Getting another bunny

Since Ash has passed I'm thinking of 'going back to basics' and getting a Mini Lop (or Holland Lop in the US) from a local registered breeder and learning what I can, I think I jumped in the deep end getting an angora as my first bunny.

Maybe it is just me but I've found some other rabbit groups to be really 'anti-breeders' and they're saying "Forget going to a breeder and adopt a rescue bunny instead". There's only a handful of rescues here in Australia and Loki is a rescue bunny and I love him a lot, but is it wrong to want to purchase a bunny you know is well bred and from a planned litter; not some 'oops' litter, backyard breeder in it for the money or a pet shop bunny who was dumped on a rescue cause it got too big?

This breeder has a litter of broken coloured babies due at the end of the month so was waiting for them to be born but yesterday I got an email saying that they had a 5 month old sable broken female returned cause the owner was moving to Queensland where bunnies aren't allowed... trying to work out a nice way to say that I'd prefer a buck and waiting til this litter is born, that I'm not quite ready just yet. Is that mean of me?

There are some people who are very anti breeder and do think that everyone should get pets from shelters or rescues. While this is nice, it doesn't work for everyone.
Some areas don't have many rescues and few rabbit ones or only get a few rabbits a year. The rabbits in a rescue might not be what the person is looking for or they might not appeal to the person. Some rescues have strict adoption policies or odd hours that make it hard for someone to adopt.

I do think that it is more about finding the right rabbit for you than where you get it. I also think that there are some places that are not great to get a rabbit and you need to be careful with these places and supporting them. If the right rabbit happens to come from a good breeder, then I would go for it. If the right rabbit is at a shelter than that is great too.

As far as the rabbit that was returned to the breeder, you can just tell them that you are looking for a buck. I think they should understand that. If you didn't specifically say you wanted a buck when contacting her before, then she might not know and was just offering you what she had.

I see nothing mean about wanting to hold out for a buck and wanting to wait until you're fully ready to bring home the new bunny.

as for shelter vs breeder... I'm a big fan of shelters first if it's a good option and very anti-pet store bunnies but I see nothing wrong with going through a breeder if a shelter isn't an option or if you want a specific breed. my two babies came from a breeder and I love them to pieces

I prefer to get mine through a rescue, but admittedly for selfish reasons. I like getting a bunny that is already neutered/spayed. That's just me. I just don't want to deal with the stress and expense of getting that done.

On the other hand, I would like my next rabbit to be a Flemish Giant. I've always wanted one and they are nigh impossible to find where I live - at least at any rescues. Even Flemish Giant breeders aren't common around here. I'm sure I'll have to get one from a breeder.

So... as others have said, the important thing is finding the one you want, regardless of whether it's a rescue or a specific one from a breeder.

No nothing wrong with saying you would prefer a buck. Getting g a companion animal, like a bunny, IS a big deal. After all they can live for 10+ years so the fact that you are taking this seriously is awesome

I actually have one bun from a breeder and one bun from a rescue. Both I love dearly, although Agnes is my heart bunny but I don't think thats because she's from a breeder, she just is, lol

Anyway, every bunny deserves a chance at a good home. So to look passed breeders and to a shelter and settle for something you may not exactly want isn't always the "thing" to do because of people being antibreeder. After all, you will be the one to care for and love your bunny.

I think breeders get a bad rap because there are already so many unwanted animals out there and alot, not all, breeders breed either for money OR for their own selfish desire to bring new bunnies into the world. They think it's okay because they will "just sell them" with no thought of how that type of mentality adds up to yet more pets in this world. But, that's not to say you can't find a wonderful bunny from a breeder my Agnes girl is from a backyard breeder. I sometimes feel a tad guilty that I supported that, but I love her none the less.

You just have to decide what route works for you and just go with it and own your decision. Educate yourself on both options and go with where your gut tells you but don't feel guilty. It's about finding the right pet for you

I'm pro-rescue all the way, but some people will go through breeders and that's still better than pet stores. However, not just any breeder is a good breeder. I believe all breeders should be raising no more than 3 different breeds, and not have more than a few litters a year.. as well as making sure they know where every rabbit is placed, and making sure new adopters sign an adoption contract.. which in this day and age where people breed rabbits senselessly is about the only way I'd go through them. That's not even unrealistic in the least.

I am certainly anti-pet store, to the point of it being rabid and vicious at times. I admittedly have gotten some of my pets (rats) at pet stores before, and although it made me love my rats NO less, I feel that it was a HUGE mistake and I will NEVER buy an animal from a pet store again. Now breeders are a bit of an iffy subject for me. I have seen breeders that are HORRIBLE and NASTY and I would never support them, and I have seen breeders that aren't that bad and don't only care about money. I would prefer not to support breeders personally, because it would make me feel guilty knowing that there are homeless animals out there that need adopting, but that's just me. Honestly, I love Flemish Giants, and I have thought about breeders before, but there seem to be Flemish Giants in shelters and rescues in my state quite often, so I don't think it'll be a problem there. It's really just personal choice. However, I would be VERY careful what breeder you choose to purchase from. You don't want to keep a "bunny-mill" in business...

I'm anti backyard breeders and pet stores because they don't care about advancing the breed, they're only interested in $$$s. There are a few rescues that I know of in this part of Australia, I got my boy Loki from one but sometimes not knowing his history, age or even breed does worry me a bit, if the person bringing them in doesn't know the details you can never be sure if they're young, old, lived as a pet or outside bunny or if they were an ex-abuse case etc, I know with my rescue kitty; Sir Puss that no one's sure of his age other than that he's over 12 and had some dental surgery.

I also have to say that there are good and bad breeders out there no matter the species of animal, what warmed my heart was I contacted Ash's breeder to inform her of Ash's passing, she apologised for not been able to call back but sent me quite a few text messages and emails to say if there was anything she could do to let her know and said that she knew Ash was spoilt rotten and she couldn't have asked for a better home. Needless to say when I do think about getting another angora I'll be contacting her!

In my perfect world there would be no need for rescues or shelters and all our pets would come from carefully planned breedings.
Until then, I like pets from shelters because you're giving a homeless animal a home and hey, it's usually a pretty good deal. But, there's nothing wrong with getting a pet from a breeder that you trust.

yeah, it'd be the best thing ever if shelters went out of business... too bad it'll never happen 'cause there's too much irresponsibility in the world, whether it's accidental breedings due to failure to spay/neuter, people who get an animal then back out of the commitment when the going gets rough, etc. I can understand every once in a while someone surrendering an animal because their financial situation takes a drastic turn for the worse and they feel they can't take proper care of it any more... but that's not the case with the majority of shelter animals.

(edit: typo)

agnesthelion wrote:

I think breeders get a bad rap because there are already so many unwanted animals out there and alot, not all, breeders breed either for money OR for their own selfish desire to bring new bunnies into the world. They think it's okay because they will "just sell them" with no thought of how that type of mentality adds up to yet more pets in this world. But, that's not to say you can't find a wonderful bunny from a breeder my Agnes girl is from a backyard breeder. I sometimes feel a tad guilty that I supported that, but I love her none the less.

Click to expand...

You just described backyard breeders.
RESPONSIBLE breeders do not breed for money (there is absolutely NO money in breeding, trust me!) and we do not breed just to "bring more babies into the world". One may call it selfish that we breed to better the breed, but in that bettering - is bettering personality. I don't know a single breeder who will keep a nasty animal in their lines. They want respectable rabbits with good personalities.

OP - It's definitely not mean of you to say you would prefer a buck. The breeder will appreciate you knowing exactly what you want and being patient for it.