# Thinking about getting a bunny or 2



## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

I am looking at getting a mini lop maybe 2. I have a few questions:
Better having 1 or 2?
Girl and girl or girl and desexed boy? 
What worming/ other vet care is needed?

I have been researching them for about 3 years and finally am in the position I could have them. These questions there are just so many opinions. I want them inside at night and whilst they are babies, outside during the day once they are older. My partner can make them a steel outside pen I was thinking similar to this:








Or








With a soft mesh floor.

And inside hutch like this:


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## bisonviewfarm (Apr 2, 2015)

Bree_6293 said:


> I am looking at getting a mini lop maybe 2. I have a few questions:
> Better having 1 or 2?
> Girl and girl or girl and desexed boy?
> What worming/ other vet care is needed?
> ...


They do fine by themselves if you'd like two Id recommend fixed males females can be moody and arent always the best pets No worming needed not sure about vet care we dont need any here but you might. Good luck!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If both are fixed, a male and female combination do very well.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

We have two fixed males that are bonded, but they were brothers so already knew each other. Fixed male/female bondings are most common.

If you search the internet for "rabbit rescues near me" you may be able to find a rabbit rescue. They will have already bonded and fixed pairs of bunnies and can guide you on care, etc. They can also tell you the bunnies' personality and let you meet them. That is what I would recommend. 

And then for a vet just search "exotic vet near me" and when you take them they can give you info on if any routine de-worming, etc is needed. It may be different in Australia, but in the US domestic rabbits don't typically need vaccines. 

When they are inside they don't need to have a hutch, you can just use a puppy exercise pen and give them cardboard or untreated wood boxes to hide in. They can be litter box trained as well. 

Good luck!


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

unfixed females are bad moody, one day sweet, the next bite your finger clean off, boys are great pets, I have never had a fixed female so cant help you there but would NOT recommend an unfixed one. I use to breed Checkered Giant / Flemish Giant crosses, one doe I had was a sweet girl some times then she bit right through my hand at the base of my thumb around the bone, it went clean through back of hand to front... PMS is NOT fun in rabbits


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

For indoor housing, it's way easier to have a puppy play pen enclosure as 21goaties pointed out. Just choose a very large plastic litter box and line the bottom with wood pellets then put their eating hay on top of that. A "outdoor" carpet or other mat for the rest of the floor area.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Adopting an already bonded pair is awesome and if you can get them older than 6 months you have a way better idea of their temperaments!


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

There isn’t many rabbit rescues around me unfortunately. I haven’t been able to find one closer than 5 hours. I will be speaking to my vet on Monday as I am in there with my 2 dogs for their yearly check up anyway. There is one vaccine I have found in Australia for calicivirus. 
I have been speaking to a breeder that has had rabbits for 30+ years and another with 10 years experience in rabbits down here. I am really wanting to get the mini lop rabbits. I am leaning towards a desexed boy and driving to meet the breeder with 10 years experience next Friday. She has mini lops so I can meet her bunnies. The other breeder has angora bunnies and I’m not wanting that breed. I have met rabbits a few times in the past when I visited down south states and am super excited to be able to introduce one into my family. 

If I was to get litter mates would that be successful in them staying friendly. Both would be desexed.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Bree_6293 said:


> If I was to get litter mates would that be successful in them staying friendly. Both would be desexed.


It should, but it isn't guaranteed. Since you would have to wait for them to be about 3-6 months old (females have to be closer to 6 months) before they will be old enough to be fixed, it is possible they could decide to hate each other during that time, especially since their hormones would be running rampant.

I would say you have a couple options:

1: Get two male litter mates or two female litter mates. Keep them together until they are old enough to be fixed, but watch them carefully. If they begin to fight then you will need to separate them until after they are fixed and then try to rebond them following these guidelines: https://rabbit.org/faq-bonding-multiple-rabbits/
If they do not begin to fight, then keep them together, have them go to get fixed at the same time and recover at the same time.

2: Get male and female litter mates. Keep them separate from each other until they are old enough to be fixed (this is because rabbits can breed very young and you do not want that to happen). After they are recovered from surgery, try to bond them following these guidelines: https://rabbit.org/faq-bonding-multiple-rabbits/

Hope your meeting with the breeder goes well! Remember to look for signs of unthriftiness in the rabbits before you buy one.  Oh, and also make sure that if you get 2 bunnies that the breeder is very, VERY sure of their genders. Young bunnies are hard to sex and you don't want a mix up.


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## spidy1 (Jan 9, 2014)

just a little DIY help, girl vulva looks like this (), boy looks like this o. girl will invert on one side, boy will invert in a round circle


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

Thank you 

These are her current babies. She has sent me so much information and photos and videos of her bunnies too and they seem very healthy and friendly 


































And her adults


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## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Those are some cute rabbits! Definetely not showing to my wife. Lol


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

My heart is melting at those pics - and I don't even like rabbits!!!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Way too cute!


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

Those are the most adorable bunnies I've ever seen. Haven't seen that particular breed before and these look like kissable, irresistible critters.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

They are cute but this comic I found accurately describes what most adult bunnies are like


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

And this one: My bunnies are EXACTLY like this and if I EVER try to TOUCH them they give me the evil eye 

Not ALL bunnies are like that though. Just most.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

The mini lops I have met have had very good temperaments!

I fostered one for about 6 months who came from wretched conditions. A tiny wire cage, half full to the top of compacted waste, in a dark draft stall in a barn. Fed all pellets, no hay or vegetables ever. The condition of the rabbit when he came out of there was so disgusting, his head was literally touching the top of the cage at all times. But he lived to a miraculous old age as a pampered house rabbit and was a positive gem as far as temperament and litterboxing habits!

Other mini lops I have met are also easy going as far as rabbit temperaments go. But have yet to meet one that LIKES to be picked up. Some do tolerate it.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

SalteyLove said:


> The mini lops I have met have had very good temperaments!
> 
> I fostered one for about 6 months who came from wretched conditions. A tiny wire cage, half full to the top of compacted waste, in a dark draft stall in a barn. Fed all pellets, no hay or vegetables ever. The condition of the rabbit when he came out of there was so disgusting, his head was literally touching the top of the cage at all times. But he lived to a miraculous old age as a pampered house rabbit and was a positive gem as far as temperament and litterboxing habits!
> 
> Other mini lops I have met are also easy going as far as rabbit temperaments go. But have yet to meet one that LIKES to be picked up. Some do tolerate it.


Wow that is amazing! Poor guy, how did he survive without hay!  My bunnies (who are outside) have an XL dog crate w/litterbox at night and exercise pen during the day, and timothy hay 24/7 (and pellets 1x a day).

Yeah, I agree. It depends on the rabbit really.


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

I hope mine will have nice natures! They have been well handled since bubs and follow their Current owner/ breeder around the house. My buns come home Tomorrrow! 








The tan one now has one lop ear and one up. I don't know if the other will fall or stay standing?


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Well, if they have been handled since babies then that helps a lot. I don't think my bunnies were, and I got them when they were already 6 months old. They had already been rehomed once as well.

Those bunnies are adorable!



Bree_6293 said:


> The tan one now has one lop ear and one up. I don't know if the other will fall or stay standing?


Regardless of what happens with the ears it will still be cute. 

How old are they?


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

They are now 9 weeks old. Yes I don’t care either way if his ear flops or not I think he is adorable. When I went to her house they were the first 2 to come up to me and want to sit with me. The boy I loved the most colour wise from photos didn’t seem to care for me at all


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)




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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What cutie pies!


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Awwww! I just want to squish them! I love the curiosity of baby bunnies. :inlove:

And nine weeks is a good age. 8 weeks is the minimum age to rehome them safely, so


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

SQUEEEEEE those faces! Thank you so much for sharing. I just love house rabbits but I am severely allergic so I must enjoy from a distance!


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

21goaties said:


> Awwww! I just want to squish them! I love the curiosity of baby bunnies. :inlove:
> 
> And nine weeks is a good age. 8 weeks is the minimum age to rehome them safely, so


Yes if I was getting only one the breeder wanted to keep them to 10 weeks but as I was getting a pair she was happy for them to come come well 4 days earlier. They have settled in so well


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

SalteyLove said:


> SQUEEEEEE those faces! Thank you so much for sharing. I just love house rabbits but I am severely allergic so I must enjoy from a distance!


Oh no! Well I can always post plenty of photos of my buns now if you like


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

They are adorable


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Bree_6293 said:


> View attachment 139399
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Awwwww leetle beans are so much fun! I love it when they are maybe three weeks old and become lil convicts from the nest box for the first times. They are SO stinkin funny! It is like the floor is lava and they must hippty hoppity and jumpy ALL over the place kickin their lil feet amok. I LOVE IT! We have a litter of beans that is comin out of the box for the last two days for their first forray into the real world. I could sit for hours and watch them! Your beans are beautiful!


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

How are your bunnies now?


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## Bree_6293 (Aug 4, 2014)

21goaties said:


> How are your bunnies now?


I now only have Dotty as she got really possessive and would attack buzz. Buzz now lives with my sister with another desexed boy bun and they get a long great. Dotty runs my house though


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Awww! She is so adorable. Lucky bunny.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

How cute.


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