Adopting a pet bunny is making a lifetime commitment to your new bunny.
He/she will be a member of your family for the next 7-10 years, so please choose him/her very carefully.
Just as you
would not buy a puppy
or a kitten from a pet shop, please do not buy a pet rabbit from a pet shop but
always choose a reputable rabbit breeder who knows their own bunnies well. This way you are more likely to choose
healthy a healthy pet, receive adequate advice in choosing the best rabbit to suit your needs
and can view the parents.
Different breeds of rabbit can have quite different personalities and characteristics.
A good, reputable breeder will will know his/her bunnies and their personality characteristics and will be able to guide you and help you choose the most suitable rabbit for your requirements.
Generally, rabbits which have been gently handled regularly from a young age make much better pets and have little fear or apprehension towards humans. All our bunnies are handled at least twice daily, tipped on their backs, rubbed, stroked, cuddled and fussed and this ensures they are notably tame and friendly when they are adopted by new owners, to whom they bring a lot of pleasure.
It is always preferable to buy rabbits
privately from a reputable breeder, never from a ('typical') pet shop or
DIY store, since you can learn more about its background
in this way.
There are some good pet shops but many are more suited towards selling feed, bedding, bowls and bottles rather than pet animals. See also: Bunny Sources and Breeding Ethics pages.)
Adopting a bunny is a responsibility - just like a cat or dog and must always be a considered decision and not an impulse purchase. A rabbit can live for 10 years and being house and 'forgotten' at the foot of the garden, confined to a small hutch, is no way for a social animal to live. These pages, and the following information, are intended to give potential bunny-adopters more insight into owning a bunny - now the third most popular pet in the UK.
Our bunnies are adopted by
adults, retired pensioner and young families, but most tend to move in with
owners in their 20's - 30's or professional older couples (about 70% are
medical professionals - GP's, surgeons, anaesthetists, cardiologists.....) where they are lavished with affection, fussed and
cherished - and this is the sort of lifestyle we'd like for our pets.
Look for:-
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the overall environment the rabbits are housed in - including daylight, ventilation, exercise outside the hutch etc. |
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clean hutches and bedding |
| clean food bowls and water bottles - food bowls should be filled with fresh food and water bottles should be filled daily with clean, fresh water |
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check the type of food the bunnies eat - ie a good quality mix/pellets |
| check whether litter-trays are used and regularly cleaned (a litter-trained bunny is preferable) |
Check the condition of the rabbit carefully, noting the following:
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check the upper and lower front teeth are correctly aligned - maloccluded jaws can later lead to difficulties eating | ||||
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the abdomen should feel plump, 'doughy', but not bloated, droppings should be firm and well-formed, the eyes must be bright, the ears and nose clean and dry and the rabbit should appear alert, inquisitive and keen to explore the surroundings. | ||||
| as the breeder approaches, watch to see if the rabbits run towards him/her, stay put, or scurry away in fear (as many bunnies in pet shops do!!) and sit nervously huddled in a corner trembling. Handle the rabbit, if you can, to see how s/he settles in your arms but please note that all rabbits may be a little jumpy in the arms of an unfamiliar stranger. Their behaviour with their breeder is much more representative of their normal character and personality - and how they will later bond with yourself. Not many rabbits enjoy being sexed and can wriggle then - but they should soon settle down when their 'bits' have been examined!! | ||||
| PLEASE NOTE: many breeders (including ourselves) will be reluctant to allow you to handle a bunny if it is to be returned to the litter and its mother. This is a safeguard in the interests of the rabbit(s), potential adopters and ourselves for two main reasons:
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If possible, ask to see both parents - particularly the mother. This can give a good indication of the size the baby rabbit is likely to grow to while the mother can give an idea of how its personality may develop. Offspring of nervous parents can be nervous themselves while a mother who enjoys handling is likely to produce babies which are good for handling. Also, by seeing the mother, you can judge how intensively the rabbits are bred - ie is she pregnant again before her current litter is weaned?
Buying a Bunny for a Child
If you are considering adopting a bunny for a child, please read our ''Child's Pet'' page and Fluffy's Story.
We do not recommend rabbits as pets for young children under 8-10 years of age.
