animal shelter

Losing Baby was one of the most difficult things I’ve experienced in my life. For a long time, I was lost, and sometimes, I feel like I still am.

To help me get through the loss, our family ended up fostering two rabbits and a cockatiel. We ended up taking a break from pets for a while as we focused on our human children and healing.

Getting the Itch

After months and months, I still felt an emptiness. Aside from my college years, I’d lived with a pet in the house since I was in fourth grade. It just didn’t feel right to not have a pet as a companion.

So I started looking.

Almost every day, I’d hop onto PetFinder to see what was out there. But none ever really jumped out at me.

Until I saw a profile for a sad looking tan lop.

I sent the page to my husband and we decided to go to the shelter an hour away to see him. We wanted to be 100% sure he was a good fit for our family.

The Shelter Experience

We got to the shelter and noticed right away how small the place was.

The shelter primarily serves dogs and cats. They had a decent sized cage in their front office for housing the rabbit. I was shocked to see this arrangement because rabbits are prey animals. They certainly wouldn’t enjoy a busy lobby, constantly hearing TVs and barking dogs.

The workers brought us into a room with a bench to see the rabbit outside his cage. My husband, two toddlers, and I crammed in as best we could but then decided to take turns in groups of two.

The rabbit was scared, hiding in the corner under the bench. But he let us pet him and seemed sweet.

My husband and I ultimately decided we had to take him. It would have been too sad to leave him in an environment we knew was not suited to bunnies.

After less than ten minutes of paperwork, we walked out with our new family member!

The Bunny’s Backstory

We asked the workers about what they knew about this rabbit’s life before going to the shelter.

They didn’t know much but said the rabbit was an owner surrender. The previous owners just couldn’t take care of him anymore.

The rabbit did seem well-loved though. He came with his own carrier, food containers, multiple bags of treats, and a puzzle feeder.

Naming Our New Bunny

My husband and I brainstormed names on the drive home.

We decided we wanted a classic name, like one I might find in one of my books (I read a lot of Jane Austen and Robert Louis Stevenson).

We ended up choosing the name Henry!

It was the perfect choice for him, and as a bonus, my eldest son sounds adorable pronouncing it. The way he says it almost sounds French!

Learning As We Go

A new rabbit means relearning and reevaluating everything we thought we knew about bunnies.

Every bunny has their own:

Favorite foods
Preferred grooming strategies
No-touch zones
Toys
Boundaries
Bad habits

On top of that, we have to teach him his new name!

He’s been with us a little over a year now, and there’s still a lot of learning to do. But our kids already spoil him with all his favorite treats!

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So you’ve thought about getting a rabbit for weeks. You’ve researched the pro’s and con’s of adopting a rabbit. The bunny is not just some Easter Bunny gift, you’re getting on a whim. You’re looking for a 10-13 year friend! Now, where do you get one?

An Animal Shelter/ Foster Home

bunny sitting down — Pepper was adopted from an animal shelter and was loved for the rest of her days.

EXPENSE: $$

MORALOMETER: 5 Thumbs Up

This is one of the more traditional ways to adopt a rabbit. Many people in the rabbit community consider it the best method, because animal shelters generally know more about rabbit welfare. Some are better than others though. I’ve adopted from some shelter who keep their rabbits in small metal compartments stacked together. But I’ve also seen shelters give bunnies whole pens to roam and play around.

Animal shelters will spay/neuter the rabbit ahead of adoption. That means the adoption fees will be higher. I’ve seen $60-$80 for one rabbit and around $120 for a bonded pair. That’s around what you would pay a vet anyway, so don’t feel like you’d be getting a bad deal. An extra bonus is that you don’t have to go through the trouble of finding your own vet.

The BIG BONUS is that some animal shelters or foster homes will socialize your bun for you! It’s not a perfect system, but they’ll oftentimes litter train the bunny. Foster parents will give bunnies lots of pets, so they’re a little more ready to be cuddled by new pet parents.

A Pet Store

EXPENSE: $$

MORALOMETER: 3 Thumbs Up

This is a point of contention in the rabbit community. Some are completely against buying a rabbit from the pet store. The bunnies typically come from breeders. But the biggest argument against pet stores is how they house the rabbits BEFORE they’re adopted. Oftentimes, the rabbits are only fed pellets (way too much) and do not have hay readily available for munching.

I agree. Terrible stuff.

But I would caution you before judging too hard. There is a pet supply store in my area that specifically tries to help rescue rabbits. Although their living space is not ideal, hopefully exposure with the public will give those bunnies a home faster! Plus, the employees are wizards with nail clippers and are so so nice!

Pet stores typically charge the same amount as animal shelters, but it pays to check whether they’re sexed properly and actually fixed. For every good pet store, there’s one that’s…… meh.

A Craigslist Ad

EXPENSE: ?

MORALOMETER: 3 Thumbs Up

This is method is also pretty controversial. There are some people out there selling meat rabbits (gahhhh) and breeders trying to sell rabbits to people who don’t know how much love a rabbits need.

craigslist ad for bunnies — Prices can vary on Craigslist. Some owners request a rehoming fee, while others want to get rid of their pets asap.

But some people genuinely want a good home for their buns. They’re either moving to an apartment that doesn’t allow pets or overwhelmed by the responsibilities of caring for a rabbit. Either way, I can’t judge them. They know they will not be able to handle being a pet parent and would rather give their rabbit a chance at a loving home.

Rabbits listed on Craigslist or other selling sites can range by A LOT. Some give rabbits away for free, because they just want to get rid of their pet asap. Others price their rabbits at around $60 as a “rehoming fee” to make sure the rabbit actually goes to a good home. Still others are trying to make a quick buck and gauge you.

I think it’s up to your own discretion with this one. Here’s my success story, proving that bunny love can come from the oddest circumstances.

A Breeder

EXPENSE: $$$

MORALOMETER: 1 Thumbs Up

Getting any animal from any breeder seems to be the cardinal sin of pet ownership. Sometimes the animals are overbred and have “bad” genetics. They’re generally overpriced.

Personally, I can’t blame people for going to breeders. If you have the money, great! If you want a particular breed, great! In my opinion, these are still rabbits, who were born to breeders through no fault of their own. All bunnies are special and deserve love!

A Friend/ Family Member

EXPENSE: $

MORALOMETER: 5 Thumbs Up

This, I think, is one of the best options for getting a bunny. It’s similar to the Craigslist option, but you’d be helping out people you actually know. The friend or family member may be able to give you any extra supplies they have, and they’re probably more willing to give you a deal. And similar to the animal shelter option, the previous owner will be able to give you a sense of the rabbit’s personality. If you’re pretty close to the person, you may even know the bunny already!

My family got our first two rabbits when our aunt’s bunny got pregnant. We loved them from babies to elderly buns!

Do your research and decide for yourself!

Let me know which option you used to find the bun of your dreams. Leave a comment!