Why do rabbit owners get a bunny?

[Hermelin]

Hi, I wonder what your reasons are to owning a bunny.

What joys do your little one bring to you?





Myself, rabbits aren’t the first pet of getting. I love dogs and cats even more, was even planning to get a cat instead of a bunny. But my roommate during that time was scared of pets and cats was the number one that I couldn’t own. So I bought a small netherland dwarf, which my roommate also was scared of. Then I will was lost to the bunnies cuteness, so I went from 1 bunny to 3 bunnies.

Literally had to stop myself to not get more bunnies and create arguments to why I can’t own more bunnies

They bring joy in my life, every time they greet me and act so cute. Trying to get cuddles, maybe a little treat or just giving kisses. The best way to start the day, every morning and also knowing a little one will run up to you when you get home.

 

[EricaWD]

I have a dog and a cat and gerbils already, but bunnies come with their own individual quirky little personalities. They may never be cuddly but they're sweet and entertaining to watch as they investigate their world and play. For instance, my doe Cinder loves to make a mess of her toys every day, comes to us for food, and will hop all over us even though she doesn't want to be pet. Silly bunny!

 

[Nijn]

I prefer prey animals over predators and I don't feel the need to cuddle with my pets. Also, my appartment is too small for a cat and I don't have enough time for a dog, but I do like big(ish) pets. This makes rabbits an obvious choice haha. If I had the space I'd love to have some kind of rodent as well (maybe multiple) but I don't really have the space.

 

[Hermelin]

Never understand that bunnies aren’t cuddle pets. All bunnies I’ve own are cuddly.

They aren’t as clingy as dogs, but I can still pick them up whenever I want and they will accept being cuddled few minutes or hours depending on which bunny I pick ^^

 

[Nijn]

Out of the 5 buns, I have had 1 bunny who would be like "awyisss more please" when I petted her. Of my current 2 Muffin will be like "WHAT is your hand doing there, where is the treat? geez you're so weird", sniffing at your petting hand and hopping away. Monster will tolerate it and sit still for like 5 minutes, and then he's like "okay cool...Can I go now please?" and starts taking hops away from me. I never had a bun who liked getting picked up, most of them just froze and held still, Monster will throw a tantrum and start wriggling, kicking, jumping, squirming.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

House buns were the species most overlooked or ignored when I began volunteering at the shelter. For years prior I rehabbed eastern cottontails. The last batch of 2003 cottontail patients (juveys) were released, and I felt sadness knowing they may not survive through the winter or for the next 3 weeks due to outdoor predators! They are so defenseless. Hence, I started volunteering with the shelter buns, and got endeared to their various personalities. The shelter-surrendered buns had a wide range of personalities, and the staff (kennel employees) were dog\cat focused. Surrendered rabbits got euthanized due to aggressive actions, and their litter pans and caging cubbys were a low priority. Surrendered buns didn't get the care they needed (so what mentality, "we'll tend to the rabbits last"). That instilled a greater devotion to working with misunderstood, vulnerable lagomorphs.

Now I pick up and cuddle each member of our family or sanctuary crew. I couldn't do that with our previous 40-60# lab/retriever we had for 13-ish years. My husband prefers quiet pets. Many bunny kisses received over the past 16 years of owning companion bunnies. They are my therapy pets.

 

[Niomi]

I got my first rabbits because they needed rescuing. I am a volunteer in assisted living and memory care. Some people are afraid of dogs, and a rabbit is less intimidating to them. When I was an aid in memory care, I kept a cage at work, and I brought my rabbit to work with me every day. I am now retired and the rabbit I used to take to work with me retired from doing pet visits in March ,after 9 years of being a therapy rabbit. I have two other therapy rabbits which I got from rescues because I could get information on their temperament. I have 4 rabbits and no longer foster.

 

[Hermelin]

Out of the 5 buns, I have had 1 bunny who would be like "awyisss more please" when I petted her. Of my current 2 Muffin will be like "WHAT is your hand doing there, where is the treat? geez you're so weird", sniffing at your petting hand and hopping away. Monster will tolerate it and sit still for like 5 minutes, and then he's like "okay cool...Can I go now please?" and starts taking hops away from me. I never had a bun who liked getting picked up, most of them just froze and held still, Monster will throw a tantrum and start wriggling, kicking, jumping, squirming.

Haha, talk about personalities [emoji23]

I have the bunnies that will literally jump up into your arms when scared, snuggle up next to you while holding them and be covered in kisses. I’ve only owned 4 bunnies, so the next bunny I will wait and see if it will go another way than my other bunnies.

Only have one, that most of the time run up to you and just go “No petting, look at my fabulous bum”
When you try to pet him, while grooming him during the molting period he’s like :

”Stop harrasing my bum, here’s my head you can touch. Only this one time...”

 

[Nijn]

TreasuredFriend, ah yes the not-noisy factor is another pro for me. I always forget how noisy pets can be! Noone loudly whining for food or attention in the early mornings (well they are whining but they do it silently haha), ruining your sleep is just awesome.

Hermelin, yes the people who go "bunnies are boring, they're just dumb little creatures that just sit there and do nothing" obviously have never seen their unique personalities. When people visit me they're always suprised how sassy and social my lady bun Muffin is whereas my boy Monster behaves more like one would expect from a bunny. He's not very much into strangers (he does like me though) and just minds his own business most of the time where as Muffin is very social and will actively follow you around and seek people out. And apparently will smack strangers around that reach into her home. :')

 

[Laura stone]

I had gone 31 years of my life without a pet. I’ve always wanted a dog but working full time and late nights it wouldn’t be fair. So My boyfriend had a pet bunny years ago and adored him so we decided to get one. 8 months later we are now proud parents to 4 male lionheads and 1 female mini lop rescue. We are obsessed with them how sweet and funny they are how they each have different personalities, how they need attention but are also so independent. We would love them to free roam but are in the longggggg process of bonding first... I don’t need to come home and find watership down has gone down at home!

 

[Hermelin]

I know people that come over and visit, they always get surprised how much my doe sounds.

She will often stamp her feet while doing grunting sounds. Depending on what she’s after, it can be food, attention, extremely happy, scared or just a grumpy bun.

The bucks are more quiet and act like normal bunnies without all the grunting and stomping around. Don’t know if it’s a trait for female bunnies or just specific for my girl, she’s my first doe ever owned.

Literally had to get bitten by her before she bounded with me and stoped being a grumpy lady, she tried to boss over me. Now I’m the only one that get covered with kisses by her and she get super excited every time she sees me.

So bunnies are really great pets with big personalities even though they are on the quiet side. Their personalities shines through [emoji5]

 

[A & B]

I got bunnies because they seemed to match my personality and lifestyle best. I absolutely cannot stand barking dogs or cats that meow constantly and rabbits are incredibly quiet. I had a hamster before getting rabbits and she would keep me up every night bar chewing and it drove me nuts. The bunnies rarely wake me up at night and when they do it's because they want food or attention. My parents say the rabbits add something to our family that no other pet does. They know what they want when they want it. Plus, it's impossible to not like the twitchy noses

 

[DelawareRunner]

I've had rabbits since I was about ten years old....but I find I am enjoying them more (and know a lot more about them!) in my adult years. I started out with two males in 2003; I bought them as babies from a pet store. I adopted two adults (Herman and Lily) from the SPCA in 2007 after one male passed. Herman and Lily have since passed, and I was just devastated after Lily passed away at twelve years of age. She was my heart bunny out of all the bunnies I had. However, I allowed another bunny into my heart and adopted Precious in 2017 (my avatar) a month after Lily's death. I just have one bunny now and two guinea pigs. I like that bunnies are quiet and have distinct personalities. I insist on adopting sweet shelter bunnies because I like to pet and kiss them, but they aren't overbearing and noisy like a dog. It's also easy to go away for the day (or even overnight) without much prep or worry if you have a rabbit. I couldn't imagine my life without a rabbit in it now. I've only been without a rabbit for one month since 2004 and it was the most depressing month ever. Precious keeps me company and adds life to our otherwise very quiet and childless home. She is my baby.

 

[Linda123]

Never understand that bunnies aren’t cuddle pets. All bunnies I’ve own are cuddly.

They aren’t as clingy as dogs, but I can still pick them up whenever I want and they will accept being cuddled few minutes or hours depending on which bunny I pick ^^

I got my thumper at 3 months old he was very cuddly an couple months later still is. He's been neutered for a week now and still loveable healthy an very fun to watch.

 

[Butterscotch]

Plus, it's impossible to not like the twitchy noses

Yes! Those noses!! Do you ever find yourself twitching your nose too or am I just a complete freak? I mean...if I were to do that.....hypothetically speaking, you know.

 

[Orrin]

Our rabbit experience started when our cat captured a very tiny baby cottontail. The bunny wasn't injured; but, when I forced the cat to drop it, the baby let out a scream that reached to the depths of my being. That anguished cry changed me, forever.

The night following the next day, I found that same cottontail kit in the lawn, unresponsive and near death. Long story short, we nursed it back to health and it grew up to be big and strong. We named it Angel if it was a girl or Angelo if it was a boy. It turned out to be a buck.



I tended to the little rascal all winter, knowing we needed to say goodbye in the spring. Wild bunnies belong in the wild. So, that's what happened. I released Angelo, Bun-Bun for short, and afterward felt and overwhelming emptiness. The only way to fill the void was to adopt a domestic; but, the main stipulation was its coloration. It had to be the same as a cottontail.

As luck would have it the local shelter had a pair of females, the ones in my avatar. It was love at first sight.

I may already have mentioned on this forum that one of those does was not neutered, apparently from a botched spaying procedure. When a young buck found its way into our household, it also creatively escaped his pen, then tore into the doe's enclosure. We didn't think anything of it. After all, the shelter told us the does were spayed.

Well, one day my wife noticed a bundle of fluff hopping across the basement floor. One of the does, Bugsy, had given birth in a cleverly hidden nest. Nine kits!

We kept three and the shelter took six. That still left us with six rabbits, total. The three kits we raised have stolen our hearts and shredded the part of the house where they free roam; but, we wouldn't have it any other way. We love them to pieces.

I'm still trying to figure out why rabbits fascinate us, so. First, there was that anguished cry; then, there are their interesting personalities; and, they are quiet; and, they are clean and odorless for the most part; and, they are fun to watch; and, they are something my wife and I have in common--we both care for them; and... I could go on forever.

 

[EricaWD]

Yes maybe the reason is that they have such unique personalities, some are cuddly and some are not. I hadn't had a bunny for about 15 years until recently and it's amazing how much more we know and can learn about them now.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

The comment that a woman made at the shelter counter. "Why would anyone want a rabbit? They just sit in their cage. they don't even purr."

- Two black nethie dwarfs kept in an aquarium on shavings; one dwarf gal had a bulging eye and she was euthanized. Her littermate transitioned to rescue/foster. My life changed due to all the experiences and surrenders.

 

[Preitler]

Well, my house would be a pretty lonely and empty place without rabbits. I don't have the time for a dog, and I'm not a cat person.
Actually I started with rabbits as traditional lifestock for meat. Well, they became so much more over the years, my buck and his spayed cuddlebun are my free range house bunnies, love their characters, and that they are quite independent personalities.

Last week, in the backyard, reading in the evening at the fire and having a beer wouldn't be the same without the company.