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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Getting a new bunny, but what breed is best?

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    • Jessemay
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        I have been deliberating getting a rabbit for a long time and most of my time is spent at home, so ill be able to give her a lot of attention. This isn’t a decision I took lightly, or emotionally.

        However though, I don’t know which breed is best, I heard Holland lops are very friendly and I also heard angoras are nice, from what I ask from many people, it seems to be very mixed opinions. Anyone know which breeds are the most people-friendly?


      • Roberta
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          I just typed a very long reply only to have explorer reset and dump it. I’ll try again later.


        • {Alli}
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            I have a Polish and he’s the most tolerant and sweetest bun ever. However, if you look at your shelters I’m sure you can find a bunny of any breed (mixed even) that’s really sweet.


          • Roberta
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              I have a mixed assortment and all have different personalities and I find each one different. My french Angora Piglet is a sweet heart and his Silver Marten wifebun is very independant but loves being with me. Starsky is a Spot cross, Pascal is a Siver Fox/Satin Pandora and her girls are lavender eyed whites and Pipi and Nomnoms are Piglet and Pepper’s little girls. Pipi can be a Diva whilst her big sister Nomnoms is quiet and trusting. Starsky is a clown who loves having his butt scratched and Pascal is the strong silent type with a shy streak.
              I would say that it would be better to focus on the maintenance required for the different breeds as the personalities really can’t be guaranteed. I love Piglet and his girls but the angora fur is high maintenance. Stasky, Pandora, Sumi and Nomi are all breeds that though short haired and notorious for being heavy shedders. So look to the special needs of each breed first and decide how that will fit into your lifestye. Trust me if you wear a lot of black you do not want a house full of molting bunnies.


            • JackRabbit
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                Roberta is right on all counts — personality, black clothes, etc. My two holland lops are half brother and sister and personality-wise could not be more different. Moshi is laid back happy-go-lucky binky whenever the urge hits. Marlee is sweet when it suits her, pouts when she doesn’t get her way, thumps expressively, and is a little diva fluffball. Both shed like there’s no tomorrow.

                Kieko is a dwarf mutt bunny, full of attitude and personality, demanding and definitely not shy, but a total lap bunny. Stop petting her before she’s ready and she will bite. She has very short fur, but when she sheds, you know it.


              • Jessemay
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                  Thank you all for the responses!

                  I have been in to a few rabbit community’s and so far they seem to despise breeders, even those who care for their animals, I’m not sure the stance you people have on breeders, but is it really bad to buy from one who really cares for their animals? I know many of them are out just to make a profit, but it isn’t hard to tell bad ones from good ones.

                  I do have a rabbit rescue close to me, but i”m too afraid the rabbits there wont like me because many have been abused in the past.


                • Sarita
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                    Most rabbits at rabbit rescues have not been abused in the past. And even rabbits from breeders aren’t necessarily going to “like” you. For any rabbit once they reach puberty it’s a matter of trust to get them to “like” you.


                  • Roberta
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                      All of my buns are rescue buns.


                    • JackRabbit
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                        Two of mine came from a breeder who claimed to be very knowledgeable and professed to love her bunnies. Both smelled like “dirty bunny” when I got them, and its taken them over a year to not cringe and cower every time their upper backs are touched (the breeder picked them up all the time by the skin on their backs). I’ve always been able to touch their heads and back ends, but can just recently pet their upper backs.


                      • Flopsie
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                          I would worry so much about breed as I would personality. Checking the temperament of the bun and making sure it is healthy should be your first decision. Once that road is crossed, then maybe choose based on breed. Just my 2 cents.

                          Also, getting it from the shelter can be beneficial in that they usually spay/neuter the buns for you. Not only do you not have to deal with the cost, but not dealing with post procedure is a big relief. After my bun got spayed, it was a stressful few days. I’m definitely not going to go through that again.


                        • Jessemay
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                            I haven’t made up my mind where to get a rabbit yet, but when I see the breeder’s, Ill ask if I can spend time with the rabbit’s. I will know if they are being treated badly. like when I go to into a pet store, the rabbits are often scared. They must have not been properly handled, but I never get my pets from there.

                            My only problem with rabbit rescues as that many of them are trying to promote veganism…

                            The house rabbit society for example, promotes not eating meat. why? were not rabbits, we are omnivores. However though, I never will eat rabbit, they are our friends.

                            Rescuing animals is a good deed, but a lot of these rescues just have dark secrets behind them that go beyond just “rescuing rabbits’.


                          • Jessemay
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                              Posted By Flopsie on 12/15/2014 10:13 AM

                              I would worry so much about breed as I would personality. Checking the temperament of the bun and making sure it is healthy should be your first decision. Once that road is crossed, then maybe choose based on breed. Just my 2 cents.

                              Also, getting it from the shelter can be beneficial in that they usually spay/neuter the buns for you. Not only do you not have to deal with the cost, but not dealing with post procedure is a big relief. After my bun got spayed, it was a stressful few days. I’m definitely not going to go through that again.

                              While I can agree every rabbit has its own personality, I don’t see whats wrong with that as long as… uh, well… they like people.

                              I mean, if the rabbit wasn’t abused at all and handled perfectly, what would be the reason that they wouldn’t like us.


                            • Paradigm
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                                You seem pretty set on buying a bunny. It’s okay to buy one if you really want, or if you particularly want a baby, but the other posters have not mentioned lightly that your bunny’s behaviour will change when s/he hits puberty. 

                                A baby bunny may be cuddly and friendly when young, but change when going through puberty. After spaying or neutering these behaviours may reduce, but you will also have to wait out the challenges of adolescence (spraying, lots of chewing, difficulties toilet training, etc.). 

                                If it’s not the above and you’re mainly concerned about the shelters, many bunnies in the shelter may have been left there either after the child they were bought for lost interest interest, or after families split up, move and so on. Most bunnies there will probably be ones dropped off rather than ones who were abused. 

                                Additionally, a way around not supporting vegan charities would be to find a shelter which isn’t affiliated with that lifestyle. Where I live, the RSPCA is not affiliated with veganism, nor was the small charity I adopted by boy from. (I don’t have a problem with vegans, it’s just coincidence.) It might also be worth checking whether a shelter (or foster home!) which supports veganism actually contributes monetary funds, etc., to furthering their view point. Unless you’re directly funding door to door vegans, does it matter to you if you’re supporting veganism? (This isn’t meant to be a criticism, just wondering what your thoughts about it were.)

                                Benefits of adopting a rabbit for me were: he’s old enough that he’s not going to tantrum, a month’s free insurance, free vaccinations for this year and free neutering. He’s very friendly too and likely to stay that way. Unfortunately, I did have to take him for neutering. It was horrible. He wasn’t ready for collecting the first time I was told to come and get him (whoops), then he was sad when he got home, spent a few days fretting his was going to pull them out, had to take him out again to get his stitches checked and then had to hold him while the stitches were pulled out. One got stuck and in the end the vet tried to do it alone and then with another vet.


                              • Paradigm
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                                  Oh, and my bunny is a lionhead. He’s a handsome chap as well as tame.


                                • Jessemay
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                                    Thank you for the response, The problem about shelters here though is that they never take in rabbits, at least where I’m at. I checked out many of my local shelters and the closest one that takes in rabbits is around 60 miles away and they don’t always have them.

                                    The reason why I despise rescues that promote veganism is that the agenda itself is about the abolishment of meat and pet animals, I seen Peta and what bad things they do and I wouldn’t tolerate that around me. Not saying all vegans are like that, But from scouting around the internet with them spewing out their dogma… I think I had enough of them.

                                    I got a question about personality’s though, I can accept the personality of the rabbit no matter how she turns out, but what are the odds of a rabbit not liking people? Every rabbit I seen raised properly all seem to be nice from my experience when my friends let me spend time with them. They all like human attention and the adopters also made sure the breeders were not breeding for profit first.

                                     


                                  • Flopsie
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                                      it’s not a question of liking people. if you build trust your bunny will love you. th issue is what their personality or behavior is. a bunny may like you but not allow you to pick him up. not not snuggle with you. or not give you kisses.

                                      my bunny and I have a good relationship. she’ll come and give me bunny kisses but ill never be able to pick her up.


                                    • Sarita
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                                        I’ve never noticed the House Rabbit Society to promote not eating meat – not eating rabbits, yes, but not meat – I could be wrong though, they have an activist corner for rabbit welfare.  I imagine that many of the rescuers are vegan, just because that seems to be how many rescuers are….whether it be dog, cat, guinea pig, etc…but anyway, wherever you get your rabbit from, as long as you are prepared to take good care of him/her and provide care, then it doesn’t really matter  


                                      • JackRabbit
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                                          Many breeders don’t allow potential buyers to come to their homes and spend time with the bunnies, look at their facilities, etc., for the safety of the breeder and their family. It may be different if you know the breeder or that breeder has an open house policy. There are nut cases out there that will use such things as looking at the animals for sale in order to scope out the place with criminal intent. It can be hard to tell whether the breeder is just being safe or hiding something. Some things you just never know.

                                          Baby bunnies are adorable, but that teenage period can be a nightmare! Even with some breeders, it is possible to get an older bunny (6 months to 2 years or so) who is no longer being bred. If you can’t get a rescue bun, this is another option for giving a bunny who is used to being handled but hasn’t necessarily had a loving family to spoil him or her.


                                        • Flopsie
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                                            it’s not a question of liking people. if you build trust your bunny will love you. th issue is what their personality or behavior is. a bunny may like you but not allow you to pick him up. not not snuggle with you. or not give you kisses.

                                            my bunny and I have a good relationship. she’ll come and give me bunny kisses but ill never be able to pick her up.


                                          • tophdade
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                                              Posted By Jessemay on 12/14/2014 4:46 PM

                                              I have been deliberating getting a rabbit for a long time and most of my time is spent at home, so ill be able to give her a lot of attention. This isn’t a decision I took lightly, or emotionally.

                                              However though, I don’t know which breed is best, I heard Holland lops are very friendly and I also heard angoras are nice, from what I ask from many people, it seems to be very mixed opinions. Anyone know which breeds are the most people-friendly?

                                              Try a mini Rex. They’re not very large, they’re playful, and my particular one is a lap bun. One thing I’ve noticed is that they seem to be very good on non carpeted floors. My other two girls have trouble and fall all the time on them. A lot of people probably think I’m weird for recommending them for this reason, but mini Rex’s just seem to have more of an athletic build.


                                            • gingerg
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                                                I bought my bunnies. I wanted the experience of having babies, and did my research so I was prepared for the teen year behavior issues (still riding those out, but mine are not particularly bad), including the personality change. I don’t get bunny kisses any more. My more adventurous one still climbs up on me all the time and lets me pet her occasionally, but doesn’t sit with me. My boy is entertaining to watch, and we’ve recently started playing a kind of ball game, but he’s just not into touch at all. I do find that keeping pellets in my pockets and doling them out when the bunnies come up to see what is going on with me makes them much more likely to interact with me, but they’re not cuddly like cats or dogs, and I think that’s roughly the case with most bunnies.

                                                If you’re prepared for these challenges, and the fact that you may wind up with a bunny that does not tolerate pets or want to sit on your lap, then I’d say there’s nothing wrong with buying a baby (or junior) from a breeder. If this possibility bothers you, then I’d try the rescue folks and see if you make a connection with one of them that has a settled personality and tolerates/enjoys touch.


                                              • Jessemay
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                                                  I’m feeling a little depressed right now. I checked my local rabbit rescue and they said they don’t adopt out single rabbits…

                                                  I find that rather odd, they didn’t mention that policy on their website, I just felt bad for the rabbits who were neglected so I wanted to give the rescue a chance, but they seem so strict with their rules.

                                                  Rabbits are not unhappy without another rabbit, they are unhappy without companionship. I seen rabbits live over 13 years with just humans, But many rescues still hold this negative belief that they are unhappy without another rabbit.


                                                • Little Lion Head
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                                                    I’m sure you’ll find the perfect rabbit companion!

                                                    Our first bunny came from one of those puppy mill pet stores b/c we didn’t know any better! But Boston was the sweetest little kiss-giving bunny ever. Unfortunately even though we did every right (thanks to Binky Bunny) we lost her when she was only 3 from cancerous tumors.

                                                    Our new bun, Pumpkin, came from a shelter. We think she’s a year and a half. She has at least two (that we know of) but probably more homes before us. The last home was full of other pets and kids and she was neglected. She was terrified the first few weeks with us, but after two months her true colors are shining through and she’s showing her “Teen years”.

                                                    I agree to not focus on the breed (or even where you get you bunny from) but instead to do your research and be prepared for all the unique bunny-owning challenges you will face (like giant vet bills! haha).

                                                    Let us know what you decide to go with!


                                                  • Megabunny
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                                                      Are you in the US? There’s Petfinder and Pet Harbor (this latter one being new to me this week) where you can narrow your search to something near you. Generally it is best to go by personality, not breed, but I’ve always so liked anything with angora, despite the fur upkeep and hairball dangers of a full bred angora. Jersey Wooleys are a good compromise. I know there are other generally calmly breeds, but look on those web sites. You might not come up for hours once you start looking there!


                                                    • Little Lion Head
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                                                        Oh and the two main difference I saw with my experience of just two buns: Boston was a mini-lop who always wanted to groom us. Pumpkin is a lion head with no desire to groom us, wants to be petted constantly, is a complete diva!


                                                      • Kyrkogrimr
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                                                          As others have said, I don’t think you can really rely on breed as an indicator of personality; when we got Puck we saw him with his brothers and there were three completely different personalities. However, to answer your question, Puck is a mini-lop (though if you’re American I think he’d be called a holland lop? Someone else who is more knowledgeable than me will have to confirm or refute that) and he’s generally very friendly. He comes over to see what you’re doing almost constantly and is often happy to snuggle down for some pets – unless you’re interferring with some Very Important Business that he’s trying to conduct lol Never quite figured out what this important business is, but apparently it’s important He’s recently become a lot more ok with sitting in my lap for cuddles, but I must stress that you shouldn’t force your little guy/girl if they don’t want to; I’m trying to get him as ok as possible with being handled so that we can trim his claws with minimal fuss; I can’t speak for everyone on the forum, but when I did my research I decided that the risks involved with trancing far outweighed the benefit of him lying still, so finding a way to trim his claws on his terms has been a slow process.
                                                          Puck sheds like a motherbleeeeeep. I’ve had him since mid-August, but I’m pretty sure I could have stuffed a sofa or set up a wool shop with the amount of fluff that’s come off him x_x
                                                          Also, do your research so you know what to expect (more or less) when your sweet little bundle of fluff is hit by the dreaded hormones and turns into a little monster! Fortunately Puck wasn’t too bad, mostly he just peed EVERYWHERE. Seriously. I spent most of my time following him with a bucket of water/vinegar solution and a sponge. Luckily I found that it went away almost overnight once I had him neutered.


                                                        • Jessemay
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                                                            Thank you all for the help here!

                                                            After thinking about it some more, I wonder if it would be better to get a bunny from someone who is re homing their rabbit? I will be able to tell their personality easier and the owner will be able to give info on the animal. Has anyone has any experience on getting a animal from someone who cant care for em anymore?


                                                          • Megabunny
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                                                              I took in one and she was a financial and physically demanding disaster,but the sweetest thing EVER…maybe because she was sick. I don’t know. But I actually rehomed a bonded pair and they are having the time of their lives in their new home! Just be sure you really WANT the bunny you go to look at. It’s been my experience that people will greet you at the door, drop the rabbit in your arms and you’re feeling obligated to walk away with the bunny without having a say in it. The first rabbit I got from someone I never liked, but knew it when I went, but it was that situation. In fact, it was for two rabbits. Guess I don’t learn too fast! With a rescue group, though, if you really find the bunny isn’t working out, they might be willing to take it back and have you try another, though some places will blacklist you if you do it more than once.

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                                                          Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Getting a new bunny, but what breed is best?