# Joining the rabbit world, need some advice please



## sammypenny (Oct 19, 2012)

We have a large area in our garden that's being converted into rabbit housing. Its 14 ft by 6ft. It will be standing height all the way through, with a large hutch at one end, complete with sandpit/soil for digging, built in tunnels under ground and all the stuff. Anywho, we aren't intending to get the rabbits until about april next year. I've read up a lot on them and the vac's spaying/neutering etc. 

My main questions are
1) with a sexed pair, do you buy two from the breeder or form separate places? Can siblings live together happily? if not i and i need to buy separately how do you go about introducing them and stuff? 

2) Is breeds, i cant find a list of popular rabbits breeds in the uk with pics. Basically i want short haired ones that have ears up, so not lops. I think Rex is what i need, but if someone can confirm that would be great. 

3) where do you find rabbit breeders its not like dogs with the kennel club, so how do i find them, googles not much help. If it was just for me id chose rescue but we have children too so it would be either try really hard to find a pair that were friendly and well socialised or just buy babys so we can do that initial bonding and socialising ourselves.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

you would be much better off to get an older rescue pair then babies as their personalities can change as they hit puberty, and as a rule rabbits do not make good childrens pets as most of them do not like to be held.

a pair from a rescue will already be bonded and neutered and up to date on their vaccinations

rex are lovely rabbits but very headstrong and prone to sore hocks


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Lil Miss said:


> you would be much better off to get an older rescue pair then babies as their personalities can change as they hit puberty, and as a rule rabbits do not make good childrens pets as most of them do not like to be held.
> 
> a pair from a rescue will already be bonded and neutered and up to date on their vaccinations
> 
> rex are lovely rabbists but very headstrong and prone to sore hocks


Hello and welcome.

Wow,what wonderful accommodation that will be!!

I agree with everything that Lilmiss says.

As rabbits hit puberty, and the hormones kick in, even if you spay/neuter as soon as they are ready, their personalities change. So that's when you find out if you have a sweet natured pair, or rabbits wtih, let us say, more versatile personalities.

So I can heartily recommend looking a local rescues for a young pair who have already been spayed/neutered and bonded. (bonding can be tricky, and not all rabbits actually like each other, so if you were to get 2 then bond, you might just end up with 2 singles if you found you had 2 dominant buns).

Getting rabbits past puberty, but still young, you would see their true personalities.

Like Lilmiss says, rex rabbits are very prone to sore hocks, and you need to provide lots of soft surfaces thruoghout, as they can be very problematical. Perhaps keep to normal short haired, uppy ear buns. do you have a preferecne for small or large buns?


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

Hello and welcome

I can only reiterate what has already been suggested that you go to your local rescue.

I have two rabbits I got them at separate times, my male is a giant mixed breed and my female is a dwarf lop. It was very stressful for me to firstly have them neutered/spayed and then secondly bonding them. There is a sticky thread on here which I followed the advice and I am pleased to say I managed to successfully bond them. 

If I could suggest Dutch rabbits, they seem to fit your requirements. However I would strongly recommend you take a look at your local rescue centre.

As for temperament, I would say the owner moulds their temperament give them lots of your time and patience and you will win them over. Not all rabbit like to be picked up, mine don't mind but I only pick them up when I have to. Most behavioural problems are minimised after neutering.

These are my findings, I am still learning about rabbits there are lots of experienced rabbit owners on this forum. Two have replied already.


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## loukodi (Oct 27, 2010)

I also agree with the above, a bonded pair from a rescue, there are lots needing good homes, and im sure you will find a short haired Heinz.

Creating a bond yourself can be very hard work and lead to injury to yourself or buns. It will also take time as they may reject one stage of bonding and you will have to start over. 

I would have a look at your local rescues now, if you find two single buns ask the rescue about bonding them for you before you get them. They would also be neutered / vaccinated already.

Babies will not show their true personalities until the hormones hit. That sweet little baby might turn into a dominant little sir/madam.
For children its better to find a docile rescue pair.

Good luck, looking forward to seeing the new arrivals in their fab new home


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## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

I agree with what everyone else has said. You can still get recession from rescue. The advantage being you know their temperament. With babies you never know their temperament until they hit puberty and then there's also a risk of a bond breaking. You'd find it far easier with an established pair from a rescue. And the plus is you can watch them interact straight away, unlike a boy girl baby combination that you would have to wait maybe six months to bond. 
My rescue does have baby rabbits too so that's always a possibility. They are an estimated 67000 rabbits needing homes in rescue centres. Please think about giving one a chance.


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## sammypenny (Oct 19, 2012)

Certainly food for thought. Im not against rescue at all, two of my other pets were from shelters, i only found three shelters in my area though. I had no idea that rabbits personality changed when they hit puberty either! That should be on the fact sheets. I had said to hubby it would be best to go to a shelter meet some rabbits and find a pair that were friendly and came up to us and the kids etc, plus we wouldn't have to worry about the neutering. 

Thanks sskmick, just googled them and the dutch rabbit is exactly what we are after. These rabbits are mine!! but ok i will share them with the kids lol. We involve them in all the care of our pets which they love doing. However i had read that lop rabbits have problems with their ears as they drag in the grass? Is this true, if not then im happy to look at lops too.

A few things with the shelters though, im limited in what i can find in my area. The RSPCA only has two rabbits for adoption, one is a giant one, which we definitely dont want. There isn't much choice from the rescue places where i live sadly. Most importantly, will shelters rehome rabbits in a house with a cat? I'm not sure our cat could catch a mouse or bird if it sat in her food bowl lol. She's a playfull dopey thing that mostly sleeps in the house.

As for handling, i dont agree with picking them up and carrying them around. Unless of course they like it! I would like me and the kids to be able to sit in their enclosure and have them clamber over our legs and laps and be stroked and hand fed small amounts of veg etc (yes i have researched what they can and cant have)


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## sammypenny (Oct 19, 2012)

urgh and it looks like two of these shelters wont let us rehome as we dont live within 20 miles of them. Devon is not the place to be if you want to adopt rabbits it seems


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## loukodi (Oct 27, 2010)

sammypenny said:


> Certainly food for thought. Im not against rescue at all, two of my other pets were from shelters, i only found three shelters in my area though. I had no idea that rabbits personality changed when they hit puberty either! That should be on the fact sheets. I had said to hubby it would be best to go to a shelter meet some rabbits and find a pair that were friendly and came up to us and the kids etc, plus we wouldn't have to worry about the neutering.
> 
> Thanks sskmick, just googled them and the dutch rabbit is exactly what we are after. These rabbits are mine!! but ok i will share them with the kids lol. We involve them in all the care of our pets which they love doing. However i had read that lop rabbits have problems with their ears as they drag in the grass? Is this true, if not then im happy to look at lops too.
> 
> ...


Giant lop eared breeds may have problems with their ears dragging, dwarf lops ears don't touch the ground, I have 2 x 11 year old dwarfs and 2 x 6 year old dwarfs, no ear problems in any as of yet. 
A friend of mine has just been allowed to finally take home a pair of lops, she has 7 cats  If you can prove their enclosure is secure I think your fine. Although one of my rabbits used to chase our old cat 

Shame about the rescues not allowing adoption


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

the only rabbits that have problems with their ears dragging on the ground are the english lops, and there arent many of them around

example of an english lop









there is the rspca in devon that get rabbits in
RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter Exeter Devon Welcome


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## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

I have French lops, weights around ten-twelve pounds and there's no problems with their ears dragging  they might get a bit wet but they soon dry. I wouldn't say the English lop would be an easy pet due to its excessively long ears. 
Such a shame you've no decent rescue nearby. There are loads near me. Have you tried rabbit rehome?


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## britishbunnies (Apr 10, 2010)

It sounds like you are going to create an amazing home for the bunnies and you are planning ahead. I understand why they rehoming places have their 20 mile rule but maybe you could convince them to wave this by showing them pictures of what you have created and learned. Are you a long long way away from them? Maybe you could agree to return them for a couple of trips so they are satisfied that they are being looked after and healthy?


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

britishbunnies said:


> It sounds like you are going to create an amazing home for the bunnies and you are planning ahead. I understand why they rehoming places have their 20 mile rule but maybe you could convince them to wave this by showing them pictures of what you have created and learned. Are you a long long way away from them? Maybe you could agree to return them for a couple of trips so they are satisfied that they are being looked after and healthy?
> 
> That would be a bit unsettling for the rabbits, which can impact on their health, I think.
> 
> Some will rehome all over the country, but ask people neareer to home visit for them. I recommend Rabbit Rehome.


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## sammypenny (Oct 19, 2012)

I live 30 miles from one, but one is one is in my area, i spoke to them on the phone and they have hardly any rabbits due to major building work, but should have lots to chose from in the spring. Which would work out well for us. I also called the one that is 30 miles away and they have said that if we take pictures of the enclosure and get out vet to write a reference??? Then they would overlook the 20 mile rule as they have lots of rabbits and it sounded like we would give them a good home.

I'm excited  but work wont start on the run for a few months as we have lots going on this side of christmas, but we should be up and running by the spring. I'm sure i will be floating around here a lot till then though


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

sammypenny said:


> I live 30 miles from one, but one is one is in my area, i spoke to them on the phone and they have hardly any rabbits due to major building work, but should have lots to chose from in the spring. Which would work out well for us. I also called the one that is 30 miles away and they have said that if we take pictures of the enclosure and get out vet to write a reference??? Then they would overlook the 20 mile rule as they have lots of rabbits and it sounded like we would give them a good home.
> 
> I'm excited  but work wont start on the run for a few months as we have lots going on this side of christmas, but we should be up and running by the spring. I'm sure i will be floating around here a lot till then though


That sounds much more positive! and before you build the enclosure, you can run your idea by the rescue, to make sure you meet their requirements - and it will show that you are committed too.


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## Lopside (Mar 20, 2012)

Waiting is the hardest part! You need to focus all your energies into accommodation building! Keep busy! Haha


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