A lot of people do stress adopting and not buying from pet stores, but honestly, giving any bunny a home is still helping one bunny receive love and a better life. Especially if there are no rabbit shelters near you, then the option just isn’t there anyways. Just make sure to bring your bunny for a wellness vet visit to check-in on your bunny’s condition when you get him/her. That’s important for wherever you get your bunny from, but one of the particular cons of pet stores is that they don’t usually have the most accurate information about the bunny. We can’t wait to see the bunny you choose (please post pics when you do)!

Not all pet stores are bad, but it’s always better to get a rabbit from a shelter. There are so many bunnies that have been neglected, abandoned, or just unwanted, and now are in shelters.
If getting from a shelter is absolutely not an option for you, when and if you do get a bunny from the pet store, please just take him or her to a vet right away to make sure he is a healthy rabbit. Please post pics – can’t wait to see the bun you choose!

I don’t think the issue most people have with pet stores is that the bunnies are “bad” but the fact that pet stores tend to support “puppy mill” type operations where the bunnies are treated like breeding machines. Pet stores also contribute to the overpopulation problem. Some pet stores treat their animal poorly, but for the most part, I don’t think that is the real issue with pet stores. Pet stores also tend to push bunny sales around Easter which, as we bunny people know, results in uneducated parents buying a bunny as carelessly as they would a toy for their child and then dumping it at a shelter or releasing it in the wild.

I don’t support pet stores that sells animals. I buy all my supplies at non-animal selling stores.

Though, I agree with Mijook, giving an animal in need a home is never a bad thing. Another option is looking at your local craigslist/kijiji ads for bunnies that need homes.

Pet stores main issue is most get their animals from MILLS or backyard breeders, not legit breeders. Talk to the store and ask them if they can tell you where the bunnies come from. Mill and backyard breeder rabbits are generally not as healthy, bad genetic lines, also it’s supporting the awful practices – they follow supply and demand, so the more demand, the more bunnies they breed and it just causes them to breed their animals to death. If the store gets their bunnies from a legit breeder, or adopts from a shelter, or anything of that sort and the employees and such are taking good care of them, I see no problem going there if you have to. I would try to find a good breeder first though if there are no shelters for adoption, it’s better to get them from the source that way you can meet the parents, meet the breeder, see the conditions the buns live in and such.

I agree. If a rescue isn’t an option, I would seek out reputable breeders in your area.

Pet stores bunnies aren’t bad like LittlePuffyTail said, a rabbit is a rabbit is a rabbit… But a good breeder will actually stand behind their “product”, whereas a pet store is trying to make a sale.

I also agree about taking your bunny (ANY bunny you get from any source!) to the vet for an exam within the first month home. Make sure you have the name and number of a rabbit vet in your area BEFORE bringing a bunny home. So many people make the mistake of bringing a bunny home first and then have a hard time finding a vet.

What I think is that if there are pet stores that have bunnies, there ARE unwanted bunnies, you just may have to search harder. If there is a pet store, there is a person that makes an impulse buy, decides the bunny is too aggressive or costs too much, and wants to get rid of the bunny. Could you look on craigslist or in classified adds? You many have to wait longer, but it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside knowing that you saved a life.

I couldn’t say it better then LittlePuffyTail-it’s not the animal quality, it’s that you are voting with your dollars when you shop in stores that sell animals and buy them. I would go with a reputable breeder. You may not need to wait until May-contact them and see if they have any adults they might be willing to adopt to you?

Oh and longearedlions suggestion is great! Look online craigslist, kijiji etc-you can still rescue!

I agree with ‘everything’ said above – no need for me to say anymore Katie Alice except what a wonderful birthday present! Cheers!

PS: My Henry was my Mother’s Day gift – this year I want a robotic vacuum to clean up after him! (kid’s – are you seeing this?) Lol….

My local pet store has regulations on taking proper care of rabbits, they are much more expensive than other pet stores, but they are guaranteed health and temperament. I think that’s why my new Holland lop girl hasn’t shown any fear of humans.

Not all pet stores are the same, some pet store rabbits are treated very liberally, while others are just out to make a quick profit.

I agree with the others on looking for a reputable breeder if rescues aren’t an option. Craigslist might also have some people looking to rehome a pet that they can’t care for. I got one of my rabbits through Craigslist because her owner didn’t have time for her.

The problem with pet stores is that the breeding bunnies are kept in horrible conditions so they can make money on the babies. The babies are typically not socialized and may not receive good care at the store. As others have said, vote with your dollars and only buy an animal who comes from breeding practices you support, or go through a rescue.

Many small local breeders (though not all) take good care of their rabbits and spend time handling the babies. They are often having litters to further their own breeding program, not make a profit, so the money they make goes back into the care of their existing rabbits. I got my boy from a rabbit show breeder and while her bunnies didn’t live in the house as “pets” for the most part, they were well cared for and loved.

While I agree that pet stores are probably not the way to go if you have options (because of the reasons everyone else has said so eloquently), I had to buy from a pet store, and I don’t regret it. I live in a tiny area (Hawaii, to be specific, and I couldn’t find any breeders on my island), there were no bunnies at the shelter, and I was getting increasingly desperate. Then I went into a pet shop to find my sister some fish, and I fell in love with the sweetest little bun. If I hadn’t, I would have kept looking for breeders (the bunnies on this island come from somewhere, after all), but I don’t regret my choice at all. Sometimes you have to go with your gut, and if you see an animal you form an instant bond with, I’d say it’s okay to go with your heart.

But I’m biased, as I adore my pet store bunny. So I guess my suggestion would be, look around for breeders, for craigslist buns, etc., but don’t feel terrible if you end up buying from a pet store. Some of them aren’t as bad as others – the one I bought Bunnicula from handfed and were careful with their bunnies, and it shows in his complete lack of fear of humans – and some, like my local Petco (not the store I used), actually only have bunnies from shelters in their stores for adoption. It really depends, and I doubt anyone here would ever judge you for whatever choice you end up making. Good luck, and I hope you find a wonderful bunny companion.

I use to work at a family owned pet store, both of my bunnies came from there. We got ours from a local breeder who had show rabbits. We would often get ones that had “undesirable” traits for showing. I would be more Leary about “mill type pets” but at the store I worked at the bunnies were takin such good care of even taken to the vet If needed. We would really try to make sure that people understood the care they needed and even suggested going home and reading more info before making a purchase. My expierience w the pet store was good. And to me it seemed like adopting one because if they couldn’t be sold they would have to go back w the breeder. And I wanted every bunny to have a home. We would sometimes take back bunnies too if ppl were irresponsible and wanted to get rid of them because sadly most of the time ppl were turned away from the shelters because they were too full. Every bunny deserves a home. Although I think supporting the mill pets is not a good idea, at the same time those pets need help too. so just make sure you can provide veterinary care needs for it. Because he/she will be your responsibility once it is purchased.

My evil ex had a rabbit purchased from their store, while mine was rescued. All in all, they seem to have behaved about the same, to be honest. As others mentioned, I don’t think that most stores are inherently “bad”, but I wouldn’t mind buying from them.

If you decide to buy one from a pet store, just make sure to get it checked by a vet asap. Stores often have a very strict and limiting policy on animals. Generally pet store employees are not super knowledgeable about the animals they’re selling. So don’t take their word for it when it comes to care and supplies.

I bought Yeti from a pet store which sourced its rabbits from breeders and other various sources. The breeder didn’t want him and a sibling because they weren’t show quality. I happened to buy him the same day that he was dropped off at the store. Glad I did too since store conditions were pretty shady. Yes it’s unfortunate that I found my bun at this kind of store. Sometimes it just happens to be that way. I haven’t returned since and nor do I buy my supplies from them.