Adopting baby or 3 yr old rabbit??

[luinge]

Hey everyone,

Is it better to adopt a baby rabbit or a rabbit that is 2-3 years old?

Is it easy to socialize a rabbit that is already 2-3 years old??

Thanks!

[ScooterandAnnette]

I’m no expert at all but I’d say it completely depends on what the rabbit has been exposed to. We have 4 bunnies, 3 were adopted as young’uns and 1 (Reno) was 3 years old when we got her. It’s pretty obvious that Reno was entirely a cage bunny and wasn’t given much human interaction, because even after almost 2 years she’s still not all the comfortable around people. The other bunnies will, to varying degrees, come up to you for pets and stuff, Reno will run away. Although we have recently discovered that she’ll take raisins from our hands.

– Annette

[babybunsmum]

i’d say go for the older rabbit for 2 reasons.  1… they’re probably harder to find homes for than a wee cute baby and would need the spot a little more (tho i don’t know this for sure… it’s my general impression.  maybe a foster could comment on this one.)  and 2… i think it’s a crap-shoot for how any bunny will fit in & respond anyways regardless of age.  when i brought home baby bun she was still wee – prolly 8 weeks – and she was extremely skittish from the get-go.  it’s taken me years to earn her trust.  good luck with your decision!

[BB Administrator]

THIS IS BINKYBUNNY!! (I’m just working on site stuff in admin mode and saw this post)

Regarding if it easy to socialize a 2 – 3 year old bunny: Most, at least at the rescue I volunteer for, are already socialized and friendly. Those that aren’t, they put into fosters to be socialized. And if you are up for the challenge to socialize a bunny that has been neglected or abused, the rewards of watching a bunny change and enjoy life is pretty amazing.   But you don’t have to and there are plenty of socialized loving bunnies to choose from. 

Here are my pros and cons for both (and FYI you can get baby bunnies at rabbit rescues too)

Babies:

Pros

• CUTE CUTE CUTE!!!!
• You can still hold them, and they don’t mind (most of the time)
• Playful and full of energy

Cons

• MESSY! They are a disaster in the poo and pee department.
• They will grow into their personalities – you don’t know what that will be, doesn’t matter that you have held them etc.
• They reach sexual maturity – and they can begin marking with pee and urine, as well as display unpleasant and challenging behaviors related to territory and mating.
• The cost of getting her/him spayed/neutered  (a couple hundred bucks)

Adults:

Pros

• You know what you are getting – Since adult rabbits’ personalities have formed, if you go to a rabbit rescue, you find a match that fits you.  For example – if you have a busy household, lots of noise etc, you’d want to seek out a mellow rabbit. They are bossy rabbits, cuddly rabbits, goofy rabbits, brainy rabbits.  Rabbits that are good with other animals.  Rabbits that hate other animals.  There are high energy and low energy.  You name it, you’ll find it.  If you would like to help out a neglected or fearful rabbit, you can do a good deed and help socialize a bunny in need.  There are so many personalities to choose from!
• Most rescues/shelters have the bunnies already neutered –  just saved you the big bucks for the surgery
• If they are already spayed/neutered, they will be easier to litter train.  Adults in general are easier to train than babies.
• There are so many adult bunnies out there that need homes, so again, if you go to a rescue, you actually save two bunnies. The one you adopt, and the one that will take it’s place in the space you’ve freed up at the rescue.

Cons (I have to admit, I am partial to adults, so I have a very hard time with cons)

• You don’t see them grow from a baby
• You don’t know for sure what their history is, and have a bit of a learning curve as to why some things may freak them out, or why they like some things or not. 
• I honestly can’t think of anything else.

No matter what you decide, I do hope you check your local rabbit rescues and shelters first.

Helloworld!!

[Beka27]

i don’t have much to add to this other than to keep in mind the lifespan for a rabbit.  a rabbit can live 8-12 years on average… and longer with the right care.  so even if you get a rabbit that is already 2 or 3 years old… it’s entirely possible that you’ll still have your bunny for another 10 years. 

i think sometimes people think they’ll not be able to enjoy their pet for as long if he or she’s already an adult, but many times it’s hard to really enjoy your rabbit until they’re past the destructive stage anyways.  you can skip the heartache and headache (so-to-speak), and with the right personality, go right to the fun part.

[RachelC-L]

Hi. I am new on the forums.

I have adopted two baby rabbits and two adults. I would recommend an adult.

My rabbit Eve, who passed away in October, was adopted at 10 weeks. I thought if I got a young bun I could instill good habits in her. In some ways, I am sure it was a great thing…she was great at the litterbox and was one of the friendliest buns I have ever met. She had no knowledge of people ever being cruel. BUT…at times, her actual behavior was abysmal. It was unrealistic for her to really have free roam of any room…all rooms had to have x-pens around the edges. She loved to chew, everything. It didn’t matter what I did, she was determined.

Our latest two rabbits were both adopted partially because they had a lower chance of finding a home. Dorian, whom we adopted at about a year old, was returned to the rescue once for aggression…also that was the reason he was originally surrendered to the shelter (from which the rescue pulled him out). He is a feisty, 3 lb. dwarf. He used to box, lunge and grunt. He rarely does that now…he has very much come around. He isn’t one to sit down for pets, but he follows us around the house. He is a perfect house bunny, too…no destructive tendencies.

We adopted Pauline just this November and she came from a neglectful situation. She is also a pink-eyed white bunny. She is very slightly destructive, and remarkably friendly considering her horrible history.

Basically, I think a lot of “traits” are born into bunnies. Some are not friendly, some are wonderful. Every bunny is an individual. I think adopting an adult where you at least KNOW the personality a bit is a good idea. Also, you can really help save a life this way.

[Gravehearted]

hi rcamalekx – welcome!! did you adopt Dorian and Paulina though HRN? I know they’re based in the Boston area. It sounds like you really did a good thing rescuing your bunnies. It’s sounds like you really did an amazing thing rescuing two buns who really needed just the right home and a place to feel safe. they’re very lucky to have you

[BinkyBunny]

Welcome racamelkx! What a wonderful thing you did helping out bunnies that were harder for the rescues to adopt out! Though it can be challenging taking on a rabbits who have had some poor histories, I have found such reward watching them change (even if takes more tiime)

[Sarita]

Welcome racamelkx – wonderful story. So glad that you adopted those two. It is rewarding adopting rabbits who are especially needy and deserving. I agree with you too about the “traits” being born in the bunny. Some rabbits just are how they are and you have to accept them for that and not try to change them.

[RachelC-L]

Yes, they are HRN bunnies! Both of them. Dorian we adopted in March 2006 as a buddy for Eve, who died in October. Pauline we adopted just in November. We are still learning new things about her everyday.

I don’t mind adopting bunnies that are in “need.” My first two buns, Portia, the bunny I had as a teenager and Eve were both adopted (from friends whose bunnies gave birth) as 8-10 week old babies. So, I got the “baby” idea out of my head and now I know about rescues. HRN is a wonderful organization. With Dorian, we have had to do remedial litterbox training, but he is 100% trained now (amazing). Pauline also has litterbox issues…requiring us to have two litterboxes in their condo. Interestingly, she NEVER, ever pees on our house floor, but there are sometimes surprises in the wrong part of the cage. Besides these litterbox problems and Dorian’s aggression (which is now almost non-existant), there have been no problems with adopting buns that are slightly older. I was also informed of Pauline’s health history…that she has given birth twice (at least) and that she had an absess removed from her dewlap, one that has not recurred in 6+ months. Adopting a slightly older bun from a rescue insures that you know their health history, at least most of it.

Anyway, I see no reason not to adopt a slightly older bun (Dorian and Pauline were 1 and 2 respectively) but many rescues have younger buns too. HRN does not adopt out rabbits that haven’t be altered, so their youngest are about 5 months.

[wendyzski]

For me there really wasn’s any question – I specifically asked about older rabbits when I applied to adopt – particularly those that had been at the shelter for a while. 

As a first-time rabbit-slave, I knew I didn’t have the patience to deal with the energy of a baby bun and wasn’t sure if I was up to the challenge of training one.  I knew that the volunteers could give me a good idea of each rabbit’s personality so I’d know what I was getting into.  Of course I felt better knowing that I was taking in a bunny who really needed a second chance.  AND they would be already speutered and littlerbox trained to some degree.

Pepper was about a year and a half old and had been at the shelter for nearly a year.  She was reserved but still relaxed around me, so we chose each other.   Hey, I’m an older female who is rather set in my ways as well!

[BinkyBunny]

wendyzski – How wonderful! Do you remember what it was like for Pepper when you first brought her home. I mean after being at a shelter for so long, when you brought her home, how did she react to all the space and attention? I love hearing stories like yours (and Pepper’s_

[MooBunnay]

My recommendation would also be an adult bun – for many of the same reasons that BinkyBunny mentioned – but especially because its my favorite thing to go to a shelter, and find the most unadoptable bun, and take them home and give them a great life that they would have never gotten the chance to have. For some reason, it seems the most unadoptable buns I’ve had so far have been the absolute best house buns. Henri, we adopted as an adult, he was unadoptable because he was quite big, and would lunge at anyone who came into his “territory” – but after about 2 months of working with Henri, he now loves my fiance and will snuggle him and groom him, and he loves to play games with me. He is the best behaved of my buns too, no chewing, digging or anything else, he just enjoys sitting in his cage and snoozing or disapproving of the other “lesser” buns (his opinion )

Martin we also adopted as an adult, he was unadoptable because he was extremely skittish, and wouldn’t eat his hay, and was always a bit sickly. Well, turns out he is just a shy bun, and once we got him home and started working with him he turned into a hay eating monster, and is super healthy! After approximately 6 months of working with him, he now runs up to us as soon as we enter the house for pets and snuggles right down to enjoy them.

I did foster two baby bunnies, and they were a joy as well, but nothing compares to turning around the life of a long-time shelter bun. So I recommend going to a shelter and asking what bun has been there the longest to get the most rewarding companionship

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