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'Overlooked' bunnies in rescues and their breeders.

dizzyg

dizzyg

Warren Veteran
Just pondering...

We all know that white, agouti and black bunnies are overlooked in rescues.

My question is... Do breeders struggle to sell these bunnies? Are they overlooked at 'source' as it were?

:wave:
 
The breeder I had my rabbits from would occasionally pass a bunny on to a rescue if no-one would take them. Tabitha would have been one of those, I imagine, as her markings are flawed and she looks too dwarf-y to be a proper mini lop. Matthew her litter mate is a perfect ml bun, or was in his youth. So yes, I think some are 'overlooked at source'.
 
The 'flawed marking' thing strikes a chord. Both of my boys were overlooked in the garden centres we got them from. Schumi was an agouti Dutch but he wasn't perfectly 1/2 and 1/2, his agouti colour was diagonal so he had one brown front leg. :love: He'd been overlooked because of this and was 9 months old when he stole my Mum's heart.

Eddie was a mini lop and was half price in the garden centre because he didn't sell because his ears were helicopter. He was 6 months old. Obviously, he stole my Mum's heart too!

We liked our misfit bunnies. They were perfect to us.

I wasn't a fan of REWs until I joined here and saw how adorable they were, but I've always liked agoutis because they look like 'proper' bunnies, and black ones because they're pretty!!

:love:
 
There are a wide variety of types of breeders. I've not known any rabbit breeders, but I expect they are similar to guinea pig ones. I knew a really awful guinea pig breeder who used to find it fascinating to put piggies (any piggies) together and 'see what comes out'. She used to supply local pet shops, and I don't think they used to turn any down other than for numbers. Then there are the ones that only breed certain lines. Obviously there you have the potential problem of 'mis marking'.
 
That's an interesting point and I don't know. I remember when I got Slipper from p@h in 2011 that there was an adorable black lionhead in with him that was there for ages as I felt really sorry for him and wanted to get him too but the OH at the time wouldn't let me.
 
My grandparents rescued Biscuit (lionhead) from a breeder as they were going to give him to someone to use as snake food because he scans due to bad eyesight. I've had an agouti and a REW, one from a rescue, one from free ads and they were both gorgeous with wonderful personalities. Such a shame they tend to get left overlooked.
 
I don't know - Harley was from a breeder (before I knew about rescues) and I had choice between a Cinnamon liondhead or Harley who is Agouti. I really liked Harley's colouring so chose her - but had she been already taken - I would be just as happy with any other colour - I don't get this dislike of colour business - a bunny is a bunny no matter what colour they are.

But it just shows how fussy people can be - Harley was a show bun but was disqualified for having an odd colour toe nail :shock: She's lucky - never again will she have to be subjected to a rabbit show - she's exchanged that for a very grumpy Bobo but I think that's just fine in her little mind:love:
 
I think they are often considered boring by people looking for the cute factor. Although my three were unwanted by their breeder and unsellable and they were cute little balls of fluff.
OH wasn't keen on the REW look although his piggy is red eyed so he might be a convert. I love both black bunnies and agouti's as I like the wildie look. My first rabbit was a himilayian, so kind of REW.
 
I think colour does make a difference to a lot of people. My REW boys were dumped as a whole litter. Whether they were "accidental" or from a breeder who just couldn't shift them I don't know. What I do know is that they were at the RSPCA for almost a year before we found them because no one wanted REWs. I cannot understand how no one fell in love with their sweet little faces in all that time. But I'm glad because now they are MY babies! :D
 
I think the discrimination is more a pet owner thing. Show breeders have classes specifically for agouti, BEW etc. and they breed for the colours they want anyway.

There is less of a fuss about colour when bunnies are small and cute, after all the ones that end up in rescue were all purchased at one point.
 
I really love REW animals. When I was 15, I chose a beautiful REW dwarf lop called Keira from p@h specifically because she was a REW. I'd love another REW, I think s/he'd look amazing with my BEW Blueberry too :love:

I also had a REW hamster when I was 10, again because she was a REW. I just love them :love:
 
I really love agouti and white buns, Dandy and Beano had been dumped as babies at a motorway services and had been at the rspca for months on end, they were extremely nervous and I think the rspca thought they'd be there forever, but luckily I fell in love with them :love: Boots had been at BARC for several months too, and I really can't see why unless it was his colour, as he is the snuggliest, cuddliest rabbit I have ever met, and I fell for him straightway :love:
 
Iggy was a large black rabbit (my profile pic) and old stock when I got him. I never understood why no one wanted him because he was by far the most affectionate and clever rabbit i have ever known! (i could believe it a bit when he ate a massive hole in my living room carpet!!)

We had a very black giant tom cat as a child someone had dumped him in a bin bag! He was beautiful!

People are strange!
 
No one else had been interested in my rabbits before I rescued them as they are REWs and large, I was the first one to see them at the fosterer's.:(

Unfortunately I don't know their full history, only that their previous owner could no longer keep them because of some issues with their landlord. But not sure how they acquired them and whether they came from a breeder or what. Being NZ whites they are of course REWs, but no idea how popular the breed is among breeders, and for what purpose they are bred, there must certainly be some demand for them as there are plenty around. I know that in the US they are mostly bred for meat, unfortunately, but not sure about the UK, whether the demand mostly comes from pet trade, show rabbit people or where.
 
My soulmate rabbit was grey with fawn nostils and a white belly. She had babies, most of which were agouti or agouti and white. I kept a ginger and a black male (we had them castrated) because I thought the agoutis were boring :oops:. They are one of my all time faves these days.

Lop earred rabbits seem more popular than up-earred ones.
 
I have a white, a black and an agouti coloured rabbit. I'd find it hard to choose between white or black for my fav coloured bun, but colour is of no importence to me.

People that will only take on a bun of a particular colour, in my mind are unlikely to provide a loving forever home, so maybe it's as well they do get over looked until somebody worthy of such buns comes along.
 
RogerRabbit999 said:
I have a white, a black and an agouti coloured rabbit. I'd find it hard to choose between white or black for my fav coloured bun, but colour is of no importence to me.

People that will only take on a bun of a particular colour, in my mind are unlikely to provide a loving forever home, so maybe it's as well they do get over looked until somebody worthy of such buns comes along.
Click to expand...

That's actually a really good way to look at it :thumb:
 
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