Rabbit type that tends to be snuggly?

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briemommy

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We're going to adopt a brother for Brie in a few months and really want a bun that we can cuddle! Brie likes to be pet and will flop for it but we want a more affectionate bun. Just curious if statistically certain breed/mixes are more affectionate than others.

Who has a cuddly bun and what breed/mix is it?
 
To find a rabbit to bond with your current rabbit [who I assume has been neutered], they best thing is to let him pick it out. Check with rescues/shelters to see if they do speed dates.

Dutches tend to be easy rabbits, I've heard.
 
bunny personalities go by the individual rather than the breed, so you really can't use breed as a way to find one that's a "cuddler" ><

as orlena said, the best thing to do (by far!) is to go on bunny dates and allow Brie to pick her friend.
 
Yeah, for sure we're going to let her have the last say, but I was thinking BF and I meet the bun first, then we see if Brie takes to him. It's a bit of work, but Brie's independence is a bit off-putting for the BF (he's used to dogs) and I just want peace and for him to be more involved with the buns. :/ It's hard being in the middle. I love Brie to death, but then I'm a total animal person. BF has never connected with animals before my dogs came along. Its also an investment for the future. I want my kids to have both parents care a lot or all our pets. Learning and growing for all.
 
Polish bunnies are, by their very nature, cuddly bunnies. I've purchased rabbits that had NEVER been handled and they're cuddlers, too. You can hold them, literally, for hours and they don't move. I have found out when they get squirmy you'd better put them back in their litter box because it usually means they have to go to the bathroom. LOL
 
If you go to a shelter or rescue, you could probably spend time with the rabbits you are interested in, and that way better get to know their personalities.
 
Polish are definitely a very friendly, cuddly breed, like Wendy said. I don't raise them, but they were pretty popular in our 4-H group as kids and one of our family's pet bunnies is a Polish. We've always said she's a human, not a rabbit. :)

Jersey Woolies are also a very calm, laid back breed in general. My Jersey Wooly bucks, especially. Many of my Hollands are very cuddly too, although they are also very energetic.

I'm sure this won't be a popular opinion here, but I highly recommend researching and purchasing from a reputable breeder. We spend a lot of time with our rabbits, from day one, handling and posing them. If they have show experience, they've been handled by many different people. About 8/10 of my rabbits are fall-out-of-the-cage friendly. They run to the door, stick their heads out, and wait for you to scratch their head. They love handling and are very personable. The ones who aren't are usually naturally more shy or reserved. Reputable breeders are a great source for rabbits with good temperaments, in general, because they are bred and raised to be that way. No one who spends all of their free time working with rabbits wants to be dealing with skittish, flighty or aggressive personalities! They're usually culled. Although in rare or uncommon breeds, sometimes temperament will be a little less consistent.
 
I would say if you decide to get a particular breed then consider a reputable breeder...not a 'backyard' breeder though. The only thing is you'd have to talk to the breeder if you want to try bunny dates first. Otherwise, go to a rescue. I understand many are willing to let you do this.

I agree that Polish make a good lap bunny. Not high maintenance or high energy. You want one that's been handled when young so it isn't skittish.
 
I'm sure this won't be a popular opinion here, but I highly recommend researching and purchasing from a reputable breeder. We spend a lot of time with our rabbits, from day one, handling and posing them. If they have show experience, they've been handled by many different people. About 8/10 of my rabbits are fall-out-of-the-cage friendly. They run to the door, stick their heads out, and wait for you to scratch their head. They love handling and are very personable. The ones who aren't are usually naturally more shy or reserved. Reputable breeders are a great source for rabbits with good temperaments, in general, because they are bred and raised to be that way. No one who spends all of their free time working with rabbits wants to be dealing with skittish, flighty or aggressive personalities! They're usually culled. Although in rare or uncommon breeds, sometimes temperament will be a little less consistent.

I can't say I disagree, as my bunnies came from a breeder and were, indeed, "fall out of the cage friendly"... but I would be hesitant to go through a breeder in this situation, as there are some major draw-backs to consider before going that route in regards to cost and convenience.

~ a bunny from a breeder will often be too young to spay/neuter, meaning you'd have to keep the rabbits separated for a month or two, then neuter, then wait 6-8 weeks for hormones to die down all before you could even *start* the bonding process. you also wouldn't be able to just exchange him for another bunny if the bonding process didn't work out because at that point you've already invested in a neuter and gotten really attached.

if you do go through a breeder, I highly recommend looking for one who raises for show and holds onto all the babies for 3-4 mos before sorting show quality from pet quality so that you can start with an older bunny instead of an 8-week-old - by then, males should be sexually mature (they can be neutered as soon as their testicles descend), which means less time housing them separately because you can neuter right away. (you'll have to house them separately during the bonding phase no matter where the bunny comes from, so you'll need to have two cage areas set up regardless - it just comes down to how much time they have to spend apart)

~ it's more expensive to buy a rabbit and then pay to get it neutered because shelter bunnies are already fixed. if you're thinking about going through a breeder, make sure you've found a vet you trust to neuter with a price you're willing to pay ahead of time.

~ you can't really "bunny date" and let her pick her companion the way you would at a shelter if you go through a breeder because the male will be either be a baby or an unneutered, hormonal teenager, meaning you won't get an accurate idea of how they get along because the boy will be either hump-happy or too young to know who he likes and who he doesn't.

that said, M/F is the easiest bond and if you're willing to put in enough time and effort, I think pretty much any M/F pair can be bonded as long as their initial reaction to each other isn't to get into a fight. a decent breeder would most likely allow your spayed female to go on bunny dates with unneutered males... you won't be able to tell nearly as much from the date (like whether the bond will be really easy or really tough), but you could probably at least determine whether or not the bond would be impossible.

~ also, lots of rabbits are cuddly as babies, but many grow out of that as they age. again, going through a breeder who doesn't sell until they're at least 3-4 mos old would help prevent this particular issue.

basically, if you go through a breeder, it's going to cost more, it's going to take a little longer before you can bond them and you don't have the same safety net of being able to exchange the bunny if things don't work out (most breeders WILL take a rabbit back if you wish to surrender it for any reason, so you wouldn't necessarily be stuck housing two rabbits separately forever if the bond just won't work... but you'd be out the cost of the neuter).

the trade-offs are that a breeder bunny is more likely to be hand-tamed from a very young age, have a good temperament and lack the sort of emotional "baggage" that some shelter bunnies might have (due to possibly being mistreated or ignored by a previous owner)... plus if you're looking for a specific breed, it may be hard to find a purebred rabbit in a shelter.

it's up to you whether it's worth going through a breeder to find another rabbit - I just wanted to present the cons of going that route so you can consider both sides and make an informed decision as to whether a breeder bunny or a shelter bunny is better for you :)
 
Well, a reputable breeder probably will not allow "bunny dates," for biosecurity reasons. Actually, it's a little alarming knowing that shelters/rescues do, but I guess they are inherently less "secure" since animals are going in and out all the time anyway. Nevertheless, that could be a downside if you were looking for that opportunity.

It sounded like personality was the main consideration here, which is why I mentioned that a reputable breeder could be a consideration. Like Imbrium mentioned, shelter rabbits can come from neglectful or even abusive situations. In some more dominant species, like dogs, those bad experiences can be more easily overcome and the animal can become very comfortable with and enjoy human interaction. Since rabbits are a less dominant, prey species, it can be more difficult to un-do previous emotional damage (though possible). But obviously there is the benefit of the rabbit already being spayed/neutered and being able to bring your rabbit in to meet multiple bunnies, if you're comfortable with doing that.

Age isn't as much of a problem though. Most reputable breeders don't sell kits as soon as they're ready to be weaned. So usually there as options of younger, middle, or older, depending on what you're interested in.
 
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ahh, didn't realize that about breeders/forgot that there's no guarantee a rabbit someone brings over will be healthy >< my bad.

anyway, the basic point I was making was that going through a reputable breeder may very well be better as far as finding the right personality... but shelters are better as far as picking a bond-mate. each has its trade-offs when you're picking a rabbit for both personality and bonding and both are viable options, so which works better comes down to whether the trade-offs are worth it.
 
The three friendliest we have are Serena a 19 pound Checkered Giant lap bunny. Hutch, a mismarked male Dutch and Finn who is half mini Rex and Polish. We really feel it's more a personality thing than a specific breed.
 
I think it's going to depend on the individual bunny. . . I happen to love Holland Lops. . . but the rabbits I've got it's taken me months to pick out because I tend to look for personality first (my current Bun is a super cuddly lap-rabbit, but it took me multiple tries to find the right personality).
 

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