What was your first experience like with your new bunny?

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pacnw

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I am considering adopting a bunny. He is 11 weeks old and is a Holland lop, raised on a rabbitry run by a family. They tell me he is very gentle, curious, and a sweet bunny. He's very cute as well! There is one negative... he is 2 1/2 hours away. Is that a negative? Or should I wait for a Holland Lop (or jersey wooly) that becomes available, closer?

What were some of your first experiences with your first new bunny after you brought him/her home? How long did it take for you to bond with your new bunny?

I've been reading about health, diet, handling, habitats for bunnies but would really like to hear about your own personal experiences.

Thanks!
 
I don't think you should get so hung up on the breed of rabbit you want. When I first decided I wanted a rabbit, I saw mini lops and thought for sure that was what I had to have. A tiny little rabbit with little ears that hang down. I thought it was BY FAR the cutest rabbits ever.

But the thing is, all rabbits are cute, and personality can vary widely between individuals, within a breed too. I couldn't take waiting anymore and I adopted a rabbit from a local shelter who was plain black, had upright ears... and weighed a hefty 10 pounds. Honestly, I kind of thought he was boring, but he was the cutest one at the shelter. He turned out to have rex fur and from then on, petting any other rabbit was a disappointment. I can't imagine owning anything else. And I really, really prefer the extra sturdyness that a bigger rabbit offers.

long story short, the truth is, you think you know what you want, but you probably don't, and even if you turn out to be correct, just because the people who want to sell you a rabbit told you he's a sweet rabbit doesn't mean it's true. By the time you've driven 2 and a half hours away, it will be really hard to go home empty handed... you might find yourself ignoring little things you wouldn't normally, you know?

IMHO, ideally, all first-time rabbit owners would adopt from a shelter. If the first rabbit they pick up doesn't turn out to be ~~THE ONE~~ you can probably exchange. Plus you'll have the support of the shelter behind you in case the people at the rabbitry rub you the wrong way or something. It's not that rabbitries are bad, I think they're great. But I think that you'd be happier if you adopted first. And, it'd probably be cheaper than altering it yourself.

If adopting isn't an option, then IMHO definitely find a place closer. You'd be really glad if you, say, found a friendly rabbitry that is close enough to recommend a near-by vet to you, or show you how to clip his nails if the vet isn't around when you need it done or something. Sorry that turned into such a novel. Just trying to give you some points you might not have considered (=
 
Thank you for your advice. I appreciate it! There isn't a rabbitry or shelter closer than a couple of hours from here unfortunately. I think you are probably right in that I shouldn't focus on one breed of bunny.
 
Ouch, not just one hour, but a couple? that's going to make it tough on you. Before you get too far in, I'd try to locate a near-by vet, since you'll want any new rabbit checked out ASAP imho. I hope that you can at least get a vet that's close, that would really make your life a lot easier.
 
It might make it tough on me but would you still go and visit a shelter/rescue anyway?

There is a local vet in town who does know all about bunnies. They offer spay and neuter services as well.
 
at 1st they will be frightened w/ their new surroundings ( like any new animals )

than they start venturing out and getting comfortable ...

once that happens, you ll notice little things about the personality it has

its just a patience game
 
I drove 5 hours to get my first rabbit and let me Tell you it was te best decision I have ever made. If you want to go to a breeder go to a breeder, you don't HAVE to go to a shelter. IMPO I recommend going to a breeder, they will be able to Tell you the health history of your rabbit, the breed, how big your rabbit will get, the color, and most importantly how to care for your rabbit!
If you are really interested in the rabbit ask them for more pictures so you can make sure that it looks like the rabbit you want. From the pictures you should be able to tell if you like te rabbit.

If this was me in your situation I would go pick the rabbit up, it sounds like he would make a perfect first pet. I wouldn't let the distance get in front of your decision. If I did that I would have never got my sweet baby boy.


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I got Hopper at 8weeks old from a friend of mine. And she was very scared, so I let her be in her cage for a couple of days and all I did was pet her, on the third day I started picking her up and petting her. I found out she would pee on me when she wanted down, she did this to my friend, once she realized that I wouldn't put her down if she peed on me she stopped peeing. I continued to hold her and pet her everyday, I would let her hop around with me laying on the floor with my kids around and my kids freaked her out so I started letting her out when everyone went to bed and it was just me and her and she has come to really trust me. :) Good luck and Hopper was a spur of the moment getting her type of thing. My friend gave her to me for free. I think if you have patience you will be able to do wonders with your bunny that you get.
 
Shya was cage agressive, sprayed my walls, cabinets, clothes, cat, dog, and was the most stand offish beast I've ever met. Getting spayed and getting rid of her cage didnt really calm her down all that much. It took about a month for her to trust people enough to allow for brief petting. She isnt a snuggely bun. Hell she's not even a NICE bun. Its taken a lot of patience and time but we still enjoy her and she now enjoys nightly massages.

Some rabbits just arent people rabbits. You could end up with something like that if you dont first see how your possible bun interacts with others.

It took an all of three minutes to figure out that my French Lop Franklin was the sweetest, snuggeliest rabbit their ever was. He still is to this day.

If you just want someone to share your life with and have the patience and tolerance for a possible anti-social bun go for it. If you're looking for a specific personality drive out and meet your bun first.
 
The 11 week old Holland Lop was adopted last night. I'm glad he found a good home! I'm not concentrating on only getting a Holland Lop any longer. I'll have to meet a variety of rabbits and see which one clicks with me...and I with him.

Now that I know that someone (RabbitGirl101) drove 5 hours away to get her rabbit, maybe it's do-able for me? (My husband might think I'm nuts though...lol)
 
We found our first bunny as a stray. Prior to that I had actually contacted some local rescues. They were very knowledgable but rubbed me the wrong way - the message was if you didn't do things THEIR way you wouldn't be able to provide a suitable home for a bunny. I do appreciate that they only had the bunnies' well being in mind but they were not so easy to work with. I was in the process of contacting breeders - and found some great ones - when we found our little guy in the backyard. I believe our neighbor released him. Remi is a super sweet rabbit, we love him! I believe he's a holland lop or a mix of some sort.


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Let me preface this by saying I am a dog person. I am active in rescue and also dog sports (agility, flyball, etc.) Every dog I have owned has been a rescue. I once adopted a dog from Maine while living in Texas (I was going there anyway, but I did have to buy him a plane ticket home). He had the qualities I was looking for in a performance dog at the time, and I also felt he was a good match personality-wise for me and the other pets in the household. Could I have found one closer to home that met my criteria? Probably. But, he did prove to be an excellent match for our household and I never regretted making that decision. All my other animals have come from my local area though.

I have my first bun. It was (I am being specifically vague here) about 7 months old when I adopted it from a local rescue. I was looking for a colorful female, probably a lop as I had fallen in love with them, perhaps one with spots since I have had Dalmatians for over 20 years. I also knew though that I wanted a people oriented bun, and I needed one that could handle a lot of change in it's environment. I do some pet sitting in my home and also take in foster dogs. I needed a bun that could at times travel with me and/or be able to go and stay with friends if I needed to be out of town. In thinking through searching for a potential bun, I knew I needed to allow these specific needs and qualities to drive my search rather than focusing on the physical characterisitcs. In the long run it would do me no good to have a beautiful rabbit that was constantly stressed by it's environment. So, I started looking for a bunny that could meet my criteria and fit well in the environment I could provide for it. In the end I adopted a red eyed white male with upright ears which is about as far from what I set out to look for as I could get. But, everyday he proves to me that I made the right choice for my household.

My suggestion would be to figure out what would fit best into your household based on what you can offer it and then look for a bun that fits that environment. Look less at the physical traits. Many people will tell you that the personality of a baby bun can be completely different from what they end up like as adults. If you have specific environmental needs as I did, I would look for an older bun whose personality is already fully formed and find one that meets your needs and the needs that you can anticipate in your future (kids, additonal pets, travel, etc.) If you are OK with living with "whatever you end up with" in terms of personality after the rabbit has matured, a baby might be the answer. Also consider the additional costs of spay/neuter etc. in deciding if a baby or unaltered adult is something you are willing to pay for (price it out now!) or decide if you are OK with living with the hormonal side effects that might arise if you choose not to spay/neuter and what it will take to live responsibly with an unaltered rabbit.
 
I drove from Las Vegas to Colorado for my bunny (and a visit with family 7 hours south of where I got them) and ended up with two who bonded immediately when the woman at the shelter introduced them. They handled the 12 hour drive home really well and adjusted to their new home really fast. They are getting better about being held, but still don't really like it. Groucho is a little skittish about being poorer, but has taken to bumping us often with his nose. Bugsy just loves being pet. I love them so much and am glad I made the decision to get them.

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I enjoyed reading all your experiences with your new bunnies. Thank you SO much for replying!!
 
On problem I see with the personality prospect is that rabbits personalities change as they get older. Peeta went from this sweet little boy who would let me pick him up and lay him any which way to an aggressive rabbit who grunted at me and tried to bite me then after the neuter I swear he's adhd and can't sit still to be pet for more than 5 seconds. So in my opinion, if you're going for personality go to a shelter and get an already altered rabbit older than a year old so you know what your are getting. Polly was a few years old when I got her and shy and sweet at the shelter. She is still the exact same way. If you want one of a certain breed go to a breeder but just know the rabbit you pick out BC its the sweetest rabbit ever may not be that way in the end.

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I agree that I should check out the shelter/rescue and see if I click with a neutered or spayed rabbit. Thanks for telling me about your experience!
 
I got Harvey from a friend looking to re-home him. I wasn't really looking for a rabbit at that time (that seems to be a common theme with my animals... :embarrassed: ), in fact I hadn't really thought I wanted a rabbit. My sisters had rabbits. Lops that didn't seem to have a lot of personality. As soon as I saw Harvey's photo, I said, That's my rabbit. He had the himi marking that I like.

I didn't really know what I was getting into haha ... I didn't know anything about netherland dwarfs. Good thing I suppose. Anyway he was an adult (my friend couldn't give me an age) when I got him. Still intact, which is fun btw haha. Harvey settled in right away. He pretty much took over. He's bossy. Loveable. Completely opinionated. Terrorizes my cats. I wouldn't change any bit of him tho.
 
I felt like I was in heaven because I never thought that this moment would ever come but it had and I was the heaviest girl alive xxx


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