Going to meet a new bunny – please help!

[Urfcerin]

I am going to meet a bunny who is being rehomed. She’s a two year old holland lop who was said to have been frequently handled. I am looking for a nice family pet, and ideally a bunny who enjoys being petted on the floor so he/she can go to school with me on occasion as a “therapy bunny”. I’m an elementary counselor. Are there suggestions for how to assess this rabbits temperament when I visit? I know it’ll take any rabbit time to acclimate to a new person but are there red flags to look for that might indicate a rabbit who won’t be an ideal family pet?

[peppypoo]

Do you know if she is spayed? Whether or not a rabbit is fixed can make a significant difference in behavior.

[tanlover14]

Agreed – make sure she is spayed if you’re looking for a specific temperament.

I do believe Lops are known for their docile temperaments though. Bunnies are typically skittish when meeting you for the first time. I would just play it by ear and see how it goes. My fourth one Simba, we were looking for a “lap bunny”. He was very skittish at first and didn’t come to me right away and wouldn’t even take his favorite treat if offered. But once home, he settled in great. He loves cuddles and giving kisses. And is very easy to handle.

I would suggest having the person you are getting him from show you how well he does being handled by her. This should give you an idea of how he is with his “family”. Simba jumped in his foster mommas lap and was cuddling into her because he was nervous. He was used to her and you could tell by his relationship and reactions with her that his reactions to us were simply him being nervous and scared.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I ditto that lops tend to be more docile and calm, although this is only my experience, every bunny is different. I’ve had 3 lops and 2 uppy eared and my lops were/are much more calm and snuggly.

Keep in mind, though, that some bunnies are nervous around strangers.

[Elrohwen]

Good suggestions. See how she is with her current owners and that will give you a good idea. Most bunnies are fairly timid around strangers, so she may react differently to you at first than she will once she is home.

I have two lops and my holland is very calm and laid back, but not a snuggler and doesn’t like to be touched. My mini lop girl is not calm and loves to run around and get into trouble, but she is also very snuggly and loves to be petted. So calm doesn’t necessarily = snuggly.

[kcomstoc]

Posted By Elrohwen on 05/23/2013 09:20 AM
Good suggestions. See how she is with her current owners and that will give you a good idea. Most bunnies are fairly timid around strangers, so she may react differently to you at first than she will once she is home.

I have two lops and my holland is very calm and laid back, but not a snuggler and doesn’t like to be touched. My mini lop girl is not calm and loves to run around and get into trouble, but she is also very snuggly and loves to be petted. So calm doesn’t necessarily = snuggly.

I agree calm doesn’t equal snuggly, my holland lop bunny Caleb is very sweet (he never has bitten my BF and I and instead gives kisses). He loves to explore more than coming to either of us, he’ll come over for a pet every now and then but he really just likes moving around more.

 

[Urfcerin]

Thank you! I actually passed on meeting this particular rabbit. The owner seemed a bit shady and wasn’t receptive to answering my questions. I am meeting another rabbit next Thursday, and was also just notified that my local shelter has a litter of 9 week old holland lops.

[Chronicambitions]

Glad to hear that you’re rescuing. Do you live far from the school? Rabbits get stressed out very easily from car rides. Your bunny might not be as receptive to meeting children after a long car ride.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Nice work passing on the bunny, it’s hard to do but buying/adopting from shady people encourages shady people good luck with meeting the new bunny!! Let us know how it goes!

[Urfcerin]

I live about 7-10 minutes from my school. If the rabbit is stressed by the experience I certainly won’t force it. I am meeting two rabbits this week – a 6 month old holland lop and a 1 year old holland lop. Both are said to be very friendly and like attention. The older lop apparently demands attention when there are people around and is quite content to snuggle. I’m anxious to meet both! I will keep everyone posted.

[Author]

Messages