If you house an unneutered male with an unspayed female and try to bond them, you will get a new litter of kits approximately once a month. The male will likely spray urine around to mark territory, and the female may develop cancer of the reproductive system within 2 to 3 years. I will not climb up on my soapbox here, but I will ask you to please think about where those kits will go and who will take care of them. Please reconsider intentionally breeding rabbits.

Sorry Thunder, but I am going to have to jump on the soapbox in Osprey’s place…. please please please consider spaying and neutering your house rabbits. It makes for much happier and healthier companions. Cornell University recently released a study stating that 80% of female rabbits who do not have a litter and are not spayed will develop some type of reproductive cancer and die within 4 years of age. There are so many bunnies who need a loving home, please don’t consider bringing more into the world while others are being euthanized because they are left at shelters who are unable to care for them.
Please don’t feel like this is an attack, but I have fostered so many bunnies that were purchased when young and given up within weeks and months by their owners because they were higher maintenance than the owner thought and the baby bunny grew up.

I’m sorry Thunder, I was going to delete your post and email you the rules about no intentional breeding, but since there are already responses, I will post and keep this thread for other instances in the future where I can kindly redirect someone regarding breeding.

The reason we do not allow breeding discussions here are for two main reasons. 

1. We don’t want this to become a debate board, and breeding animals that have high euthanasia rates in shelters can become controversial, and many of us, including myself, volunteer in rescue groups, so in order to keep the peace, we do not allow intentional breeding discussions.  If someone’s bunny is pregnant unintentionally, or they get a bunny who unknowingly is pregnant, then we can try to research and guide them to articles that might help them, but that brings us to reason number two

2.  We don’t have the experience and knowledge in breeding to actually guide people here in this forum/site.  the subject of breeding rabbits (even if it’s just one time) is a whole other sector/subject all on it’s own.  For example, the bonding tips here are geared towards creating lasting bunny bonds, and in order to make that successful, we encourage altering to prevent fighting and  territorial aggression even between opposite sexes.  But when it comes to setting up bonding for breeding, that may need a whole different set of tips.   And here in the forum, we, as moderators, wouldn’t even be able to tell if someone else is giving terrible or dangerous advice to you regarding how to breed.  So there is no way for us to protect you and your bunnies from bad advice.   

So my advice is – please don’t breed, but if you insist and are going to do it anyway even after what others have advised, then please google search forums that allow breeding discussions so you can receive educated advice that will help keep your bunnies safe.

Peace.

Hello all.  I am making an exception and keeping this thread up because so far everyone is being respectful to each other. (and I greatly appreciate this and know how hard it is for some of you, because those of us in rescue  or know about rescue work do know what happens to many pet store bunnies). 

And as non-soapboxy as I want to be, I just have to respond to Thunder (another reason that breeding discussions are not allowed – see, see what happens!  )   Anyway, this is the only time I will make an exception from now until forever, as this may be good to use for future referencing.

 My soapbox:

I also do understand that many people have no idea about what happens to many of these bunnies. (or many animals!)  I know I was a person who was unaware of this less than 8 years ago.   And I look back now and think, how in the world was I so unaware.  But I was, so I absolutely understand how others don’t understand.   

Here’s my story: I got my very first bunny, Forrest, from a breeder, I remember even thinking I’d bring him back to allow him to breed.  Ahhhh!!  I remember telling my vet this!! I cringe now. Anyway, he said….."eh, there are many many bunnies already in the world, so you may want to think about neutering him".  I thought a little about it but not much, but later I did research about neutering and started coming across information that  included rescue efforts. 

I found out the numbers of bunnies being euthanized in shelters were staggering.   Perfectly fine bunnies, many of which came from whim purchases at pet stores, and  pet stores don’t usually give enough information to help customers with long term care, and so baffled overwhelmed customers end up turning these bunnies into shelters. (and you don’t want to know what  happens to the unsold animals (Theresa touched upon it)

I began to volunteer at a rabbit rescue. The rabbit rescue saves bunnies from euthanasia at local shelters, and there is never enough room, never enough time to save them all.    And most of the bunnies ready to be euthanized are perfectly fine, lovable, sweet creatures – they just happened  – they just happened to be another "one too many".

After seeing first hand so many beautiful animals in need of adoption,just needing someone to care for them, someone to love them.( A "happy" life.)    I couldn’t contribute to bringing in more bunnies in the world. Forrest was promptly neutered before he ever was bred.  WHEW!

The flip side of this is I have a friend who is breeder, and though I do not agree with breeding when there are so many unwanted animals, I respect that she teaches her customers well, and ultimately whether a bunny companion comes from a breeder, a pet store, or even a rabbit rescue, the responsibility of the animals welfare falls on the person who took the responsibility.  Even people who adopt bunnies from rabbit rescues have neglected or abandoned their bunnies.  But because there are just so many abandoned animals, I personally think that at least "not contributing to the cycle" is an important thing to do. 

And I think teaching children about creating life is wonderful, but actually showing children about saving life can be incredible.

 ADDED LATER:  P.S. One of the reasons I started BinkyBunny was to help prevent someone from giving their bunny up.  That sometimes having bunnies as companions is challenging, but through education, brainstorming, and helping each other out, solutions can be found.

Binky bunny- you might have just opened Pandora’s Box…. I understand now why you made that rule.  We all seem to have very strong opinions about this subject.

And as for Theresa- RIGHT ON! You’re right, people like us don’t….. we save and rescue those that were purchased from pet stores.  This just all reminds me about my post about the foster bunny I just took from an in home situation.  Puck was sooooo cute that "Paris Hilton" ( name changed to protect the not so innocent) HAD to have him.  8 months later, he is now being fostered by the House Rabbit Society after never having been to the vet, never having his nails trimmed and is afraid of being held.

(sigh)

There is an option for people who are interested in raising babies but do not wish to intentionally breed their own bunnies.  You can foster parent for a litter.  I am not sure how it is in other parts of the world, but we get in pregnant moms and moms with litters as rescues several times a year.  We also get individual babies and pairs of babies fairly often.  The pattern is usually that a bun gets pregnant, the people panic and they dump her in a field somewhere.  She is caught as a stray, sent to a shelter.  Shelters are not equipped to deal with babies, so they call us.  Our foster parents take care of the moms and the litters.  Another common scenario is one or two newborns found in a field someplace and taken to a shelter.  In these cases the litter is usually dumped and most of them are eaten the first night, or the mom has been killed and the babies are alone.  Shelters will immediately put down babies without their mothers, so they call us.  The babies are much harder to take care of as they require frequent bottle feeding, and many of them don’t make it even with the best of care.

G’day Thunder, from down under!

My Australian geography is not very good, but have you heard of this web site, Boing Online? (boingonline.com/)

They have very good bunny care information, and also have a section on rescued bunnies, and are located in Australia.

Hi Thunder,
I’m glad you are not taking offense, we just love bunnies so much we can’t stand how so many of them get neglected and destroyed.

Check this out:

http://www.rspcavic.org/animal_adoption/rabbitadoption.htm

It should be near your area

Breed:   Case No: 134044 Age: 1 years Sex: Male (N)	Breed:  Dwarf Case No: 340689 Age: 3 years Sex: Female (S)

For example, here are two featured on their website, and they are already fixed!
(That is another good thing about going to a rescue or a shelter)

Best of luck!  Glad to hear about your bunnydating  progress!

Thunder I want to hear about the love at first sight. My Sophie just ignores all the boys I introduce her to. i think she’s picky like her mom. (LOL)

Thank you for being so open to what we’re saying.   I was worried about this thread.

Being that you are in Australia, I do not know if you have the same rescue problems and high rates that we do here, so the information I have given is basically for United States and UK.   I don’t know what the pet store policies and shelter euthanasia rates are there.    I have to remember we are all from all over the world.  Easy to get mentally isolated.

I do know there is an Australian House Rabbit Society  http://members.iinet.com.au/~rabbit/hrsaus.htm.   I think located in Queensland, but if you don’t live near there, they may be a good resource for shelters near you if you were interested in Fostering babies.  (great idea Osprey!)

Sounds like things are going well with your two.   Do know that once she reaches sexual maturity, she could change her tune.   And of course, if you are now trying to prevent new little ones, just know she can become pregnant as early as 3 months.

Well, again, thanks for being so gracious about listening to our passionate ideas and taking them into consideration.

Peace, mate.