The Reasons: 

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Even if you don't adopt from us, as most things sold in pet shops as ideal for bunnies, simply put, are not! They are like little prisons. You wouldn't keep a cat in there so why is it ok to keep a bunny in one? They need room to run, binky, do zoomies, things that they cannot do in a little cage or hutch. A binky (That crazy twisted jump) is an uncontrolled expression of joy! Surely thats what you want your bun to feel.

 

There are also a huge range of foods available in pet shops, but these are supplements, not "food" as we think of it. A bunny needs Hay 24/7, fresh water 24/7, greens, but a limited amount, a few treats. There are also many greens a bunny cannot eat & carrots are lollies to a bunny. All this is what is actually best for your bunny rather than a pet shops bottom line! 

 

Breeders rarely know what is actually the best for your bunny. A breeder who breeds bunnies for showing will feed their bunny what makes them "look good" often its horse feed with molasses in it which is very bad for your bunnies gut. A nice shiny coat, the right weight for the breed etc, but no judge looks at the state of the bunnies teeth, or checks the diet to see that is healthy. A show breeder is only after ribbons & if they have to get a new champion every 6 months then so be it. 

Backyard breeders are only after a few dollar.They have almost never had the parents checked out to see if they have dental disease that will be passed on to the babies, or if they are healthy full stop!

One bunny we had come in to the rescue at 7 years of age, had been fed whole grain bread all his life because  "it's what the breeder told the new owner to feed him!"

Bunnies can be incredibly tough, but also very very fragile at the same time. A sick bunny can be very expensive, can you pay for a specialist bunny vet? Yes a specialist bunny vet, usually referred to a "Bunny Savvy Vet". Why? because vets are taught almost nothing about bunnies as pets as they go through uni. They have to learn about them after they graduate, so you must be able to afford to see an appropriate vet for you bunny.

They need vaccinating twice a year until we get the new vaccine but we don't know when that will be. Lop bunnies are cute, but they tend to have more dental & ear issues, again it can mean expensive vet bills.

 

A bunny is a commitment for at least 10 years, not entertainment for the kids during the pandemic. its a living breathing creature that needs love like any other.

We have some fabulous ideas on housing in the post on the Refuges Facebook page and also in our Facebook group, Pet Bunny Owners Australia - NO BREEDERS. 

Please educate yourself by asking bunny owners that adore their buns as part of the family, not someone who used to breed or has a bun in a little cage outside. 

A bunny has to be a part of your family, not an ornament.We pride ourselves on very few returns. Most of those are due to unforeseen circumstances like severe allergies blowing up, or a family crisis that occurs. 

One return was a very responsible one due to realising after 2 weeks that the buns would take more effort than they could give. Two or three have been due to severe allergies, another 2-3 due to family or situational changes that have meant the buns cannot go too, but only 2 from people that we "thought' took everything on board but didn't. We don't want our stats to change so we are being a bit harder to get a bun from at the moment, but anyone who gets bunnies & our passion for them, will understand. If you don't then I'm sorry but you won't be getting a bun from us!