Rescue or Breeder?

Our 8 month old male Rex has just been neutered and in 2 months time we will be looking for a female companion for him. He is a superb rabbit and very friendly, especially with our young daughter. We really do want another Rex rabbit. We would certainly consider a rescue, but finding one of the same breed in Cornwall (Newquay) may not be so easy. We are also worried about rescue rabbits that have been ill-treated and have become aggressive/problematic because of this. We have been told that the BRC lists breeders of Rex rabbits in Devon. Is a breeder a good option? If so, can anyone recommend one?

It would be so nice if you could rescue a rabbit instead of buying from a breeder there are so many rabbits out there looking for new homes and you would be surprised just how many of them are rexes! I think it is rare to find a rabbit that been deeply traumatised by their past experiences. Most rabbits that end up in rescues are a result of kids simply getting bored of them or people moving to new houses where they are no longer allowed to keep pets. I am sure there is someone near you who will be able to point in the direction of a rescue centre in your area.

Failing that I'm sure the wonderful people on here could organise a Bunny Run!!

It saddens me to think of people who buy rabbits and put them in tiny hutches with no freedom. This would drive anyone/anything to madness. Why do people think that rabbits should be locked in tiny hutches? Our rabbit has a large double hutch and access to a large run whenever he wants via a catflap. He is also handled daily and comes in the house for a couple of hours every evening. If you cannot give your rabbit at least this much, then why have one as a pet?

But many just think that a bunny is an 'easy' pet and don't realise the care and space they require. I don't think people necessarily set out to be cruel, they're just not 'in the know' about how it should be.

Many rescue bunnies are just as friendly and outgoing as any other bunny, and a good rescue will tell you which ones these are. Also, if you've already got an outgoing bun then they would help the confidence of a 'shy' bun. They may also help with the bonding process, letting your bun pick the girlfriend of his choice!

Funny thing is, I am the husband of a wife who one day brought home our rabbit as a pet for our 7 year old daughter. She bought him from a local breeder and came home with an 8 week old Rex rabbit and a 3ft outdoor hutch! I thought to myself, no way, this animal will get bored and become agressive. I then built a double 5ft linked hutch in our shed with a catflap giving access to a large run. With daily handling, plenty of space and a good diet, he seems very happy now.

Well done you! Your rabbit sounds like it's living in the lap of luxury!

There are some gorgeous rexes in rescues, and I personally think that you are much more guaranteed to get an animal that isn't aggressive and has no problems from a rescue, because the rescue has had time to find out what kind of personality the animal has, and address any problems. Getting baby rabbits from breeders, it's hard to tell what their personalities will be like as they get older, or if it will be compatible with the rabbit you already have. When you go to a rescue, they'll usually let you introduce your rabbits there. If you can't get to the rescue yourself, they will at least be able to tell you how similar/different each of their rabbits is to yours, character wise. And if you want to rescue from far away, sometimes people here can really help transportation with a bunny run.

I would only get a rabbit from a rescue home now. I don't think breeders should continue to breed rabbits for sale when there are thousands being put to sleep because there are not enough people to rehome them Some RSPCA branches put healthy rabbits to sleep I know rex rabbits are gorgeous but please consider giving a home to a rabbit in need no matter what breed it is. I love rex's but i would consider any breed if i get another one, in fact my next rabbit (sshh don't tell OH!) will most likely be an older bun that isn't considered as pretty as others and is less likely to be rehomed!

Hey

Welcome to the forum!

There is a single female rex called Willow, 1 yr old on rabbit rehome and she's only in Somerset!!!

Go look!!

http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/sear...abBond=%&breed=Rex&County=%&Submit=++Search++

Heres the link

Hi there,

I would more than recommend getting a Rex from a Rescue. There are lots needing good homes on this website. I myself, have 7 beautiful rescued Rex rabbits. Apart, from one male, who is a bit of a rascal, they are all absolutely loving bunnies. My sister also has 2 rescued Rex female bunnies from this forum and they are absolutely superb bunnies too! I'm sure that as soon as I bond Louis (my naughty bun) with a girly, he will be much calmer, however, he must go for the snip first! Rex bunnies are renowned for being quite docile, loving and easy to bond. I actually have 2 pairs of male bonded Rex rabbits, as you know, a lot of male buns don't always get on, but I find Rex rabbits bond quite easily.

Hope this helps, and good luck in finding a Rex bun (hopefully, a rescue one! :wink: ). It would be a very lucky bun indeed!

Carol

Leanne said

Hey

There is a single female rex called Willow, 1 yr old on rabbit rehome and she's only in Somerset!!!

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And she is neutered so the long wait after male neutering is not so essentual, just the wait to let the hormones drop

Janice

Thanks leanne, Willow looks like an ideal rabbit. Already neutered too. That would be a 250 mile round trip, which is a bit far really, but we will enquire.

How about Pernod in Surrey? She looks gorgeous too! Perhaps a bunny run could be arranged?

Carol

Id say a rescue bunny,but then im bias,I have 4 rescues and one i took in from a woman who didnt have a clue.
2 of the bunnys were bitey,but with patience they dont bite at all now infact they lick you.
You wont always get a bitey rabbit,the rescues will tell you the temperment as quite often they have had the bunnys in for many months You can even take your bunny in with you to see who he gets on with??If it were me thats what i would do

Personality wise, with females in particular I'd recommend going for an adult. Female rabbits are more prone to being agressive when their hormones kick in and a sweet little baby can turn into a monster

When you get a bun from a rescue what you see is what you get. You can see their personality before you decide to adopt.

They're also often spayed which is handy.

If you do go to a breeder I'd recommend getting an adult retired from breeding rather than a baby.

Tam

Something to keep in mind...rabbits with behavioral problems can usually be fixec. You take wonderful care of your bun and I'm sure that a less than perfectly behaved rabbit would be an amazing animal given the time an effort you give your current bun.

Good luck with any new bun though!

new_rabbit_owner said:

Thanks leanne, Willow looks like an ideal rabbit. Already neutered too. That would be a 250 mile round trip, which is a bit far really, but we will enquire.

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No worries Im sure there will be some people on the forum between Newquay & Somerset though that could arrange a bunny run if You decided she was 'the one'

But if not keep looking on here as there are soooo many that im sure one will come along soon

my rex found love

Hi, I had my rex boy Loopy neutered last Aug. Wanted to get him a partner and in November (once he was all healed etc) after looking through these pages I contacted Jane Dexter's rescue in Warwickshire who had a beautiful rex girl I thought would be ideal for him.
Unfortunately she'd been promised to a bereaved bunny elsewhere, but Jane had another girl in mind, who had been taken from a horrible situation in a one bed flat with 150 other buns. She was a mixed breed, looking more like a cross between a yeti and a mouse than a rabbit!
I took my boy round and they fell in love in minutes (Jane said it was the first time she'd seen Hazel binky!)
I took the two of them home and kept an eye on them for the first week in case they scuffled, but they have been superb for each other, always washing each others faces and cuddling up.
The time came for Hazel to be neutered (she had been too weighty before due to being cage-bound), and we had a few fights while the hormones settled down, but within 2 weeks they were back in love again.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that Hazel may not have been what I would have chosen as a partner to my rex, but they adore each other. A good rescue will look to match the rabbits to each other on terms of personality, which is more important than having a pair of bookends that look nice together.
When I see my two cuddled up my heart melts and I know Loopy couldn't have found a better match.
My only regret was the stress I had after Hazel was neutered when her hormones were everywhere and they looked like they wanted to kill each other. So I'd probably go for a bun that's already neutered.
And also, even though Hazel had been through a nasty experience, and was very nervy, she's so sweet and has come such a long way - when she comes up to me for a fuss, it's so much more rewarding.
I'd be wary of taking an agressive bun, as it upsets me when they go for each other, but, again, a good rescue will know their rabbits individually, and should be willing to guide you (and willing to take the rabbit back if things go wrong).
Good luck.

I think Racheld says it all

I've brought 6 females home for my boy to bond with, and he hates them all! - Much better to take him to a rescue and let him choose who he's compatible with (and if you read some other threads about resident males doing serious damage to new girls you'll probably agree!)

I'm all full up now, so my boy is having to stay a bachelor, although that's the way he seems to like it thankfully.