hope4peace
New Kit
Hi there,
My name is Amanda and I am 25 years old. I stumbled across this forum while looking for advice on a bunny I took in. (you can read about him here )
I am not completely new to rabbits, but nowhere near as experienced as most of you are. I purchased a pair of mini rex boys from a local breeder just over two years ago. Little did I know, I missed all the signs of a "bad breeder". Starting with, when we went to buy the buns, she wanted to meet somewhere else and not have us come to her home / breeding facility. When we went to pick up the buns they were beautiful and we thought, sweet. We were able to pick them right up and hold them. We thought this was because they were used to being handled, but it was actually because there was no room for them to run away in their carriers and they were too scared to move once picked up. When we got them home they showed how truly frightened they were. After a few months we were able to get Snow Bun to trust us. Things seemed to be going well. They had their indoor hutch. Their outdoor hutch with run, and we eventually built them a 12x12ft fenced area in the back yard for them to spend their days. They had toys, logs to jump on and hide behind and under, they got a variety of fresh veggies every day. And now Commander Bun Bun was even beginning to warm up to us. One day we took them inside for the night. They both looked and acted perfectly normal, however in the morning, Snow Bun was dead, with no apparent cause. I was truly devastated.
Things weren't so great anymore, with his brother gone, Commander Bun Bun reverted to his old shy and scared self. We continued to try and earn his trust and love back, but he wanted nothing to do with us. He still however loved to eat and play as usual. Two months later, I awoke to a rather familiar sight. Commander Bun Bun was dead. I couldn't figure out what I had done wrong. I did so much research and preparation to ensure I was giving them the proper care, but just six months after I took home my beautiful boys, they were both dead. I felt like a failure but after talking to a woman I worked with (who breeds and raises show bunnies) , she told me it sounded more like they were doomed from the start. She said they most likely had a genetic defect due to poor breeding that caused their sudden deaths. Although I was slightly relieved, I was not up for trying again. I sold all my bunny supplies and adopted my dog zoe.
I had planned on someday when I was ready I would open my heart to bunnies again. That day came two weekends ago. My husband and I went to a family get together (his family) after a death. Upon speaking to his mother, whom we haven't spoken to for over two years now, we discovered she had gotten into bunny breeding. This rather worried me as I had always frowned upon how she cared for her pets. She said she had a bunny named Molly for us. An acquaintance had given it to her to care for for a couple weeks but never came back to get it. Molly, unlike all her other bunnies, was a dwarf, so she didn't feel comfortable leaving it outside for the winter and therefore, wanted us to take it. Although we didnt really want to take on another pet at this point, we eventually gave in and decided it was for the good of Molly (who by the was, after we checked, was actually a boy). So, we made plans to drive down there the next weekend to pick her (him) up.
When we went to pick up molly on sunday, we were shown around to meet all of her bunnies. Thats when we learned about hershey (see the post listed above). So, we now have two bunnies, and although caring for them (especially poor hershey) is a lot of work, I am so happy that I could give them a safe and loving home. I really look forward to bonding with Puff Bunny (Mollys new name) and continuing to care for the sweetest bunny ever (hershey). Caring for them really makes me feel good about myself and has reminded me of how much love animals can bring into your life.
I look forward to getting to know everyone here and continuing to learn more about these truly special creatures. And BTW, dont worry, no more breeders for me. Rescues all the way!
~Amanda H Goodwin
My name is Amanda and I am 25 years old. I stumbled across this forum while looking for advice on a bunny I took in. (you can read about him here )
I am not completely new to rabbits, but nowhere near as experienced as most of you are. I purchased a pair of mini rex boys from a local breeder just over two years ago. Little did I know, I missed all the signs of a "bad breeder". Starting with, when we went to buy the buns, she wanted to meet somewhere else and not have us come to her home / breeding facility. When we went to pick up the buns they were beautiful and we thought, sweet. We were able to pick them right up and hold them. We thought this was because they were used to being handled, but it was actually because there was no room for them to run away in their carriers and they were too scared to move once picked up. When we got them home they showed how truly frightened they were. After a few months we were able to get Snow Bun to trust us. Things seemed to be going well. They had their indoor hutch. Their outdoor hutch with run, and we eventually built them a 12x12ft fenced area in the back yard for them to spend their days. They had toys, logs to jump on and hide behind and under, they got a variety of fresh veggies every day. And now Commander Bun Bun was even beginning to warm up to us. One day we took them inside for the night. They both looked and acted perfectly normal, however in the morning, Snow Bun was dead, with no apparent cause. I was truly devastated.
Things weren't so great anymore, with his brother gone, Commander Bun Bun reverted to his old shy and scared self. We continued to try and earn his trust and love back, but he wanted nothing to do with us. He still however loved to eat and play as usual. Two months later, I awoke to a rather familiar sight. Commander Bun Bun was dead. I couldn't figure out what I had done wrong. I did so much research and preparation to ensure I was giving them the proper care, but just six months after I took home my beautiful boys, they were both dead. I felt like a failure but after talking to a woman I worked with (who breeds and raises show bunnies) , she told me it sounded more like they were doomed from the start. She said they most likely had a genetic defect due to poor breeding that caused their sudden deaths. Although I was slightly relieved, I was not up for trying again. I sold all my bunny supplies and adopted my dog zoe.
I had planned on someday when I was ready I would open my heart to bunnies again. That day came two weekends ago. My husband and I went to a family get together (his family) after a death. Upon speaking to his mother, whom we haven't spoken to for over two years now, we discovered she had gotten into bunny breeding. This rather worried me as I had always frowned upon how she cared for her pets. She said she had a bunny named Molly for us. An acquaintance had given it to her to care for for a couple weeks but never came back to get it. Molly, unlike all her other bunnies, was a dwarf, so she didn't feel comfortable leaving it outside for the winter and therefore, wanted us to take it. Although we didnt really want to take on another pet at this point, we eventually gave in and decided it was for the good of Molly (who by the was, after we checked, was actually a boy). So, we made plans to drive down there the next weekend to pick her (him) up.
When we went to pick up molly on sunday, we were shown around to meet all of her bunnies. Thats when we learned about hershey (see the post listed above). So, we now have two bunnies, and although caring for them (especially poor hershey) is a lot of work, I am so happy that I could give them a safe and loving home. I really look forward to bonding with Puff Bunny (Mollys new name) and continuing to care for the sweetest bunny ever (hershey). Caring for them really makes me feel good about myself and has reminded me of how much love animals can bring into your life.
I look forward to getting to know everyone here and continuing to learn more about these truly special creatures. And BTW, dont worry, no more breeders for me. Rescues all the way!
~Amanda H Goodwin
