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Q: Can I catch any diseases from my rabbit?

A: There's quite a lot of information to peruse on this subject, you'd be better having a read of this: http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rwf/articles/rabbits_health.htm

Q: Which is more friendly, a doe or a buck?

A: It's a common misconception that one sex is more friendly than the other, this is quite simply not true!  We have had some super friendly buns of both sexes.  The degree of friendliness depends on a number of factors in the bun's life such as how they were/are handled, whether they are neutered, how much time you spend with them, etc.  Please don't base your choice on common misconceptions.  All rabbits have individual personalities and natures, that's why it's better to adopt an older bun as the rescue centre will be aware of it's character and will advise you accordingly.  Surprisingly, feisty buns are usually more intelligent and bring a lot of fun and laughter with their antics, particularly if they are properly bonded to another bunny pal.

Q: I think my bunny needs a hutch-mate, would a guinea pig make a suitable partner for it?

A: Well that's a matter of personal choice.  It's not a natural pairing and you wouldn't find them living together in the wild.  I wouldn't recommend a guinea pig as a hutch-mate as rabbits can inflict horrendous injuries (bites, broken bones, rape) on unsuspecting piggies.  Although this pairing has worked in some situations, it's not always the case.  They have different dietary requirements, guinea pigs must have vitamin C in their diet and cannot be fed on rabbit food alone, therefore the rabbit must eat guinea pig friendly food.  Unfortunately most pet shops house buns and piggies together which may work whilst they are babies, however once hormones kick in, trouble can break out with dreadful consequences.  My advice is get your bunny neutered and once it has cleared the recovery period, seek advice on getting another bunny friend for it, it's much more natural and will give you hours of pleasure just watching them interacting.

Q: When I first got my baby bunny it was so friendly and sweet natured but now, 6 months on, it's turned vicious.  Have I got a psycho-bun?

A: It's highly unlikely you have a psycho-bun however much you might think so!  What you are probably seeing is your bunny entering it's 'Kevin the teenager' stage.  At around 6 months old (sometimes earlier, sometimes later, depending on the breed and size), rabbits become overwhelmed with rampant hormones.  This happens because they have become sexually mature, and their character changes due to the fact that they naturally want to breed.  Common 'acts of viciousness' include: lunging and growling when you reach into their hutch/cage, a reluctance to be held or petted, spraying urine, and humping.

Q: I want to let my female rabbit have babies so I can share the wonder of birth with my children.  Also it would give me the opportunity to hold a real live baby bunny as I have never done so before and I think they are soooo cute!.  I think this is wonderful idea, don't you?

A: No I most certainly do NOT think it's a wonderful idea!  It is not 'fair' to let your doe have a litter just because she looks like she 'wants' to have babies and you'd like to hold a baby bunny.

Allowing your pet have a first litter used to be common practice for dog and cat owners.  The 'I think I'll just let her have one litter and then get her spayed' excuse was well used around 20 years ago, and some 'old school' vets also recommended this for cats and dogs at that time.  However, veterinary knowledge has moved on since then and thankfully, this is no longer thought to be the norm. 

Allowing your rabbit to have a litter is just not being a responsible owner (unless of course you are a BRC registered breeder).  Things can go horribly wrong: mothers rejecting and even killing/cannibalising their kits (that wouldn't be a nice thing to show your children!), the babies could be born with physical deformities such as three back legs, no front legs, no eyes etc. (then what would you do with them?  Would you be brave enough to cull them?).

Baby rabbits need to be properly sexed as soon as possible (not easy without experience, and even then the outcome isn't always accurate) and by the age of 10 weeks, housed separately according to their sex.  Baby females can be kept with the mother for a while longer but baby males must be removed from their female littermates and the mother by the age of 10 weeks.  If not, then more babies will be on their way and things start spiralling out of control.

Once the kits are ready to leave their mother, what will you do with them?  Please don't expect a rescue centre to take them in, there are enough unwanted rabbits in rescue centres as it is.  For every baby bun you allow to be created, another bunny in a rescue centre loses the chance of being rehomed.  If you decide to keep them yourself, you will need to cover the costs of buying more hutches/runs/food/equipment, and (being a responsible bunny owner) having them all neutered and regularly vaccinated.  You might say 'but my friends said they'd take one', that's all fair and well if they actually do take one but also bear in mind that they may change their mind when the time comes. 

Never breed from rabbits which come from an unknown background.  They may be carrying genetic problems such as malocclusion or any one of a variety of illnesses.  If you breed from them, you are perpetuating the problem and creating misery for both the baby buns and their future owners.

Q: What happens to all the bunnies in pet shops if they don't get sold?

A: I can say with all honesty, I don't know.  However, pet shop bunnies usually have a very short shelf life ie. they go on display at 8-10 weeks old (ideally, otherwise any younger and their survival chances aren't good) and are classed as unappealing by 19 weeks old.  If they're not sold by that age, who knows what happens to them.  Each pet shop will probably have their own answers therefore this is something I can't comment on.

Q: I bought two female bunnies from a pet shop as I thought one living on it's own would get lonely, now one of them has had babies.  What should I do?

A: Well, either you've been sold a male and a female by mistake, or one of the females was pregnant before you bought her.  Go back to the pet shop and tell them, hopefully they will take steps to make sure it doesn't happen again with the rest of their 'stock'!  Unfortunately, you'll have to keep an eye on the unexpected litter and plan what you are going to do when the babies are ready to leave their mother.  In the meantime, take the other bun to the vet or someone with experience to have it sexed.  If it's male, house it separately from the other bun, plan to have it neutered soon and don't let it near your other bunny for at least 4 weeks after the operation as it could possibly still be fertile during that period.  Being a responsible bunny owner, you should have your bunnies neutered. 

Q: I need a new hutch for my bunny and someone has offered me their old one and it looks ideal.  Should I accept it?

A: Hmmmmm...... well it all depends on what happened to the previous occupant.  I personally wouldn't put my bunny into a pre-owned hutch unless I was fully confident that it was safe.  You should be really cautious as the person who offered you the hutch may be unaware that the hutch is possibly contaminated by things such as VHD, pasteurella, myxomatosis, E cunniculi etc.  Always err on the safe side and refuse it unless you are confident it is safe for your precious bunny to move into.  Another option is to accept it and clean it out very very thoroughly with the appropriate cleansing materials (not bleach!).  Or, accept it graciously, break it up, and take it straight to the skip so that it can't be offered to anyone else!