Hello there

[RosePetal]

Hi, I'm quite new to this site. However, I've mostly joined so that I can ask questions. I don't know too much about rabbits; never gotten into them until now. And so now, I find myself trying to get a breed that most fits my personality. I've looked at many websites saying different things, but mostly I'm looking for a breed that's:

• Cuddly. I'm aware that they won't be cuddly like a dog because of they highly dislike being picked up, but cuddly like a rabbit. A rabbit that would come to me when I get home and a rabbit that can sit next to me on the floor quietly while I pet it here and there.
• Medium-sized. I'm not looking for something like a Flemish Giant.
• Doesn't get too lazy easily. If I'm going to be wasting time caring for something that just sleeps all day, I might as well just not get one at all.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what rabbit would be best for me?

 

[RosePetal]

Also small question; is bumping allowed on this forum?

 

[Preitler]

Welcome , I think bumping is a nuisance and bad manners on any board, at least if it isn't an understandable very urgent and important question, or some new information or question pops up.

About your question, I would say rabbit breeds are something different than dog breeds, character is more an individual trait or more related to the breeding line than to a breed. If a breeder does only select for looks you get pretty bad characters after a few generations. One of my does, although quite relaxed and friendly, passes her "DON'T touch me!"attitude to most of her offspring.
Second most important thing is breeding for health, if that isn't done breeds with cute deformations like dwarfs or lops are more easily prone to problems than rabbits with a normal shape.

My rabbits are local farm meat mutts, they are bred in the local climate, good, stress resistant characters, and quite healthy and resistant (anything grumpy, skittish or sickly got eaten first for a long time in their anchestry), meat breeds are medium sized (mine are about 3.5-4.5kg), and rather friendly, so that would be an option if you go to a good breeder.

But the thing is, if you buy a young rabbit there's no way to tell exactly what you end up in the long run. An alternative would be an adult rabbit from a shelter, their personality is more settled, but imho what you are looking for is the needle in the haystack, something like the rabbits shown on youtube.

And even a rabbit has the right personality it can take months or even years to get close to them. One of my does needed 6 years to come to me and demand pets. You need a lot of patience with rabbits, cats or dogs are domesticated for thousands of years, rabbits for 2 or 300 years. They are not really cuddly pets. I can go to mine, and pet them, and some enjoy it, or lounge with them on the floor and bury my face in their fur but that's about it about being cuddly. They come to me if they think they can get food, or my buck jumps on my bed to make me get up and make them breakfast, otherwise they are more like room mates than pets, imo they know very well that we are not fellow rabbits.
Can't tell much about single pet rabbits, my buck wasn't any different the first 2 years as single house bunny than he is now with his spayed cuddlebun, just looks happier.

 

[Niomi]

I have 4 rabbits, and all of them came from rescues. They have been fostered, and the rescues can tell me about the personality of them before I get them. The rabbits I have had that have the personalities like what you describe were mini lop, or some kind of lop mix.

 

[RosePetal]

Thanks for the help guys. Also apologies for the short reply, I'm sort of in a hurry as of right now but I'll be sure to come back later.

 

[RosePetal]

Also @Preitler you gave me some great advice. Thanks for taking the time to post that message. I'll be looking into maybe adopting a grown rabbit rather than a young one like what you said.

 

[RosePetal]

@Niomi
Most people online also say that about Mini Lops as well.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

Hi, welcome to the forum! I have a Mini Rex and he is very active and sweet. He is not the kind of rabbit that will crawl into your lap, but more of one that will sit next to you and let you pet him. I have also heard that Lionheads are sweet and cuddly, but I have never had a Lionhead before so I wouldn't know. And yes I agree that what you described was like a Mini Lop, but I also suggest looking into Lionheads and Mini Rexes.

 

[SableSteel]

If you want a cuddly, medium-sized rabbit, you should check out Dutch and Himalayan (they a bit closer to the small size than large). Rex are much larger and prone to sore hocks so you need to make sure you get them from a good breeder to avoid those issues, but they also can have pretty interactive and cuddly personalities so that's a third breed you might want to look in to. I'm a big fan of Himalayan personalities myself.

 

[RosePetal]

@SableSteel Ah I see. The past few days I've been going over the best rabbit breeds (for me!) on the Internet, and I usually come across a small list of breeds that includes Himalayans so I might visit someone who breeds them.

@Theo
Dutch and Lionhead are both great breeds. I'll be looking into them as well. Also thanks for the warm welcome!

 

[HeyHo]

Question related to OP's -- I had a similar issue when I was trying to decide what kind/age of rabbits to get. I ended up getting babies (mini satins) from a breeder so I could hand-raise them. So far (6 months), they are are super friendly and personable. One likes cuddles and will sit for ages to get loves. The other wants to give kisses but won't sit for cuddles very long (too much to do -- pillows to rearrange and cardboard boxes to move).

Interested to hear what other's experiences are.....

 

[Katie94]

You should definitely visit a rescue centre as you’ll get the opportunity to meet lots of bunnies and get an idea of what their personalities are like (at least for adult rabbits babies are a bit different due to hormonal changes). We have 4 rescue bunnies and 3 of them came over to us when we were allowed to spend time with them in the cage and they stayed very much like that, happy to come and jump on your lap and be petted. However, our forth one was definitely more reserved when we spent time with her and she has always been the most nervous and not hugely interested in being petted but will approach you if you sit quietly on the floor. Most bunnies will definitely build in confidence once they know you but some will have more confident personalities and will naturally have the traits you described without having to built it up gradually. Good luck finding your perfect match

 

[RosePetal]

@HeyHo - Mini Satin is an interesting choice but how many did you get? Just the two you mentioned or more? Because I can't get too many rabbits as of right now.

@Katie94 - Actually that's a great idea, I'll start searching up some rescue centers today. Also thanks for the good luck

 

[Rosy]

I think that mini lops are a great choice. well, I may just be prejudiced because I've got one . They're adorable and sweet. My little guy is kinda cuddly and lets me pet him and hold him (ik, many buns don't let u hold them). He is not too big and not too small... perfect size I'd say! plus he is pretty active and loves to play. He loves to run and jump and is not lazy at all. I mean, we all need naps once in a while, right?

 

[Hermelin]

Every time I pick a bunny it have been more a gut feeling and impulse. I knew I was going to own 3 bunnies (netherland dwarf, french lop and holland lop mix). I had a few thoughts what breeds I wanted but none of them was as how I planned except for my favorite breed. I just decided on the bunny I was interested in or someone else contacted me.

I wouldn’t recommend doing it like how I do it. All my bunnies are chill, love cuddles, love being picked up and will give wet kisses. But I had to spend a lot of time, gotten a lot of bruises and wounds from most of them.

Which I could have avoided all the struggle if I met the bunnies a few times before deciding. I never regretted getting my bunnies. I only bought one bunny from a breeder. The rest have been adopted or bunnies that was being rehomed.

Best is to meet the bunnies and go to a rescue or buy bunnies that are being rehomed by families.

Not all places have rescues but a lot of bunnies get rehomed and need a new home. Specially after holidays.

Meet the bunny a couple of times instead of meeting one time. You might get tricked or might not get the whole background.

Myself fell for that trap, one of my bunnies was extremely calm and seemed cuddly when I met him for the first time, so I decided to take him home with me. Turn out when I got him home, he had bad eye sight, had trigger points that made him attack and was extremely scared of humans.

Took a lot of time and work to make his problem towards humans go away and accept the family. He’s my best buddy when it come to watching movies and cuddly up on the couch. He will never say no for cuddle time.

A breed I would recommend is the netherland dwarf. The one I own now and have owned in the past have all been small clowns with high attachment filled with energy.

Love cuddle time as long they aren’t in the mood to play and extremely nice. So I will always have one netherland dwarf in my family.

Myself have never had any problem picking my bunnies up or handle them. All of them will just give me kisses and snuggle up in my arms. But in the beginning they where uncomfortable and would resist.

So don’t assume all bunnies don’t like to be handled. You as a owner can teach them to tolerate being handled and maybe even love being up in your arms.

So what will decide how a bunny is, are their personalities and the time you lay down to socialize them and build your bond [emoji5]

You will be a great bunny parent and I hope you manage to find your buddy.

 

[zuppa]

Completely agree with other people here, rabbits are very different personalities, same breed but different characters. In my experience I've had mini lops, french and holland lop mixes, lionheads, dwarfs and angora mixes, I have one 8 months old mini lop now and he's absolutely what you want in your description but I won't give him to you as I want to keep him for myself. I so much agree with Hermelin that you can get your dream rabbit only spending time and love and keep working on your bond and train them, also in my experience I got my best rabbits they were unwanted for somebody and they didn't even looked great when I got them they were sick or passive overweight etc, but now they are great rabbits and we are having great time together.
About breeds, I thought lionheads are most peaceful and friendly breed but now I had one baby lionhead myself and he's a firestarter really all his brothers had scars from him so he had to be separated from them. But you can really work with them, you can correct character but takes time and patience. Babies coming from aggressive parents can be aggressive too, so if you're a good breeder for pets you don't breed rabbit with aggression or bad character.

My first impression of your post was that you just want a rabbit from youtube but please learn more about rabbits before getting one, they not only cuddly-friendly but also will pee and poo and chew on your cables and furniture so ask yourself if you can handle it because there are so many rabbits left in shelters or on street or up for rehoming all of them were somebody's dreams and were dumped after a month or two as they were not what expected. Visit your local shelter, make friends with somebody who already has rabbits so you can see them touch them and watch how other people handle them, then you can make your decision, but I can assure you it will never be like you describe that your rabbit will only do what you want them to do and won't be troubling you when you are busy, it is also responsibility and you will be in charge for them day or night, you will need to learn to sacrifice some things too.

 

[hunnybunny254367819364]

Hey! I agree with zupper- do tons and tons of research before getting a rabbit. As mentioned they might ruin many of your things, they may be skittish, they may be difficult to deal with and at times they can even get expensive. It doesn’t matter the breed of the rabbit really. What I did was I went to an animal shelter and spent time with each rabbit. I ended up finding one who came right over to me and let me pet her! It really depends on how trusting a rabbit is based on the human experiences it has had. I also agree that free roaming your rabbit might allow it to get more outgoing and comfortable around you. A rabbit that is in a cage all day won’t be able to explore and smell your items and most likely will not want to cuddle when it is let out, but instead want to explore. I really hope you visit a shelter or rescue to find your bunny and also do tons of research on diet, bonding, living areas, behavior etc. Also this may just be my experience but I found that when I bonded my single rabbit to his mate and got him neutered he became much more outgoing and comes up to me and let’s me pet him now.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

Also this may just be my experience but I found that when I bonded my single rabbit to his mate and got him neutered he became much more outgoing and comes up to me and lets me pet him now.

Yes, I had this same thing happen with my rabbit when I got him neutered. He was not super friendly and cuddlesome, but now he is the sweetest thing! I haven't bonded him yet but I'm planning to.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Three dutch removed from a filthy background of old-technology farm mindset, 2 american agouti-colored & New Zealand White stray rabbits captured (and they became very cuddly once learning to trust), nethie dwarfs, mini-rex from 4h unwanted, mini rex from shelter (our first) took a long time to trust, she became a kisser and cuddler once learning to trust and bonded with an unwanted dutch (from a 4h background, we got him neutered). 1 harlequin captured as stray brought to shelter (she's my avatar), 1 tan from high-volume, high-kill shelter learned trust after a fearful background, became a kisser and pseudo bonded with a dutch rescue from high-vol shelter, 2 american agoutis adopted from shelter, 3 unwanted mini rexes no longer wanted (allergies, anxiety, people unaware of their need for hay, or chewing for incisor reasons) who former owners could no longer care for. 2 add'l harlequins -- Much different from our adopted stray at the shelter who's in my avatar photo. A highly spirited thriantra from a garage sale who liked hubby more than me!! A stray captured Sable who bonded to hubby quicker than me after she came here (she may have come from a mink farm? Later became a sweetheart). Dutch removed from Petland due to conditions seen. She's a kisser and age 12. One large breed Flemish because former owner could no longer keep...

Several others withdrawn from shelter high capacity population, or transitioning thru rescue efforts - and later adopted. Plain black from high-volume/high-euthanasia shelter - age 13 today.

The best advice is to meet rescues or visit a shelter. As mentioned above. Talk to fosterers. Personalities can and will change once they feel safe in a trusted, loving environment. Doing research is critical. Nearly all our spayed/neutered guys have learned trust and we can pick them up and hold them.

Helpful places to visit: myhouserabbit.com / http://language.rabbitspeak.com/ rabbit.org -- Tons of websites to help you learn about the commitment of a domestic pet.

Howcast videos by Mary E Cotter PhD and Amy Sedaris. One of the best education tools for a novice bun parent. Hope this helps.

 

[Orrin]

You have gotten tons of great advice. I realize you are asking about rabbit selection; but, please forgive me for butting in and adding something about responsibility.

Whenever people ask me about our rabbits I'm afraid they might be interested in getting one, too; so, I make very clear to them what the down-sides are. It would make me very sad if someone got a rabbit(s) on account of me, only to discover it is not all peaches and roses.

First and foremost is this: Rabbits cannot simply be left home alone with food and water while you go away on a trip. We do that with our cats and they are happy and well when we get back home. Try that with a rabbit and they could very well be dead when you get back.

If a rabbit loses its appetite and stops making poopies, it is an emergency that demands attention within 12 or 24-hours. Veterinary care can be very expensive. On the other hand, a dog or a cat can be feeling un-well and they'll likely be able to wait until the weekend is over before you take them to a vet; and, they might recover on their own.

Rabbits love to chew. It is a fact of life. It is up to their humans to make sure they cannot get to wires, precious keepsakes, furniture, or whatever. Rabbits do what they do naturally and they should not be shamed or blamed for damaging things.

Rabbits were born to run. They need and deserve space. Just as we would never dream of making a horse--born to run--spend its life in a stall, rabbits shouldn't be expected to spend their entire lives in cages. If you want a rabbit, let it free roam as much as possible.

If you are thinking of getting a rabbit, know what you are getting in for: a ton of responsibility.

In spite of their chewing and scratching habits, we love our bunnies, dearly, and I don't regret one bit that we are providing a loving environment for six of them. I'm retired and can afford to stay home with them. On the other hand, if I had wanderlust and wanted to travel, bunnies would be the very worst thing for me.