Thinking of

[Bri]

Hey,

I’m new here. I’m thinking of getting myself a rabbit. I’ve been looking around at breeders, shelters, rescues, etc. I’m just browsing right now and trying to learn everything I can before I decide to get one. Does anyone have any good advice or anything I should know about rabbits? Can they be kept in pairs? How do they show affection towards people? Do they get pretty attached to their owners?

Also, if anyone can recommend any North California breeders/rescues, then that’d be awesome. Thanks!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Welcome!! Pairs are the best, neutered/spayed though! They definitely show affection and my bid is to adopt from a shelter-baby animals are cute, but they don’t stay that way and they will need neutering/spaying AND adopted animals usually come toilet trained

[Beka27]

welcome here. i absolutely ditto K&K. pairs are ideal if you have the space, and double the money for food, litter, hay and vet care. you can get them already bonded at a rescue, or adopt too separate but seemingly compatible bunnies and bond them yourself. when you adopt, they are usually spayed or neutered and littetrainined which is a major bonus over babies.

check out the House Rabbit Society… rabbit.org

and the bunny info at the top of this page.

there is a lot of conflicting info online, so if you are unsure about anything, or have anymore questions, please ask.

[TARM]

Welcome!

My advice to you would be to adopt a bonded adult pair from a rescue for your first set. They do well in pairs and trios and yes, they bond to their humans. If you adopt from a rescue it will cost more than buying from a breeder BUT they will already be spayed/neutered, vet checked and litter trained. Also, by adopting adults you will know what their personalities are. For instance, if you want lap bunnies a rescue can introduce you to bunnies who like to sit in your lap. If you want bunnies who are more independant they can steer you that way as well. They will also be there to offer advice and support for the life of your bunnies…and IF for some reason down the line you can’t keep them the rescue will take them back.

I don’t know of any rescues in CA but I’m sure someone here can point you in the right direction.

Good luck to you!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Rabbits definetly bond to their owners!!!

[RabbitPam]

An easy way to start locating rescues and shelters is to go to this link, Pet finder, and type in your zip code. Select Rabbit from the animal list also.

After that you may see pictures you like, or they may be examples of who might be living in the shelter at the time. (I learned that the nearest one to me in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, an hour away, has an average of 100 so they never update their pictures, just make appointments to meet them in person.) Once you see which shelters are listed you can usually look up their website for more detailed info. on who they have to adopt, etc.

http://www.petfinder.com/search

[Deleted User]

There are many rabbit rescues in the Northern California area! Also, you can check at your local SPCA and Animal control shelters. Like rabbitpam mentioned, Pet Finder is a great resorce for finding rescues. Here are a few that I know of. The first one I actually volunteer at and it’s a great place.

Second Chance Bunnies Rabbit Rescue-
http://www.secondchancebunnies.com/

Friends of Unwanted Rabbits (FUR)-
http://www.teamfur.org/

The Rabbit Haven-
http://www.therabbithaven.org/

SaveABunny-
http://saveabunny.org/

[BunnyLiz]

Welcome! Here is the link to a post from a while ago. It has links for new owners, tons of info and favorite sites. Hope it helps!

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/forumid/1/postid/73617/view/topic/Default.aspx

[ilovemylittleman]

I agree that getting a bun from a rabbit rescue is a great way to go.

I, however, got Little Man from a craiglsist post and I would do it that way again. Why? He was is in a home that “didn’t have time for him anymore” and they had not done research(unlike you, kudos btw) and weren’t caring for him properly. He was stuck in his small cage almost all of the day and was headed for a kill shelter before I took him. In Missouri, the House Rabbit Society fosters their buns until they are adopted. It seems to be a great program where bunnys are loved and nourished until they are placed. Little Man or “Precious” (they thought he was a she) wasn’t getting that and may never have….

People will disagree, but the immediacy of the situation is why I choose/chose to do it the way I did. Just thought I might add a different perspective

[bunnytowne]

Yes on craigs list you can find buns sometimes that people have lost interest in etc.  Also Petfinder.org has a section for classifieds.

That listing is on the bar you put cursor (actually i am the cursor dont’ know why they named this stuff backwards and the mouse the cursee or cursed at)  anyways….   a group of selections will come down and pick the classifieds.  Then these choices come up on the center of the page. Put your state the other selection put animal and the other selection on the right put rabbit. These are ads to rehome buns that people lost interest in.

Or just go to petfinder on the left side of the page and that will show you the shelters.

 Whichever one strikes you. 

Generally a small breed rabbit is more curious than a larger breed.  a leager breed more calm Though not always.  Do you want a long hair bun. Be sure you can handle the grooming they require.

An adult bun is nice because you know what their personalities are.  A baby is cute too.  They go through what we would call in a dog puppy stage.   At about 4 months their hormones kick in and they may chew a bit more and other unwanted behaviors.  But I am sure you could handle it if that is how you choose to go.

Buns live about 8-10 years So even an adult bun you would have some time with it.  I just got a 3 yr old already neutered from humane society.  He is a doll excellent litterbox habits. Couldn’t ask for a better bun. 

I also got one from a breeder.  Very very calm and sweet she is.  If you find a good breeder who breeds for temperament is good. And they are clean and socialized like my friend does with hers.  Some breeders just breed to breed and you get health problems and bad temperaments.

Be sure to bun proof your wires.  Also a good idea is to get an xpen.  I had to get the tallest one made cause my little Cotton would jump nearly to the top hand on climb over the top and jump to the table hehee.  Most buns won’t do that tho. I ended up putting a sheet and clothespinning it to the top til he outgrew this feat.

Keep asking and keep us posted. Love to hear from you.

[fredalina]

i don’t know where in NC you are, but i’m in TN and fostering a spayed female bun a little over a year old. i took her from a really bad situation, and while i’m able to keep her in a much better situation than she was in, it’s still not ideal. The rescues are full and they have her listed for me, but they aren’t able to take her in a foster home. i have Great Danes and a husband who is allergic to rabbits, and i just can’t give her the attention or exercise she really needs.

If you do decide that rabbits are for you and you’d be interested in meeting me part-way, perhaps you would consider Checkers. She is litterbox trained and is getting better about giving cuddles. She’s a bit afraid of being picked up still, but i’m working with her and she’s getting much much better. She loves pets, just not so much being picked up. And she’s not afraid of anything, but she does need to be caged when you’re not there to supervise her as she does chew cords and carpet (typical of most house buns).

[fredalina]

Ooops, i totally thought your post said North Carolina, not North California. Yeah, that would be a bit of a drive to TN!

[Cassi&Charlie]

I really really would advise getting an adult because…
1) Yes, they are usually toilet trained and neutered/spayed so you never have the awful experience of getting spay peed on your face ofyour leg/arm/face humped

2)Many baby rabbits are destructive and get into everything, and I mean everything! You can’t bond with them too much cause they’re so active and destructive that you can go out of your mind just trying to keep track of them. Your much better off getting one fully grown, from a shelter, so you know their personality and you know they are erasonably calm

3) Breeders are breeding bunnies and at exactly the same time across US bunnies are being euthanised because they don’t have a home. Although ilovemylittleman has a point about resuing rabbits from craiglist, the fact is that shelters take rabbits from dire situations as well, and by adopting a rescued bunny you are cerating another space in the rescue for another bunny. It’s a wonderful thing to do and everytime I look at my bunny, who I got from a shelter, I’m so happy that I’m giving her a loving forever home and a happier life. They appreciate it!

[kralspace]

I would definitely vote for an adult bonded pair from a rescue or foster home. Having recently been through the teenage times for 3 bunnies, it can really make you pull your hair out and maybe even put you off having rabbits at all. Once they pass that and settle down they are so wonderful, it’s like a different world.

My youngest are almost 2 now, spayed/neutered and settled into pairs and they are a hoot, the oldest couple are 6-7 and are just as much fun.

They have such different personalities that if you hook up with a rescue they can help match your personalities. Each of my pairs has a very shy and a very outgoing bun and even though they are devoted to each other, I get lots of attention too. A lot of it negative, but still a lot of attention….lol

[Sage Cat]

I am a first time rabbit owner. I got my pair from a shelter – they are 2 & 4. They are both fixed & litter trained.

I adore them. They are lots of fun to have around.

Here is an idea of how much money you might be looking at:
I spent around $100 on getting ready to bring them home – pen, carrier, litter boxes, toys, etc. The cost to adopt them was $75. I spend between $45 – 75 a month on their food, litter, new toys.
A regular vet trip is about $75.The cost of getting a young bun fixed can easily run $100 – 200.

I think they are total worth this – but some people think it is a lot of money for a pet.
Hope this helps!

[Author]

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