I fell in love with him. Three years latter & his still with me. His name is Snaper & his a happy, healthy, HYPER little guy. His my only rabbit….. so far


                      • Lara
                        Participant
                        311 posts Send Private Message

                          I moved to China when I was 22, and immediately felt lonely, so I headed to the animal market to get myself a kitty. On the way to the cat section, I passed a man selling bunnies. Among them was Xiao Pang, the sweetest, tiniest little bun with helicopter ears, in a teensy pink cage. It was love at first sight. I bought her for 10 yuan (at the time, roughly 1.25CAD), brought her home and immediately searched online to find out about bunnies. I learned so much about rabbits and their quirky personalities during the two years I had my sweet Xiao Pang. Once back in Canada, I wanted another bun, but wasn’t allowed to have one in my apartments. My building was purchased by a new company that allowed pets, so I adopted Calypso. A year and a half later, I adopted Echo. They’re not the snuggle bugs that Xiao Pang was, but they’re my babies. I will always be a “bunny person”.


                        • Sani
                          Participant
                          143 posts Send Private Message

                            uh… this might be a little sad but i have a bunny because i couldnt keep my smaller pets alive o_o;;
                            when i was a child i would go through hamsters every two weeks. it got to the point where my mom felt that hamsters were too “fragile” for me so she started giving me bunnies. at first they didnt live long either but as i grew older i’ve gotten better with them. my current bun is by far the longest living animal in my care (6 years old)


                          • Monkeybun
                            Participant
                            10479 posts Send Private Message

                              O.o

                              *hides M&M from Sani*

                              Glad you’ve gotten better at it!


                            • Sani
                              Participant
                              143 posts Send Private Message

                                haha thanks, monkeybun xD

                                once two of my hamsters got loose and got out the house. months and months later i found them alive and healthy living in my backyard. they had made a nest in one of the house pipes and mated. there were baby hamsters everywhere for a while


                              • jerseygirl
                                Moderator
                                22338 posts Send Private Message

                                  I can’t really answer “why”. I just know a rabbit got me. I couple years ago I went into a petshop to look for a trinket gift for a friend. Saw Jersey and left with her. Learnt most rabbit care after that. I was fascinated from day one and just love them. Certainly became more aware of the rescue situation and misinformation about them after researching rabbit care.


                                • LoveChaCha
                                  Participant
                                  6634 posts Send Private Message

                                    My mom passed away of Ovarian Cancer in December 2009.

                                    My grandma suggested that I get a pet companion, after I moved in with my dad.
                                    I have ALWAYS ALWAYS LOVED bunnies, and so.. why not a real one?

                                    Had some downs with several people that sold bunnies that I had my eye on, but I finally found a breeder. She sent me 3 photos. The last photo was of my baby ChaCha.

                                    She has bought SO MUCH light into my life. She is SO funny, and cute and has helped me cope with losing my mom. She understands me when I talk to her.

                                    When I come home after a hard day at work, it makes me so happy to see her.

                                    Animals are so CAREFREE. It makes me smile.


                                  • wendyzski
                                    Participant
                                    1312 posts Send Private Message

                                      I’m allergic to cats and dogs, and you can’t hug a fish!

                                      I discovered that my allergies weren’t too badly affected by rabbits when I cuddled some while working at the Oklahoma Renaissance Faire.  I started researching and when my last (rescued) hamster finally died and I knew I was moving to a pet-friendly building I knew it was time.  I’d already been approved by Red Door before I moved, so I got Pepper as soon as I[’d unpacked!


                                    • MimzMum
                                      Participant
                                      8029 posts Send Private Message

                                        I like Walt Whitman’s quote, “I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-conatin’d.”

                                        I had no intention of getting a bunny. We had several dogs and cats already…lots of responsibility. But when Mimzy hopped into our lives at my husband’s workplace and knowing he and his two companions (both REW’s) would die with winter coming on, my hub began talking about bringing one of them home. That one was Mimzy. The other two we’d tried to capture and rehome, one of them unsuccessfully.

                                        I had a hutch of three rabbits as a young child. They were at our house for a week before my parents ‘decided’ they should go elsewhere (and by that my mom meant two kinds of ‘go’…they left pellets all over the porch and that disgusted her) and I was much too young to care for them myself. So though I always loved bunnies, I was conditioned to see them as difficult to keep.

                                        Depending on who each animal tends to lean towards most, I feel depths of love to varying degrees with my pets. My black cat was purchased for me after my 17 year old cat had passed away…but she adores my son and husband, so I am kind of a substitute when they are not around. You know how it goes. I love them all, but don’t try to ‘get’ any of them to love me back. Rabbits will pick who they adore as well…but somehow they make you forget their favoritism.

                                        Mimzy is the most intense feeling in both directions of all the pets I’ve ever had, save Shadow (dog) or Griffyn (cat). I have never known a pet like a rabbit with their curiosities and unexpected personalities. He can be aloof or endearing, obnoxious or sweet, but most of all, I love how he needs me. Always. My hub was happy to see me get intense about something again after my chemotherapy. And sometimes that ‘being needed’ is the best medicine for whatever ails you.
                                        Bringing Pip and Fiver into my life enhanced all the great qualities, and sometimes their faults as well which are easily overlooked when those cute eyes are staring at you with love or the noses wiggling in anticipation of your attentions. It’s simply like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.

                                        Now I am unstoppable when it comes to talking about the benefits of house rabbits as companions. They have certainly changed my life, and my outlook, for the better!


                                      • skibunny8503
                                        Participant
                                        1338 posts Send Private Message

                                          I was 11 at the time and I really wanted a pet.  We couldn’t get a cat because of allergies and I don’t think my mom wanted a dog in the house.  Actually, I’ve always been kind of nervous around dogs and never cared for cats.  So what else could I get??  I wanted something fun and cute.  Everytime we went to the petstore in the mall I would always go over to the bunnies and pet them.  So the obvious answer was a rabbit.  I never really thought of them as a house pet before and didn’t know too much about them.  So to prove to them I was ready for a pet I bought books and researched as much as possible (which now we’d laugh at what was in that book!).  Of course I picked the little gray bunny in the corner by itself and named him Mickey.  After that I fell in love with rabbits and now own 3!


                                        • Sage Cat
                                          Participant
                                          1883 posts Send Private Message

                                            I have always had dogs & cats.
                                            About 4 years ago I discovered the DailyBunny website – so cute! It did not take long to realise that most of the photos there are from rabbit rescues.
                                            About 3 years ago my beloved dog, Nietzsche, passed away – cancer. After a few months with no animals around I found myself really wanting a pet. But J and I were not ready for another dog.
                                            Since J hates cats, one day I asked “What about a rabbit?”. He said “Hmm, that’s interesting.” I was thinking “He did not say no!!!!!!”
                                            One month later Kay & Winston came home!


                                          • LizzieKnittyBun
                                            Participant
                                            2147 posts Send Private Message

                                              And I must add that Kay and Winston are seriously, unbelievably and ludicrously cute and awesome!


                                            • MimzMum
                                              Participant
                                              8029 posts Send Private Message

                                                I love hearing stories about Xiao Pang. I wish you’d post more of them if it’s okay with you, Lara.

                                                Sani, I can’t tell you how many of my pets ‘disappeared’ when I was little…but I think it was due to my folks getting them for me, realizing I wasn’t a progeny with animals between the ages of 2 and 5, and then getting rid of them because they didn’t want to be responsible for them. I’ve been through dogs, cats, turtles, rabbits, parakeets…(all of these before I was 6 years old)…I don’t know what my folks were thinking, honestly. If at all.

                                                Over the years though, I find that animals can be preferable to commune with as opposed to some humans. (BTW, no one on this board fits the description of the ‘some humans’ I’d like to avoid, in case you were wondering. )
                                                They must pick that up about me too, because I am a stray magnet. I’ve had more animals come to me to either stay or find new homes through me than I care to think about. Some of them have worked out, others not so much.

                                                I just hope I’ll see them all again in the great beyond. I have some wonderful four-footed friends who’ve passed on many years ago I’d like to snuggle with again. Personally, I feel it wouldn’t be Heaven without the presence of animals. That they are here to bring a little of Paradise to Earth is nothing short of genius.


                                              • Alika613
                                                Participant
                                                52 posts Send Private Message

                                                  I have 8 pets…

                                                  Cameron, 2 year old female dog, Chow mix, rescue.
                                                  Duncan, 1 year old male dog, GSD/Golden retriever cross, rescue.
                                                  Gemini, OLD female cat, long-haired, old ex teacher had a litter.
                                                  Scamp, 6+ years male cat, long-haired, Gemini’s son- accident before she got spayed.
                                                  Rags, 1+ year male , medium haired, rescued from a man who was threatening to kill it because his landlord was giving him a hard time about having pets in the apartment, i.e. rescue.
                                                  Victoria, 1 year female rabbit, albino lionhead, rescued from a family where it was no longer wanted.
                                                  Skittles, a 3+ year old Hermit crab, tiny and shy, a different ex teacher no longer wanted him and since they are social didn’t want him alone, so she harassed me until a took him, haha.
                                                  Rufus, unknown age hermit crab, large and speedy, bought from a pet store as companion to Skittles. I need another hermit crab so that they can be more friendly.

                                                  So…

                                                  Why rabbit?

                                                  Why not? I like a variety of animals, and I like keeping busy. I had the means to house one, I had had one previously. I put out the word on the grape vine that I was looking for a rabbit, less than 24 hours later Victoria arrived. Food, cage, stuff. She was bought as a pet for the children, but kids can’t really be responsible, so they asked me if I wanted her and if I could care for her. Yes and yes. I cut out the mats in her fur from not being brushed, introduced her to cats and dogs, and let her take over my bedroom.  I’m very interested in biology and science, so I find their unique needs, their distinct body language rather fascinating.  I like the fact that they are mischevious, and will play tricks on you. 

                                                  Also, and this may sound rather silly, but since I’m vegan I feel I have a sort of unique bond with my rabbit- we eat the same things.  I feed my dogs and cats meat, and my crabs get food made from fish and shrimp, but with my rabbit there’s a sort of cruelty free bond with her that is special.  I would never wear her, eat her, or abuse her, and she doesn’t do any of that anyways- she’s like my vegan guru, haha.

                                                  I’ve been letting the idea of getting another rabbit move around in my head, but I’m not certain. I know I’m not yet ready for another addition, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future. ^_^

                                                  -Alika


                                                • (dig)x(me)x(now)
                                                  Participant
                                                  2517 posts Send Private Message

                                                    Haha, just like everything in my life since owning him, Frankie made the decision for me by being adorable!

                                                    I’ve always loved animals, especially of the small and furry variety. I had never really thought of owning a rabbit, didn’t know anything about them, and had no plans of owning one.

                                                    I was with my best friend one day and we were in a pet shop just looking around for fun and to admire the critters in there. And I came past a little walled enclosure that had baby bunnies in it. The minute i glanced in, Frankie just stood out to me. His fur was so pretty with its striping and he was so adorable wiggling his tiny, fuzzy nose at me. I was instantly drawn to him, so i asked one of the store employees to take him out so that I could handle him. I was instantly in love. I called my boyfriend and talked to him about getting the rabbit as our 6-month anniversary present for me and he agreed. So Frankie went home with me that day. I was so enamored by him that I did tons or research on rabbits and learned how to properly care for them and keep them happy and healthy. And since that day, Frankie has been the most loved and well cared-for pet I’ve ever had. And the most troublesome! Hehe.

                                                    I will admit my parents were a little steamed when they came home and saw the bunlet for the first time – they had been out of town on a cruise when I brought him home! The bun has caused a few tiffs between me and my dad, but ultimately, even after all the friction for a while, my parents have both fallen in love with him too. He is a real part of the family (I’m lucky they still let me live with them at 23 as it is!).

                                                    I will most definitely always be a “bunny person” now!


                                                  • Deleted User
                                                    Participant
                                                    22064 posts Send Private Message

                                                      Rabbits to me are like the small things in life that are often the most precious; don’t mean to discount them in any way with this statement but they are small in size compared to other animals. I like their dietary requirements as I enjoy the smell of hay. I like the funny expression on their faces. I like their ears, of course, the way they feel and the way they move like little radars.

                                                      If I get to be a feeble old lady one day, too weak to deal with bigger animals, I will most certainly still have a little mini rex living in my closet, snuggled in a pile of my clothes…


                                                    • Hedi
                                                      Participant
                                                      969 posts Send Private Message

                                                        Jarod and I had been dating for quite awhile and I wanted to have a pet that would live at his house for the time being since I was living at home and my crazy mother hates animals. I am so allergic to cats and dogs so they werent an option. As a kid we had a full grown Rex that had been dropped at the cat/dog shelter my stepmom worked at. We only had Bugs for awhile but he chewed all the wires to the tv and nintendo so my dad and stepmom wanted him gone. He lived in the garage w/ the dogs. Horrible now that I think about it.

                                                        I enjoyed the rabbit when I was young so I thought maybe that would be the perfect pet. I started doing research to see what we were getting into. It was Easter time so just the worst time to get a pet. But we went to the local petstore and there sat a baby Carrera, just the cutest thing ever so I had to have her. I held her and wasnt sneezing and wasnt having an asthma attack so I knew I could handle her as a pet.
                                                        She kept us on our toes ever since. lol A year later I wanted a companion for her but got Pookie also at the petstore and they were just never bondable. We fell in love w/ the both so quickly.
                                                        Once I thought I had lost baby Carrera and I called Jarod crying my eyes out cause I just knew she was hurt. She was a baby at the time and had crawled behind the fridge and found a great place to sleep. lol She was still asleep when Jarod moved the fridge to get her! lol I definitely will never be w/out a few furry rabbits.


                                                      • GHbun
                                                        Participant
                                                        158 posts Send Private Message

                                                          We couldn’t get a dog. Thought we knew what we were getting into because I’d had gerbils and guinea pigs. (I can hear you laughing already.) It took a lot of adjusting on our part before we truly understood the chain of command in a rabbit household, but it was worth it.


                                                        • Beka27
                                                          Participant
                                                          16016 posts Send Private Message

                                                            I’ve always been an animal person. My first rabbit experience was when we “rescued” a cottontail when I was maybe about 10 from underneath a parked car and released it at my grandparents house.

                                                            As a teenager, I had guinea pigs and hamsters (as well as other various pets). Someone I knew told me you could littertrain rabbits. That kind of planted the “rabbit seed” in my head. Of course, they didn’t mention littertraining also required spay/neuter. I discovered that later… lol.

                                                            When I was 19 and getting married/expecting our son, a *former* friend of ours had a baby bunny she bought from a farm for her 3 year old. Within a short time, maybe a couple days, the girl was being so abusive to the rabbit (and the mother was not educating/supervising her) so we took the bun in. That was Stephen.

                                                            We made every mistake we could with him. Wrong diet (only pellets and a little bit of occasional hay), wrong litter (corn cob… VERY bad!), insufficient exercise, small cage (we used the Marchioro 2×4 foot cage so it was larger than most, but it could have been bigger since he was a large bunny). The only mistake we didn’t make was we kept him inside always. He was never an outdoor bunny.

                                                            He repaid our stupidity by being the most gentle, clean, well-behaved rabbit ever. Altho he was not neutered, he never once sprayed. He never chewed anything he wasn’t supposed to. He littertrained himself. He never bit or showed aggression. He was gentle with my baby and we taught the baby to be gentle with him.

                                                            We eventually learned the things we should have been doing. We fixed his diet and housing, increased exercise time. We had an appointment to neuter him and then he passed suddenly. A couple years after that, I was ready for another bun. There came a feisty girl. And the rest is history.

                                                            That’s the how… but the “Why?” It’s now my purpose in life to learn everything I can about rabbits and to educate others so their buns can live long and healthy lives. Back then, I couldn’t help but think something I did led to his death, but I know now how fragile rabbits are and how quick they can go. Some buns are resilient and can live for years and years with poor diet and care, other buns are delicate and a small mistake can cost them their lives. I respect rabbits and the people who love them. There is something so rewarding about waking up in the morning and seeing this creature that, without you, wouldn’t have a fighting chance at survival. And I love how stubborn and opinionated our “prey animals” can be.

                                                            I could go on and on, but the more I ramble, the less sense it makes, so I’ll stop. ;o)


                                                          • kralspace
                                                            Participant
                                                            2663 posts Send Private Message

                                                              I always loved animals, but my dad was in the Air Force and it was No Pets until I was 21, married and out of the house and got my mare, Jessie (had her for 30+ years). Over the years and as the 2 kids came along we had all the usual small pets, cats, dogs, gerbils, hamsters, newts, lizards, and even a couple of great big white rats (for a short time). We did well with anything with fur, not so good with fish.

                                                              I had never thought of getting a rabbit, it just seemed wrong to have them in those outside hutches and I’d never seen them kept otherwise. 10 years ago my son’s dad gave him a big white one in a hutch on the provision that they took care of it because I was working 2 jobs, traveling to take care of ill parents.  I barely had time to give it a glance except to see if it had food and water on my way to the car. It lunged, bit and was understandably agressive, I don’t think anyone was able to touch it (poor thing never even had a name). It was the hottest summer in years, weeks over 100 + degrees and I came home one night to find the poor creature dead. Frozen water bottles and wet towels just don’t do it here. I felt terrible that it had suffered and died that way and vowed not to ever have another.

                                                              4 years ago my son wanted to try again and I flat refused. So he did research, found the rabbit.org site, worked on me until I was convinced we could keep one in the house and we got the fuzzy little terror known as the lovely Ms. Pringles who has done a good job of educating us.

                                                              As bad as I felt about the first rabbit’s death at the time it really hurts now. To know how intelligent, fragile and social they are and the horror we put that poor creature through because of our stupidity haunts me when I look at my spoiled babies.

                                                              So I’m trying to pay back some really terrible bunny karma by learning to take good care of them and help any I can and donate to help those who devote their lives to rescue.

                                                              I can’t imagine life without a houseful of bunnies.

                                                          Viewing 27 reply threads
                                                          • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.

                                                          Forum THE LOUNGE So, Why a Rabbit?