• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Adopting Babies

MikePalmer88

Alpha Buck
Myself and OH have Mr and Wilma who are both adopted buns. Mr we adopted at about 13 months old and Wilma at about 18-19months old.


Neither of us have ever had "baby" rabbits and are big on rescuing and not supporting shops/breeders etc

However what is the youngest rescues will be let youngsters go.

We are very keen to try and grow and train with the young ones, we are very close to Mr but Wilma is still indifferent to us at times.
 
Ginger was 6 months old when we got her.

Some rescues rehome from the time post-neuter/spay +x weeks to allow hormones to go down.
 
Thanks.

That's what I would of thought neuter age + recovery.

What was ginger like at 6 months??

She was a tinker. Same as she is now. She wasn't 'normal' though unfortunately and needed lots of additional care due to some issues she has. However, she was very much a sweet and adorable little thing :love:
 
Some rescues will let babies go at 8/9 weeks old, with the condition that the new owner will get them neutered, provide them with a companion etc. I guess you'd just have to pass the home check as someone who could be trusted to follow through.

I've owned 2 bunnies from 8 weeks old and one from 11 weeks old. I loved very minute of it :love::love:

Edit to add:
These guys are adoptable as babes:

http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/moreinfo.asp?RabID=28698
in Dewsbury... both males and females available.
 
I LOVED having Sebastian from 4months, I do wish he'd been a little younger as our bond might have been even stronger :love::love: I think one day I'll have baby bunnies again :love:
 
Rescues might let some go from 8 weeks and the adopters will have to ensure the rabbits are neutered when old enough.
 
youngest we rehome is about 18 weeks..after bun has been neutered
I don't believe a rescue should let them go before the op as you cannot guarantee it will be done..and new owner has stress of neutering
Celandine is 18-19 weeks and looking for a home :D speyed and vacs

celandine180712.jpg
 
Like bunny buddy said, some rescues will adopt from 8 weeks on the condition you will have the rabbits neutered.

The thing is, I don't think having a rabbit from a baby will necessarily mean they're any closer to you. I got Eli at 3-4 months and he is much more affectionate and interested in people than the two girls that I got at 8 weeks. In fact, even the two girls are quite different in their personalities and attitudes towards people despite both being brought home at 8 weeks and treated exactly the same.

Rabbits personalities can vary so much that if you want a certain character I think you'd be better off going to a rescue and choosing an adult bun that has that character.
 
I only rehome when rabbits (babies or otherwise) have been neutered and have settled and are able to be bonded up (unless it's siblings in which case when I am happy that they have settled into their hormone free lives together).
 
I only rehome when rabbits (babies or otherwise) have been neutered and have settled and are able to be bonded up (unless it's siblings in which case when I am happy that they have settled into their hormone free lives together).

We're like this too.
 
I got Anna at 18 weeks I think, at Windwhistle Warren. Alice gave me the option of either taking her as a baby, bonding her and getting her neutered at 15/16 weeks, either at my vets if they were good enough or own, or getting her after neutering. I chose the second route as I wasnt sure which bun to get yet, and I didnt have any rabbit specialist vets nearby, so it would be a trek to take her back to Alice's vet.

To be honest I dont think it makes you bond better with them, Anna just isnt a people bun, she isnt interested. I've had other baby buns too, actually loads of them, as my mum bred them for a while, and it depends on the bun. On the other hand I got Barney at 2-3 years old and he relies on me, follows me about, he adores attention and really misses me if I dont spend loads of time with him.
 
youngest we rehome is about 18 weeks..after bun has been neutered
I don't believe a rescue should let them go before the op as you cannot guarantee it will be done..and new owner has stress of neutering
Celandine is 18-19 weeks and looking for a home :D speyed and vacs

celandine180712.jpg

Aww she's so sweet. She'd be perfect for our lionlop buck, Arthur. Though we have Lola, the mini lop. How do two females get on with a male?!
 
I got Finx at 8 weeks when my little sister's rabbits had an accidental litter (2 girls, apparently :roll:). I kept her as a single house bunny for a year, got her spayed and vaccinated, then adopted Tango. He was estimated to be a similar age to her, but was a stray so I'm not sure.

I do have a closer bond with Finx, but I have enjoyed both experiences. Raising her through the naughty teenage times was exasperating at times, but meant I was able to get her used to me and to being handled. At one stage she would nip rather than being picked up, but I managed to change her mind with some positive reinforcement and now she's fab at being handled, comes when I call her and is always pleased to see me.

Tango, on the other hand, is a nightmare to pick up and was a nervous wreck when he came to live with us, but gradually gaining his trust and seeing his true character emerge has been gorgeous :love:

I think I've seen both the pros and the cons of both, but even if I wasn't against breeding I would only ever adopt a neutered rabbit in future, purely because of how bad Finx's spay was! She didn't start eating again after the aneasthetic, went into stasis and had to go back for an overnight stay with fluids and meds - I don't think I could do it again!
 
Back
Top