There are lot of options when it comes to adopt a pet, since every animal have its own uniqueness and you need to choose based on your circumstance and preference. If you prefer a calm and fluffy one, rabbit might be a good option. Though it tends to hop around, rabbit is not as noisy as other pets and it’s nice to pet as well. But then, when you go to an adoption center and had to choose over many free-roam rabbits, it might be a little troublesome for you. But you don’t have to worry since in this article, we will give some effective ways to adopt a free-roam rabbit for beginners. By following these steps below, you can choose the perfect rabbit based on your circumstance and preference!
Where you can adopt a free-roam rabbit?
Many adoption centers have some bunnies to adopt, but it’s better to choose from the one that only have rabbits to adopt since general adoption place doesn’t have many choices of breed and you’ll find it more difficult to pick one that suits your taste. After you found the place, check whether the place has enough light and space, also clean enough to make sure that the rabbits there are healthy. Check about the choice of diet they give to the rabbit as well, since it might be your reference later when you already picked one that suits you. You can read more about their favorite diets in tips to make your rabbit busy at home If you already checked all of those conditions, you’re ready to search for your future hopping buddy!
What you need to check on the rabbit?
Having to choose a free-roam rabbit might be hard for you, especially when you’re a beginner on it. But by checking on these conditions, you can choose your own bunny that meet your preference in no time! Here are some things that you need to check on the bunny before your deciding to take one home with you.
1. Appearance
Everyone has their own preference when it comes to appearance, and your future bunny’s appearance is no exception. You can describe what kind of fur color or size you would like to have with the breeder, and you can ask to separate the bunnies based on your preference so you can choose more wisely since you’ve already narrowing the options. It might take some time to separate them based on your preference, but it will really help you to choose the right one for you.
2. Behavior
After the breeder separated the bunnies based on your preference on appearance, you can examine their behavior. You will notice some of them tend to be the energetic and curious one when they hop around and keep on sniffing around, and some will mostly calm and composed one where they only sit and calmly chewing on their diet. If you able to spend your time mostly around the house, you can choose the energetic one, but if you’re a quite busy person, a calm and composed bunny might be a good choice.
3. Body and fur’s health
When you already set your eyes at certain bunny, you can gently pick it up and do a brief check-up on the body and fur’s health. Make sure there are no swelling, baldness, or inflamed skin. The fur should be covering the bunny’s body nicely, so if you’re already checked over this issue and there are no problems on it, then you can do further examination over your future bunny.
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4. Eyes
A healthy bunny has a pair of sparkling eyes, which you can check on even if you’re no expert in choosing bunny. Make sure they’re bright and has no crying tears which is a sign of distress bunny. If it has a pair of crystal-clear eyes, you can ensure that your future bunny has a good sign of mental health. When a bunny has a pair of dark and teary eyes, it might indicate that the bunny is scared or stressed up and it’s not a good choice to bring it into a whole new environment if the bunny has this sign.
5. Teeth
Rabbit normally has the top incisors going over the bottom ones, just like human. You can check the position of its teeth by gently part its lips, and make sure the space between the top and bottom incisors are not excessively overlapping. Teeth health is a crucial issue in rabbit since improper position or health might lead the bunny to eat less than usual. You need to schedule regular check-up to your vet since your bunny need proper trimming when it grows too long and make it uncomfortable to eat. This is one of the most important and effective ways to adopt a free-roam rabbit for beginners.
6. Ear and nose
Check over the bunny’s ears and nose, make sure it’s clean and dry which means it’s healthy enough for you to bring back home. Runny nose might indicate that the bunny has certain sickness and need to be vaccinate quickly. Dirty ears might indicate that the bunny is neglected since bunny can’t completely clean inside it ears and might need the help from the breeder to do so.
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7. Breathing rate
When you scoop the bunny into your arms, the one that you can quickly notice from the bunny is its breathing rate. When it escalates into a fast one, it tells you that the bunny is rather scared, feeling too hot, or stressed. Most bunny will breathe faster than usual when get in contact with stranger, but the rates are different for every bunny. Choose one that has the lowest breathing rate to ensure that the bunny is feeling comfortable enough with you.
8. Gender
Male bunny tends to love affection more than the female, but they’re not as active as the female. Choose one that suits your preference and conditions since wrong choice might lead to a stressed bunny and stressed owner as well! You can consult your preference and conditions to the breeder if you can hardly choose which gender of bunny that suits you.
And voila, those are effective ways to adopt a free-roam rabbit for beginners! Now you able to pick the perfect bunny to bring back home as your new company. Of course, there are other steps to do after you decided to bring a bunny back home. You need to let the breeder do the final check-up to ensure you’ll bring home a healthy and happy bunny with you. Also, make sure to consult with the breeder about the daily care for your bunny, since the breeder knows the bunny for the longest. Make sure to take note over the “do and don’t” list for your bunny, and now you can enjoy the companion of your hopping buddy around your house!