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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.
› Forum › RESCUE EFFORTS FOR SHELTERS › Rubies – Sweetest Bunny Breed Ever
I love rubies – they are frequently at shelters. People say they are the most affectionate rabbit breed ever. They are used in laboratories – its so sad. I don’t know why people hate them because of their eyes…..
I love REW’s as well – I don’t currently have one but I have owned many including Californians and New Zealands and if I ever got another rabbit it would be a REW.
I love them! If I ever adopt another rabbit(I have adopted all of my three rabbits) I will look for a Ruby. They are often neglected in hutches as meat rabbits because they have such good meat….That also saddens me. ):
ADOPT DON’T SHOP!
Here are some of my REW’s (they have all gone to the Bridge now) and all were either strays or from local shelters….Emmy (Rex), Giselle, Jingles, Maxine, Panda.
They look so sweet! My first rabbit was mixed with a REW and a Dwarf Hotot – loved her to pieces.
I think everybody here knows I am a complete sucker for the REWs. I have never had a rabbit who isn’t one. I just don’t understand how anybody could hate them because of the color of their eyes. I think they are beautiful, I have had four of these lil devils and I love them to death!
I think one problem with REWs is similar to the problem shelters have with black animals. Pictures on websites are so important right now to get pets adopted, and you have to take special care to make REWs look good.
That’s just terrible that people shy away from an animal just because of appearance. Black bunnies are absolutely adorable – my Lily is the sweetest!!
It’s not so much appearance as personality in photos. You can’t make out features on a black animal very well, it makes it harder to connect with it.
REWs I think have the same thing–The camera just picks up on that glowing red eye and people don’t notice anything else. I think with the right photography, black animals and REWs would have a better chance.
Rubies are so cute! ^-^ I hate the idea of meat/fur rabbits. God put on this planet to protect our animals, not hurt them in any way possible.
Both mine and my fiance’s rabbits are ruby eyes. Our male (Kern) is a Californian/dwarf mix and our female (Bleu) is a New Zealand/Californian mix. When we first walked into the room where the humane society kept the rabbits as soon as Bleu saw us she perked up and wanted attention. I fell in love instantly. The majority of rabbits at the humane society are ruby eyed. Its so sad that people don’t want them. Whenever anyone comes over and sees our bunnies the first thing they comment on is their red eyes. Its frustrating that they don’t see their adorable happy faces first and go right for the “scary” red eyes
I think videos help. Shelters often post videos of black rabbits or REWs so they can see the personality. The picture here of this REW lop mix is good lighting, and good camera work. The key is to get a good camera and have the REW by a source of natural light. I think they are beautiful, but not all people see that right away. In most shelters, pictures are often by harsh, unnatural light, and the flash usual goes off. Then, the rubies get the eye glow. I think it’s cruel that people just discard any idea of adopting these animals because of the way they look.
I agree, but not all shelter staff know a whole lot about technology or psychology unfortunately!
Agreed. It’s unfortunate, yes.
(By the way, on the topic of black rabbits, your buns are adorable! The last two look like Rex rabbits. I used to have a black Rex bunny. Name was Lillian.
Actually, the one on the LEFT is part rex, and the other two are Havana/New Zealand mixes LOL.
And thank you =) Rex fur is nice.
i’m going to be adopting pretty soon, and I’m hoping to find a NZW in need of a home! I’ve heard they have great, affectionate personalities… I see past those ruby eyes. I think they’re beautiful! I love these Alice in Wonderland bunnies! (The rabbit with the watch I believe is supposed to be a NZW)
That’s great, Lulu!
Nice to hear! I just LOVE Rubies.
One of my current rabbits is a ruby eyed white New Zealand. We adopted her from the shelter last year, and we think she’s beautiful. She was there for several months, while other rabbits (lops, spotted, etc.) got adopted ahead of her. It is very sad that some people don’t like that breed, and would never consider getting one.
I totally agree, tobyluv. Makes me want to adopt all of the NewZeas(LOL, just made that up) in the whole world. But of course, I can’t. Promoting the adoptions of these sweethearts will have to suffice.
My NZ is the best bunny in the world. There is no reason for the bunny population to continue because Mr. Bunny has achieved evolutionary perfection. He is big, cute, sweet, cuddly, lovable, squeezable, and silly. His eyes match his pink ears and he’d look weird with any other color.
Here’s proof:
They’re such big, gentle giants! I heard they are much like Flemish Giants.
By the way, those are adorable pictures. Love the reindeer antlers – cute!
No, though I love their looks.
BUT I had a REW guinea pig as my pet when I was a teenager. Albino!
Yay for REW bunnies and piggies(have a few of both myself!)!
You know it’s funny (read this thread earlier when first created and just did a catch up), I only chose (asked for) Henry cause my dog’s are black & white and white, so wanted a ‘brown’ bunny. If my dog’s had of been black and or brown I would have wanted a ‘white’ bunny. It never occurred to me the ‘ruby’ eye’s? and I wouldn’t have cared. Never gave the eye colour a second thought. There you go…..
I must be more dohey than I thought – why do people not like the ruby eye colour?
The “ruby” eyed animals can freak people a little. Makes them think they’re demon-like.
Appearances are deceiving.
They just lack melanin, the colouring pigment.
Just saw this video on the HRS site. Thought it fitting to share in this thread.
I JUST DON’T SEE THE BIG DEAL!! They are GORGEOUS! So what if their eyes are red?!
I JUST DON’T SEE THE BIG DEAL!! They are GORGEOUS! So what if their eyes are red?!
Okay, Confession time. I’m a recent convert. I’ve always been weirded out by red eyed animals. I’ve also always known that my reaction to them was unreasonable and stupid, but it wasn’t something I could control. I accepted this as a personal failing and moved on with my life.
However, I recently took my George to a shelter to find a bondmate. I was asked if I’d consider a pair instead of a singleton, which of course I would. (If I had enough money, I’d adopt all the rabbits in the entire world.) George fell head over heels for a rabbit who was bonded to an REW. I was willing to accept my unconscious disconcertion with REWs when it came to my happiness but not when it came to George’s.
So, I brought them home and I am officially obsessed with my REW who’s got the coloration of a Himalayan, the pudge-y little body of a lop, a stately little dewlap, and the sweetest disposition EVER. She’s not even spayed (working on that) and she’s made of love. I don’t know how she has room for her organs with all that love inside her. I accidentally cut the quick on her toe the other day and I didn’t even know until I saw it bleeding. She wasn’t angry or mean at all. She was happy to be loved and cuddled on even though she was in pain.
Also, the more time I spend with her the cuter she gets. I mean look at this.
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She’s so beautiful.
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Even the cat’s in love with her.
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I feel horrible about it, but I remember looking at her at the shelter and thinking she was terrifying (she did also have earmites at the time). Even now sometimes I catch her at just the wrong angle when she’s got her eyes wide open and she looks like she’s trying to suck out my soul. But most of the time she’s so adorable that if she asked for my soul, I’d give it to her.
It is so different to be around a rabbit all the time. Their personality starts to become something you physically see while looking at them. I really do think that better pictures of REWs not just to minimize glare but to show them engaging in activities that they enjoy, playing with a stuffed animal, snuggled in a basket of hay. Petfinder pics of buns always make them look startled and vaguely horrified.
Rubies are adorable bunnies. I watched that video that was posted above, very nice.
I love that video. Thanks JG.
Video: “give a ruby eyed bunny a chance”
Me: “I GAVE, darn it!”
Major Bullmoose-So glad you see differently now, your new bun is adorable!
Posted By LongEaredLions on 5/07/2014 12:42 AM
Video: “give a ruby eyed bunny a chance”
Me: “I GAVE, darn it!”
Lol, I love the “I GAVE, darn it!” I love REW buns, they are so gorgeous!
One quick question about REWs, So, I heard rabbits with REW coloring are more likely to get so scared they will have a heart attack, then any other coloration. Is that true?
I think they are just gorgeous. In fact we got pepper from a farm for $5 because she is all black the lady said they can hardly sell pure black bunnies and all of her brothers and sisters that were mixed coloring were $15. Oh well, your loss lady for valuing her less do to her color! And there was a REW at the HRS we were interested in adopting as her mate but my appendix almost burst the day before we were gonna go meet him and 4 days later my hubby found Dio at the local shelter and fell in love with him and brought him home for me while I was recuperating. I don’t know why people judge an animal’s personality based on their looks.
REW bunnies are just like other bunnies and will not be more easily scared. It just depends of the personality of the individual bunnies.
That’s what I thought, though I wasn’t sure and wanted to hear from the REW experts.
Here is my ruby eyes girl, Lily. My bun and her hit it off at the rescue so she came home with me, was so sad to hear that they had trouble adopting out the red eyed buns… she had been there for a year . I love my boy to bits but she is the sweetest most cuddly bunny, she melted my heart as soon as I met her, she came up to me and licked my hand .
Lily is so pretty!
Cutie! Glad she has a home with you after all that time at the rescue!
› Forum › RESCUE EFFORTS FOR SHELTERS › Rubies – Sweetest Bunny Breed Ever