Where did your rabbit come from?

[littl3red]

I was just curious, what's the story behind where/why you got your rabbits?

I had wanted to get a rabbit for months, and I was feeling a bit empty because my boys Pixel and Kentucky (rats) had to move to Boyfriend's house (I was too allergic but I couldn't bear to get rid of them.) So I went to the animal shelter to see if they had any buns. (I am a very, very strong supporter of adopting pets. I think it is important to give homeless animals a loving home.) They had two, both fuzzy lops. I asked about them and the lady said they had been brought in as strays, but the people who brought them in obviously owned them and didn't want to pay the surrender fee. One was female, and the shelter had named her Rabberta. Her ears were gone, due to reasons unknown by the shelter. They guessed it was abuse. The other was male and didn't have a name, but his ears WERE intact. They were in separate cages, just because the shelter couldn't afford cages big enough to put both of them in together.

I hadn't really wanted a "bunny," I wanted a lean, mean, running machine, an agouti colored, long-eared, wild-looking RABBIT. But... I fell in love. :rollseyes

I went back about a week later to pick up the buns... and Rabberta, the earless rabbit, was gone. Disappointed (and also upset that they had been separated,) I decided to just adopt the male anyways. I adopted him, brought him home, and named him Teddy (after Theodore Roosevelt, that dude was awesome, and partly because he was so cuddly). He was super, super happy.

Well, two days later, I took him to the vet to make sure he was in good health, and whaddaya know, Teddy is a girl. Well, three months later, here we are.

So what about you guys? I would love to hear your stories. :biggrin:

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Korr- I had wanted a rabbit for about a year. I did look online at the humane society, but nothing sparked my interest. I had found another rabbit, but the person couldn't meet up (she was from out of town). So I decided to go to a local pet store. Korr was the only one there so I got him. That was almost 7 years ago and I've never looked back.

Sophie- I was looking for a companion for Korr. He as neutered for a while, so that was taken care of. I had been looking at the humane society for a while and saw her picture. I knew she was the one for me. I took Korr with me so he could meet her and they didn't seem to have any issues (he mostly wanted to hide under a shelf). She needed to be spayed, so it was about a week later that I took her home. Once she was healed, I started bonding them. They bonded pretty easily.

Penelope- I had joined this forum and eventually discovered lionheads. I decided that I wanted one. It took a while to find one that I like and wasn't too expensive (some at pet stores were $75). I found an ad online for some lionheads and one was Penelope. I went up to get her.

Sean- Sophie had to be euthanized due to medical issues. I wasn't really looking for another rabbit, but I was looking at the humane society website and saw his photo and was in love. I has groomed an angora before and did like them. That was a couple days before Christmas, so due to the timing it was a couple days after that I went to see him. I was a bit worried that someone would get there before me and adopt him, but lucky for me he was still there.

Lillian- About 7 months after bringing Sean home he passed away. I knew right away that I needed another giant angora. There happened to be a breeder about 1.5 hours away, so I contacted her about getting an angora. Due to both out schedules, it was a few weeks before I could get down there. She picked Lillian out for me. Part of the contract was that she needed to be spayed, so that was done before I could bring her home. She has been spoiled ever since.

Amelia- After Sophie passed, Korr and Penelope bonded. He has been flirting with her since I had gotten her. Sadly she got sick and had to be euthanized. Korr got pretty depressed and it was a couple weeks before he was feeling a bit better. I knew neither of us was ready for another one yet, but I did start looking. I saw some Blue Eyed White lionheads at a pet store, but didn't really trust them to be healthy, but I did decide that I wanted one. I did find a breeder who has lionheads and noticed a posting for a BEW doe that was being sold as a brood (breeding) rabbit, there was not picture but somehow there was something there. I contacted the breeder and arranged to get her down here (the breeder was coming anyway a couple days later). So I meet her and picked up Amelia. She and Korr got along from the start. She was quite shy, but was more willing to explore when he was out too.

Tesla and Kraken- I found out about Tans and decided I wanted one (note just 1). Looking online didn't amount to anything locally and travel for me was pretty much out of the question, so I didn't think I would get one. Lucky for me I pay attention. I found out some local breeders were going to a show in Washington and that the breeder I wanted to get one from was also going to that show (She is from Oregon). I first arranged transport, then contacted the breeder. I said I was looking for a buck to use for rabbit hopping. She came back with 2 bucks, I could choose one, or I could take both and see if someone else in the club wanted one. No one else seemed to want one, and I was getting a bit attached to both of them, so decided not to decide between them and get both. So making sure the transport was ok with 2, I committed to getting both of them. I was about a month later that they were finally here.

Gizmo and Nala- I was looking to get another rabbit for a couple months. Nothing too serious though. There were some rabbits that I was considering, but for various reasons it didn't work out. When I saw a breeder friend posing about these 2 lionhead that needed a home and I jumped at the chance. She was coming here for a show, so brought them along.

 

[daisyandoliver]

Aww

I'm sleepy so I'll make this short and sweet.

I went to a rabbit show almost a year ago with my bf. Was my first rabbit show. One couple, two men, had a bun in a cage still while the others got groomed I asked why they told me he had a split penis and couldn't be shown. They let me hold him and I fell in live instantly. They gave him to me for free as long as i gave him a good home. I'm bringing him to the rabbit show this year so they can see him. I named him Oliver as soon as my dad said OK you can have him.

Daisy was in a cage with two of her old daughters. They were being sold for $50 and she was free. She couldn't produce babies anymore so she wasn't needed. She had 3 legs I didn't know what that meant I thought she was missing a leg didn't know it was show talk lol. I asked my dad he said I don't care and I brought her home. She has a tattooo in her ear that says "Kis" so her previous owner called her Kiss but I changed it...

I love my buns!

 

[Deliciosa]

Awww, lovely gotcha stories! :bunnyheart

I was incredibly lucky to chance across Mimi in the Pets section of my city's Craigslist. She was three years old, and her former master was starting school and no longer had time for her - which I think is a pretty pathetic excuse for giving up a bun - but anyway, they were grateful to find a home for her. And I was grateful to find Mimi!

Mimi will be six years old this February, and she definitely is my heart bunny. Before adopting Mimi, I knew very little about proper bunny care, so she has taught me a lot during these past three years.
She helps me through the tough times, and makes my life so much more interesting. My devious little dwarf.

:brown-bunny

 

[littl3red]

Aww. Love your guys' stories! It's funny how easily you can fall in love with them, it's going to take a lot of serious self-control for me not to get a whole warren after I move out!

 

[Imbrium]

I kinda impulse-purchased my rabbits... had been thinking for a while that I felt like I was ready for another pet (it had been a year and a half since I lost my beloved kitty that I'd had since she was 3 months old), but I wasn't sure I wanted another cat. I remembered having a bunny I loved as a kid, and bunnies are kinda like cats (from a social aspect)... one day I woke up and decided I wanted to get a bunny that day!

I spent most of the day doing research and making sure I had a great shopping list to get supplies. I tried to find shelters with bunnies, but none seemed to have any - all I could find was a rabbit sanctuary. when I called them, the jerks said they only took in rabbits - they no longer adopted them out because too many got returned >.> (never mind that once I get a pet, I'm committed to it - I was ready for 10 years of bunny ownership!)

I also checked some petfinder sites, but couldn't find ANY bunnies in San Antonio (WTF??) - the closest listings were in Austin, over an hour away. I finally found a breeder just outside town, so I went back to the pet store and purchased all the goodies I'd need and then drove out there. I was debating on the way whether I wanted one or two and hadn't totally decided, though I was leaning towards two because my research suggested they'd be happier that way.

she had various breeds... first cage I picked from was holland lop babies. there was one that was just so calm and sweet, a little fluff ball that sat quietly in my hands - that's how I wound up with Gaz. I then looked at the lionheads and one of them stood out to me as well... energetic and curious, running/jumping/climbing around and eager to meet me - that's how Nala decided she was coming home with me.

 

[1357rabbitlover]

Well, i had a phobia of bunnies! then my auntie got one and i started to like her (Rosie) then she got another bunny about a year later (Rupert) and i realised that my aunties bunnies got me over my fears! So my auntie had her bunnies for about 3 years and i had just fell in love with them so i begged my dad for one He kept on saying 'No' though! But then in my local newspaper there were bunnies for sale.. I honestly knew nothing about them, my auntie told me that they needed hay and lots of space, (she had hers as house bunnies free roam) but's thats all i knew about them. Then my dad finally said yes to the bunnies in the newspaper, and we rang them.. They said they had one female left and we went up that day to see her. Thankfully, the breeder knew a lot about bunnies and told me and my dad everything and gave us a care sheet on how to look after her. Alice was the last one left of the litter, her mum was a tri coloured lionlop and her dad was a white lionlop, so we took her home and i have never looked back! Then when Alice was 2, my friend had a 'female' bunny who was 1 years old that she could no longer look after and asked me if i wanted 'her', and i said yes! So i took 'her' in and started to bond 'her' (Honey) with Alice, they humped eachother but i assumed this was normal as what i read online said that it was, they ended up never getting along and always humping so i split them up (thankfully!), then Alice gave birth to babies 30 days later and i realised that Honey was infact a boy! I rang up my friend and told her and she brought him back to hers as i said i could not have him. I kept 3 babies, 1 boy and 2 girls: Bonnie, Casey and Buckley Then Alice, Bonnie and Casey were all housed together outside and Buckley was alone, so when Buckley was about 5 months old i got him neutered so he could get a girlfriend, i looked in the rspca for months but there were never bunnies in, in the 6 months that i looked only 4 bunnies were in and they were 2 bonded pairs. So i looked at breeders online, and saw a litter of lionlops i rang up and went to see them that day, and i picked out Bella, i had to get her at 6 weeks though as her mum was 'bulling' all her babies (biting them, not feeding them) and the owner decided that it would be best if the babies went to homes early. So thats how i got all my bunnies

I have been trying to adopt for the last couple of months, i was going to adopt 2 bonded bunnies, but when i went to ask about them they had found a home. I went to adopt one or two english lop baby/s (as the mother and 6 babies were brought into the shelter) but when i went down there they had all been reserved But i am going down to the shelter today as i have started volunteering and i hope to see a bunny that i fall inlove with as i know they have 4 in (a lot than usual!) and hopefully adopt one or a bonded pair

 

[whitelop]

I got my bun on a whim. I went to the animal supply store we get our dog food from and saw the cage of bunnies. There were 2, both mini lops. One was a broken brown and white and the other was all white except 2 tiny reddish spots on her back. I got the latter. Foo does have reddish brown ears, reddish rings around her eyes and those spots still 3 years later.
I didn't know anything about rabbits other than they were soo cute and soft. So as soon as we got him I got right on Google and researched some rabbits. I also got a rabbit magazine that Petsmart sells and read and learned a lot from that. Its gone pretty smoothly for the 3 years I've had her. She's only been to the vet once, for watery eyes. She has springtime allergies.
I've learned a lot about rabbits over the last few years and since I joined this forum, I've learned even more!

And I would also like to get a Flemmie. They're just so big and I don't know if my bun and a Flemmie could get along. My bun is my heart bun and very bonded to me.

 

[caustin4]

Beatrix- one day we were at a fellow 4h families house with their goats and the next my sister is writing a check to purchase one of their baby flemishes. Apparently Getting a rabbit was discussed while I was living in Boston.

Ferkel- I love how pretty Californians are and at the county fair I saw a meat pen. They were said to all be males (I couldn't get a male incase there were ever accidents we didn't want babies). The auction was long over and I started driving back home, next thing I know I get a call that one is actually a female. The kids had been playing around with them, realized, and asked a vet to confirm. I turned the car around, raced back, and made a deal to purchase the female with the man who bought the meat pen.

Floppsy and Minnie- my mom sister and I went to a rabbit show where we were lectured on how we were not allowed to buy anymore rabbits. Well, turns out the show had a raffle with about 8 buns and lots of nice cages/supplies. My sister and I each bought $5 dollars of tickets. Backstory, she had wanted a mini Rex and me an English lop for months. No one was even selling elops at this show. Luckily for us there was a mini Rex doe and elop doe in the raffle. 90% of our tickets went to those rabbits. When drawing time came the mini Rex was called first, my sister won! Three more rabbits down the line and I heard my name! What a wonderful day!

Gracie- I frequently scan the pets section on Craigslist and came across this beauty at a shelter. For about 3 months I brought up her name and picture every 2 seconds. My family was sick of me and kept the same tune "no more rabbits". When asked what I wanted for my birthday my answer was always Gracie! Finally around came my birthday and I was allowed the get my precious girl!

Jar Jar Binks- spur of the moment while looking on Craigslist pets I came across 2 free to good home elops. VERY rare to ever see an elop on Craigslist. While driving to drop a foster off the get spayed I emailed the lady and got a quick response back. Next thing I know I'm driving home with two English lops in the car. My boyfriend kept the female (babs) and bonded her to one of his males (bugs). It was love at first sight, easiest bonding! The shared a cage from that point on.

And those are the stories of my wonderful rabbits!

 

[TCB579]

I am living with a friend and I had been halfway thinking about getting a bunny (not really sure/serious yet), she said she didn't care as long as I took full responsibility for it. I have some family friends who own a feed/ tack store and they were having a sale and my friend Kat and I went to look and see if we could find anything for her horse or the horse I ride (one of my roommates). The owners daughter ran up to me as we were leaving and asked if I wanted a rabbit or knew anyone who did. They had a blind rabbit and needed to find her a good home. So Bebe came home with me. I didn't have a cage or anything so I got pellets (we fed her some of the horses hay) and bedding at the feed store and she lived in a dog crate for her first week until I got a cage from my friend. (turns out Bebe wasn't blind but she had some neurological issues that caused her seizures)

 

[TCB579]

 

[MiserySmith]

My first rabbit was Hannah(Or Hannibal). I got her from a pet store where a bunch of babies were in this big wooden octagon for people to pick them up and kids were climbing in it and stuff. She was scared. I begged for her as it was almost Easter. We went back the weekend before Easter and told the people I wanted the white female... Well she had jumped out of the wooden octagon(which was a good 3 feet off the ground, then walls) and had run into the backroom. They just left her in there.
Eventually the guy caught her and I brought her home. I had her for 3.5 years before I was supposed to move into a no pets apartment. I had to give her up when I was I think 14?
I did research a lot before and after getting Hannibal, it wasn't really an impulse thing. I miss her terribly, but she went to a home with an old teacher who had a bunch of buns in a huge natural outside inclosure thing.

I bought Dutchess from a guy on the side of the road with bunnies a year or two after Hannah. They all seemed a bit young to be away from mom and he had a young litter and one bun left from the previous litter. Dutch was the one from the first litter that was older. She was harlequin and probably dwarf, she was tiny. I had both girls in my bedroom in separate NIC cages as neither were spayed and Hannah literally broke through her cage walls daily and fighting with Dutch.
Dutchess never cared for people, she wouldn't let me touch her, she wouldn't litter train, she didn't play with toys, etc. So I rehomed her to someone who I thought would take the time to work with her more, she really was just terrified.

I took a break from bunnies for a couple years until last summer. My friend asks if I want to take her sisters rabbit. Her mother won't pay to feed or care for it anymore, and my friend is the only one who had been feeding and caring for him for at least a year.
Of course I wanted him. Snuck him into my house against my mothers wishes with the help of my cousin. She met him the next day when he was settled in and didn't even mind that much. We changed his name from James to Peppy as my cat was James. Peppy is by far the most ridiculously sweet rabbit I've ever met. I don't know what I'd do without him now <3

 

[Apebull]

The whole getting a bunny idea was startedby my husband, who is not an animal person. My kids have always wanted a dog or cat or some kind of animal. Well I have a parrot that does not live in a cage so, sorry kids no cat. And our backyard is a disaster and we would have to repair the fence first so, sorry kids no dog. Well my husband is a huge MMA fan and one day was watching an interview with a fighter at his home.And he had a house bunny. Who during on part of the interview was just chilling on the couch with him and during another part just hopped in the room, checked things out and then hopped away in the background. After he did some research on-line he said we could get one.

Flash forward at least 1 1/2 yrs if not more and we still don't have a bunny and let me tell you the kids had not forgotten about him saying we could. Well my daughter kept telling us that she HAD a bunny "Twigs" that lives at my moms house. And my husband kept telling her NO that if he was going to get a rabbit he would pick it out. Well I talked him into letting Twigs come with usas her 10th birthday present. That was in April and we have all fallen in love with the lil guy. Best decision ever, and Twigs' couldn't be happier. He went from living an away tosmall cage outside to have freerun on pretty much thewhole house.Canwe say spoiled. Now if I can only talk my husband into letting me get him fixed.

 

[nc_bunnys]

The Buns that are with me currently....

Tinky, French Lop - At an auction and the family in front of me told their young son they would bid on the rabbit but it had to stay in the garage. No question, I won the bid.:hyper: Tinky is a spoiled brat.

Rudy, Mini Rex - He was a stud bun at a rabbitry. Was given to people who purchased rabbits to raise for M#@t. They were going to eat him but as an underfed Mini Rex, not enough to eat. They put him in the yard to let the Border Collies chase him. He was so hungry, he only sat & ate grass. They gave him to me. Rudy is the most loving bun.

Ellie, Mini Rex - bought as a trinket to carry around in a college girls bag. When she reached 5-6 months old the fun was over & Ellie was dumped in a shelter. I watch the shelter listings & got her. She plays non-stop.

Howie, New Zealand(?)-Lop Mix - First an Easter Bun for 3 years, then lived in a lady's back yard in a hutch for 4 years. Howie is King of the Poolhouse & loves his salad.

Cocoa, Holland Lop - Lived with her family for 4-1/2 years. They took her to my vet with poopy butt & 3" nails. Said they wanted to give her up soon. Had nails trimmed & butt bath at vet. I finally got her 6 weeks later. De-wormed, got her on Timothy Pellets & hay. Up to 3lbs. Getting her healthy for a spay. She loves to play & eats like a little piggy now.

 

[MiniLopHop]

They all came from their mommies, every last bun...



Seriously though, mine all had very sad starts, mostly neglect, some abuse, and half of themfrom imminate death.:cry4:I adopt the ones no one else wants.

Then I bring them home to lots of love, room to run, and good food. :eats:



They all lived happily ever after, the end. :biggrin2:

 

[Nancy McClelland]

All of ours came from shelters. Our avatar was advertised as "a mixed, male, mini". She turned out to be really mixed when I sexed her two days later--went from Nick to Nikki.

 

[CosmosMomma]

Back in May I was helping a friend put an adoption ad on craigslist for a kitten she found outside, and came across a woman selling 3 baby bunnies. I saw Cosmo and his brothers and just HAD to have one of them. A week later I went to meet the woman, and saw Cosmo and fell in love He was 2 months old and super tiny when I got him, now he's a chubby little piggy and never stops noming

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zRtjKaoKEI&feature=plcp[/ame]
The day I got him.

 

[nc_bunnys]

Seriously though, mine all had very sad starts, mostly neglect, some abuse, and half of them from imminate death. :cry4: I adopt the ones no one else wants.

- These make the best buns ever:inlove:

 

[MyJuneAngel]

Bun 1 - Our friends bought their daughter a white baby bunny for Easter. A few months later they were starting to get tired of that baby as it had grown up and turned into a real rabbit (imagine that!!). We 'bunny-sat' while they went on vacation and my kids fell in love with this bun. A month after they got back the dad was threatening to cook the rabbit (and he was quite serious, I might add) so my husband said we'd take it. We even PAID the little girl for it. She was tired of it and didn't really want it but also didn't want to 'give' it away. They had been housing the full grown bun (not a giant, but large) in a tiny little rubbermaid container so small that the poor thing couldn't lay down all the way in it. It was kind of sad. That was Rascal. We were told Rascal was male.

Bun 2 - Rascal was lonely. We discussed getting a second rabbit but weren't really sure how to go about it... bonding and all. We were out of town for a Flag Day parade and on the way home DH stopped at the home of a friend of ours. She had a big sign outside that said rabbits on it. We chatted with her a bit, catching up, and then she showed us the rabbits. Before we left DH picked one out. Of all the buns she had we got the only lop. She said she had never had a lop before and was surprised when this one's ears lopped. She didn't know the gender of the bunny so we named it Bitsy as something kind of gender neutral.

Buns 3&4 - We built a NIC cage with a divider panel down the center. One day daughter left the top of the cage open. The next morning both buns were in the same cage. I was just happy they hadn't killed one another since we were starting to lean towards Bitsy being male. A month later I'm in the shower and DH runs in to tell me Rascal is female. I asked him how he figured that out and he said "she's having babies!". She had 10 stillborn kits. Then we KNEW without a shadow of a doubt what genders we were dealing with. We kept them separated and all was well. Until.... one day the kids decided that they were lonely and let them have a play date. A month later 7 kits were born, this time alive and well. In the end we kept 2 from the litter, both females (I learned how to sex them, finally!). Their names are Hunny and Winter.

Bun 5 - Daughter was cleaning cage and Bitsy and Rascal accidentally got out at the same time for a few seconds... all it took. She didn't tell me about it either and the day before Easter we found 7 kits in the litter box. When this litter was weaned we re-homed Rascal, Bitsy and all of the kits except for one... a male lop that looks exactly like Bitsy. We had no lops in the first litter but 2 in the second litter and another that had one lop ear. Very interesting to me.

Anyway, Hunny, Winter, and Thumper remain. They are spoiled rotten. LOL We spent half the day building a new NIC cage for Thumper and we will be rebuilding the girls' cage tomorrow.