Buying Your First Rabbit
I want a rabbit, but where do
I start?
We made some huge mistakes when we first started out in rabbits; we bought
the first ones we came across, pretty much on impulse!
We didn't have a plan ahead of time, had no idea what direction we wanted to
take, and we knew virtually nothing about the breeds we selected, other than
they were cute! We made several other mistakes, but these were
the biggest! It wasn't too long before we figured out that we started all
wrong, spent good money on rabbits that would not work well for what we wanted
to do, and it set us back several months!
To avoid some of the mistakes we made, please continue reading....
First of all, What do you plan to do with your rabbit?
Rabbits are multi-purpose animals
and can be used for many different roles. Choosing what you plan to do
with your new rabbit will help you determine what kind of rabbit to buy, or what
traits will be important to look for:
Showing
Do you intend to show at ARBA shows?
Competition at ARBA shows is both intense and great fun and you will want to
purchase a
show-quality rabbit! Shows are usually
held all over your state and you may decide to travel to other states to exhibit
your rabbits too! Read our article on
How To Buy Your First Show Rabbit
Breeding
Do you
intend to breed and raise your own as a hobby? If so, you will be
looking for quality rabbits but not necessarily show-quality animals. You
will concentrate more on the genetic aspect of potential rabbits and how they
will combine to produce your desired rabbits. Read our article on
Choosing Rabbits For Breeding
Pets
Are you interested in buying a rabbit
to be a pet or companion animal?
Pedigrees and bloodlines should not concern you if you are looking for a pet -
you will be more concerned with the rabbit's temperament and personality - for excellent information to help you choose the right pet, visit our
Pet Rabbit page!
4-H project
Looking for a 4-H animal?
Many breeders offer a discounted price for 4-H members! 4-Hers also should
purchase a show-quality animal if they plan to exhibit in a breed class
at local fairs, but the
animal's personality and temperament is also important- you will want one easy to handle and
care for! If you are interested in learning more about 4-H or
want to join, visit our
Join 4-H page.
4-Hers can also benefit by visiting our website segment
all about rabbit showing.
Where To Look For Sale Rabbits
The most common place to find sale
rabbits is by attending a rabbit show in your area. Breeders often bring
sale rabbits to rabbit shows-it is also nice to be able to watch the judging of
breeds you are interested in so you can learn what traits are important for your
chosen breed. You can find rabbit shows by visiting the
American Rabbit Breeders
Association website.
Breeders also advertise
sale rabbits on their personal websites or through internet discussion groups -
you can visit our
other website for a directory of rabbit breeders, plus a listing of links to
discussion groups online.
If you are searching for a pet
rabbit - breeders often offer quality, healthy rabbits as pets or you can check
with your local humane societies and rabbit rescues.
Being Prepared For Your Rabbit
Search
There are no universal sale policies
in place for buying rabbits. Most breeders make their own sale policies
based upon their personal experiences, so policies vary widely. Below are
some important points to consider when searching for your new rabbit:
Seller's
policies and returns.
Don't assume you can return a rabbit to the breeder!
Before you purchase, ask the breeder if the rabbit comes with any guarantee. Some
breeders will guarantee replacement for illness, malocclusion, etc. and others
won't. Some will allow you to return a rabbit for a refund, and others
won't.
Most breeders selling pet rabbits will offer some type of
guarantee or replacement if the buyer has problems soon after purchasing the
pet. Some breeders even offer a life-time return policy for pets.
Make sure any guarantees or return policies are clearly understood
before you buy.
The rabbit should already be tattooed when you purchase it. If it isn't,
ask the breeder to tattoo the rabbit before you leave. Pet rabbits may or
may not have a tattoo- they are not required to be tattooed.
If you are buying a show or breeding rabbit, expect to
receive the pedigree at the time of the sale - unless you know the breeder
personally, I would opt not to allow the pedigree to be mailed at a later date -
in today's busy world, it is simply too easy to forget to do!
What is expected of the Buyer?
When buying a rabbit, be prepared to pay the full
price in cash, or if the seller
accepts your personal check, please make sure your check is good! Ideally,
you should expect to get pedigrees at the time of cash payment. If you pay
by check, you may not get your pedigrees until your check has cleared the bank.
It is your responsibility to thoroughly check any
animal you intend to buy - reject any that exhibit illness!
If you are a new breeder and you have a problem with animals you recently
purchased, please contact the breeder directly and offer him/her the opportunity
to correct the problem instead of immediately badmouthing the breeder to
others! It is never favorable for you to unjustly badmouth another
breeder before you've given them a chance to make things right with you!
Transition to a new home
The buyer has some responsibility
for assuring the rabbit's transition to a new home is as smooth and stress-free
as possible. If the buyer has done his/her homework on rabbits, he or she
will recognize the importance of minimizing stress during the transition to a
new home; extreme stress can cause a range of health symptoms that can
appear to mimic illness or disease.
The buyer should have the rabbit's
cage set up and ready before the rabbit arrives, and should try to use the same
care/feeding schedule, that the rabbit is already used to, for at least a week
or so until the rabbit has settled in.
Always ask for a starter bag of food from the
previous owner to help make the feed transition go smoothly - switching diets
suddenly can, at the very least, cause a full-blown molt, and at worst cause
severe intestinal problems! Do not introduce new foods or treats until the
rabbit has adapted well to your new environment and routine.
It is advisable to quarantine any new rabbits you
bring into your existing herd, for a few weeks - just to make sure the new
rabbit does not pass on an illness that may not have been apparent when you
purchased it. Sometimes this is difficult to do, and if so, at least watch
the rabbit carefully until you are assured it is remaining healthy.
For more help on general rabbit
care, read our pdf file on
How To Care For Your New Rabbit
Where to go from here?
Once you have your first rabbit or
rabbits, what is the next step? This depends
upon what you purchased your rabbits for; if you want to show, we have
several helpful links to our articles that may help point you in the right
direction:
Rabbit Showing Main Menu Page
Your First Rabbit Show
Join ARBA!
Youth breeders and beginning rabbit enthusiasts benefit by
joining 4-H and will often get hooked up
with many helpful people who can guide them along their journey.
Pet rabbit owners can find more info on our
Pet Rabbits and Cavies page, plus
find many internet resources through the House Rabbit Society and similar sites.
We hope this info helps you get off to a good start!
Please
email us if you have any questions or need help! We'll be glad to
answer questions or help you get started! Good Luck with your
new venture!
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