Dear Gosh, I thought I had Enough Problems!

[Kyoshi]

If you’ve seen some of my threads, you know that I have bunny problems. Everything i read just comes in a blur, I am truly learning nothing! (Which Is saying something, cause I get straight A’s.) But, on top of my habitat, money, and food problems, I have another (And Probably more) I dont know how to pick my baby bunny. My qualifications are that I want a girl (can you tell at 8 weeks?), I want her to be playful (Again, can you tell at 8 weeks?), and friendly (AGAIN can you tell at 8 weeks?), and finally healthy (any tips on that can help). And I only know 4 things. 1. To tell if they are healthy they have alert eyes. 2. They need to be graceful hoppers, not wobegone(Funny Word!) or Akward. and 3. They can’t have stinky ears. (oh wait. Thats 3. Dang it!) So, HOW do you pick the right bunny? Can you tell what they are like as 8 weekers(not a real word. I know)?

 

 

UPDATE: Sorry. The Poll’s Kinda Messed Up.

[mocha200]

when i picked out my mocha boy i spent time with him and held him and so i new he was the one i wanted! so i would say before you get a bun make sure you spend time with him/her! i got him when he was a month old and we thought he was a girl at a month so its kinda hard to tell! (sorry i am not much of a help!) do you know were your getting your bun?

[Kyoshi]

only a month? I am not getting my bun until shes 2 months at least. Am I getting her late? At two Months can you tell?

[Monkeybun]

Its hard to tell if they will be playful, friendly, any kind of personality trait you want until AFTER they get spayed/neutered. Before that, mos of their personality will be first just baby bunny funny, then all hormonal emo teenager.

Note: Girls cost more to spay than it does for neutering boys. And my boy Moose is the more friendly of all the 3 bunnies currently here. Girls seem to be more… hmm. Dominant and demanding I suppose. At least mine have been!

So don’t pick a bunny just based on gender. Pick the one that just seems to call out to you.

[Barbie]

Since you haven’t picked your bunny yet, can I suggest that you look for one at a shelter or with a local HRS? There are so many benefits to adopting and you’ll be able to get ALL your questions answered if you go that route.

1. Most shelters and HRS groups spay/neuter the buns before adoption so you’ll know FOR SURE what sex bunny you’re getting. And yes, adoption fees are usually more than it costs to buy a bunny from the pet store (though the pet stores in my town sell the buns for $50 and my local humane society’s adoption fee is only $40) but then you won’t have to worry about the $200-300 required for a spay or neuter later down the road.

2. Typically the bunny also gets a general vet check up so you’ll know it’s healthy (though it’s always a good idea to take the bun in to your vet for a check up first thing, and as far as I know, most rescues and shelters require that you take the bun to the vet within a certain time frame after adoption – two weeks is what I’ve typically seen).

3. Yes, most buns at shelters and rescues are not babies, but you can find LOTS of young buns (1-2 year range) up for adoption. And the benefit of getting a mature bunny is that its personality has already developed. If the bunny has been in a foster home or if anyone at the shelter has spent some time with the bunny they’ll be able to tell you all about the bunny’s habits and personality. And you’ll be able to spend time with the bunnies before picking one (as opposed to at a pet store or breeder where there may or may not be space for you to spend any amount of time with the potential buns).

Happy bunny hunting!

[Barbie]

Oh and a note on the gender preference… my Leroy (male) is MUCH less fussy than Jeannie (female). They’re both fun in their own way and I love them to bits, but I’ve found that Leroy is much more easy going and he’ll sit next to me for pets for as long as I’ll pet him whereas Jeannie is very hyper and will come to me for a nose rub and then zoom off again to do her own thing. So you should really base your decision on the bunny’s personality and what you want in a bun than its gender.

[LoveChaCha]

You will never know what type of personality you will get. Like human babies, all bunny babies are different and their personality truly comes out after a few months. I’ve read someplace that a bunny’s true personality doesn’t fully develop until they are a year old.

I have a girl Netherland Dwarf. She was very very shy and scared when I got her and was for a few months. After her spay, she began to be diva queen and decided that she owns me and my stuff.

Bunnies don’t have stinky ears They are avid cleaners and have OCD when it comes to cleaning !

I chose by seeing photographs. I fell in love with her baby photo.
You will just ‘know.’

[MimzMum]

lolz…I didn’t pick my bunnies…they picked me!
I think an open mind is best. And Barbie’s shelter idea. “The One” will choose you.

[RabbitPam]

Barbie said everything I was about to.
Babies are cute, and by the way, 9 weeks or later is the best age to get them to be sure they are fully weaned and healthy. Others have them younger due to circumstances, but I’m talking about the ideal safety zone. Anyway, they are much more of a crap shoot.

A shelter bunny, by only 12 months or even less, will be speutered, socialized, examined by a vet, and assessed for personality traits. The reason they can help bunny dating at shelters is because the staff is knowledgeable about who is like what. If I met Sammykins today, she would be feisty, won’t be picked up, never jumps, likes head pets and loves hay. I had no idea when I got her. I would love to go to a shelter and be handed a bunny that “loves or tolerates being held, will cooperate with nail trims, sweet.” That’s often a boy, by the way.

But the day before I drove to the nearest shelter an hour away, I met Samantha. Too late. She was it. She liked me, picked me out, and now I have “feisty, won’t be picked up….”

P.S. One added bonus: you will know their full adult size. So none of this “she’s a mini lop” that a year later is 10 lbs. and you’re asking us what her breed really is because someone lied to you to make a sale.

[Kyoshi]

Dear Gawd, Now I’m Torn. I want the baby bun at the store, of course, but the idea of a shelter bun sounds like a better idea! I mean, baby bunnies would be sooo cute but a shelter bun would need rescuing…… What do I do!

[Kyoshi]

Just checked some shelters! Found an ADORABLE Angora Bunny Named Brooklyn. Shes from California! She was brought from there to here. She’s beautiful. I think I might get her.

[Beka27]

I would absolutely recommend you rescue a bunny needing a home. Petfinder is a wonderful resource, you can find bunnies in any color, size, breed. Talk with your parents about this if you are serious about adopting. It would be better for you (less cost, less mess, less destruction) and much better for the bunny you are rescuing. They would need to officially adopt the bunny for you, but I hope they would be willing to take the responsibility.

[Kyoshi]

Which would you reccommend for a first time bunny owner? A baby, or an Adult?

[Kyoshi]

Would it be bad if I got an angora? I heard that brushing is a good way to bond, and boy, do I have the time for it!

[Beka27]

I recommend adults for everyone. An adult rabbit is easier. Babies are messy, they can be hard to littertrain and mean once puberty hits. If you can adopt a rabbit that is already spay/neutered, the adoption fee might be $50-75 , BUT… you’re saving a couple hundred dollars because you don’t have to pay for the surgery yourself.

I wouldn’t recommend an angora for a first time bunny owner. They require a lot of grooming, and just because you have time right now, that doesn’t mean that will always be the case. They can get matted fur easily, and that will require a vet visit for the bunny to get shaved down. I would go with just a “regular” medium-sized rabbit…

[kralspace]

Having had both, I would definitely recommend an adult. You know what their personalities are, the s/n anxiety is over and they are much more mellow. I love all my buns, but looking back, we had a few months at the cute baby stage and then over a year of hormones, spay/neuter, bonding, etc—-all the teenage agnst I could stand.

The last 2 years have been bliss as they’ve all matured and developed their personalities.

Now, the last 2 months with youngster Charlie has reinforced the ‘no more babies’ notion. That boy bounces off the walls, the furniture and has more energy than all of us put together…..lol He’s not bad, he’s just a growing kid and I’ve had to go back into babyproofing mode 😉

[Kyoshi]

Oh she said dissapointedly

[Kyoshi]

Is it Ok to get an angora though?

[Beka27]

If you want an angora, talk to the rescue about the daily level of upkeep required. Since you will be the primary caretaker, it’s possible they will not even let you adopt an angora, so don’t get your heart too set on one particular bunny. As I said, I would not recommend you get an angora… but that is a decision to be made between you, your parents, and the rescue.

[foxtailskies]

As a rule… and people think I’m crazy because I’m such a huge animal lover… I HATE dealing with baby and adolescent animals!!!! I got my cat as a 3 year old, two rabbits as 2 year olds, and the newest bunny is the youngest critter I’ve had in about ten years, at 7 months old (and I was not looking for a baby! He picked me!!!!). I’m currently looking for a dog and the YOUNGEST I’m likely to take is a two year old! Puppies/kittens/baby bunnies/etc are just adorable but they’re a ton of extra work, and I just prefer animals with an established personality (and a bit of a brain!) by the time I get them. There are a lot less surprises when you take an emotionally as well as physically mature animal in- as a rule, once you get past new-pet-jitters, what you see is what you get. Plus, you get a good karma bonus since these are almost always rescue animals!

Besides, adult bunnies have the added bonus of being JUST as cute as babies!

[Free2Dream]

I have heard that long-haired breeds, especially Angoras, can be a lotttt of work because their hair mats up so easily. You might have the time to groom an Angora bun now, but what if a future life change (like a new job, more school work, etc.) dramatically reduces the amount of time you can spend caring for your bun’s coat? Some breeds have medium-length hair.

Adopting an adult rabbit would be a wonderful thing to do. I wanted to do this, but my gf insisted that we go to a breeder because she wanted to raise a baby. *rollseyes.* The best thing about getting an adult would be 1) You’d be helping a bun in need, 2) He or she will probably already be litter trained, 3) He or she will probably also be neutered or spayed already.

[Kyoshi]

I don’t think I’ll be too busy for it. I mean, I wake up at 7:00, and devote 1/2 hour to my guineas. All Summer I have TONS of time. And I’ll only be a school for 8 hours, come home and I generally breeze through schoolwork. Plus, I watch lots of tv, so I could do it during that time.

[skibunny8503]

I put that I picked out 3-5 but I think in actuality they picked me    Right now I have 1 holland lop and 2 mini lops and I just love the lops they are so playful and cute!  BUT you have to go to a shelter and see what bun you’d like or what bun would like you   My Gracie (mini lop) has longer hair and she has potty issues sometimes and it’s so hard because we give her a bath and have to dry her with a blow dryer while combing her and she’s still not all dry so the next day I comb the mats from her fur.  Not every bun is going to have a problem like that but just giving you an example.  And since I have 3 and they’re upstairs there is hair EVERYWHERE esp. when they shed at the same time   Angoras are cute but you do have to comb them every single day…and that’s hoping you have an understanding bunny that will let you comb them.  I’ve never owned an angora and they’re not for me but maybe they’re for you.  

I’ve owned adults and babies….Babies are soooo cute but they get into everything.  I def. recommending getting a shelter bun it’s so rewarding to save a bun and giving them a second chance.  Usually shelters will spay/neuter the rabbit so you may only have to pay $30 or $60 for a bun that is already fixed and when you go to the petstore it’s cheaper but you’re paying $100+ to get it fixed. 

Good luck in your hunt!

[Beka27]

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aff/2/aft/110920/afv/topic/afnp/189509/Default.aspx

Cornpathia has a thread right now in this same section about what a difficult time she is having grooming her long-haired bunny. Not all rabbits tolerate grooming very well, and this is another reason why it’s recommended that some types of rabbits going to experienced people. Would you be prepared to pay for professional grooming if necessary?

[Kyoshi]

What I am thinking of doing is getting her hair clipped at a couple points, but I don’t know when. I have TONS of time in the summer, but we may vacation, though I would probably bring her, But she might get to hot. While in the Fall I might not have as much time, she could get too cold. Of course, If I kept it all long, I would make the time. Does angora hair grow like hair, or does it grow denser abnd fuzzier, like a sheep? I looked at as many pic I could, but I am getting confused.

[MissKris&Koji]

Clipping is recommended by many, as rabbits are prone to overheating and, can you imagine wearing that much clothes around in the heat of summer?

But you really need to have a very good bunny to do it yourself or get professional grooming done. Because rabbit skin is very stretchy, a tiny cut with scissors while clipping can turn into a HUGE hole. Clipping is great, but you should really talk to the person who has been caring for this rabbit about how she has been about the grooming process. If she loves getting brushed or tolerates getting clipped, then maybe it’s not so bad.

But if she’s shy, or doesn’t like the process, that may be too much to handle with no bunny or grooming experience.

And I agree to what everyone else said… pick out some you want to go meet, or if you’re able go meet everyone available at the shelter, and see how you feel. I could tell within 2 minutes of spending time with the guy I picked that I loved him, and he was not actually the one I thought I was going to take home, he was far down on my list when I went in.

[Author]

Messages