Advice on best breed to adopt

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AdAstra

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Dallas, TX
Hello,

We have had cats, dogs a Kinkajou and we're getting ready to have our first bunny.

We would like to have a large breed (10 to 15 Lbs) but the personality is also very important for us. We want an animal that is cuddly and playful.

From what we have read, the most sociable breeds (lionhead, Polish, Holland Lop, etc.) are typically smaller, so we're wondering how much of a tradeoff there is here. Do these personality traits vary much from species to species or are the differences really not that big as long as you spend enough time with them?

What would you suggest we would get given our preferences expressed above?

Thank you for your valuable help
 
honestly the breed doesn't really matter in my opinion. at first all I wanted was a mini rex, but then I went to the shelter, and the personality in another rabbit (Odyssey) spoke to me more.
rabbits will almost never be 'cuddly'- most prefer to not be picked up at all with all 4 paws on the ground since they are prey animals, even the larger buns. most will tolerate and sometimes like being pet though.
the bunny will need to be kept away from your cats and dogs unless under extremely close supervision as most of them have super high prey drives and may attack the rabbit.

tldr
personality varies from rabbit to rabbit and breed doesn't play a huge role IMO, so I suggest going to a shelter and meeting up with all the rabbits there to see which one speaks to you most. or if you're getting from a reputable breeder, ask them about temperments.
 
honestly the breed doesn't really matter in my opinion. at first all I wanted was a mini rex, but then I went to the shelter, and the personality in another rabbit (Odyssey) spoke to me more.
rabbits will almost never be 'cuddly'- most prefer to not be picked up at all with all 4 paws on the ground since they are prey animals, even the larger buns. most will tolerate and sometimes like being pet though.
the bunny will need to be kept away from your cats and dogs unless under extremely close supervision as most of them have super high prey drives and may attack the rabbit.

tldr
personality varies from rabbit to rabbit and breed doesn't play a huge role IMO, so I suggest going to a shelter and meeting up with all the rabbits there to see which one speaks to you most. or if you're getting from a reputable breeder, ask them about temperments.
That's great feedback. Thank you for your input. I will definitely do that
 
I can confirm that breed doesn't dictate personality. Literally. The main thing is knowing how to care for them.
We have a dominant trait, diva, love bug named Xiao Wu and a mischievous, hyper, submissive trait, bunny button named Tu Shen. Xiao Wu is a mix breed, likely Mini rex mix, and Tu Shen is a Holland Lop Netherland Dwarf mix.
I would recommend seeing a bunny that speaks to you like ours did to us.
 
Definitely personality over breed. Of course, you can have your preferences (a giant breed, male or female, dark colours or light etc) but the personality of that rabbit vary widely. Another thing to add is that the way you see them will be different once you've bonded with them.

I've had four rabbits;
- a Netherland dwarf (possibly mix) - cage aggressive and would bite or scratch me if I even went near him. Attacked me after a vet trip too (i've got a scar on my knee to prove it lmao). But... it took a few months and he was pretty friendly and docile, i could pick him up if I wanted, and he'd watch TV with me sometimes.
- a mini lop (again possibly a mix) - super friendly, didn't even seem like a bunny, would be picked up and held. He ended up being ill when I got him though, so I'm not too sure if that plays into it.
- my current bun is a mini rex bun and he wasn't aggressive at all, but you wouldn't be able to go within 10 feet of him before he'd run away - feet flicking all his mud at me. Now, he will sleep in my bed with me.
- my definite mix breed girl was friendly off-the-bat, ran up to me when I first saw her at the rescue, ate the treats out of my hand (biting me accidentally in the process). She was happy to be picked up, loved being pet and was the ideal house bunny/family pet. And this was a bunny that lived with 80 others, had two litters of kits, and had a good few previous health conditions.

If you're going to a rescue, definitely have a walk around, look at them, interact with them if possible - and somehow, you'll just get a feel of which one fits with you.
 
Indeed, your best bet is to go to a shelter or a rabbit rescue to see which one has mutual interest in you. Or if you're feeling up for it, might as well go for an already bonded duo to save you the hassle later down the line. There's just a little bit more to learn when it comes to duos knstead of solos but it is well worth it.
Rabbit breeds aren't like dog breeds, they mostly define size and looks but not personality.
My first ever rabbit was a french lop, 5.5kg, bigger than we'd ever expected a rabbit to be. When we went around looking at the rabbits, he was the only obe who actively came to investigate us, the only one who didn't back off. He was a super cuddly, kiss-me hug-me pet-me kind of guy. Once i learned how to handle him properly, he would sit on me for however long i could manage to hold him. He would fall asleep in my arms and when he saw me coming, would run ahead onto my bed and bow down to be pet. He would also kiss me in return and he licked my tears when i cried.
He crossed the bridge last year because of a far-gone illness so we got another french boi from the same breeder. His name is Storm, and for a good reason. Unpredictable, active, sometimes bite sometimes play. Cannot and will not stay still unless he wants to sleep. Will destroy your shirt if you ever try to hold him for more than 10 seconds. He will gladly let you know his displeasure by loud stomping and wall rattling.
He had a bondmate for a short while, a lop-up medium-sized twig-leg mix boy Lümi, even kissier and more attention-seeking than Musti was. He would also fall asleep in my arms, he would climb all over me and follow me around.
After he died in the middle of the night, we got Iris for depressed lonely Storm. She's more of an up mix with small bit of lop left in her. Same size as Lümi was. She's taken all the others' naughtiest traits-digging, stomping, small nips, wallpaper havoc, boxing.

It is very obviously clear that breed does not define personality when it comes to rabbits- two big breed bucks, one night the other day. Medium mixes too-one cuddled the other would much rather run away.
Just go by your gut and surely you'll adapt to your new bunfriend(s)
 
I can confirm that breed doesn't dictate personality. Literally. The main thing is knowing how to care for them.
We have a dominant trait, diva, love bug named Xiao Wu and a mischievous, hyper, submissive trait, bunny button named Tu Shen. Xiao Wu is a mix breed, likely Mini rex mix, and Tu Shen is a Holland Lop Netherland Dwarf mix.
I would recommend seeing a bunny that speaks to you like ours did to us.
Thanks for the advice. That has been how we chose our dog and cats, and we have had no regrets so far
 
Definitely personality over breed. Of course, you can have your preferences (a giant breed, male or female, dark colours or light etc) but the personality of that rabbit vary widely. Another thing to add is that the way you see them will be different once you've bonded with them.

I've had four rabbits;
- a Netherland dwarf (possibly mix) - cage aggressive and would bite or scratch me if I even went near him. Attacked me after a vet trip too (i've got a scar on my knee to prove it lmao). But... it took a few months and he was pretty friendly and docile, i could pick him up if I wanted, and he'd watch TV with me sometimes.
- a mini lop (again possibly a mix) - super friendly, didn't even seem like a bunny, would be picked up and held. He ended up being ill when I got him though, so I'm not too sure if that plays into it.
- my current bun is a mini rex bun and he wasn't aggressive at all, but you wouldn't be able to go within 10 feet of him before he'd run away - feet flicking all his mud at me. Now, he will sleep in my bed with me.
- my definite mix breed girl was friendly off-the-bat, ran up to me when I first saw her at the rescue, ate the treats out of my hand (biting me accidentally in the process). She was happy to be picked up, loved being pet and was the ideal house bunny/family pet. And this was a bunny that lived with 80 others, had two litters of kits, and had a good few previous health conditions.

If you're going to a rescue, definitely have a walk around, look at them, interact with them if possible - and somehow, you'll just get a feel of which one fits with you.
Thank you for your reply. I was aiming for a baby since I think it would be easier to get him accustomed to our Kinkajou and dog but we will definitely look at rescues
 
Indeed, your best bet is to go to a shelter or a rabbit rescue to see which one has mutual interest in you. Or if you're feeling up for it, might as well go for an already bonded duo to save you the hassle later down the line. There's just a little bit more to learn when it comes to duos knstead of solos but it is well worth it.
Rabbit breeds aren't like dog breeds, they mostly define size and looks but not personality.
My first ever rabbit was a french lop, 5.5kg, bigger than we'd ever expected a rabbit to be. When we went around looking at the rabbits, he was the only obe who actively came to investigate us, the only one who didn't back off. He was a super cuddly, kiss-me hug-me pet-me kind of guy. Once i learned how to handle him properly, he would sit on me for however long i could manage to hold him. He would fall asleep in my arms and when he saw me coming, would run ahead onto my bed and bow down to be pet. He would also kiss me in return and he licked my tears when i cried.
He crossed the bridge last year because of a far-gone illness so we got another french boi from the same breeder. His name is Storm, and for a good reason. Unpredictable, active, sometimes bite sometimes play. Cannot and will not stay still unless he wants to sleep. Will destroy your shirt if you ever try to hold him for more than 10 seconds. He will gladly let you know his displeasure by loud stomping and wall rattling.
He had a bondmate for a short while, a lop-up medium-sized twig-leg mix boy Lümi, even kissier and more attention-seeking than Musti was. He would also fall asleep in my arms, he would climb all over me and follow me around.
After he died in the middle of the night, we got Iris for depressed lonely Storm. She's more of an up mix with small bit of lop left in her. Same size as Lümi was. She's taken all the others' naughtiest traits-digging, stomping, small nips, wallpaper havoc, boxing.

It is very obviously clear that breed does not define personality when it comes to rabbits- two big breed bucks, one night the other day. Medium mixes too-one cuddled the other would much rather run away.
Just go by your gut and surely you'll adapt to your new bunfriend(s)
Thank you for your story. I hope I get as lucky as you did with my rabbit.
 
Thank you for your reply. I was aiming for a baby since I think it would be easier to get him accustomed to our Kinkajou and dog but we will definitely look at rescues
Nooooo. Do not aim for a baby. True, babies tend to get along with everything else better. And i won't argue with how irresistibly cute they look. As do all adults. But they don't stay babies forever. Hormones come and they can change the bun drastically. May not, in some rare cases, but most definetly will to some extent.
You can well trust people who have had intact teenage buns-it ain't fun. Territorial behaviours, some aggression perhaps, pee flying almost anywhere, constant honking and circling aimed at you, humping almost anything and everything... Mum didn't think it nescessary to neuter Musti two years back. Lived on until he was 6-7 months old and she could no longer take constantly being tackled, honked at and having her unsuspecting body parts humped when trying to pet him, and everything smelling like bunny pee. About three weeks after neuter everything calmed down again and his litter habits stabilized once more.

Do you have a totally separate room where no cat or dog can enter without your strict supervision? Lümi came to us from a home where the dog was just bullying the poor little boy. He had a few small scars on his face to show for it. Not to say that rabbits and dogs/cats won't ever get along, but it is better to think ahead if you're willing to keep your new companion coexisting with your other pets for the next 8-14 years or so.

And as said before, if you really do decide that a bun is really right for your family in this point of your life and exactly now, if you feel like you're up for it, do try to see if any bonded pair in the shelters is appealing to you. Shelter buns are often better starters than single-sold babies from breeders for many reasons-shelter ones are more often than not already fixed, meaning no teenage chaos. They are also vet-checked, and the rescue would most likely be more than happy to reccommend a savvy vet if you were to need to go there (for example, something like annual checkups, and vaccination if avaliable in your area).
Most rabbits do better with a pal of their own species, as we could never be an exact equal to another bun, no matter how hard we try. In my experience, bonded buns are usually calmer when things get a bit hectic around the house since they lean on one another for support. Bonded buns are also a bliss to look at and interact with, and if a pair from the shelter looks like they might be the ones for you, go for it, because if later down the line you decided to get bun a friend, things would be a little more difficult with bonding and making sure that one's space could equally be claimed by both.... I don't have the option to go to shelters for bunnies, so i had to bond at home and it was NOT fun. My current duo is also prepped and done with their ore-bonding and i'm slightly dreading the same result with the previous pair. Granted, some rescues in the USA and UK will let you bring your fixed bun in for dates, easing the whole load with bonding, but that is a matter i know too little on. One thing to keep in mind though is financial resources, and some to do with space. Two buns don't really "double" the costs either, just a lil' bit of extra on the bedding and hay will run out faster, more vegs for them, and that's about it since bondeds share their toys and dishes and food, the only thing that would be significantly more expensive is two rabbits sometimes needing doctoring instead of one. I don't really buy the "double the bunnies double the space" thing but two do need a bit more space than one. Also, it would take a bit more prep to get them settled without breaking their bond but it would well be worth it.
If i am a bit too confusing, i can always clarify!
 
Flemish giant could fit your preferences if you found the right one for you. They're supposedly the 'puppy dog' of the rabbit world. But even then personalities can vary in a breed, and at least with small and medium breed rabbits, most don't care for cuddling. Most rabbits like all 4 feet planted firmly on the ground and will accept head rubs from there. On rare occasions, there are some rabbits that do like to sit in an owners arms for those head rubs. Though if you do look at flemish, they are like large breed dogs, they don't tend to live as long(6-8 years) and can sometimes have joint problems and heart issues.

Whichever breed you are looking at, I would strongly recommend sticking with adult rabbits, as others have suggested. Baby rabbits personalities can change as they mature into adulthood. So you could start out with a baby rabbit that loves to be held and cuddled, then becomes an adult and doesn't want to be held or cuddled ever again.

The best option would be to find an already spayed/neutered adult rabbit at a rescue or shelter. You save on the spay/neuter cost, which can be expensive in some places, you have the option of an already bonded pair, which if you want a pair saves you the stress and hassle of bonding(it can be quite the ordeal let me tell you), and the rabbits are usually already litter trained. Then you also get the benefit of seeing the rabbits true personality and maybe even sitting and spending some time with the ones you're interested in, to see if they might be a good match for you. So that would be my recommendation.

https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/choosing-your-first-bunny.html
https://www.petfinder.com/search/rabbits-for-adoption/us/tx/dallas/
 
Nooooo. Do not aim for a baby. True, babies tend to get along with everything else better. And i won't argue with how irresistibly cute they look. As do all adults. But they don't stay babies forever. Hormones come and they can change the bun drastically. May not, in some rare cases, but most definetly will to some extent.
You can well trust people who have had intact teenage buns-it ain't fun. Territorial behaviours, some aggression perhaps, pee flying almost anywhere, constant honking and circling aimed at you, humping almost anything and everything... Mum didn't think it nescessary to neuter Musti two years back. Lived on until he was 6-7 months old and she could no longer take constantly being tackled, honked at and having her unsuspecting body parts humped when trying to pet him, and everything smelling like bunny pee. About three weeks after neuter everything calmed down again and his litter habits stabilized once more.

Do you have a totally separate room where no cat or dog can enter without your strict supervision? Lümi came to us from a home where the dog was just bullying the poor little boy. He had a few small scars on his face to show for it. Not to say that rabbits and dogs/cats won't ever get along, but it is better to think ahead if you're willing to keep your new companion coexisting with your other pets for the next 8-14 years or so.

And as said before, if you really do decide that a bun is really right for your family in this point of your life and exactly now, if you feel like you're up for it, do try to see if any bonded pair in the shelters is appealing to you. Shelter buns are often better starters than single-sold babies from breeders for many reasons-shelter ones are more often than not already fixed, meaning no teenage chaos. They are also vet-checked, and the rescue would most likely be more than happy to reccommend a savvy vet if you were to need to go there (for example, something like annual checkups, and vaccination if avaliable in your area).
Most rabbits do better with a pal of their own species, as we could never be an exact equal to another bun, no matter how hard we try. In my experience, bonded buns are usually calmer when things get a bit hectic around the house since they lean on one another for support. Bonded buns are also a bliss to look at and interact with, and if a pair from the shelter looks like they might be the ones for you, go for it, because if later down the line you decided to get bun a friend, things would be a little more difficult with bonding and making sure that one's space could equally be claimed by both.... I don't have the option to go to shelters for bunnies, so i had to bond at home and it was NOT fun. My current duo is also prepped and done with their ore-bonding and i'm slightly dreading the same result with the previous pair. Granted, some rescues in the USA and UK will let you bring your fixed bun in for dates, easing the whole load with bonding, but that is a matter i know too little on. One thing to keep in mind though is financial resources, and some to do with space. Two buns don't really "double" the costs either, just a lil' bit of extra on the bedding and hay will run out faster, more vegs for them, and that's about it since bondeds share their toys and dishes and food, the only thing that would be significantly more expensive is two rabbits sometimes needing doctoring instead of one. I don't really buy the "double the bunnies double the space" thing but two do need a bit more space than one. Also, it would take a bit more prep to get them settled without breaking their bond but it would well be worth it.
If i am a bit too confusing, i can always clarify!
Thank you for your advice. While he's not out playing with us the rabbit will be at a large coupe along with a Kinkajou, which is an adorable creature that weighs around 10 Lbs and gets along great with the cat. We will definitely check shelters and really look around until we find one that has chemistry with us,
 
Flemish giant could fit your preferences if you found the right one for you. They're supposedly the 'puppy dog' of the rabbit world. But even then personalities can vary in a breed, and at least with small and medium breed rabbits, most don't care for cuddling. Most rabbits like all 4 feet planted firmly on the ground and will accept head rubs from there. On rare occasions, there are some rabbits that do like to sit in an owners arms for those head rubs. Though if you do look at flemish, they are like large breed dogs, they don't tend to live as long(6-8 years) and can sometimes have joint problems and heart issues.

Whichever breed you are looking at, I would strongly recommend sticking with adult rabbits, as others have suggested. Baby rabbits personalities can change as they mature into adulthood. So you could start out with a baby rabbit that loves to be held and cuddled, then becomes an adult and doesn't want to be held or cuddled ever again.

The best option would be to find an already spayed/neutered adult rabbit at a rescue or shelter. You save on the spay/neuter cost, which can be expensive in some places, you have the option of an already bonded pair, which if you want a pair saves you the stress and hassle of bonding(it can be quite the ordeal let me tell you), and the rabbits are usually already litter trained. Then you also get the benefit of seeing the rabbits true personality and maybe even sitting and spending some time with the ones you're interested in, to see if they might be a good match for you. So that would be my recommendation.

https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/choosing-your-first-bunny.html
https://www.petfinder.com/search/rabbits-for-adoption/us/tx/dallas/
Thanks for your advice. With all the feedback we've been having I was already leaning towards a Flemish giant. I did search a few shelters in my area and they seem hard to come by
 
I'm not sure if it's safe to house the kinkajou with the rabbit for health reasons. they could both carry diseases that could potentially be dangerous to the other animal.
 

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