An older or a younger bunny?

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pacnw

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I have been looking at many available bunnies...some from a private sale like from a family and others from rabbit breeders/4-H.

I read from one post that you should get a baby bunny because then he/she can grow up knowing you. But other people have mentioned a bunny who is a jr. or an adult is also nice to have because you have heard about their temperments and personality.

I am confused. I don't know which way to go as far as the age I should really look at. He/she would be my first bunny. I posted just awhile ago and I mention an 11 week old Holland Lop I found at a Rabbitry.

Thanks!
 
If you can be objective and not fall in love instantly, I would visit the rabbits you are interested and see which one suits you!

Each bunny definitely has a unique personality, so it would be best to meet some and see who fits :biggrin2: My 8 week old baby Lionhead was very aloof and wary of people, and even with tons of socializing she still is! If I had the option, I wouldn't have chosen her (we found her as a stray....) where as for my first bunny I visited a few rescues and babies, and decided on a baby Holland Lop as the few rescues I saw weren't overly personable!

I also rescued a Dwarf mix recently who is THE sweetest bun! I got to spend a lot of time with him to see what he was like, and even fostered first.
 
My thought has been that, for the most part, all babies are the same. Their personality doesn't show much until after they've gone through their hormonal changes. Of course some seem to have a drastic change after their hormones kick in and with others it is more subtle.
I've read countless times, stories of "My baby was so sweet and cuddly and after a couple months he/she completely changed and doesn't want to cuddle or be touched (or has started to nip, or spray urine, etc)" --this is when many rabbits end up in rescues.
The rabbits at the rescues are already fixed, so what you see is what you get. Their personalities are evident. So going to meet the individual rabbits is a great way to go, imho. With the already fixed rabbits, there shouldn't be any drastic change-in-personality surprises.
 
I have no desire to own a baby rabbit personally. I'll let someone else pay for the alteration, let someone else rip their hair out litter-training, dealing with all the consequences of that window where the rabbit is mature and needs neutered but isn't yet... I'll let someone else find out he isn't exactly the rabbit they thought because his personality TOTALLY CHANGED.... and then I'll pick the rabbit up for $50 at the shelter, you know?

Besides, if you get a rabbit that's "full grown" but only 6 months or even like, a year, you still probably have like 9 - 10 years with most breeds... the rabbit will pretty much only know YOU.... but I'd take one older than that personally.
 
All of you have made some good points. I have heard that too... that a baby bunny's personality can change between the time you adopt him/her at a very young age to adult hood. I would rather have a bunny whose personality is in check, neutered, and in a rescue or shelter. I just wish there was a shelter/rescue close by.

The local vet does clip bunny's nails and also will neuter or spay.
 
Some really great advice from previous posters. I agree with the suggestion of going to meet rabbits before committing, as well as checking out any nearby shelter rabbits. I recently adopted a one year old rabbit, and he is quite possibly the most easy going, wonderful personality of any rabbit I have ever had. Litter training, and such is much easier with an older altered bun. After getting my current bunny neutered, I have seen super fast improvement in litter habits. I have had other rabbits that were much younger when I got them, and they were really sweet and great. However, they did go through a somewhat difficult adolescent phase in which they were more destructive, and just generally not as well behaved.
As far as bonding - if you find an older rabbit that seems to have a good personality, lets you pet it, not too timid, etc., you should not have trouble bonding with them. Just like with a baby bunny it simply takes spending quality time with them, and they will love you just as much as a rabbit you raised from a younger age.

(must have been posting at the same time you were. Sorry there are no shelters close by. Not sure where in Oregon you are, but there are a few good rabbit rescues around if you are able to drive an hour or so. Wishing you the best in you search for a rabbits companion :) )
 
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How many bunnies have all of you visited before you found "the one"? I know there isn't a correct number of bunnies you should meet. I'm just curious.
 
Portland is 5 hours from me. I read about a bunny at the Oregon Humane Society but I'm not sure how the bunny will feel if traveling that distance. I've heard that you shouldn't expose a bunny to long car rides.
 
pacnw said:
Portland is 5 hours from me. I read about a bunny at the Oregon Humane Society but I'm not sure how the bunny will feel if traveling that distance. I've heard that you shouldn't expose a bunny to long car rides.
Click to expand...

My Sapphire came from CA (to AZ), so, yeah, they can travel.

I didn't check the locations of the 2 rescues on facebook. One of them might be closer to you.
 
From CA to AZ is quite a ride. Thanks for letting me know. That makes me feel a bit better about a possible car ride.

I checked out the Red Barn Rabbit Rescue and they are just shy of 2 hours away from me. So maybe that is a possibility?
 
If you go 2- 5 hours out, you should have someone go with you, imho. LOL Personally I'd rip my hair out if I had to drive 5 hours by myself. But besides that, you'll have someone to check on the bun :)
 
I have contacted Red Barn Rabbit Rescue in my search for a companion for my bunny. They are really nice, knowledgeable, and willing to answer questions. That would probably be a great place to get your bunny if you can make the drive.
 
I think age is really up to you. I have done the baby thing as well as the adult thing. I haven't had rabbits that were really bad before the spay/neuter, so didn't have really significant changes in behaviour or personality, even if the rabbit was already a mature adult. I do somewhat prefer a rabbit to be at least 6 months when I get them, but it's not really a big deal if they are older or younger. I think it should be about finding the right rabbit for you rather than focusing on the age.
I think you will have some idea if a rabbit is right for you. With quite a few of mine, I just had to see a photo and know they were mine. You should have some connection with the rabbit before you decide to adopt. Since you may be travelling a few hours, plan to spend a bit of time away from the rescue to think about the rabbits after you have met them. This can give you some time to think about it and decide if you really like one or another.

Rabbits can travel. Almost all of my current rabbits came from at least 3 hours away and were transported here for me. Some where a bit stressed, but they did do fine. I do agility, so the rabbits travel a fair bit, mostly close by but there have been longer trips that require overnight stays. Tesla and Kraken came from some 12 hours away, spend the weekend at a show and at few hours to get to the show and they did very well. You will need a good carrier to keep the rabbit safe and also have things set up at home. Most rabbits will be ok after travel.
 
I posted parts of this under your other thread about experiences with your new bunny...

I have my first bun. It was (I am being specifically vague here) about 7 months old when I adopted it from a local rescue. I was looking for a colorful female, probably a lop as I had fallen in love with them, perhaps one with spots since I have had Dalmatians for over 20 years. I also knew though that I wanted a people oriented bun, and I needed one that could handle a lot of change in it's environment. I do some pet sitting in my home and also take in foster dogs. I needed a bun that could at times travel with me and/or be able to go and stay with friends if I needed to be out of town. In thinking through searching for a potential bun, I knew I needed to allow these specific needs and qualities to drive my search rather than focusing on the physical characterisitcs. In the long run it would do me no good to have a beautiful rabbit that was constantly stressed by it's environment. So, I started looking for a bunny that could meet my criteria and fit well in the environment I could provide for it. I did go to a rescue rather than a shelter as I was able to get more information about the individual rabbit's personalities and health than I would have gotten at the shelters near me that have rabbits. In the end I adopted a red eyed white male with upright ears which is about as far from what I set out to look for as I could get. But, everyday he proves to me that I made the right choice for my household. He had been in a foster home for several months, and had traveled with them on weekends and handled it well. He was also already neutered which was important to me.

My suggestion would be to figure out what would fit best into your household based on what you can offer it and then look for a bun that fits that environment. Look less at the physical traits. Many people will tell you that the personality of a baby bun can be completely different from what they end up like as adults. If you have specific environmental needs as I did, I would look for an older bun whose personality is already fully formed and find one that meets your needs and the needs that you can anticipate in your future (kids, additonal pets, travel, etc.) If you are OK with living with "whatever you end up with" in terms of personality after the rabbit has matured, a baby might be the answer. Also consider the additional costs of spay/neuter etc. in deciding if a baby or unaltered adult is something you are willing to pay for (price it out now!) or decide if you are OK with living with the hormonal side effects that might arise if you choose not to spay/neuter (and how will you handle them) and what it will take to live responsibly with an unaltered rabbit.
 
It took 2 days for Cosmo to get here from N CA via Operation Roger, so bunnies can travel with out any problems. Almost all of ours have been neutered adults as they are all rescues--the youngsters we've inheirited really didn't have a lot of personality til after they hit puberty and some weren't nice and sweet anymore. We prefer adults that are already neutered as you know what you are getting.
 
Interesting opinions. I appreciate them all! Just tonight, I saw an ad online for a few bunnies in my local town. I was shocked since I haven't seen any bunnies closer than a few hours from here. I think I'll check into it. Now, I'm wondering all sorts of questions!
 
I would get a younger because that you will get to grow up with it and watch it grow up and watch it develop by getting rid of its baby hair and maybe developing new tricks and get it used to you when if you get an old one than it might of had a troubled past life and it doesn't do the stuff you want it to do and also you won't see it grow because it will have Grown into its size mostly and you won't have as much time with it as you will with a younger one xx and bucks are you best because they don't have the fake pregnancy a just to say xx


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I would personally go for a year old rabbit or so. I have found that young rabbits (4-6 months) go through a behavioral stage and are hard to handle and will go through this stage where they are nippy. I had several that were like that. About a year was right for me because they are past all that (as long as they have been handled and treated properly, they will be good bunnies). I also find this a good time to start training, spaying/neutering, names, schedules, and all that.
Older rabbits aren't quite my favorite but my first rabbit was, in fact, a handicapped 15-year old Lionhead and he got along just fine until I had to put him to sleep. I just know older buns are a bit harder to care for because they are arthiritc and trained in their ways. So I would go for a year or two of age. My personal idea... Hope this helps!
 
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