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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum THE LOUNGE How’d you get hooked on Bunnies?

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    • BinkyBunny
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        I know this is rather long but have a few questions that I think will be very helpful for people!  Plus, it’s a great way to see some similarities and differences in our own stories.  We plan on updating our blog finally to include some of the educational information from this thread.  (We won’t use actual member names in blog unless you say it’s okay). So if you would take the time when you have a chance, I’d greatly appreciate it! 

        Here 6 questions: 

        1. What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place? 
        2. If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you?
        3. How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc) 
        4. What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet? 
        5. What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share! 
        6. What are the greatest joys? 

        I’ll start: 

        1. Why a bunny? In 2002, I  got my very first bunny from a breeder.  I was trying to choose an animal companion that I perceived to be a bit easier than a dog, and didn’t need as much space as I figured a cat would.  We were in a small San Francisco apartment at the time.   I was deciding between a lizard or a bunny.   As you can tell, I had no idea what I was doing at first.   I started to research and decided to take a chance on getting a bunny.   I did NOT know enough even after researching and realized quickly I needed to get up to speed to learn how to care for my new bunny properly and protect my house from being chewed up.   I read up,  went to many House Rabbit Society conferences and classes, read, read read, researched,  and volunteered for rabbit rescues for 5 years. (mostly SaveAbunny, but also a local Animal/shelter & Humane Society as well )  I got up to speed, alright! LOL


        2. Right Animal Companion for you? Even with my ignorant start, I fell in love with how active, bright, bossy and curious bunnies can be.  That they speak with body language and I was figuring that out. I enjoy that.   They also did well with my work schedule.  Active in the mornings and evenings.   I loved being able to see those adorable sweet faces first thing in the morning and when I was settling in for the evening.  And on the days now that I work from home, I can take a bunny break! 


        3 (answered in #2)


        4. What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet?
        I would love to be able to expand her set-up so she could also explore and safe/secure outside enclosed area while supervised.  She loves to watch the goings on outside from her inside lounge box by the window. I just haven’t had the time to do it. 


        5.  Challenges:  Huh? Bunnies are perfect!! HA!   Aria is actually almost perfect.  She is fully litterbox trained, only stray poos come from her jumping out of her litter box.   But she has a vice — she loves to chew on anything soft.  That’s blankets, pillows, couch, clothes – if it’s soft she gets on a mission to fully destroy it.   Luckily she never jumps on the couches or chairs in the rest of the house, but in her own bunny room there is a couch that she would tear up if she could.  SOLUTION:  Instead of using soft blanket type bedding to put in her bunny room, I use Sea Grass mats.  And in her hidey houses, I put hay, phone book paper, and sea grass mats.  She rips everything up and makes a cozy bed herself out of those things.  It’s not pretty, but she doesn’t pee or poo on it, and so it stay dry and only she really sees it in her hidey house. 

        VET bills are of course challenging  – They are always expensive.  MY SOLUTION:  Save up little by little and use Care Credit where possible. 


        6.  Joys? (same answers as #2 AND  those adorable front paws on my leg while begging for treats.  Binkies! 
        And this loungy relaxed snuggle face when I pet her.  





      • Muchelle
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          Let’s see if I am quick enough to do this before my internet dies out!! Start!

          1) My dream was to get a naked guinea pig, cause they are adorable and look like mini hippos. Then two “friends” of mine suddenly gave me a rabbit on the day of my master degree. I had never cared for rabbit except when one would be on my plate and had never thought of having one as a pet (their explanation was: “but you always spammed us with rabbit pics!” *epic facepalm ). 
          I realize this might be a very ‘different’ starting situation than most of the people on this forum xD 
          To be continued on point 5th!

          2) If all bunnies are moody loners like this one, I might have found my spirit animal. 

          3) He sleeps and stays by himself all day in his pen, then around afternoon I re-appear (in case i’m not working/studying at home) and he’s stuck with me all night. 

          4) I only want him to be a happy, serene little animal and wish him to never have health problems again. I want him to die extremely old while humping his fave things (or in my arms while I bawl my eyes out).

          6) Point 5th left for last due to TL;DR issues. He makes me happy when he grooms my eyebrows or when he licks my hand when he’s in the right mood to be petted to sleep, or when he puts his little hands in mine while he eats his treats. He’s also a lot of fun when we’re on holiday and he thinks he’s protecting me and his territory from crickets and cats.

          5) When I got him, he was a sick ball of ugly dull black fur. He was mistaken for a blanket when my “friends” first saw him at the pet store. Apparently, he was lying at the bottom of the cage while all the other bunnies jumped and walked on him (no wonder he hates any other creature that are not humans). He was sold to them as a 2 months old ‘toy’ sized dwarf, but I didn’t need a vet to know he was neither 2 months nor a tiny dwarf: the vet confirmed he was a “normal” sized dwarf (or possibly even the spawn of a dwarf and a regular italian meat rabbit) and that he was about 4 months old. He had a bad coccidium infestation, to the point the vet told us he would have died soon hadn’t he been sold. He also knew how to use a litter box and was dearly afraid of male people… so we can only imagine what happened to him in his early weeks. 

          Point is: I didn’t want a rabbit and knew nothing about rabbits, but he was sick and I would have never let him die. I admit I have lost sleep and shed tears for a good three months because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to commit. Also he’s always been very introvert and I didn’t know how to bond with him (googling didn’t help, lol). Don’t tell anyone, but his name is Kuro not only because that’s Japanese for black. “Kuro” in Japanese sounds like italian “culo”, which means “ass”: that was the only part of him that I’ve seen for the first three months we’ve been together. And he’s black. So it was a convenient name! (my vet gave me a discount when I told him this story…)

          Eventually, we bonded over his sickness. He has horrible teeth genetics and had to go through several surgeries first to trim his molars and then to take two of them out. He’s been challenging death from Sept to Dec 2015 (last emergency treatment on Christmas Eve). I dropped everything and opened his personal bunny daycare, being with him 24/7 and going out only the strict needed to work. I’ve spent hours laying by him on the floor while he was in pain, between medication times. I know it was an extreme solution, but in all that mess he slowly accepted me as a comforting presence and in the end decided he liked me enough to bond with me. The keyword to our whole story together is patience.

          He’s far from being the perfect pet, just as I am far from being the perfect pet-owner, but we’re two idiots and we fit together.
          On monday it’s gonna be our 2 years buniversary, accepting suggestions on how to celebrate

          I think he might be training to be a dragon:


        • Azerane
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            Lots to answer… here we go.

            1. For me the choice to get a bunny was a long progression of events. As a child I remember watching the Watership Down video and being fascinated by it. As a young teenager, visiting my grandparents farm I developed an interest in creeping around the farm with a pair of binoculars to track down and watch the rabbits go about their day. Soon after I learned about the Watership Down novel which made me fall in love with rabbits even more. All of this culminated into a desire to own a rabbit, and I remember walking past a pet store one day and seeing the most beautiful red rex rabbit in the window and just wanting to own it. Following that, I asked for a rabbit for my next birthday and my wish was granted. My parents paid for the hutch and my sister paid for my bunny

            2. I think there are a lot of right animal companions for me I was always and always will be a cat person, but I am very much a bunny person too. For me the reward of winning over the trust and companionship, and bonding with an animal like a rabbit is wonderful. That and they are seriously too cute for words. I can’t explain what it is, they’re just an animal that fascinates me and I think they’re great to have around.

            3. My schedule was always before work in the morning, I would open the cage door for free run time. This was from 45mins to an hour while I had breakfast and got ready for work. Breakfast would be fed in the cage right before I left and the door closed behind bunny. After getting home from work, the cage door would be opened almost as soon as I got home. Any time I am home is bunny free ranging time, unless I’m outside doing something like mowing the lawn or I’m taking a shower. Things that take a bit longer which require too much unsupervised time. I love bunnies, but I sure don’t trust them not to destroy things when I’m not around Since the condo is in the main living area, it’s very easy to always be around and have time for bunny to come out and spend time with them or clean out the cage.

            4. A bond-mate. I always wanted a bonded pair, my plan this year had been to find a bond-mate for Bandit. Now in a situation where I’m adopting a new rabbit after Bandit’s passing, and I haven’t got approval from my rental agent for more than one rabbit. So that will just have to wait.

            5. The biggest challenge with bunnies, is that they always, ALWAYS get sick either late at night, or on weekends/public holidays. They’re never ill when you’re regular amazing bunny vet is open. That’s why it’s so important to know where you’re going to go in an emergency. Also, they’re inordinately stubborn. I’ve never met an animal as persistent or stubborn as a rabbit. You can shoo them away from somewhere 100 times and they’ll still go back for more.


          • jerseygirl
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              I’ll come back to answer the questions… but basically, this face was the reason.

               photo b4.jpg


            • Q8bunny
              Participant
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                1. I couldn’t sleep one night. The year after separating from my partner was very rough – a lot of nightmares, insomnia, depression, etc. Someone had sent me a link to a cute bear video, and that video linked to another cute animal video, and before I knew it, I had spent half the night watching bunny videos. So my sleep deprived brain, thought – hey! If you can’t have a dog (I live in a VERY hot country), how about a rabbit? I had two pet rabbits as a little kid, and loved them, and I love working with the bunnies at the local animal shelter, so I decided that next time I’m there, I’ll bring a rabbit home with me. Of course, I never got to adopt the rabbit I originally had in mind, because this other little weirdo pounced on me and ended up becoming my Chewie. I guess that sort of makes him my rebound bunny, but he’s the centre of my universe and I wouldn’t change a thing about our life together.

                2. I always thought I was a dog person. Love (big) dogs, horses, dolphins, birds… but I would NEVER have guessed how perfect a bunny would be for me. I work long hours, and am a very quiet, mellow person, and Chewie is just perfect. His life and my life seem to have really synchronized beautifully. I’m an early riser, so we play before work, and then hang out or play after work until bedtime. He’s totally free roam and sometimes I feel like I’m sharing a flat with my furry little friend. lol

                3. Perfectly. Beautifully. Answered in #2. & On days when I don’t have to work 12+ hours, Chewie gets harnessed and we go to the beach, to the park, to the shops, to the cinema (sneaky sneaky). He is literally a part of every aspect of my life.

                4. I desperately want him to have a bunny friend. But he refuses to bond with another rabbit (we’ve tried and tried). I feel responsible because he became so closely bonded with me as a little kit.

                5. Not being able to travel with him breaks my heart, but luckily we have a wonderful boarding place that spoils him rotten while he’s there. The other thing is that to this day, he will fight tooth and nail if I try to pick him up and as a result, something as basic as nail trims requires a trip to the vet (so a second person can help me).

                6. Every day is a joy. I can’t belive how lucky I am to have a bun as good as Chewie. He is healthy, he is clean, he is not a destructo bunny, he is incredibly affectionate, and seeing him do all the usual cute bunny things makes my heart melt: the zoomies, and head tosses, and binkies, and periscopes, the bossiness, and kisses, and bunny butt moments… he makes my life complete and I can’t imagine loving him more if he were my biological child.


              • Candied
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                  How I got hooked:

                  1. I used to work with a girl at a nursing home that had a long ear black bunny. She would bring him and let all the elderly people pet him. I thought it was so amazing that she litter box trained him and he ran loose all over the house. After that, I wanted one so bad! For my birthday this year, I found Fuzzy on Craig’s List & my sister bought him for me. I was going to name him Snuggles, but it didn’t suit him at all!!

                  2. This is my first bunny. I love all animals, but I have always had dogs. I rent, and as you know, they charge a huge security deposit. However, they don’t specify bunnies….lol!! I work weird hours so a dog just didn’t make sense. I wouldn’t have much time to walk it & train it. Fuzzy acts like a little dog, however!! He runs to meet me at the door when I come home and follows me everywhere.

                  3. I’m used to working 3rd shift. Fuzzy is a night owl as well; staying up as long as I do at night. Whenever I am home, he is with me!!

                  4. I love him so much!!! I want to give him everything!! I would love to get him one of the big bunny hutches so he has his own little “house”.

                  5. OMG…..we have had a LOT of challenges. I had him litter trained almost immediately, but then we moved. I still have not been able to retrain him totally!!
                  Next, he has an appointment Thursday to be neutered. THANK GOD!!! He is driving me crazy “play biting”, spraying, and humping!! My poor legs look like a pin cushion from all the bites!! Not to mention, it hurts!! He also chews all my wires; I’ve been through 4 iPhone chargers!! At first, I couldn’t even pet him! Now he loves on me all the time!!

                  6.i love Fuzzy more than any pet I have ever had!! The other night, I was watching a show that made me cry. He came running to me and started licking me. He was comforting me!! As I said, when I first got him, he wouldn’t even let me pet him. He was only a few months old and was terrified of me. The lady I got him from said he hadn’t been handled much. Now, he follows me everywhere and loves on me all of the time!! ?


                • Mikey
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                    1. What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place?
                    I had rabbits when i was younger and always wanted another one when i got older. I always didnt have the space, time, and/or money and my mom had final rule on if i got an animal or not at the time. When i moved into my apartment with my boyfriend, we both wanted an animal. He grew up with dogs, i grew up with all sorts of animals. I talked to him about getting a rabbit, but he didnt want one as he just lost his guinea pig before moving. We were looking to get a dog, but could never find one that worked out with us. So i kept bring up the bunny idea. Eventually he admitted that he thought rabbits were boring, messy, and stinky and didnt want to get one (hehe). Fine. We got some goldfish and have a nice set up for them. But i still needed an Emotional Support Animal for my PTSD and Aspergers. I read online that rabbits are good for disorders like mine because they are generally calm and if trained correctly, can help PTSD survivors in many ways. When our final attempt at getting a dog fell through, i told him “lets go to the pet store, were getting a rabbit.” We both read online everything there is to know about rabbits and made sure we had a vet in our area. While we were researching, i was telling him fun stories about my childhood rabbits. He still didnt think he would like getting one, but he was going along with it since he knew i needed an ESA. We get tot he store, and there he is. Our little Blue! The first bunny of three furbabies my boyfriend loves as much as i do

                    2. If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you? 
                    I love animals. Always have, and always will. Ive grown up with multiple animals, and did rescues and rehabs with my mom for different animals. I had 3 rabbits total when i was younger (one died of “old age” at 3 [this was 15+ years ago when we didnt know much about rabbits], one died of stasis as soon as we got it, and the 3rd my mom was deathly allergic to so he went to her work friend who has had rabbits her entire life) and missed having one around. We tried with dogs, and couldnt get a cat. We had mice and fish, but i still needed something more intelligent and fluffy, that i can hold, pet, and cry into if need be. A rabbit was perfect. Getting Blue only proved that. I dont think a trained dog ESA could do what Blue as done for me. He has even trained himself some things to help me out during an episode, not because he had to, but because he wanted to help me during those moments. Our three bunnies mean the world to us for many different reasons

                    3. How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc) 
                    Wake up, feed and water the bunnies and pet them too, clean litter box, clean a little/relax a little/game a little to wake up, greens and pellets for the bunnies, dinner, let the bunnies out to play while we finish eating/cleaning/gaming/spot clean litter box/ect, boyfriend goes to work (nightshift), i do some chores and game on and off while the bunnies free roam, feed and water them one last time, deep clean their litter box, derp around and play with the bunnies, watch tv with the bunnies, roll around and laugh with the bunnies, game with the bunnies, put them away, finish my chores of the night, triple check that they have enough water and hay, say goodnight/give goodnight pets to everyone, head to bed and wait for my boyfriend to come home where we talk about our days before going to sleep. Sometimes i fall asleep first and wake up to him cuddling and playing with the bunnies, too

                    4. What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet?
                    Their own room! Im so excited to move out next year because the bunnies will be getting their own room! Their own room means more space, and more space means more toys! We both love to spoil the crap out of them and dont have enough room in our apartment to do so right now. Getting their own room also means that they wont have to be caged half of the day! Theyll only have to be caged while we are asleep of away from home! I think they will all love it. Blue loves sleeping on the floor, Bombur loves to run back and forth, and Badger likes to explore the same spots over and over just in case something new happens in those spots. Theyll have a whole room to do this with little to no limits, and that makes me super happy

                    5. What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share! 
                    Blue is our only healthy rabbit. Bombur’s tummy is very easily upset. Not a week goes by where his tummy isnt bloated for atleast 1 day. He either eats too much, eats too little, or drinks too little, all which causes him gas. The good thing is that the vet says its not too big of a deal for him since he also knows how to pop his own tummy bubbles if we dont realize hes gassy ahead of time. He will roll back and forth on a small rubber ball they have for few minutes then run around all happy. This usually gets all of the gas out of him, which makes him run even more because hes just so happy and feeling good lol. Bombur is also aggressive with humans due to being very easily scared. It is something we are working on with him, but likely will never go away fully. He has stopped kicking, boxing, and biting to the extent he used to, but he still kicks and boxes if he feels nervous. He doesnt attack other animals, only people. People are told to let him come to them as if they are chased, they will end up bloody. No one has challenged that yet, which is good. There are days where he is also just mad, and will kick anything and everything (Aside from his bond mates) because hes just mad. We think its because his tummy hurts, as usually one he gets out and runs a little, he will stop being so angry. But its still something to monitor

                    Badger has constant allergies, is prone to infections, and has splay leg. We bought him knowing something “wasnt right”. It was part of the reason we wanted him. We are both so glad we bought him that day because of the issues we have come to find from him. His allergies arnt bad, but coupled with a very weak immune system, he is prone to getting infections. This means tons of antibiotics, often. One infection got bad enough that he nearly choked to death on his own snot (this wonderful website helped save him that terrifying day). He is in and out of the vet often to be checked over to make sure his allergies are in control and to make sure he doesnt have another infection. We have poured well over 500$ into him despite only having him for about six months. His splay leg is not getting better, but its not hindering him either. However, because of his splay leg, he has a very poor spine that sometimes leaves him in pain. The vet has stated that although he doesnt need a wheel chair now, he likely will need one when he gets older so his spine doesnt cause him too much pain or get worse. Hes also very clumsy and although he loves to run laps around the living room when he is happy and loves to binky, he sometimes falls because of his oddly shaped legs. He still doesnt let that stop him, as he gets right up and continues the running and binkying Although they are challenges, they are not something i would ever dream of changing

                    6. What are the greatest joys?
                    Everything. I love each of their quirks. I love that Blue tries his hardest to help me when im going through an episode. I love that Bombur helps my boyfriend with his anger because they both understand eachothers anger. I love that Badger wants to make sure all of us are happy and will do weird things to make sure we are all obviously happy (like jump onto their chair, then jump off and run in circles). I love that Blue tries to clean all of us all the time because hes so OCD with things being clean; i love that he feels helpful. I love that Bombur helps Blue relax if Blue is uptight. I love that Badger loves to cuddle and sprawl with us. I love that Blue thinks its funny to sneak into the bedroom and fly out of there once he is caught. I love that Bombur thinks its funny when he grabs some of Blue’s greens and runs away with them. I love that Badger is so easily satisfied with life despite his disabilities. I love everything about them. I can go on and on for hours. I just love them. They are my pride and joys


                  • kirstyol
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                      1. I got my first bun at five years old, I have no idea how my parents decided that a bun was the perfect pet for me but they did. Back then rabbits lived in the garden because no one knew any better. My bun had a massive hutch and run and we honestly thought it was really well cared for, I would spend loads of time in the garden feeding him carrots and other veggies. Unfortunately he didn’t live very long. When I was a bit older my friend’s mum went a bit animal mad and got loads of bunnies, guinea pigs, even rats and I became desperate for another bun but we didn’t have a garden. My friend’s mum agreed to let me keep my bun with them and I got a massive big mixed breed from someone local. It only lasted a few weeks before I tired of going to my friends all the time to see my bun, I started bringing him round the corner to my house every day (he had a harness, I didn’t know any better and he walked round with me happily). Eventualy my mum agreed he could stay indoors. People thought I was mad, no one had ever heard of an indoor bun, in fact people thought I was cruel keeping a rabbit inside. He adapted to life in my bedroom great, he would hop about the place quite happily, I left the hutch doors open all day for him and he never once pooped or peed on the floor. After years of not having a rabbit as an adult, I was settled and felt the time was right. My partner and I had been living together for years had a big enough flat and a landlord that wouldnt mind. We got a tiny little six week old bun who we named Bramble then a little over a year later rescued Ron as an adult.

                      2. I guess I just always loved bunnies, having two is even better. This is the first time I have ever had a bonded pair.

                      3. We try not to stick to a routine so the bunnies don’t get too used to it because I work weird ever changing hours, as did my partner when he was working. We get up in the morning and the bunnies always run up and stand up against the bars desperate to get out, if I am working I usually don’t let them out first thing because I am up mega early and leave for work hours before partner is likely to be up so he lets them out when he gets up. when I am off I will let them out. They go a bit nuts for a while then tend to just find somewhere to lie down which is almost always in the pen that the so badly wanted out of in the first place. We don’t feed them in the morning on our vets advice so only their hay gets topped up at this time. They get fed just before we go to bed, I will hand feed them a piece of broccoli or something each, broccoli is Bramble’s favourite and he will often steal Ron’s bit while trying to eat his own, Ron doesnt car much to be honest because that means he can eat all the nuggets while Bramble isn’t looking.

                      4. I would love to make an NIC condo for them but I have struggled to find the grids here at a reasonable price

                      5. Bramble is a chewer, he especially likes cables and anything wooden such as skirting boards and the tv unit this makes it impossible to let him live free roam which is what I had originally hoped for him. He also has problems with his teeth and goes into Gi slowdown regularly which is neither good for my nerves or my wallet, his vet bills are frequent and expensive and I worry every time he stops eating that it will be the last time. Ron has no health issues but boy is he grumpy! He thumps in disapproval at anything and everything, and sometimes nothing!

                      6. There are so many joys! I love to watch them play together, I love how well they get on they bonded in just a week and clearly absolutely adore each other. I love that they will lie down and watch TV together. I love that they can make me happy no matter how sad I might be and I honestly think they help my partner with his depression. When you let them out in the morning and Bramble needs to go round sniffing everything to make sure nothing has changed then Ron sneakily follows behind him chinning all the stuff Bramble has just checked over and chinned if he felt it needed it. They wind each other up no end but clearly have the best time doing it.


                    • Deleted User
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                        1. What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place? 

                        I actually went to the pet shop with the intention of coming home with a chinchilla. After speaking to the lady behind the counter (a well known, in my home town, small animal lover & Breeder) my mum decided that I shouldn’t get a chin (I was 19/20 at the time but appreciated my parents opinions and was living at home so needed their approval). So we came home with a baby bunny called Gareth (Brown Dwarf Lop), he turned out to be the rabbit love of my life and would bring me 10 years of cherished memories


                        2. If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you?

                        When Gareth was around 6 years old I decided he needed a friend, I found a rabbit breeder in Warrington who was downsizing, I went to see her and brought home Terri, a beautiful Chocolate Orange Rex who would sit on my knee or next to me on the sofa and go to sleep, she was with us for around 18 months before she died of internal bleeding from a cyst or similar. When Terri was gone along came Cinders, I took Gareth to a rabbit rescue and let him pick his own wife. In May this year I lost Gareth, I felt like my whole life was worthless, my boy had gone what would I do now? Cinders didn’t cope very well with the loss of Gareth as she was such a quiet and shy bun. I went into Pets @ Home one bank holiday Monday and fell in love with Red, a rabbit who was in the rescue cages (Red/ brown – False Netherland Dwarf), I brought him home and slowly but surely he has helped mend mine and Cinders broken hearts, he has brought a ray of sunshine to an immensely difficult time in my life


                        3. How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc) 

                        I wake up in the morning & clean the water bowl and refill it, top up the hay & nuggets, say good morning to the buns (Little Red & Cinders), go to work and check in using the bunny cam (numerous times a day – Yes I have just checked again), when I get home I clean up any stray poops (they are free range) and top up hay if needed & give veggies. I will then sit on the floor or sofa to watch telly/ have tea and I tend to spend more time watching them/ taking pics of them because they are too cute. When I go to bed I often get awoken by Red jumping on my head in the middle of the night so I would say my daily schedule IS my rabbits haha


                        4. What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet? 

                        I would love Cinders to be more outgoing and less wary of me but I have never been able to get her trust. I want more than anything for Red to get over his snuffles which he has had since he came home with me in May, we have tried a few different meds but none has worked so far.


                        5. What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share! 

                        Giving Medicine to a rabbit who doesn’t want to eat it!! No solutions as yet!


                        6. What are the greatest joys? 

                        Walking up in the morning and hearing Red hopping about from room to room causing mischief.

                        Watching Cinders walk with all 4 feet instead of hopping, sniffing things and bobbing her head up and down as she investigates everything.

                        Red snuggling up to me in the car for comfort.

                        Seeing Red & Cinders cuddled up together, enjoying each others company & playing together




                      • MoxieMeadows
                        Participant
                        5375 posts Send Private Message

                          What made you choose to get a rabbit in the first place?

                          Well it’s a long story, but to give you the idea, I was sad, angry and betrayed. I nearly impulse bought a rabbit at a 4-H fair, but decided against it. I wanted to be ready. I did my research and decided that the intelligent animal that is the rabbit was just the healing challenge I needed. I bought all the basics for the floof ball I was about to welcome into my life and consumed myself with preparing for her arrival, going to every store, ordering stuff online, cleaning. Moxie was everything I needed and then some. I am glad I made the leap, she has enriched my life thus far, and continues to every day. 

                          If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you?

                          I have had Moxie for just about 3 years. Hopefully I’ll adopt some more buns, probably not while I have Moxie (she prefers to be a lone bun). I don’t know what exactly makes them the right animal companion for me, they just are. 

                          How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? 

                          Well I’m home-schooled, so it’s a pretty flexible schedule. I take care of Moxie and my other pets before anything, making sure they all have clean food and water throughout the day. I end do my school in my room so Moxie can run around and sleep next to me etc. Cleaning and such happens in the evenings. When I work, It can be more difficult, but it always works itself out. 

                          What is something that you wish you could get or do for your bun that you haven’t been able to yet?

                          I would love to buy her a toddler tunnel, since she is too big for all the cat tunnels out stores sell 

                          What are some of the biggest challenges you have with bunnies?

                          Nail trims!

                          What are the greatest joys?

                          The cuddles and kisses and binkies. 

                          How funny and interesting they are to watch. 

                          Hearing their little pitter patter of feet as they follow you around.

                          I could go on and on.

                          Getting Moxie was one of the best decisions I’ve made.


                        • LittlePuffyTail
                          Moderator
                          18092 posts Send Private Message

                            1. What made you choose a bunny? 

                            Shortly after my husband and I moved into our house, I was thinking I’d like to get a dog. Ricky didn’t really like the idea of a dog (he’s a cat guy and we had 4 kitties at the time). He knew I always loved small animals and he said that instead of a dog, in a few months, I could get as many guinea pigs as I wanted. I had G pigs when I met Ricky years before. I thought maybe I would like to get a different pet and decided on a bunny. So Ricky said that, in a few months, we would go look around at bunny cages and stuff. So, the next evening, Stormy came to live with us…….

                            2. What made me feel bunnies were the right companion for me? 

                            I’ve always been a huge animal lover but had never thought much about getting a bunny. Literally, the same day I got Stormy, I was hooked. Not just in love with this bunny but all bunnies. He started me down the “Crazy Bunny Lady” path. He was so sweet and charismatic and had a giant personality. He was very special. And look how cute he was, how could I not be crazy about him?

                             

                            3. How do your bunnies fit into your daily schedule? 

                            I’m a stay at home Mom and before Everly came along, I worked from home so I have lots of home time to spend with the buns. They are unbonded and each take turns coming out for at least an hour in the a.m. and p.m.  Bunnies love a strict schedule and I’m very much a ‘schedule police’. So we get along just fine. 

                            4. What is something I wish I could do for my bunnies. 

                            Bond them. Have never had a bonded pair. Bindi and Stormy came close but Stormy passed away.

                            5. Biggest Challenges? 

                            First off, non-stop vet bills. I’ve had way too many bunny emergency and problems over the years. Bindi is especially high-maintenance. Second, is how difficult bunnies are to bond. They are social animals but they just don’t want to make it easy…..it’s very frustrating.

                            6. Greatest Joys

                            Nothing makes me happy like spending some quality time snuggling my bunnies! They are so unique and each have their own little personality. I find their innocence very moving and it has led me to be a better more compassionate person. Since becoming a bunny Mom, I’ve gone vegetarian and only used Cruelty-Free products. 


                          • LycheeLove
                            Participant
                            8 posts Send Private Message

                              Great questions!

                              1. I actually chose to get a bunny for my dog! I felt bad that my golden retriever, Kida, was alone for 6 hours while my boyfriend and I were at work. I couldn’t get another dog, and I am not too fond of cats, so I thought of getting a rabbit! I knew nothing about rabbits….. and I didn’t really think Kida wouldn’t NOT love a rabbit… But when I first got Lychee…. wow. I thought I was doomed lol. Kida would just get too excited and I didn’t want to scare the little guy, so it was a FOUR MONTH VERY SLOW introduction. It literally started with Kida just seeing Lychee in his cage from far away, and then I’d put the cage in the bathroom and close the door and Kida would literally sit there and whine for hours… wanting to get to Lychee. It was so irritating having to keep them separated until Kida got used to Lychee lol. Lychee honestly didn’t seem to even mind and just looked at her curiously. Now, the two are the best of friends and I can trust Kida to be calm around him. They’re so funny together and love to play. Kida is gentle (thank goodness), but my boyfriend and I are always present just in case. When Lychee is locked in his cage, Kida will lay next to it =) It’s like she treats Lychee like her puppy. And Kida honestly seems to be a lot happier since we got Lychee! 

                              2. This is my first bunny… and I am so surprised at the cute little personality he has! I never thought having a bunny would be so fun! I think I’ll definitely have more bunnies in the future.

                              3. I’m currently not working, so lucky Lychee gets to have free roam to my little apartment (he pretty much just stays in the living room) almost all day! But when I did work, I would always wake up and give Lychee some fresh veggies and give him some loving. Two hours later, my boyfriend would get up and do the same haha. Then I’d come home 6 hours later (around 2pm) and let him out to run around until we went to bed. So in total, he would be in his cage about 15 hours and free 9 hours.

                              4. I would like to get my bunny more toys  =)

                              5. The biggest challenge was introducing my dog to him. As explained in question 1, it was a success!!! 4 months later lol

                              6. The greatest joy is seeing him run around and have fun. And watching my dog and bunny give each other love is just the cutest and makes me proud how far we’ve come.

                               


                            • BinkyBunny
                              Moderator
                              8776 posts Send Private Message

                                These are such wonderful stories!! I can relate to so much. And I love how we all have one thing in common — the small things bring us the greatest joys — a snuggle, a binky, just watching their behavior, seeing them happy. I just love that!


                              • Love4Bunny
                                Participant
                                878 posts Send Private Message

                                  First off, I’d like to say that I’m gushing reading some of these bunny stories.  They are adorable.

                                  1) What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place?  I had a bunny when I was a kid.  When he escaped, I never wanted to get a rabbit again because they just looked so boring and personality-less.  After I married, I adopted 2 dogs.  I went back to the shelter to visit the animals.  I was leaving and entered the small bunny room on a whim.  Thor greeted me and immediately started licking my fingers and poking his head through the bars for cuddles (he sold himself!). Honestly, I had never seen a black rabbit before and loved his shiny coat.  And then his bold, affectionate personality drew me in.  I fostered Thor, but hubby didn’t want another animal, so we took him back.  As we were leaving, I made a last minute plea to *wink wink*, keep him outta the living room and kitchen if we got him.  Hubby relented, and we took the furball home.  Yay!

                                  2) If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you? I got my second rabbit, Crysta, because I realised Thor was lonely.  He would groom one of my Chi’s and then present his head for grooming, and wait for reciprocation… which he got 50% of the time.  It broke my heart, so I caved and got him a girlfriend.  In essence, I realised that I REALLY enjoyed taking care of animals, and surprisingly, rabbits.  It’s meticulous for me, but I love caring for them, so it never seems like work.  And I just enjoy watching both my rabbits snuggle – MELTS MY HEART.  Often, I just watch them eat, or read their tails and try to figure out what they’re saying to each other.  And they’re cheeky, alright! 

                                  3) How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc)   I’m a night owl, so I like that the rabbits are active when I am (‘cept those mornings!).  I take care of them/ interact with them in the mornings, and play with them in the evenings after work.  They don’t come alive till late, so that’s perfect for my personality and schedule.

                                  4) What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet?  I would like to deck out a whole room (instead of half) to make my ultimate DREAM bunny sanctuary, complete with people furniture, bunny furniture, and plants, and connect it to a fancy outdoor run.  My husband works in I.T., so there is no way I can have bunnies roaming free. There are simply too many wires running all over the house, and both my rabbits love to chew carpet and baseboards with machine-like precision.

                                  5) What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share!

                                  Ensuring they get enough play time.  Sometimes you feel like you can never do enough, but you do your best.

                                  Bonding a very bossy bunny who I was told was “unbondable”.  I had to be very patient, regularly change up my strategies, and really learn how to read my bunnies and the situation.  I didn’t give up, but I think the key was getting to know each individual rabbit really well, and monitoring their responses to change.  And asking myself “Why” a lot.  As in –  there IS a reason for every behaviour, so why is Fluffy Bumpkins responding in such and such a way, etc.

                                  6) What are the greatest joys?

                                  Watching them cuddle and groom!! I love it.  I stop whatever I am doing, and I end up joyfully reflecting on how my pair have grown closer and closer since day 1 (which looked like what Armageddon would).

                                  Having my boy lick my face and hands, and respond to me when I call or pet his little face.

                                  Watching my girl trust me more each day, and then learning that she is as stubborn as they come.  She makes me laugh because she is becoming more assertive, and stomps when my other rabbit does.  She too, wants me to know that she’s displeased with the whole “relocation for playtime” arrangement.

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                                • Odette
                                  Participant
                                  584 posts Send Private Message

                                    What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place?

                                    I had a pet bunny as a child. She would follow me around the house and was extremely bright and funny. Later, while I was at college, my mom and grandma brought me a pet bunny as a Christmas gift because I was lonely and homesick. I was a bit shocked and don’t advocate pets as unexpected gifts. But, that bunny stole my heart and forged my status as a bunny person. My current bunny, Odette, has been with me ten days. I put a lot of thought into whether I was ready for another bunny and did a ton of research. Ten days later, I don’t know how I went so long without a bunny friend. Odette has filled the house with joy. Mainly, I decided on a bunny because I’ve had wonderful, if unexpected, experience with bunnies in the past. They have been a part of my life through most of it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

                                    If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you?

                                    I have two cats, 7 and 11 years old. They were both raised with my last rabbit who lived eight years. Its important to me that my animals feel safe together and bond and I was comfortable that this would happen. And, it did. I would not bring any other kind of animal in on cats that age. But, bunnies are easy to love and my cats are not threatened by Odette and don’t threaten her. In fact, they act like she’s always been here.

                                    How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc)

                                    Odette is very active when I wake up and also when I get home. Our schedules are matched very well, I think. I’m a bit of a lightweight/bad sleeper, so I’m often awake very early in the morning. Odette does most of her exploring/binkying/and fun silliness during that time of day.

                                    What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet?

                                    I would love to find a safe way to give Odette supervised outdoor time.

                                    What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share!

                                    While my cats’ vet clinic has a rabbit vet, the local emergency/after hours clinic does not treat rabbits. That worries me. There is an emergency vet two hours from here who treats rabbits, but bunnies get sick so quickly. I don’t like not having a local emergency vet. Also, there is so much differing opinion and bunnies are sensitive to diet. My last rabbit, Manon, could eat anything. But, I did sadly lose a bunny to what I think was stasis and that strikes a fear that you don’t forget. Bunny people get to know poop.

                                    On a lighter note, rabbits are stubborn! You have to be patient. Which is ok. Its in that patience that you get to know their wonderful and distinct personalities.

                                    What are the greatest joys?

                                    All the curiosity and playfulness and gentle love bunnies give. Once a bunny trusts you, you have a loyal friend. Odette is incredibly smart and inquisitive, I love watching her discover her new home. When she runs up to me, nothing else matters. She’s just everything good in this world.


                                  • LBJ10
                                    Moderator
                                    16869 posts Send Private Message

                                      No essay here!

                                      What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place?
                                      Chinchillas. My husband missed the chinchillas and he wanted a bunny.

                                      If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you?
                                      They are fun to watch and (when they have friends) require less attention than a dog. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my dog very very much.

                                      How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc)
                                      They have free run of their room during the day and at night. They can come out in the living room if we’re home in the evening. We don’t have to rotate
                                      playtime or anything like that.

                                      What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet?
                                      Hmm, I would like to finish their kiddie slide.

                                      What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share!
                                      Chewing, mostly. There is now a cardboard barrier sandwiched between a NIC grid fence and the wall. Large, 12×12 tiles are great for covering carpet
                                      chew spots too.

                                      What are the greatest joys?
                                      Watching them sleep.


                                    • FreeRanger
                                      Participant
                                      1 posts Send Private Message

                                        Hi not sure exactly how to use this website yet, I don’t even know where to post stuff to get my questions answered, but Hi everyone. This may sound foreign, but I let my rabbit outside all day and he comes back every single time at the end of the day. He is pretty much an outdoor cat I’ve just never hear of anyone else who has a free range rabbit that is allowed to go wherever it wants, even other people’s yards, the woods, and across the street. He goes everywhere but won’t run away, comes back every day. I lot of people don’t understand why but he pretty much acts like an outdoor cat that come back inside at the end of the day. He just hope right in the house and goes to sleep. Now before anyone says this is cruel or he’s gonna get killed by a hawk, I’ll have you know Hess been doing this for 3 years and I believe he has the best life he could possibly have, gets to stretch them legs from sun up to sun down. Now the question is, has a one ever heard of another rabbit like this? I think it’s crazy and I can’t even find anyone to talk about it too. If anything I think he will have a long life expectancy.


                                      • vanessa
                                        Participant
                                        2212 posts Send Private Message

                                          1. What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place?
                                          I wanted to breed bunnies for organic home-grown food for my border collies.

                                          2. If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you?
                                          They are cute, complex, social creatures with strong, independant characters. Something about them really tugged on my heart. Now they are expensive, spoiled fur-children.

                                          3. How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc)
                                          Mornings – Guin and Lancelot demand their morning petting and treats. Avalon and Morgana tolerate being petted. I give them their morning veggies, and add hay to the litter box. Evenings – I change litter boxes, feed veggies and pellets, treats, petting, and I stop by throughout the evening to spend time with them. Sometimes Guin and Lancelot use the bunny flap and leave their room and hang out in my room.

                                          4. What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet?
                                          Perfect health.

                                          5. What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share!
                                          Choosing an acceptable floor solution, litter box setup, and keeping them healthy. Each bunny does different things to different floors… Avalon and Morgana chew EVERYTHING. They get linoleum (which they chew through), covered by wood sheets, and vet bedding, anad towels. Guin pees on vet bedding, and chews linoleum. Other floors are fine. She can have carpet. Lancelot doesnt’ destroy any floor surface, but is incontinent at the moment, so the carpet on their half is covered with puppy pee pads and human bed pads.
                                          Litterboxes – I like to use puppy pee pads, with wod pellets or horse bedding pellets, and hay. Avalon shreds pee pads, so his box need agrate that doesnt’ allow him to pull the pee pad out the sides to chew it.
                                          Health – I have had quite some experience with fly strike and E.Cuniculi. Horrible aflictions. I now keep the bunnies indoors (to avoid flystrike), and keep fenbendazole on hand incase I suspect E.Cuniculi. Research, research, research, observation, observation, observation.

                                          6. What are the greatest joys?
                                          Bunnies don’t just love you loke dogs do. You have to earn their love and trust. And you might not ever get it. When I see my bunnies react positively to my presence, it is a joy. Guin and Lancelot in particular, are super snuggly with me. I love watching their movements, reactions, and their interactions with eachother.


                                        • Ellie from The Netherlands
                                          Participant
                                          2512 posts Send Private Message

                                            1. What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place?

                                            Well actually I didn’t choose a bunny. I chose a very sweet and geeky guy with whom I shared so many good laughs. He happened to have this adorable little NL dwarf bunny. We got along splendidly from the start, all three of us. Next monday the 17th it’ll be exactly 2 years ago. Soon after we met, after our second date, I suddenly had a rabbit hutch in my house. Breintje has moved in with me, and my boyfriend sleeps over 3 days a week.

                                            2. If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you?

                                            My boyfriend thought he would make the perfect companion for me too: he loves quiet and stability, cuddles on the couch and long naps. We both have a form of autism, and rabbits make great companions for autistic people. They seem to like the same things we do: not too many scary surprises, no loud noises, a good schedule, and quality home-time together.

                                            3. How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc) 

                                            Very well, I’m home all day because of a chronic physical illness. I have all the time in the world for him, and we’re very well adjusted to eachother. Breintje loves it that I’m quiet and calm. He has become less nervous and hyperactive over the years, and I’m slowly turning him in to a snugglebun

                                            4. What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet? 

                                            I’ve always wanted to give him more space to run around and binky, but my small apartment is just not large enough now. It’s also difficult to fully bunny-proof, because of all the open spaces. When my BF and me will live together, the first thing that will be planned is a larger bunny space. Breintje is already a free-range bunny, but his range is limited to one half of the living room.

                                            5. What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share! 

                                            Cleaning up after him, oh dear. Especially toilet training was difficult. He was trained to only go in his cage, but lifting the cage and emptying it was too heavy for me because of physical issues. We finally trained him to use only a litterbox, but that took several attempts. He doesn’t like to go in a corner-model litterbox, so we bought several models and we ended up with the lower lid of a cupcake tray It fits perfectly in one half of the cage, and there are nearly no spills anymore.

                                            Other challenge: my apartment is small, and I have a hobby that makes a mess. I have to cage Breintje when I’m doing my hobby: making costumes. If I lay fabrics out on the ground for cutting/patterning he’ll bite and dig in the fabrics, gnaw on rulers and other tools and pee on things…

                                            6. What are the greatest joys? 

                                            That Breintje knows and comforts me when I’m feeling unwell or in pain, he seeks me out to give me more attention and lots of licks&cuddles. He also sees me as his safe spot: when we’re at the vet or on the train he climbs up onto my arms and wants to be cuddled and held. 


                                          • Chelsea
                                            Participant
                                            189 posts Send Private Message

                                              1. What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place?
                                              I had lots of bunnies as a kid, but never really a house bunny. We got a dog, the dog developed severe arthritis at a young age, got grumpy, and bit my son. We had to put her down. It was the hardest experience I’ve ever had with a pet, and I decided I couldn’t handle a dog again for a while. I’m allergic to cats, so decided to try a house bunny.

                                              2. If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you?
                                              I love that bunnies are vegetarian and produce great compost for my garden. I love their personalities, and how affectionate they can be as long as you recognize that you can’t force their affection. And so cute 🙂

                                              3. How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc)
                                              My bunny we’ve had for three years has free roam of the house. I’m a teacher, so I spend lots of time with him whenever school is not in session. However, I always feel so bad when school starts again in the fall and he is clearly so sad I’m not around as much anymore. That’s why we’ve thought so much about getting him a companion.

                                              4. What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet?
                                              I really want him to be able to have a friend who can roam freely throughout the house with him. We recently got a second bunny for that purpose, but the bunny is a big chewer, and I’m worried that even if we can bond them we won’t be able to let the second one roam free.

                                              5. What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share!
                                              See above. I’m worried my bunny is lonely during the day but finding another non-destructive perfect house bunny like him is a tall order.

                                              6. What are the greatest joys?
                                              Some mornings he wakes me up by jumping up on my bed and licking me on the nose. He loves to snuggle with me in bed in the morning and let me pet him. He rolls over on his back throwing his long ears upside down and sideways while I’m making coffee in the morning to get me to pet him.


                                            • cinnybun2015
                                              Participant
                                              570 posts Send Private Message

                                                1. What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place? 

                                                This actually dates back to my very early years when my parents had house rabbits, one named Scooter who we all doted on apparently. I guess my affection for bunnies started with my parents!! Cinnamon was my first pet rabbit. A woman in the local area posted on Craigslist about how she was moving and couldn’t take her rabbit, so I adopted Cinnamon and she lived with me for 5 years.

                                                2. If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you? 

                                                I love dogs, cats, and all animals but bunnies are the animals I connect most with. I love how I have to earn their trust, and once I have it, it feels like such a special bond. I also love how I have to decipher their language. 

                                                3. How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc) 

                                                I do all the “housework” in the morning for Chom- cleaning litterbox, sweeping floor quickly, etc., as well as feeding of course. In the afternoon I let him run around, which is the bulk of our time together. It varies day to day though. On weekends I generally spend a lot more time with him.

                                                4. What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet? 

                                                I really wish I could adopt a companion for Chom, but unfortunately I don’t think I’m ready to do that yet- it seems like such a huge step to take, and I’ve never had two rabbits.  

                                                5. What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share! 

                                                I think finding a lot of time to spend with Chom is the biggest challenge. I spend as much time as I can but it almost never seems like enough unfortunately. 

                                                6. What are the greatest joys? 

                                                Every time Chomondeley binkies it feels like such a burst of joy. Every time he flops near me or next to me it feels like an accomplishment that our bond is so strong. I also love when he stands on my feet when I’m getting him his food. 


                                              • DorothyTheMiniSatinBun
                                                Participant
                                                144 posts Send Private Message


                                                  What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place?

                                                  Bunnies are my favorite animals, and I relate to their moody, stubborn personalities! I also wanted a dog, but my boyfriend is allergic to dogs and we live together, so we decided on a bunny. I wasn’t allowed to keep a pet when I lived with my parents.

                                                  If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you?

                                                  See above!

                                                  How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc)

                                                  I hang with my bunny when I’m getting ready for work in the morning 5-7am, then I leave for work. My boyfriend will hang out with her from 7-10am, then he leaves for work. I get home around 5-6pm, and we pretty much let her roam around until we go to bed around 10, 11pm.

                                                  What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet?

                                                  A friend. This is my first rabbit, so I want to master owning a rabbit first before I get another one! I also have gotten one piece to a bunny castle, and I want to complete that for her. 

                                                  What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share!

                                                  She has some behavioral issues that we are starting to sort out. For the most part she is very sweet, but she is mischievous with her climbing/digging, and we are trying to perfect her litter training since it seems that has fallen off a bit since we adopted her 3 months ago.

                                                  What are the greatest joys?

                                                  I love seeing her flop and binky. I also love the contentment on her face when either I or my boyfriend pet her for extended periods of time. She’s such a happy bun!


                                                • VivaLaBunz
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                                                    1. What made you choose to get a bunny in the first place? 

                                                    I used to have rats, which are amazing pets.  Honestly I think I’d prefer rats over rabbits if they didn’t live a measly 2-3 years and die to respiratory infections/mammary tumors.  But after all my ratties passed away I started thinking of other small, “exotic” animals I could care for.  Guinea pigs, ferrets, rabbits, degus, and chinchillas were all on my list.  But I heard so many good things about rabbits that I figured, “Why not?”  So that’s when I made the plunge and asked my work to pick my up a lionhead from a breeder.  I didn’t even go or pick her out myself, I simply asked for a “brown” one.  And I got one of the cutest buns I’ve ever seen (she is now passed away since August, 2016)

                                                    2. If you’ve added on or have had bunnies now for years, what made you feel this was the right animal companion for you? 

                                                    I feel that bunnies make great companions for me because they’re highly entertaining, but not too high maintenance or destructive (at least not the two I’ve owned).  They’re also quiet.

                                                    3. How does your bunny fit into your daily schedule? (before/after work or school etc) 

                                                    Before work I let Pippins out in the living room for about an hour while I get ready.  This is the most entertaining hour because she often does laps at full speed around the living room and the cats just stare at her in disbelief. Then she goes back into her cage and gets breakfast (pellets).  When I return home from work (anywhere from 6 to 10 hours later) she is let back out and gets her daily salad and fresh hay.  She is out-and-about in the living room until I go to bed when she gets the rest of her daily pellet portion.

                                                    4. What is something you wish you could get or do for your bunny and haven’t been able to yet? 

                                                    I would like to get her a bigger cage with multiple levels, or perhaps build one that also looks like a nice decor piece.

                                                    5. What are the biggest challenges you have with bunnies? IF you found some solutions, share! 

                                                    Luckily I’ve not had many challenges other than my first bunny getting uterine cancer, and having it spread making her basically paralyzed for her last 2 weeks of life.  This is easily avoided by spaying female rabbits (I wish I’d known about the high cancer rate – 80%! – within unspayed rabbits at the time).  The biggest challenge right now is making sure the house is “bunny proofed” at all times…even though Pippins doesn’t chew, dig, or pee on ANYTHING (its wonderful!).

                                                    6. What are the greatest joys? 

                                                    The greatest joys are just watching them be happy and binky/run around.  I also love watching Pippins interact with my 2 cats, because they are a little hesitant of her after my first bunny (the one who died in August) took out her hormonal aggression on them (and me) =^_^=

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