[sandycat]

I have gone back and forth on the rabbit thing. My husband loves rabbits and had one growing up. I'm not sure. I want a pet that would be friendly, cuddly, not too smelly, easy to keep and hearty. I'd like a rabbit that can move freely around the house without worry that it would get into trouble (ie: chew on wires etc.). Anyone have experiences with rabbits?
TIA!

[Katie1]

My friend has a tame bunny & a wild rescue...both are litter trained. Wild 1 will sit in your lap but not let you pick it up. Tame 1 loves to follow like a dog & loves to be cuddled. My sons 1st pet was a Dwarf Bunny! He was 3 yrs old & at bed time he had to have his bunny. When he fell asleep the bunny would come sit with me & watch TV...when I went to bed he would go back & hop on Kevins bed for the nite!!

[leorah]

I had house rabbits growing up, and they did chew. They were very clean and litterbox trained. I had one, a large white Flemish, that walked on a leash using a harness, like a small dog. He was cuddly and very sweet. We had to rabbit proof the house. Nevertheless, they were excellent pets. The House Rabbit Network has some good info for prospective house rabbit owners: House Rabbit Network.

[laysayfair]

We had a dwarf bunny my son named "Ricochet". What a great pet except for the chewing on wires. You have to make sure he can't get to any electrical cords. You need to have a fenced yard so that if he gets out he won't get lost. Ricochet got out and we didn't realize it right away and we never saw him again (sob). Also, they're easy to lose in your house if you close a door on them because they are so quiet. Once we couldn't find Ricochet because he'd gotten closed in a linen closet for a day and a half. We just happened to open the door and there he was. Boy, was he thirsty! He liked to be carried upside-down in your arms like a baby and would jump up and sit next to you in a chair. What a great little bunny he was but with all the snakes, coyotes and hawks in SoCal I probably wouldn't get another one.

[krakenten]

Some breeders are selecting for docile, affectionate bunnies, strictly for the pet trade.

Saw one a few nights ago who was as gentle and trusting as a dog.

[sandycat]

So how do I find a bunny like this? I almost got one from Craiglist (a family bunny that they had to get rid of because of allergies) but it was gone pretty fast. I don't want to go to a pet store to get one, so how do I find a reputable bunny breeder? Or where can I go to get my house bunny?

[krakenten]

Look up rabbit breeders, ask for pet bunnies.

Pet stores often buy from enthusiastic breeders who produce pets, not food rabbits.

Ask the people who care for them at the store for a gentle one, often they know the animals pretty well.

[leorah]

Check Petfinder (Petfinder.com: Adopt a pet and help an animal shelter rescue a puppy or kitten.) and search for rabbits in your area. Many shelters and rescues do get great, perfectly healthy rabbits. IMO it's better to save a life by adopting than going to a breeder.

[andthentherewere3]

My daughter had a pet rabbit in her room for years, he died last spring. He roamed freely around her room. He DID chew on wires, paper, wood....something to consider. You would need to make sure there were no wires exposed. Get a dwarf rabbit, ours was a big rabbit, and he could hop onto the bed and furniture for his additional chewing pleasure, lol. And although he was litter-box trained, he did still have frequent accidents on the carpet, the carpet was ruined. But he was VERY affectionate, he just didn't like to be picked up. And get your bunny a ball to play with, the kind of light air-filled balls you see in grocery stores and pharmacies for young children, about 9" in diameter. Many rabbits will run round and round their toy ball, ours loved his and would even lie next to it. He would get very upset if my 4 year old took it from him, lol.

Many shelters also have rabbits, and also try veterinarian offices, sometimes people leave notices for free pets there, too. Even some pet stores have notices put up by people giving away pets.

[Katie1]

As rabbits teeth contune to grow all their lives they Do need Safe things to chew on.