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sex of the rabbits

22 11:23:12

Question
Hello my dad said that he wanted to give me and my sister a bunny. I 'm not sure if I want a boy or a girl, which is better? Also my sister wants to have a different breed than my bunny. Is this going to affect the bunnies?

Please write back



Thank you


Carolina

Answer
Dear Carolina,

Every rabbit has a different personality, and it really doesn't matter what breed or sex the bunny is.  I've known both males and females of many breeds, and each one is unique.  You just can't tell what they'll be like until you get to know him or her.  

Before you decide what kind of bunny to get, please read this very important information:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/firstrabbit.html

which tells you what to expect from your first rabbit.  Note that rabbits are not all cuddly and friendly.  Most do not like to be picked up or held, and they are NOT low maintenance. They require as much care and love as a dog or cat.  You can read about proper diet and care here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

I would recommend that rather than buy a baby rabbit, whose personality you cannot guess, that you adopt one from your local rabbit rescuer.  You can find the rescuers here:

www.rabbit.org

by clicking on the "chapters" button and finding the people in your area.  The good thing about a rescued bunny is that the personality will be known, and you can pick a bunny that you like, and who likes you.  Also--very importantly!--the bunny will already be spayed or neutered, which will save you a ton of money and worry.  If you don't spay/neuter your bunny, it will be much more difficult to litterbox train him/her, the bunny may become very aggressive, and you could even run the risk of accidentally getting two rabbits of different sex, which would be a disaster!  Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/breeding.html

Spay/neuter operation can cost more than $250, depending on where you are.  So adopting a bunny from the House Rabbit Society is a real bargain, since the operation already done.  Many of the HRS rabbits are already litterbox trained, and the person who is housing the bunnies can tell you everything about that particular rabbit so you won't have any unpleasant surprises once you get home with your new pal.

I hope you will contact your local rescuer and arrange to meet all their wonderful rescued bunnies, all of which need homes, especially now that many cruel and thoughtless people are "dumping" their last year's "Easter Bunny" so they can get a new, cute one.  Many people just let them go in parks or in a "wild" area, and the rabbit is sure to die unless it is quickly found and rescued.  Domestic rabbits cannot live outside, and wild rabbits cannot live inside!  Thousands of rabbits die every year because people abandon them or give them up to shelters where they are euthanized.  You can be part of the solution to this very sad problem by adopting a bunny, rather than buying one (which just promotes more breeding!).

Before you get a bunny, I hope you and your sister and whole family will go to:

www.rabbit.org/

and read all about the important things you'll need to know in advance about proper care and feeding.  You can find more specific information here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/rabbithealth.html

about how to tell if your bunny is sick, what to feed for good health, etc.

I hope this helps get you started.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana