i wanted a creature to live with me in my dorm at school this coming year. so i started researching and fell in love with bunnies! then i got max and fell absolutely in love with him and i decided that he needed a friend hence my Max and Penny!

I’ve always been an animal person growing up. I’ve had mice, hamsters, a turtle, many fish tanks, iguana, guinea pigs (6 of them! I purchased a pregnant female from a pet store). I discovered that buns could be littertrained when I was in high school and I thought, “Oh, that’s cool!” I didn’t realize back then tho that spay/neuter was a VITAL part of littertraining. We got our first house rabbit from a former friend of ours (who was kind of a moron) who got a rabbit for her THREE year old daughter. Her kid kept terrorizing the poor bunny, so we took him and he lived with us for a couple years before he passed. After that we went about 2 years before we decided we wanted to get another bun. Then came Mead and the rest is history.

My husband is stationed in Sand Diego, and we originally wanted a dog but the pet deposit was huge at our complex so we gave up on that till out of the military. We went to the petstore when we moved here (yes, i know a pet store : ( ), but I went in and I saw Davey! I just had to have him! I waited a few days to think about it and went back occasionally to see him. That was it! Delilah didnt get sold (they were little together at the pet store) and they knew we had just bought one of them so they said we could just take her if we wanted her. Poor Delilah They bonded instantly! Then theres Dexter who we just adopted in May! Now I will never not have a bunny!

I’ve always liked bunnies…but for most of my life never really knew much about them (I thought they could be kept outside in small chicken wire cages, let out every month or so outside to run around and fed on a diet of carrots + pellets). So, just before what I decided was the last fish I would keep as a pet died, somebody I knew on Youtube posted some videos of her house bunny…I thought that was a pretty cool idea, so I started getting obsessed with rabbits, did some research, and after a few months of convincing my mom that a rabbit was a good idea, we got Mr. Bunny

Well I’ve had rabbits in my life since before I could remember. They were my mom’s and she always kept them outside. She always got big rabbits though so they wouldn’t fall prey to birds and whatnot (though unfortunately, accidents did happen). Her rabbits were mostly rescues, and she always got the boys fixed. Except one time, we brought home a dumped ‘mother’ and her baby. The baby was checked, and it was a girl. We just assumed ‘mom’ was a girl, so mom got added to one of our groups (I think we had 5 or so in the smaller pen, mixes of males and females). The rabbits were allowed to dig freely, and had a few tunnels. One morning there were baby bunnies coming up from the tunnels! By that time, of course, mom was already pregnant again. So we caught up all the babies and found homes for them and removed mom (and ‘mom’, aka dad!). Dad got fixed and mom had her second and last litter. I think we kept 4 or so, though I don’t know how many there actually were. After a while, as her group grew older and more and more passed away, the two pens were torn down and a new one is much closer to the house and always in the shade. She had only two then; Mona Lisa, a big flemish giant girl, and Mr. Cloud, a dumped easter bunny. Mona died of uterine cancer due to not being spayed at around the age of 7, and Mr. C lived to be 10 or so before an abscessed leg got the better of him. After Mona died of uterine cancer my mom realized the need to spay the females, and would never have another girl that wasn’t. She has 4 outdoor bunnies still, 2 girls, 2 boys. They live with 10 or so chickens.

Now how I actually got into having house bunnies comes from my always liking the smaller, dwarf breed rabbits. These were the only rabbits that we ever kept in hutches, though with them I only recall us having 2. I had Orangina, a little orange dwarf. She probably was rather neglected, but I still loved that little rabbit, and I know she was at least never for want of food or water (maybe hay, but that was then). She had a mate, a neutered dwarf mix named Domino. I was really young when I had her, but I fell in love with the fiery little dwarf personality (and she was kind for being unspayed and such!). So after she passed away, I was personally rabbitless for a while. My cousin breeds mini rexes though, and eventually my mom was tempted into getting one. Needless to say, she became my rabbit. Unfortunately my time with her was short, as was my time with the rabbit my cousin gave me as a replacement. It was in fact fate that I am even here now. I caught Nova the day before my current rabbit died. And Nova was so mean, grouchy and horrible I thought she’d be put down for sure if I took her to the shelter. So I figured i’d get her spayed (if she lived long enough, as my previous 2 had not) and keep her for as long as she lived, even though at the time I thought I was cursed. Alas, a year later, with Hubble added on for support (and to drain my funding), I am a devoted rabbit caretaker. Who hopefully knows a few things about rabbits at this point.

One evening about 2 years ago, I was driving down my street when I spotted a white cashmere lop rabbit on the kerb. I got out and he came toward me, though his vision was not that good. I scooped him up and knocked at the house I found him in front of. No answer. So I turned around and took him back home. I kept him indoors overnight and in a wire surround during the day. I didn’t know they could be indoors but I had nowhere outside to keep him safe and I felt mean to put him out there. It was fascinating watching him navigate the floors. So I did some searching at the library and online to find out a bit of what I needed to do for him.
I posted signs around and someone called within 3 days. Turns out he was from that house I found him in front of and he had escaped several times before. He wasn’t an overly perky bunny but you could handle him easily – a real lap bun.

Though I liked having him, I didn’t plan to go get a rabbit after he’d gone home. However, 3 months later I walked into a petshop to purchase a toy and……..she was there. No turning back. Bunnies forever now!  I think of that white bun as a primer to rabbits for me, but my true interest and love for them began with Jersey.

I’ve almost always had rabbits. When I was little I had a big REW New Zealand that was supposed to be a dwarf. Even 40 years ago we tried to litter box train and keep him in the house, but when he chewed the stereo cords he went outside.  He lived outside for twelve years.

Around 35 years old I got a little REW dwarf from a neighbor. She died two days later. Then I got Nibbles from a rescue and then it really started. I’ve been hooked  ever since.

I forgot to add he had the run of the backyard and had a guinea pig friend and our beagle to play with.

in the end of 7th grade, i got a dutch rabbit from the local county fair. when i brought him home, i realized i needed to do research. so, you guessed it, i went totally bun crazy! a year has passed, and i am so in <3 with my bun, its all i think about!

I got my first rabbit when I was 11 years old.  I wanted to have some kind of pet and asked my parents.  I didn’t care for a dog or cat, and I always liked petting the bunnies at Petland pet store in our mall.  So they finally agreed and we got Mickey.  There were no NIC cubes back then and we didn’t have the internet to research it.  I bought 2 or 3 books before I bought Mickey and read the whole thing and highlighted the important things. Yes we did buy a wire bottom cage (but added another level for him), had pine bedding, not fixed and fed him the unhealthy pellets, but we learn from our mistakes (and learn that not all book authors are experts on rabbits).  He was a happy little rabbit, running around our living room and our patio in the summer.  He must have been the few rabbits that were kind of cuddly and didn’t bite for not being fixed.  We figured he would only need fixed if there was another rabbit with him. He even litter trained himself to scratch at our feet or pants when he had to go to the bathroom, so we would take him back in his cage.    He lived for 12 wonderful long years and passed away this year.  I think as I got older and had more stuff going on, I didn’t spend as much time with him..with dating and then planning a wedding, it was hard but still went and checked on him every day and even every time I went back to my parents house.  After we got Archie last Dec., I really started loving rabbits and got my husband to love them too!  I then felt bad for not spoiling Mickey the way I spoiled Archie then.  But when I was over my parents house, I would go see Mickey and cuddle with him a bit. I don’t think I realized how much I loved them until now with all this new information and such!  I’ll always cherish my time with Mickey and he was the main reason I love rabbits today!    

kool thread

my first bun picked me i decided to get my first pet when i found myself living with a roommate i didn’t like. i originally wanted a rat or hampster. i went to the nearest pet store to ‘see what it would cost to get set up’ which of course means ‘fall in love with a furry critter and not be able to leave without it.” there was an adoreable lop bunny with one ear still up and every time i walked past his enclosure he hopped along the length of his enclosure by my side. who can possibly resist that? the pet store sold him to me as a her and fortunately i named her/him binky. so when i realized that she was a he the name still applied. he was my sweet binky boy. a real character.

My brothers had rabbits in outdoor hutches when I was really young. The cool Bunny was Floppy. He was a lop. We used to play in the tall grass with him in the back yard and he had a harness and leash.

So with fond memories of Floppy, I had started really wanting a house bunny a couple years ago. I was almost considering getting one when my sister came over to tell me there was a cute bunny up at the end of the street and that I should go catch it. So I did. And that is how I got Bunny. I have really good luck for these sorts of things. If I want something bad enough it will fall into my lap.

I grew up thinking rabbits were filthy outside animals that stay in a pen or hutch and you pet them when you wanted but that was it. I never had one but grew up around people who raised them for the unmentionable. Then I met one of my friends who bred rabbits up until this year and she had indoor rabbits I was afraid to go in her house lol because of what I had been told about rabbits. I of course was terrified to touch them since I had been told they will bite your finger off. But I met her Flemmie and he was a big love bug and I was smitten. So I started reading about rabbits and was still suspicious but the more I learned the more I loved.

Then I got Pacey and it was all over he is my little puffball. Now if I had the room and time I would have another rabbit but Pacey and Marshmallow are happy getting all the attention.

I’ve wanted a dog since I graduated college, but due to living in apartments and traveling almost every week for work, it just wasn’t meant to be (at least right now). I’ve had gerbils since I was 8 years old and while they’re adorable and I love them, they’re just not the most interactive pets (most of the time). As my current gerbils started to get old and pass away, I started researching a pet that would take less time than a dog, but would still be social and interactive. I’m allergic to cats, so I started looking at bunnies. I really didn’t think they were much more interactive than gerbils, but the more I researched, the more I thought they could be the perfect pets for us. On my birthday in February my fiance agreed that we could get a rabbit, and about two months later we brought Otto home with us.

Even when we have a house and are able to get a dog, I think we’ll always want to have a rabbit or two around.

Like Sonn, I only saw rabbits outside in hutches (which is bad, since I live in Florida, and it gets HOT). My lunatic aunt had a couple of them in her backyard, and they were really bitey so I didn’t like them much.

Theeeeeeeeeen, as I got older I started loving them more and more. I even had a porcelain bunny lamp in my room. When my husband and I finally got married and moved back home after school, I researched all about them and found my Remy. He’s the best pet I could possibly imagine!

I have always had cats & dogs. I lost my last dog Nov ’07. He was the best dog I have ever lived with. A few months later I was really missing having animals in the house.
I wanted a cat. However m husband really does not like cats. About a year before I had discovered “The Daily Bunny” website. So, I said to my husband “What about a bunny?” He said “That’s an interesting idea.” I, of course, was very excited he did not say no!
I did some research, found this site and then found the Colorado HRS. CO-HRS is very strict and through about educating potential bunny adopters. So by the time I got to meet with some bunnies, I had an idea of what i was getting myself into.

I went a met a bunch of bunnies. Then My husband and I went to meet some bunnies. As soon as I was handed Kay she settled right down into my lap. My husband was handed Winston – Winston instantly started purring. We had been picked!
Kay & Winston have now been with us for a year and a half.

While I still want to have cats & dogs in the future – I will always have bunnies around too!

definitely, sibley. after seeing max, a bunch of my friends are considering getting bunnies! they’re contagious.

now i’m off to read the rest of the stories

I went to the garden store, and there were some cute netherland dwarfs there. My mom agreed that they were pretty cute so we booked one. After some research I read that Netherlands can be skittish (no offense to anyone owning a netherland) so I looked up different breeds.
I read that Holland lops were really nice so I looked for a holland lop breeder. I found some breeder of hollands on the internet and they looked not like a commercial breeding one, but people who just breed for people who want pet rabbits, not show rabbits. I found my dream bun there! I got first pick of the litter and she was the nicest! So we unbooked the netherland and booked Fern!
When she was seven weeks old we got her (we got her a week early because her mother rejected the babies earlyer than was planned.) and I fell in love with her! The breeder encouraged us to get two because they are happy in pairs but we were new to bunnys so we politely refused. After a while of having her I started to think seriousey about getting her a Friend because she was alone for most of the day. Thats where thistle came in. We went to petsmart to get some oxbow pellets and I saw him, he was beautiful and he was from my local shelter, not being sold by a pet store. Well of coarse a bunny can be pretty but mean, so I asked if I could see him. He was a little shy but did not run away from my touch and seeing as he didn’t know me, that was a good sign. He was a neutered male about a year old so he was perfect!
Voila two bunnys in a happy forever home.

This is probably going to sound a bit crazy…but we are probably a little bit “crazy” here.

My favorite band AFI made me decide to get a rabbit. 3/4 members are considered rabbits in the chinese zodiac and so their videos and cds and stuff had rabbits on them. The Miss Murder video had a black rabbit that hopped right over to the lead singer Davey and he picked the little guy (girl?) up and pet him. I thought it was the cutest thing ever.

After that my friends and I would always joke that the only people who ate rabbits were savages. I promised myself that one day I would get a rabbit and vowed never to be a savage.

I went to a pet store, saw an adorable little brown lop (Sir Thumps) and fell in love. I got him that day. Haven’t stopped loving him since.

Then one of my friends decided that she could no longer keep her rabbit and I offered to take her. Bunnie has been a lot of work but she is improving and beginning to trust us. Yesterday she let a complete stranger pet her between the eyes. I was so proud. I knew it was the right choice to take her since she seems to be so very happy in her new home.

Well cats were out h ubby is allergic to them.  He mentioned maybe a guinea pig.  So I got on the computer and looked up guinea pigs.  Then came across house rabbit . org.  I researched and fell  in love with the idea of a bunny. 

A lionhead bunny.  I called pet stores and 1 had a lionhead.  So we went to get him.  Little Laith a cute broken black pattern.  Fouad said he has a mustache like Hitler.  Poor Laith.  He was nothing like Hitler.

Then came Cotton.   Then came Ruby.  All lionheads.

I also had buns when I was little for 4H and the love of them.   My really first rabbit was from my Aunt Melba who lived across the street. She had rabbits.  She would give me a baby bunny 2 months old. When it got 6 months I had to give it back.  Then she would give me another. (dont’ ask why it isn’t pleasant)

Well I wanted one of my own to keep.  So then came Mister. Then the NZ whites.  Now it is rabbits forever.

I have always been into pets- it must have been obvious even when I was a kid.

My first bunny was a Chocolate Dutch bunny- our neighbors had rabbits and one escaped was was living under a woodpile on our property.  My parents found her tracks in the snow and we looked out our family room window and saw that it was a domestic rabbit.  I fed her daily and she would come out to see me- never getting close enough to catch but close enough to get the veggies I brought her.  My Mom offered to buy her from the neighborh- he said No, he wanted her back and he set live traps with my parents permission.  A month later he still had not caught her and he told my Mom I could have her.  So one day when I went out to feed her my Mom went with me and hid and she caught her in a fishing net when she came out to eat.  My Dad had built her a hutch.

So that is how I got Dutchess- I was in 5th or 6th grade- so this was over 20 years ago- I am 34 now.  My Mom knew people with other Dutch bunnies and she was bred twice- I sold some of the babies and kept some. So that is how I ended up with 6 Dutch bunnies total- all in different hutches my Dad made.

Now, I would NEVER keep a bunny outdoors- but my Mom would not let me bring them inside.  I used to freak out when we had a thunderstorm because I was so worried their hutches would be hit by lightning.  Now looking back- not what I should have been worried about- but I had such a strong instinct to want to protect them.

One odd story that ended well- the second litter that Dutchess had- one was my favorite- a tort girl I named Butterscotch.  My Mom had to go to my great grandmothers farm and do some yard work to help her out and I had to go with her- so she let me take Butterscotch in a carrier.  I played with her outside and everything was fine.  We took my greatgrandmother to see her friend.  I left Butterscotch loose in the car for 10 minutes and when I came back I could not find her- I went to find my Mom crying like crazy.  My Mom found her crawled up into a space just under the glove compartment and was able to get her out.  Thank goodness she did not chew any wires!  My Mom must have been OK with her being loose in the car since I remember she was not mad at me.  But my Mom still vividly remembers that day of how upset I was that I “lost” my bunny and was crying.  It is not as clear a memory for me- just the stress and relief of getting her back.

But having parents that did not allow the bunnies inside, not having indoor only cats, etc- only made me the pet owner that I am today!  I would never keep rabbits the way that I did when I was a kid- but that was over 20 years ago and attitudes have changed about rabbits being housepets.

I had Dutchess- chocolate Dutch, Dandy- black Dutch, Sparky- blue Dutch, Butterscotch- tort Dutch, Blaze- black Dutch and Buster a black Dutch.  All were females except for Dandy. 

My mom has pictures of me as a kid with a baby bunny in my shirt pocket (bunny was probably 6-8 weeks old).

Katnip, that is such a sweet story. My sister had a pet rabbit that she kept in a hutch in the garage when she was 4. They gave it away because it would scratch when she’d pick it up. It was never let out of it’s cage except to be held. Thinking back on it, it really makes me mad. It was all white and really fuzzy. Some form of long haired, perhaps an Angora because I remember it getting pretty big.

That was my very first encounter with a domestic rabbit and several years later I have my own buns.

I agree with you. I would never ever keep a bun outside. Sir Thumps alot get’s really excited when I walk into the room where his cage is. I can’t even imagine walking into the room and having no bun to greet me. I doubt that it would be a very nice way to live. I have become so accustomed to it, that I know that I can’t do with out.

i think my buns do fine out door they are up against the brick house and are under awning but NO MATTER soon they will be inside buns again!

I guess I should have added that after having those Dutch bunnies over 20 years ago- I was not very interested in having a bunny.  I have dogs, cats, parrots, etc.  And the day I saw Cotton- before I walked into the pet store I would have been able to give 10 reasons why I did NOT want a rabbit.  I did not believe in keeping them outside in Michigan weather and I was not sure about keeping them inside how messy it would be.  But I saw Cotton’s sweet little face and I fell in love and was willing to forget my past assumptions and learn with her what a house bunny could be like.  I had no eyes for any other bunny that day but Cotton, she had 2 littermates in another cage- but there was something about her that touched me.

And thanks to her- I have been able to give 2 other bunnies a home – Penny who died of cancer- and Schroeder who appreciated being a house bunny and regular meals after being picked up as a stray and sent to the Humane Society.  If course after going thry bunny puberty with Cotton- I will adopt an already altered bunny!  But without Cotton I would have remained clueless about how awesome and loving, and sweet and funny bunnies really are.  I call Cotton my Chubby Chihuahua since she acts more like a puppy!

This is a pic when we first got her- I melt everytime I see that sweet face!

Sibley this is a great topic.   Great idea. 

I think Sibly you are an encylopeadia.  You know so much about computers buns and everything.  I am going to nickname you my encyclopeadia.  Teheee.

I love reading your stories about first interested in bunnies.  They are so touching

Katnipcrzy, pics you’ve posted of Cotton and Moonshine (name?) above and previously, are so lovely. It’s made me wonder in the past if this is why Penny and Cotton never bonded – because Cotton and your cat are already a pair……(??)
Also, any chance of us seeing that childhood pic with the Dutch bun in your pocket? Sounds soooo cute!

For me I was interested in hedgehogs. Okay… I was obsessed with hedgehogs. I had done tons of research on them and finally persuaded my parents to let me purchase one. So I was looking everywhere for a hh, and found a tiny petshop in a deserted mall. No hedgehogs. But there were irresistibly adorable lops on “display” in the front window. Let me tell you those buns sucked you in once you were within a 10 foot radius. I had never ever dreamed of considering a rabbit (or any furry pet that is) since my mom has horrible allergies to them. Long story short, I’m now a bunny slave.

Quite honestly, I never really though about rabbits until last year when we got Ruffles. My husband is a rabbit lover and convinced me to get a rabbit instead of a dog. I’m so happy he exposed me to the sub-culture of bunny-dom.