Pet Rabbits for Sale

Frequently Asked Questions about
Pet Rabbits for Sale

• The breeder believes that a rabbit cannot win against other rabbits of the same breed
• He has several rabbits he thinks are much closer in type to the standard of perfection for that breed
• The rabbit is runty
• The spots or other markings are unbalanced or not quite right

You shouldn't assume a 'pet' rabbit is necessarily 'just pet quality.' I know of a little dutch rabbit that sold as a pet for $10, which then won BEST IN SHOW at a National ARBA Convention. That's a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.

It's a rare breeder that makes 100% of his judgment calls perfectly. So if you purchase a 'pet,' and then think maybe you'd like to try your hand at showing, you never know - maybe you'll do better than you think.

Question:
Why are some rabbits runty?

Answer:
There are at least three reasons why a rabbit might be runty.
1) He got fewer nutrients in the mother's womb. This bunny is born obviously smaller than most of his littermates.

2) He got less milk from the mother because his littermates were beating him to the tits. This little fellow doesn't gain weight like his siblings, and his tummy isn't as round as the other littermates' tummies. By the time the bunnies hop out of the nestbox, this little runt is just plain smaller than the others. This, like #1 above, is related to nutrients only.

If the rabbit was runty because of #1 or #2, chances are he'll do terrific once he hits 3-4 weeks old. At this age, the bunnies start nibbling at the feed. By the time the rabbit is 5-6 months old, there's a chance his weight will have caught up to his siblings' weight.

If a rabbit is runty, but his eyes are clear, his coat is smooth and he's inquisitive and energetic, this little guy will still make a wonderful pet. I've been known to keep healthy runts, if they had attributes I thought I needed for the breeding program.

3) He has some kind of a digestive problem, possibly genetic.

If the runt has a genetic digestive problem (we're not talking a bout with enteritis), chances are that at 8-10 weeks, the bunny will be very unthrifty--he'll look terrible, with a rough coat, and be hunched in the corner of the cage, or in some similar unhappy condition. This is the rabbit that will NOT make a good pet. Best to let the breeder worry about it. Best if you pick another rabbit out of the litter.



Question:
I felt sorry for a sick rabbit, so I adopted it, and now I'm spending a lot of money on vet bills. Having a pet rabbit isn't fun anymore.

Answer:
I'm sorry to hear that.

While it's commendable to have a kind heart, it would have been better to know ahead of time what the rabbit's sickness was BEFORE adopting it, no? There's no kindness in 'rescuing' a sick rabbit that would be much better off euthanized.

If you can nurse a rabbit back to health, great. Problem is, there are a few rabbit diseases that are not curable at present. You're in for a very long haul if you choose to adopt a rabbit that will not ever get truly healthy. This may be way more than you bargained for.

Visit our Rabbit Diseases page to learn more about some rabbit diseases that are best not 'rescued.'

When looking for pet rabbits for sale, be very wary if you find a pet rabbit that has a wet nose together with matted fur on the inside of the front legs, or if it or its siblings or mother have white snot in the nose. Please, please just thank the pet owner graciously for his time, and then leave immediately without buying a single rabbit. These rabbits are sick with pasteurella, also called snuffles, a sickness that cannot be cured. You can only tame it temporarily with drugs. If you let up on the drugs and the vet trips, the rabbit will get sick all over again. It's just not worth it.

If you want to enjoy your pet rabbits for the long term, you'd do best to start out with healthy rabbits.

Finding Pet Rabbits for Sale

Our Rabbits for Sale page also offers rabbits for sale listings by State. The breeders listed will almost undoubtedly have pet rabbits for sale.

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