New to house rabbits!

[lavendertealatte]

Yeah he is only 1 so cataract didn’t seem logical to me. Sigh.

 

[Aki]

I think you were right not to take that rabbit - I wouldn't have done it either. As sad as that is, this poor bunny sounds like a vet bill and possible heartbreak waiting to happen. To be honest, I would really hesitate to take an adult rabbit that isn't used to eat hay without a serious teeth examination by a vet in the first place because I would be worried about malocclusion problems which often result in repeated tooth clippings. Of course, those problems can unexpectedly occur with a rabbit who seemed healthy at the time of the adoption, but I try not to take too much risks - I admire people who do, but I'm too much of a worrywart and I find monitoring regular bunnies' health stressful enough.

 

[lavendertealatte]

Yeah, I was thinking that as well-- I didn't want to walk into a heartbreak! I'm a worrywart too, plus new to this all! I was thinking adopting an older rabbit that needed to be rehomed would be a better idea for us as we would get to miss the teenage phase, but now I'm open to getting a pre-teenager bun. At least with a little guy I would have seen him and be able to keep an eye on him from almost day 1. Even if it means dealing with poor baby potty habits and a teenage phase...

 

[Blue eyes]

Getting an already fixed rabbit is actually a good idea - most especially for a newbie to rabbits. You had the right thought on that.

Are you in the US? There are rabbit rescues (different from generic shelters) just about everywhere and they usually have plenty of fixed rabbits from which to choose. Remember, they aren't necessarily "older" as in being old. There are usually many rabbits under 2 years of age from what I've seen at rescues. Even a 5 year old rabbit can still have 5 years or more left of life.

 

[lavendertealatte]

I am in the US. I did look at rabbit rescues, but the closest rabbit rescues are still at least a few hours away which is pretty far for us. We visited one a few months back while we happened to be in an area close to one, but none of the rabbits really caught my eye, nor did they seem friendly enough which is a top characteristic that I want. One rabbit rescue that I was talking to did say the trip would be worth the service. We haven't completely ruled it out, but I suppose it would need to be love at first sight with the profiles to get us out there.
There's a breeder of Holland Lops here in our city, doesn't have any rabbits yet but she told me to check back with her in March, so I'm thinking about that too.

 

[lavendertealatte]

Putting an update on this thread instead of my other one.. well it's kind of a repeat. Hope that's ok.

Someone in my area is looking to rehome their two rabbits! They are a year old. I'm hoping to meet them soon and see if it's a fit. The thing is, I don't know much about bonded rabbits. Are they even considered bonded if they are this young? I have heard stories of rabbits being together but then not getting along later They are both boys and they've been together since they were a month old, says the owner. It looks like from the pictures that they share an enclosure. Does that mean they're bonded?

Don't know anything else yet, but emailed to ask if they are spayed (neutered?), litter box trained, what their current housing situation is like, personality (digging/chewing habits) ...

 

[Blue eyes]

Looks like you are asking the right questions. I'd be really curious to see if they were neutered. If not, then it is certainly possible that any move from their normal environment could cause territorial issues.

One year is fully adult, so isn't at all too young to be fully bonded. They couldn't share an enclosure unless bonded. The real question is about the neutering. If neutered, then it is more likely to be a solid bond. If not, then the bond remains iffy.

I'd also be curious as to why they've been together since one month of age. That is too early to have been taken away from their mommas. Possible downsides would be that they missed out on some important antibodies from momma for not having been with her a full 7-8 weeks, or they came from a bad breeder with rabbits of questionable health.

That said, they could work out. Just know that their relationship may change - especially if not neutered - when they move to a new home/territory. You may need to be prepared to separate them (even if just temporarily) if they start to show aggression to each other.

I don't mean to sound discouraging. I, myself, like to know the worst case scenario before jumping into anything. That way I'm prepared.

 

[lavendertealatte]

you're ok! I was wondering why they were together since one month as well, whether that was an exact age or not. Haven't gotten a response yet, so I'm not expecting too much at this point.

 

[lavendertealatte]

So turns out they have already been adopted!

I've been looking particularly for a "Charlie" colored lop, and a breeder in my area offered one today that will be ready to be picked up next weekend. The thing is I will be going out of town next weekend and my husband the following, and then the weekend after that we'll be on vacation again. So I wanted to see if I could wait until April to pick her up. The breeder said there would be a boarding fee. Is this typical? I suppose I could also just wait and see if she is still available when we come back but I'm not sure why this wasn't mentioned as an option

My allergies have been acting up lately too so I'm probably going to go take tests just to see if I'm allergic to rabbit fur or timothy hay. I'm also worried about visitors. We get a lot of visitors and what if someone is allergic? Are as many people allergic to rabbits as they are to cats?

 

[Blue eyes]

A boarding fee makes sense. It ensures that the rabbit will still be there when you get back. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair for her to hold the pet with no assurance you will actually buy her. You could just wait to see if she's still available when you get back, but that's a chance you'll have to decide on whether to risk.

I believe it is quite rare for someone to be allergic to rabbits -- not near as many as are allergic to cats. Hay allergies, however, are quite common. Some are allergic to only certain types of hay. So even if you happen to be allergic to timothy hay, bunny can get any other type of grass hay -- bermuda, orchard grass, etc.

It's the protein in cat saliva, btw, that causes allergic reaction. The saliva gets on the cat fur when they groom, so it isn't actually the fur itself. In 20+ years of having house rabbits, I've yet to have a visitor allergic to my rabbits. (Heck, I'm allergic to cats, but not to rabbits. )

 

[lavendertealatte]

The thing is, there is already a holding fee, so it doesn't make sense why there would be both a holding fee and a boarding fee. Anyhow, she was sold already.

 

[Blue eyes]

Aaaww. I'm sure the right one will come along.