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How long have you kept rabbits?

My love of rabbits started in a typical fashion - hubby went to pet shop to buy fish food, and came home with Bobo.

I remember coming home from work and he proudly showed me a very small rabbit cage - no rabbit because Bobo was hiding and we left him be. But I was furious - we were strapped as usual for cash and did not have the £100 hubby had spent. And even then, I think I instinctively knew there was more to keeping a rabbit than a hamster!!!

We brought Bobo out on the 2nd night - and he was very subdued and docile but tucked into the whole carrot we gave him :shock: - we realised his water levels in his bottle hadn't dropped so we gave him a bowl of water which he devoured - poor fella was so dehydrated :( - which really did liven him up.

Thank goodness for the internet and RU who educated us quite quickly in how to keep a rabbit properly and we soon got rid of the tiny horrible cage and improved his diet etc...and got him neutered so he could have a partner - who was Harley. They made a lovely couple but so not into humans.

Out bunny family grew quickly from that - we couldn't resist a bunny in need and have hopefully given them all a good life. They don't have quite the space they ideally need - but they get everything else, included AC units on full blast in this hot weather!

We now have 9 rabbits - Bobo and Holly are 6 this year. Bobo has incurable EC...but he's still going strong.

I don't want anymore rabbits now though - it's tough to give them the time and attention they need so we are going to allow the numbers to fall naturally now to zero. The youngest are only 1 years old so fingers crossed will be with us for many years still but after that - I think it'll be time to replace carpets and doors and skirting boards and reclaim the upstairs of the house as ours.

I will always be so grateful that I've been priviledged and lucky enough to get to know what wonderful creatures rabbits are and my warren will always have a huge special place in my heart and memories.
 
I got my first rabbit, Flopsy, for Christmas when I was 4. She was a gorgeous little butterfly lop. We'd just moved from a very rough area to a much nicer one, but the house was a state, so over the rest of winter she was allowed to live inside! She lived at my grandparents until Christmas day, where they used to let her sit on the sofa whilst they watched TV on an evening, so she was the loveliest girl ever. Needless to say, Peter Rabbit was my favourite book.

I then got Thumper (my creativity with names was not so great back then), he was much less friendly, but a lovely, shiny, black bun. He was also a nightmare to catch :lol:

When Thumper died, I got Mopsy, who then turned out to be a boy, so was now Motley! Unfortunately, we didn't have proper bolts on the hutch and a fox got in. He was only 2, and I'm still devastated that I let that happen. You can't change the past, but you can learn from mistakes.

Now, I have Sonic. The most incredible animal I've ever come across. He's intelligent, brave, funny, sassy, and just bloody lovely! He turns 8 this week :) My knowledge of all things rabbits has improved massively from RU, and I'm so grateful! I don't post much anymore, but I still read, and still learn. Without RU, I would have never have known that his problem last year was dental, and he probably wouldn't be here without all of you lot!

So... I guess that means I've had rabbits for 18 years :shock: wouldn't change any of them for the world, but I have to say, Sonic is just something special!
 
Since the 8th November 2003 :) So coming up on 14yrs.
We went to Birdworld in October that year where they have a farm (Jenny's Farm I think it was called - still there to my knowledge) and they had young baby rabbits all on a table-thing for people to stroke and interact with. Initally I liked the little black one but soon fell in love with a little brown one. She was the only one who would be stroked for a long time but was soon showing a cheeky side as she tried to climb the umbrella's that were attacted to the table. They were folded up and not in use - she tried to climb up the inside of the umbrella cover :roll:
By the time we got to the carpark I'd picked out the name Willow and spent the next few weeks trying to convince my parents. Birdworld said she'd be ready to leave on the 8th of November and that's when we picked her up. My Mum wanted to get her a friend to keep her company but my Dad wouldn't let us. She never did get a friend but she had such a close relationship with me I don't think she minded too much. We spent so much time together, we used to play together all the time. She liked to race me from one end of the front room to the other and we did that every day :) she liked chasing games too though prefered to chase me than the other way around (understantably!). She'd binky all the while and once she'd finally worn herself out, quite some time after she'd worn me out, she'd flop in the middle of the room and hug into me. Sometimes we'd lay there and fall asleep together.

She was my closest friend for just short of 11yrs. I miss her every day. She was such a special girl. She was my only friend growing up (I was about 11 when I got her) and got me through some very difficult times, especially a few years ago when my parents split and the nightmare that came with that. I can honestly say I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her.

She's the bunny in my avatar.

I fell in love with rabbits because of her and since having had more I've grown to see what truly amazing, special animals they really are. Most people really don't appreciate how wonderful they truly are. I'd give anything for mine and I'd never be without rabbits now.


It sounds like you had a fabulous bond with Willow :) Sometimes one particular rabbit becomes so pivotal and special in our lives, it's hard to imagine going on without them.

I'm sorry your parents split - that's so painful, but glad you had her with you. They keep us going and give meaning to lives that may otherwise be very difficult.

She's very beautiful :love:
 
Since I was 4 but with a hiatus from 15-30 ;P '4-15' was the same rabbit, Charlie the indestructible Nethie :)
 
I'm a relative newbie to rabbits. Growing up we always had cats. I started thinking seriously about having a pet rabbit about three years ago. I mulled over it for quite a while until one day my sister in law told me a woman she worked with was going abroad and was looking for a home for her rabbit. That's how I acquired Scrappy ❤️❤️❤️She certainly was a baptism of fire to the world of rabbits! Due to her breeding blocked tear ducts were a recurring issue. Then I discovered she hadn't been spayed so that was something I needed to do. Not something I ever want to go through again especially since she had to go back for a second op a couple of days afterwards to fix a hernia!

After I lost her I got Peanut Butter and Snoopy, my first experience of a rabbit pair [emoji4]. Chocolate Fudge Cake is now the fourth rabbit I've owned. I lost Scrappy after 11 months and Peanut Butter after 6 months and I felt I was cursed to lose my bunnies within a fairly short period of time. So it was a huge relief for me once both Snoopy and Fudgie reached the one year gotcha day milestone! I've had Snoopy now for around 20 months and Fudgie around 14 months.


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I've always loved bunnies - I had bunny toys instead of teddies as a baby (and still have them, 47 years later!). We had a family bunny, Snowy, when I was about 6, but despite my love of bunnies I never became a bunny slave until I was 39, when I worked at a petting farm (never again!) and Blackberry & Co were left there as tiny babies. I'd always enjoyed helping with my mum and sister's pets (dogs, guinea pigs, budgies etc) but hadn't wanted the commitment of being a full time pet slave myself. I was working with bunnies and guinea pigs, and even then wasn't tempted.

Then I saw Blackberry, Dandelion, Buttercup and Clover.....and they literally changed my life :) That was 2009, and I've been a bunny slave ever since :)
 
I'm a relative newbie to rabbits. Growing up we always had cats. I started thinking seriously about having a pet rabbit about three years ago. I mulled over it for quite a while until one day my sister in law told me a woman she worked with was going abroad and was looking for a home for her rabbit. That's how I acquired Scrappy ❤️❤️❤️She certainly was a baptism of fire to the world of rabbits! Due to her breeding blocked tear ducts were a recurring issue. Then I discovered she hadn't been spayed so that was something I needed to do. Not something I ever want to go through again especially since she had to go back for a second op a couple of days afterwards to fix a hernia!

After I lost her I got Peanut Butter and Snoopy, my first experience of a rabbit pair [emoji4]. Chocolate Fudge Cake is now the fourth rabbit I've owned. I lost Scrappy after 11 months and Peanut Butter after 6 months and I felt I was cursed to lose my bunnies within a fairly short period of time. So it was a huge relief for me once both Snoopy and Fudgie reached the one year gotcha day milestone! I've had Snoopy now for around 20 months and Fudgie around 14 months.


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Aaaww Scrappy - when I met you last year I thought you'd kept bunnies for ages :love:

Did you find the bunnies destructive, or not on the whole? You seem to have had a baptism of fire.

It's a lot of hard work and heartache, but once hooked on rabbits it's often really hard not to have them around :)
 
I've always loved bunnies - I had bunny toys instead of teddies as a baby (and still have them, 47 years later!). We had a family bunny, Snowy, when I was about 6, but despite my love of bunnies I never became a bunny slave until I was 39, when I worked at a petting farm (never again!) and Blackberry & Co were left there as tiny babies. I'd always enjoyed helping with my mum and sister's pets (dogs, guinea pigs, budgies etc) but hadn't wanted the commitment of being a full time pet slave myself. I was working with bunnies and guinea pigs, and even then wasn't tempted.

Then I saw Blackberry, Dandelion, Buttercup and Clover.....and they literally changed my life :) That was 2009, and I've been a bunny slave ever since :)


They are certainly life-changing pets :D

Though I am sometimes at a loss as to how to explain why to anyone :lol:
 
Aaaww Scrappy - when I met you last year I thought you'd kept bunnies for ages :love:

Did you find the bunnies destructive, or not on the whole? You seem to have had a baptism of fire.

It's a lot of hard work and heartache, but once hooked on rabbits it's often really hard not to have them around :)

Well they do have their moments of destructiveness. They've had a nibble on the bottom of the sofa (I cannily got one with replaceable covers) and bits of the rug. Shoes left out also get a going over. Most of all they've given my books a good pasting, they even pull them off the shelves to do it!

But considering they have full free range of the whole flat 24/7, including when I'm out or in bed the destruction
is nowhere near as bad as it could be!

To be honest I'd much rather have a bit of nibbled furniture so long as they can pootle about when and where they please. I'm so used to having them free roam that the idea of having them confined feels weird to me.

Only downside is that I'm now obsessed with exposed wires. When I go round a friend's house and see wires across the floor I always think "Aaargh cover them up, they're going to get chewed!" Even though none of my friends have rabbits [emoji38]


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Well they do have their moments of destructiveness. They've had a nibble on the bottom of the sofa (I cannily got one with replaceable covers) and bits of the rug. Shoes left out also get a going over. Most of all they've given my books a good pasting, they even pull them off the shelves to do it!

But considering they have full free range of the whole flat 24/7, including when I'm out or in bed the destruction
is nowhere near as bad as it could be!

To be honest I'd much rather have a bit of nibbled furniture so long as they can pootle about when and where they please. I'm so used to having them free roam that the idea of having them confined feels weird to me.

Only downside is that I'm now obsessed with exposed wires. When I go round a friend's house and see wires across the floor I always think "Aaargh cover them up, they're going to get chewed!" Even though none of my friends have rabbits [emoji38]


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Yes it's very weird to me too!
Seeing them behaving 'as nature intended' - with freedom and joy - is what I love about having them around me :D
 
My love of rabbits started in a typical fashion - hubby went to pet shop to buy fish food, and came home with Bobo.

I remember coming home from work and he proudly showed me a very small rabbit cage - no rabbit because Bobo was hiding and we left him be. But I was furious - we were strapped as usual for cash and did not have the £100 hubby had spent. And even then, I think I instinctively knew there was more to keeping a rabbit than a hamster!!!

We brought Bobo out on the 2nd night - and he was very subdued and docile but tucked into the whole carrot we gave him :shock: - we realised his water levels in his bottle hadn't dropped so we gave him a bowl of water which he devoured - poor fella was so dehydrated :( - which really did liven him up.

Thank goodness for the internet and RU who educated us quite quickly in how to keep a rabbit properly and we soon got rid of the tiny horrible cage and improved his diet etc...and got him neutered so he could have a partner - who was Harley. They made a lovely couple but so not into humans.

Out bunny family grew quickly from that - we couldn't resist a bunny in need and have hopefully given them all a good life. They don't have quite the space they ideally need - but they get everything else, included AC units on full blast in this hot weather!

We now have 9 rabbits - Bobo and Holly are 6 this year. Bobo has incurable EC...but he's still going strong.

I don't want anymore rabbits now though - it's tough to give them the time and attention they need so we are going to allow the numbers to fall naturally now to zero. The youngest are only 1 years old so fingers crossed will be with us for many years still but after that - I think it'll be time to replace carpets and doors and skirting boards and reclaim the upstairs of the house as ours.

I will always be so grateful that I've been priviledged and lucky enough to get to know what wonderful creatures rabbits are and my warren will always have a huge special place in my heart and memories.


Did you manage to bond two rabbits, and being both boys, yourselves?

I know what you mean about reclaiming the house again. I often feel that about upstairs, but so far it's rarely happened for any length of time! Bunnies in need seem to come along thick and fast, and of course are very hard to resist :)
 
Hm, how long? About 6 1/2 years, but I've only had two pairs so far and Clara and Humphrey have only been with me for around four months.

I had never owned my own pet before and I did some research for various types, until I came across rabbits. They fascinated me!
 
Did you manage to bond two rabbits, and being both boys, yourselves?

I know what you mean about reclaiming the house again. I often feel that about upstairs, but so far it's rarely happened for any length of time! Bunnies in need seem to come along thick and fast, and of course are very hard to resist :)

Harley was actually a girl - named after Harlequin in the Batman comics which my hubby was in to at the time :D - Bobo and Harley fell in love within 5 minutes of meeting each other - very easy bond :love:

Thankfully - for us - we have no space to take in anymore rabbits at the moment - and whilst I say no more even when there is space, I have no doubt we will come across a bunny or two in the future that really needs a good home...I doubt we will say no (bunnies always do have a way of disrupting plans :lol:)
 
I love reading these, I'm going to go back over and devour all the details :love:

For me, it was when I was 21, my father in law bought me a baby bunny for my birthday, she was very poorly and only lived a few days. If only I knew then what I do now...but there we are. That's how it all started.

Then it carried on, Buggsy appeared in our garden and we couldn't find his owner so we kept him, he was what I refer to as my "origibun" he was everything and helped me through some sad times :love:
 
Harley was actually a girl - named after Harlequin in the Batman comics which my hubby was in to at the time :D - Bobo and Harley fell in love within 5 minutes of meeting each other - very easy bond :love:

Thankfully - for us - we have no space to take in anymore rabbits at the moment - and whilst I say no more even when there is space, I have no doubt we will come across a bunny or two in the future that really needs a good home...I doubt we will say no (bunnies always do have a way of disrupting plans :lol:)


Oh I see - Harlequin and not after a motor bike! :lol:

Disrupting plans - yes, there's something magical about bunnies. I just wish I know quite what it was! :)
 
Hm, how long? About 6 1/2 years, but I've only had two pairs so far and Clara and Humphrey have only been with me for around four months.

I had never owned my own pet before and I did some research for various types, until I came across rabbits. They fascinated me!


They fascinate me too, and make me laugh. A lot! :lol:
 
I love reading these, I'm going to go back over and devour all the details :love:

For me, it was when I was 21, my father in law bought me a baby bunny for my birthday, she was very poorly and only lived a few days. If only I knew then what I do now...but there we are. That's how it all started.

Then it carried on, Buggsy appeared in our garden and we couldn't find his owner so we kept him, he was what I refer to as my "origibun" he was everything and helped me through some sad times :love:


It's amazing that they can do that for us, isn't it Kara? It's a wonderful gift they give us.
I don't think we deserve them sometimes - they are so open and vulnerable
 
When i was 12 my next door neighbor and his girlfriend used to rescue rabbits and i used to be the main carer. I used to run home from school every day and sit in the rabbit shed until my mum said it was time to come in. I even ate my tea with them. When the man moved in with his girlfriend they wanted to get rid of all the buns (12) and i begged my other neighbor to let me have them in her garden. I used to help this neighbor and sleep her house to keep her company. She let me have the buns in her garden until she got really old and had to go to hospital. I begged mt mum to let me have them in my own garden and she said why i had looked after them for 3 years without missing a single day, she trusted i wouldnt abandon them on her. I was 15 then and got pregnant when i was 17 and when i was ready to give birth my mum said they were all going to a farm because i wouldnt be able to keep up with their care. I was heart broke. Its took me until willow and squiggles to get over that but im glad i did.
 
I'm still a newbie in the rabbit world :lol: i brought home snoopy in april 2015, and he got me into this mess!

i wanted a rabbit since i was maybe 7 or so. we didn't have the space so it never happened - nor did we have the money. i couldn't tell you why i wanted a rabbit, i think little me was fascinated by them as i saw them wild (and used to feed the wild ones carrot :oops: ) a neighbour also had rabbits and bred them, so i think that started there. i used to hold my neighbours bunnies and feed them dandelions.

either way as i got older, i saved up a lot of money, did so much research, and asked my neighbour Sue if she knew of any rabbit breeders. she did, a rex rabbit breeder about 13 miles away. with Sue being like a second mom to me, she drove me over to the breeders house and i got to meet mom and the babies and ask a lot of questions. i was happy with the circumstances and he answered all the questions. the breeder asked me to pick one out, and this little opal rex came running to the front and chinned my hand. so i decided he was the one!

i decided to only get one bunny as i didn't feel ready for two, as i felt no amount of research would really prepare me for owning a rabbit.

Luna then came into my life in October 2015. i felt snoopy needed a friend, and i passingly mentioned it to Sue. she said she knew somebody that got their rabbit from the same breeder as I got Snoopy and that they didn't want her anymore. so sue took me 13 miles again to pick up this little rex, the same age as Snoopy. Luna was kept in some really bad conditions, no hay, no toys, just locked in a 80cm cage all her life :( at 6 months she'd hadn't seen grass before!

Luna's been a bit of a nightmare i'll admit, her spay was terrible and we ended up at the vets every day for 3-4 weeks (the amount slips my mind) and i spent a fortune on her. she's now blind and possibly brain damaged too - and has taken to being very aggressive and biting/digging me. but i love her and she never fails to make me smile. she knows her name too and comes running when called. i also have to love the sound of her paws when she runs :love:

either way - ive discovered rabbits are like naughty little toddlers who don't understand the word "no" :lol: who needs kids when you have a bunny?
 
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