Why should you rescue versus going to a pet store or rabbit breeder?
Written By: Cindy Bielarz, Wonderbunny Rabbit Rescue
Adopting a bunny is the smartest and most fun way to add a bunny or two to your home.
Why should you adopt?
Rescue bunnies are cared for by people who love bunnies and want what is best for them. They want the rabbit to live long, happy lives. Because of this, rescue buns are brought to the vet for wellness exams and if they are ever sick. Bunnies are spayed/neutered to prevent reproductive cancers. The procedure also makes them cleaner and happier bunnies.
Rabbit Rescue volunteers love to educate adopters on proper bunny care that includes diet, housing set up, and stimulating ways to have fun with your bunny (i.e. tunnels, hidy houses, logic toys, and dig boxes, to name a few!). The most amazing fact about rescue bunnies is that most originally were pet store/ breeder bunnies. In a nutshell, bunny rescues spend more money on a bunny than what the adoption fee costs, saving adopters lots of money for the same bunny. And that is smart!
Downside to Pet Stores & Breeders
Rabbit breeders and pet stores don't love bunnies. They see buns as a source of income and make decisions on their care based on cost. Most do not care to educate the public. In fact, pet store clerks are trained to sell very expensive small cages when they should be promoting xpen living for the same or lower price. They also upsell potential pet owners unhealthy colorful kibble and treats.
Sadly pet stores know how tiny baby bunnies appeal to naive animal lovers. Often these babies are barely four weeks old and are prematurely separated from their mothers. These babies are not seen by a vet if sick but instead returned to the breeder (who might just cull the bun instead of paying the high costs of an exotic vet). Baby bunnies are also notoriously hard to sex. When that naive animal lover asks for two babies of the same sex, errors often occur. This error usually results in a litter of babies as soon as four to five months later. Finding homes for baby bunnies and newly hormonal young rabbits is not an easy task and leads some desperate folks to dump these bunnies outside, left to die, or given to a person who might use the bunny as bait or food for snakes.
Over and over this cycle continues due to the greed of breeders and pet stores.
Stop the cycle, adopt.
Find a perfect match for your family and lifestyle: Visit Petfinder