Are females terrible?

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Bunniless

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For the past nine years I've had a male Netherland Dwarf rabbit who was fantastic. He recently passed away and I am looking for a bonded pair or trio. I was surprised to read on a few different sites that males are much easier, friendlier and better pets than females.

I'll be adopting from a shelter, where all of the rabbits are already spayed/neutered and litter trained. Most of the pairs or trios include a female, but there are a few male-only groups. Those of you who've had experience with both, would you recommend that I stick with males? Have you noticed a major difference in friendliness and destructive behavior between the sexes? Thanks for any advice!
 
Well, I've had a male nethie (who could be anywhere from slightly nice to indifferent), a female havana (nice, affectionate), and a female mini rex (the most loving of all). All three were fixed of course. So in my experience the girls have been nicer to have, but that's only between 3 bunnies. Even if boys are generally nicer you won't know about a specific bonded duo or trio until you meet them :) I don't think there's any clear behavioral differences between the two sexes though.
 
It's usually intact females that can be a pain to deal with. Once they are spayed, most mellow out a bit and tend to make better pets. Mostly it does come down to the individual rabbit more than sex, especially for neutered rabbits.
 
I've heard this too but I have limited experience. My experience is between a female Holland Lop, and a male English Lop. Jovi, the female Holland is very sweet. She gives kisses and enjoys pets, but can be moody. Barry, the English Lop, Can not get enough of your attention. He is very cuddly and enjoys being held. But I have also read that the Hollands and the mini breeds aren't as chill as the larger buns, and in particular, the English Lop and Flemish Giant can be super friendly. I really think too that it depends on the bun and how well you bond with them. Even the most fearful bunny can feel true love when its given.
 
Thank you all. I'll just go in with an open mind and see how the buns act at the shelter. I'm nervous now about the search for a pair or trio. What if one of the two, or two of the three seem friendly but one doesn't? Just hope that one ends up warming up to me? What if I fall in love with a bun who is unpaired?
 
In my experience females tend to be a bit moodier than males, but it really does come down to the individual rabbit. Best thing is to meet them and see if there are any that you make a good connection with.
 
A lot of the caregivers at the shelters are very good about matching you and the resident's personalities. I've liked a LOT of shelter facebook pages and the one thing that I've seen is that first you fill out an application/questionaire and first they recommend to you the bunnies that fit your family best. Hopefully you're close to one of the bigger, better run shelters. Wanted to add too that Bun Jovi was a nasty little teenager before her spay. Since, she's been just a love. She is still a diva and does occasionally get moody, but that's just our sign to let her be. And also just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your recent loss. Nine years is a long time to love a bun. Whatever you get, one or three or boy or girl, I hope it/they turn out to be exactly what you need.
 
I raise rabbits and have dealt with a large number of both genders over the years. I find that males are inherently more attention seeking, and females are pretty indifferent about contact.

However, with regular one-on-one handling, I've found little difference between genders.
 
My personal experience, but Ive only had two rabbits as pets so far, that my doe is more attention seeking and friendlier then my buck, who's such a grump.
 
This thread makes me feel sorry for feel sorry for female buns, I think if there is a trio with one female thats a little skittish she should at least have a chance :). I have some females that aren't as friendly and outgoing as my males but they are still very sweet in there own way.
 
This thread makes me feel sorry for feel sorry for female buns, I think if there is a trio with one female thats a little skittish she should at least have a chance :). I have some females that aren't as friendly and outgoing as my males but they are still very sweet in there own way.

Ok, now I feel bad for saying they are moody :( ... but they kind of are. I have 4 males and 6 females. 3 of the males are sweet friendly guys, 1 is inquisitive but not overly friendly. All 6 females are moody. And it's not that they're horrible or unfriendly, they all love their nose rubs, they just have more grumpy moments than my boys. Only one of my boys ever grunts at me, but almost all of my females will have their grumpy moments and grunt at me. Even with the moodiness, one of my best snuggle buns is one of my girl buns, another is really playful and friendly, and all of the others are sweet in their own way.

So even with all that said, two of my sweetest friendlist buns were both girls. So, though there may be generalities with the different sexes, it still all comes down to the individual rabbit. Find the individual rabbit or rabbits, who's personalities you connect with the most.
 
I've got a beautiful, sassy, crabby mini lop doe, and a cautious but curious, and more accepting of my attention nethie buck. My girl Clem was an affectionate baby up to around 2-3 months, and after then (and after her spay) she doesn't seek out attention much, runs from being pet, and can be a bit of a grump. Still a darling little thing, but affectionate is the last word I'd use to describe her. :p
 
This thread makes me feel sorry for feel sorry for female buns, I think if there is a trio with one female thats a little skittish she should at least have a chance :). I have some females that aren't as friendly and outgoing as my males but they are still very sweet in there own way.

I agree. They should be given a chance. My Sophie was at the shelter twice before I found her and the people that gave her up said it was because she wouldn't bond with them and their other rabbit. She was also incredibly fearful when I first got her.

She may not have the most snuggly personality but I appreciate other things about her, such as her inquisitive nature and intelligence.

I feel like she's come a long way on trusting me and bonding with me but it has taken a year and a half!

I personally feel that if you fully dedicate yourself to caring for and bonding with any rabbit, whether it be a male or female, the end result will be enriching and fufilling for you:)
 
My female Lois is an intact female. She used to be a pain. Very aggressive and unfriendly, she stayed in her cage most of the time because she would even bully the cats! However, I got the idea to bring her to school for two weeks. After being around so many students(and kids during our petting zoo) she mellowed out and became a lot friendlier. She follows me around the room and sleeps on the bed with me!
 
Thank you all for the replies! I don't live near the shelter...I'm actually traveling out of state to get my buns. After exhaustive research, I found it was more affordable to do it this way than to get two or three 'free' or 'affordable' bunnies and pay to have them spayed and neutered. Plus I won't have the worry of re-introducing them after their recovery periods, and the buns will come already litter trained.

The downside is that, since it's such a log trip, I won't get to spend more than a few hours with my new rabbits before committing to them. I wish I was closer to the shelter so I could visit multiple times and get to know the candidates. A great rabbit could be having an 'off day' or a generally crabby one might be feeling affectionate the day I visit. I'll just have to hope for the best, but I'll considered what I see of their personalities first and their sex second. I got my previous bun from a pet store when I was a teenager. I knew nothing about rabbits and actually thought he was a female at the time. I would hate to go from his sweet, friendly demeanor to a moody/grouchy rabbit, but hopefully the ones I meet will be showing their true colors the day I go :-S
 
My Ivy who us a lionhead btw is the sweetest bun ever and she's female, I actully prefer the females to the males because I feel they are more friendly
 
I have 2 unaltered mini lop bucks in one enclosure in the house with me & they are really good together. One would be about 18 mths & the other about 7 mths. It took a good mth to bond them. At first the older buck would chase the younger one about, but never fight him. I'm really glad I persisted with it, as they would not be as content I don't believe in an enclosure separated from their own kind. They will both come up to me for a pat on the head. They love it.

Now I also have 2 unaltered mini lop does in another enclosure in the house with me & they never come to me for pats. In fact they run from me. Well at least the older one does & the younger one is learning it from her, I would say would be more accurate.

So for me it's my unaltered bucks that are the friendliest.
 
I love my female! She's so curious and sweet. My male is a little skittish, but neither one have bitten me...yet
 

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