ArvadaLaner
Member
This is my new bunny, Happy. Last Friday, my son came to me, and said he wanted to give me an early Christmas gift. At first, I said I should just wait, like everyone else, but my boyfriend said I better just let him give me this one right away. They had me sit on the couch, close my eyes, and hold out my arms. The next thing I knew, I was holding this soft little bunny! It was so sweet, I actually cried a little.
I had a lot of questions about my new friend, and my son told me what the farmer had told him, which was that Happy is a two year old male, Dutch bunny. He was living on a farm, as an outdoor bunny, in a small cage, with lots of other rabbits. (I'm not sure if any were kept in his same cage, as there was a whole shed full of small caged animals.) The farm has a haunted corn maze, and petting zoo every fall, and this year, Happy was one of the petting zoo animals, so he is used to being around a lot of other animals, as well as lots of people, but he still spent most of his time in his cage. He was fed pellets and hay, and almost never given fresh foods.
After doing a bit of research, I began to doubt that Happy is a Dutch bunny at all. Then last night, I began to wonder if he was really even a he! I read an article with lots of photos, written by a veterinarian, on how to sex a rabbit. We are still getting used to handling him safely, so it took a little bit, but my boyfriend was able to hold him so I could check his area with a flash light, and not only did I find no testicles, but when I gently moved the fur to the side, I saw what I believed to be a slit, rather than a round hole. (Please forgive my graphic description!) I have never owned a rabbit before, and we were never told if Happy was fixed, so I know I could still be wrong, but I now believe Happy to be a GIRL bunny. After Christmas, when I get paid again, I am taking Happy to a veterinarian experienced with rabbits, to get a check up, and discuss spay/neuter options, so I will know for sure then. I am still having trouble guessing her breed. If anyone has any ideas about that, please let me know. She is about the same size as one of my small cats. It's hard to tell from the picture, but she has brown eyes. I wish I had a good enough scale to weigh her, but I don't. I am wondering now, if the age might be inaccurate as well. I know with cats, you can get a good idea by checking the teeth, but I have no idea if there is a way to get an age on a bunny. I know that the petting zoo part was true, because my son was working at the farm this fall, and he said he chose Happy because of Happy's experience with people, as well as being around other animals. I think that was smart since we have cats. Happy doesn't seem afraid of them in the least. I was worried about what the cats would think of Happy, but they seem to have accepted her with no problems. They get a little spooked when she dashes quick circles around them, or does her little binky hop, but for the most part they just act like it's normal.
Sorry for the long introduction. I am very excited to keep learning, and finding out more about Happy, and rabbits as pets in general. Please feel free to help me out with a guess at her breed, age, sex, or just to give me any tips or advise. I would love to get some opinions from experienced rabbit owners. Thanks for letting me share my story.