Hi, new here...

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Sumbunny

Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2017
Messages
5
Reaction score
3
Location
NULL
Hello, and thanks for this newly found wealth of information. Although, it seems I may be getting more confused as my knowledge base increases. So many questions that it could get annoying! Though as a soon to be first time owner, and a big fan of adopting pets from rescues when at all possible- I need some help!


Went to a rescue today. Hung out with two potential family members.

1. Male mini rex, 2 1/2 years old, had never lived indoors before getting to the rescue. Seemed to like? Not mind? Tolerate? Being held by rescue worker, but understandably hid behind a chair when not being held. Shed a seemingly unbelievable amount during this whole process.

2. Netherland dwarf female, about a year old. Clearly hated being held, but after a short time behind a chair, hopped around, and let herself be petted while hanging out behind the chair

Both are fixed, both are amazing, and either would be an spoiled indoor pet. Are there pros/cons to the above situations? I very much appreciate your thoughts and experience...

Best,
A
 
Hello, and thanks for this newly found wealth of information. Although, it seems I may be getting more confused as my knowledge base increases.

Have you picked up any books on rabbits? I may be biased, as I love books, but the best general rabbit book I've read is Rabbit Behaviour, Health, and Care by Marit Emilie Buseth.

So many questions that it could get annoying!

Not annoying at all -- asking questions is great!

1. Male mini rex, 2 1/2 years old, had never lived indoors before getting to the rescue. Seemed to like? Not mind? Tolerate? Being held by rescue worker, but understandably hid behind a chair when not being held. Shed a seemingly unbelievable amount during this whole process.

2. Netherland dwarf female, about a year old. Clearly hated being held, but after a short time behind a chair, hopped around, and let herself be petted while hanging out behind the chair

Both are fixed, both are amazing, and either would be an spoiled indoor pet. Are there pros/cons to the above situations?

It's really hard to say much about how either would behave in a completely different environment like your home.

I know lots of people want human-friendly snuggle-buns, but some of the more independent, don't-bug-me-when-I-don't-want-you-to types make better house rabbits than snuggle-friendly-but-destroy-your-house types.

It sounds like both of your options are dwarfs, which can be a mixed bag in terms of behavior. Of all rabbit breeds, I would least expect a dwarf to be chill and love to be held.

Do you plan on having a single house rabbit, or a pair? This might be something to consider. European rabbits are genetically social animals (unlike, say, US cottontails, which are solitary); you may want to consider the pros and cons of bonding, as well as potential behavioral issues with a lone, bored bun. (Note that "bored" = "will definitely get into trouble and cause damage.")

Personally, I'd go with whichever one feels right to you :)

Oh, also -- if they're at the same place, are they already friends? After I got my first rabbit, I ended up getting his best friend from the same rescue a few weeks later. Bonding was simple, quick, and painless, since they already knew each other. I was planning on getting a certain breed for the second rabbit, but decided that it was more important that my rabbits liked each other -- not that I had ones of a certain breed or color that *I* liked.
 
Welcome! Samoth pretty much covered it all- each rabbit will be different in your home. The first one may tolerate being held because he's so scared he froze or he might actually enjoy it (I've honestly never had a rabbit who enjoyed being held, but most of mine would tolerate it for treats, of course).

The one who never lived inside before might be more of a problem initially, as he will have no manners yet- e.g. he may chew carpet until you teach him not to do so. He probably isn't potty trained, but also can be trained with that too. On the flip side, in my personal experience, dwarf rabbits are, well, a challenge because they are pretty much the sassiest animals in the universe (and thus are my favorite breed, if I had to chose).
 
Rabbits will typically blow their coat twice a year (when the temps change from hot to cold/cold to hot) and you will have to comb them more often. This would go for most rabbits. When you look at the mini rex, check the bottoms of the back hocks to make sure he has a good fur pad. That breed is prone to sore hocks if the fur is thin. Granted that each rabbit is different, but the ND breed is sometimes known for having 'attitude'. May not be true of this one, but I guess what I'm saying is that it doesn't hurt to do some research, especially if the ones you're considering are purebred, and not mixes.
 
Hi, thanks for the prompt and insightful replies. While not friends yet, they are housed in adjacent cages currently, and the volunteer said they'd be willing to give it a try. Haven't gotten a hutch yet, as the selection at the pet store, well sucks, and also am now unsure if we will be bringing one or two home. We will attempt to bunny proof a spare bedroom- Pinterest is an alluring addiction!

Got some additional background info. The dwarf female came in as an owner surrender- cliche Easter gift gone wrong. Ugh. The mini rex male is one of about 30 spread around several area shelters- seized from a 'breeder.' By 'never lived indoors,' they meant never had any appreciable human interaction.


So, researching and reading....
 
Did you find these rabbits at a generic shelter or was it an actual rabbit rescue? Many rescues I know have literally dozens of rabbits from which to choose. Maybe it's just me, but I would like to have a larger pool from which to choose. Perhaps there are "rabbit rescues" near you with more rabbits. One often doesn't know about such rescues unless one knows to look for them.

I honestly would not suggest beginning with two rabbits IF they aren't already a bonded pair. Adjusting to life with a rabbit will be challenge enough. Adding the potential of bonding woes, territorial fighting, territorial urine marking, etc, isn't what one wants for an introduction to the world of house rabbits.

There's nothing wrong with starting with two rabbits if the rabbit rescue has already bonded (and already fixed) pairs. Then there shouldn't be any such problems.
 
Thanks, blue eyes. Valid points.

I originally started first with Craigslist, and then with a conglomerate pet finding type site. The rescue in my area, about 50 miles away, originally took in the 30 bunnies from the breeder, and has since worked with more traditional shelters in the surrounding areas, in hopes of getting more homes, more quickly. That's my perception of the situation, anyway. I visited the two I mentioned in order to do an allergy insult type test- no reaction whatsoever, which was what I was expecting, but wanted to confirm, just in case, as it seems most buns on CL are getting rehomed due to horrible allergic reactions. Sigh.


Thanks so much. Familiar with parrot rescues, as most parrots either like you, or they won't... a rescue parrot who prefers females will eventually get along and bond with another female... Much longer lifespan, though.

Also feel guilty that I can't take them all in... But better to give one a great home.
Keeping you updated....
 
To be fair, the best time to bond two individuals would probably be the day you adopt both of them, as territory isn't established yet. Not saying it will always work out, but then you don't have to go through all the 'neutral territory' shenanigans you do when bringing home a new rabbit to an already established rabbit. Two already bonded rabbits would be great, but if there aren't any around, and you are willing to put in a ton of work, you can make two new adoptees work (so long as you are willing/able to house them both individually if they decide they aren't going to get along after all, or you are willing to bring one back to the shelter).
 
The male who is shedding so much, a good daily brushing should sort that out. Brushing a rabbit is nice, pleasurable to the rabbit, and a good time to bond. It's a plus that the male tolerates being held. As the owner of a rabbit that flat out refuses to be held, the male sounds preferable!

The female, being inquisitive so quickly, sounds like she has alpha tendencies. Some people like having an alpha bun, they do get up to more hijinks, but they are more aggressive and demanding.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top