Initial Research, looking for new bunny

[Joe]

Hi,

I’m doing some initial research on getting an indoor bunny for our daughter (8).  From what I’ve read, the Dutch breed would be the best suited for a child.  We’ve also ordered the book “House Rabbit Handbook” as we educate ourselves on being responsible rabbit owners.

We’re close to Dallas and I know there are a couple of Bunny adoption places there but we’d really like to have a young rabbit.

As with dogs, is there a way to identify or find responsible rabbit breeders or are we pretty much locked into adoption?  We definitely do not want to support the pet shop industry or “backyard” breeders.

Any advice would be appreciated.  Currently the search function here on the forum is down so I unfortunately wasn’t able to look for similar threads.

Thanks!

Joe

[tobyluv]

If you buy a young bunny from a breeder, you will be faced with having to pay for spay or neuter in a few months. Most vets charge a few hundred dollars for that. Then you have the after care needed for the rabbit, plus there is always a worry when rabbits go under anesthesia. You will also deal with bunnies who can change and have unwanted behaviors when puberty hits. That can start as young as 3 months of age.

If you adopt from a rescue, the rabbit will already be spayed or neutered, it may also be litter box trained. Most rabbits in rescues are fairly young, a year or less old. When you adopt from a rescue, that also allows the rescue to be able to accept another rabbit. Most rescues stay full and have to turn away rabbits all the time.

It’s very good that you are doing research on rabbits and their care.  If your daughter is hoping for a pet that she can hold and cuddle, then a rabbit is probably not the right animal for her.  Most rabbits hate being held and will usually struggle, which may result in them getting dropped and injured. You can also find a lot of good information on all the basics of bunny care in the BUNNY INFO section here.  The link is at the top of the page.

[Joe]

tobyluv – thanks for the great info.

I’ve (recently) read in a few places that rabbits do not like being held/cuddled. I’m glad you pointed this out. My wife and I have started discussing this and agree that much more thought and reading is due before we make any decisions.

I also appreciate your feedback on adopting vs purchasing. I think adoption would be a better way to go if we come to a consensus on getting a house rabbit.

Finally, I’m going to check out the BUNNY INFO section shortly.

Thanks again for your input / feedback!

Joe

[Wick & Fable]

It’s excellent that you’re doing research, instead of going in without being prepared. Unfortunately, our forums are filled with many stories of children who find themselves unprepared and having parents who are unwilling to help because neither party understood the amount of work, time, and expense is needed for domestic rabbit care. There are an excessive amount of misunderstandings about rabbit needs, whether it’s heath-related, diet, or habitat. Purchasing a good-quality book is great, and I was really happy to read that you stated “as we educate ourselves” — it’s a great sign when the rabbit is a family pet, in contrast to being pushed onto a child or a parent.

There is a huge appeal to getting a young rabbit for a couple of very attractive reasons. Wick was the youngest age possible to be separated from his mother (8 weeks old; do not go any younger) and was purchased from a breeder. That being said, I very much regret it due to the fact that we clearly supported a bad breeder. Wick has contracted a number of illnesses, had one from the start, and generally has signs of bad breeding conditions.

Unless you visit the site, it’s very easy for a breeder to come off as being very knowledgeable and appear that their rabbits are of good health. For this reason and many others, I do suggest visiting a rescue first. You may find yourself extremely surprised how a great environment can change a rabbit, and how attractive even older rabbits are when you meet them in person, have them sniff you, etc..

There are some things I’ve come across on the forums that have been ‘flags’ for breeders (but again, I do recommend a rescue):

1. Giving misleading information. For example, I’ve heard of some breeders pushing people to buy the rabbit and its sibling because rabbits do better in pairs. This is generally true, but some people have said the breeder neglects* to mention that a) sexing baby rabbits is difficult so there’s no guarantee they are not opposite sex, b) rabbits do not acknowledge family units so they will breed/fight with siblings/parents, and c) rabbits need to be bonded in order to stay together without fighting and this process is long and requires both rabbits to be fixed first……. so there’s a lot of information I feel should be shared, but I have seen stories of breeders that seem more focused on selling more “product”.

2. Giving wrong information. Some breeders have a different view of rabbits, and see them more as livestock for display. They may say all you need to feed a rabbit is a pellet feed that they provide for you. This is incorrect, and is not a healthy rabbit diet.

3. Suggesting to purchase bad-quality items. A breeder may, with or without good intentions, try and bundle the rabbit with other items, like a cage, litterbox, etc.. Take a critical look at those items and see if they are actually good for a pet rabbit. If not, that can be a reflection of the breeder’s general education about rabbit life. Is the cage much too small? Is the litterbox too small? Do they imply that the rabbit just needs to stay in the cage and does not need more room?

… So those are just a few. Mainly, ask questions and see whether the person seems informed.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Welcome Joe! It’s very good to see people doing their research before getting rabbits
Rabbits are often advertised as low-maintenance pets, but that’s outdated info and far from the truth. Many rabbits were bred for their meat and fur, and it wasn’t until the eighties that people started to see rabbits as house pets and a part of the family. You’ll find that public knowledge about rabbits is outdated: carrots are a special treat instead of a food staple, they usually don’t like to be picked up and held, and they aren’t that docile at all. It can be quite difficult to get proper products for your rabbit because many suppliers offer products that would be used for meat rabbits instead of healthy house rabbits. Hutches are often way too small, and there are treats and rabbit food which contain ingredients that aren’t healthy for a bun. The situation is improving, but the public perception of rabbits as easy children’s pets is hard to shake off. You’ll find a lot of info on the web, and I hope that this can help you to make a decision. The fact that you are doing your research is already a massive bonus: many people get rabbits because they fall in love with a fuzzy face, only to find out that they can’t give them all they need.

Tobyluv and Wick make some great points: make sure that you pick a rabbit for the right reasons, because many people find that a rabbit is a lot different than they expected. Many rabbits end up in a hutch in the garden with little interaction, while they have much more to offer as family pets. Rabbits are not eager to be picked up, but most of them love to be petted on the floor. If they are very comfortable with you they may also join you on the couch for snuggles. Rabbits can form a very deep bond with their humans, much like cats and dogs. They are also trainable and they’ll respond to your moods. However, it can take them a while to warm up to you because they don’t deal well with changes. They thrive in calmer households: rabbits are prey animals who are sensitive to loud noises and too much activity.

It’s recommended to keep rabbits indoors so they’ll have less stress from wild animals and overly curious cats/dogs. Rabbits get stressed easily and this reduces their lifespan drastically. They can live up to 8-12 years if you keep them in a stress-free environment, so it’s important to plan ahead like you would for a cat or dog. What to do when your daughter goes to college? Does your family make frequent trips for holidays or weekend getaways? (You’ll need an experienced rabbit sitter because rabbits tend to hide illness. They can go from seemingly healthy to nearly dead in a day.)
Can the family pay the vet bills for an elderly rabbit? Rabbits are considered exotic animals and they need a specialised vet which isn’t your regular cat&dog vet. Simple tests like bloodwork can easily cost €200. Rabbits need a lot of space to exercise, and they need to be supervised while playing. They need approx. 3 hours of play time each day, so they’re definitely a bigger time commitment than a cat. Rabbits also need a lot of attention so they don’t get lonely, and when your family members go to work/school they’ll need a rabbit companion to fall back on. It’s important to consider if your family can meet the time and money costs.

This is our situation: I’m home all day because of a disability, and our rabbit is with me at all times. In the afternoon he sleeps at my feet underneath the coffee table, and in the evening he joins me for cuddles on the couch. He is free-roam in my living room, so he can seek me out when he wants. I got Breintje when I started to date my boyfriend. He said that we’d both benefit from eachothers company, so Breintje moved to my place after our second date. Having a rabbit is very different from what I expected, but very rewarding if you can put a lot of effort into the relationship. Breintje comforts me when I’m poorly and cheers me up with his antics and his bunny kisses. I’m amazed at how trainable and intelligent rabbits are. I’ve taught Breintje several voice commands so that he goes into his hutch without a fuss, and he is perfectly litter-trained. Despite all the interaction we share I sometimes wonder if Breintje would like a rabbit companion. Maybe we’ll try to find a buddy for him when we move to a bigger house. I plan to start a small business from home, and we have to care for Breintjes well-being. Breintje has become a true part of our family and we love to share our life with him.

[Taloan7]

Here’s my two cents as someone who got their daughter a bunny for her birthday. I definitely recommend if you get a pet (any pet, not just a rabbit) you go into imagining that this is a pet you will provide the care for and your child will assist you as much as possible. Frequently kids lose interest or don’t provide adequate care and the animal suffers because of it. If you take it on as your responsibility that the child can help with then the pet is always well cared for you and doesn’t suffer for being used as a learning opportunity. I know a family whose cockatiel starved to death because the child regularly forgot to feed it, or more often the child would lose interest and the family would rehome the pet. My daughter loves her bunny, the sense of responsibility and the idea that she has a pet of her own, but I would never have gotten one if I needed her to provide all the care.

[Joe]

Wick, Ellie and Taloan,

Thanks for all the detailed feedback!

After reading (and re-reading) all the above posts and conferring with my wife, I think we’re going to keep reading/studying and hold off for a few years on getting a house rabbit. This way, we can re-engage the subject when our little one is a bit more mature and ready to accept/discuss more realistic expectations.

Thanks again to all for the great help and info!

Joe

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

You’re welcome Joe! Thank you for making an informed decision, I wish more people would treat rabbits with as much respect as your family does. If you do decide to get rabbits in the future I’m sure your family would be an amazing home. My post above may look a bit brutal, but I found that it helps people to see the downsides of owning a rabbit. Seeing the sunny side of having a rabbit is easy: they are immensely cute and very social animals, and it’s a massive satisfaction to earn their love and trust. But contrary to popular belief they’re a massive commitment, and it’s good to be aware of this. Feel free to ask more questions about rabbit ownership (/slavery) if you want

On the forum we try to give rabbits and owners a better life by sharing info and experiences. I always hope to spare other rabbits the fate of my childhood rabbit Snuffel. My grandparents lived in a poor rural area and bred meat rabbits to supplement their meager pension. My grandpa surprised me with a small black bunny after my parents got divorced, I think I was 5 or 6. Sadly we weren’t ready for a rabbit at all because my mum had many other things to worry about, and I was too young to care for a rabbit. Snuffel ended up alone in a small hutch in the garden. I remember that I hated having to clean his hutch because it got so smelly (I didn’t clean often enough, but didn’t know that back then). He passed away after only a couple of years, and I never knew why. Looking at the bond I have with Breintje it breaks my heart to think about Snuffel’s life. I can’t make it up with Snuffel anymore, but maybe I can help other people and other rabbits to develop a great bond together.

[Author]

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