# Calmest rabbit breed?



## J.Bosley (Apr 10, 2013)

Hello Everyone!
I was just wondering what your opinions are on the calmest breed of rabbit. I am looking into getting another baby bunny in a month or 2, and would really LOVE a calmer type of rabbit.

My Holland Lop, Murphy, has calmed down now (he is 7yrs) but was a little brat when he was younger, haha! And my new girly, Chive, the Lionhead (we think) is very, very inquisitive, but not very loving (yet!).

So, I would love to have a calmer bunny next! Opinions on breeds?


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## Junior_Babbeeyy (Apr 10, 2013)

Big breeds rabbits


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## Ilovemyrabbit (Apr 10, 2013)

I think the bigger the bunny breed the more calm they are. Flemish giants are the biggest rabbit breed and are most likely the calmest. I have an American Chinchilla rabbit and he is pretty calm, you can drop something on him and he doesn't even care. It probably also has to do with the personality of the bunny, but definitely the bigger they are the calmer they are.


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## agnesthelion (Apr 10, 2013)

Eh, it's hard to assign a certain trait like that to a certain breed. Rabbits are all so unique you can get a calm one in any breed.
Also definition of calm can mean different things to different people. You can have a calm rabbit but one who still isn't loving....like you describe your Lionhead. Does loving= calm to you?
Also, do you neuter/spay your rabbits. Getting them fixed at a young age (3-6 months) can definitely help "calm" them down.
So I guess long answer short I don't have an opinion on calmest breed. I would encourage visiting a rescue who has full grown/already fixed rabbits and that wY you can really get a feel for their personality. A baby can turn out any way.
Good luck!


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## J.Bosley (Apr 10, 2013)

Thanks for the input!

By calm I mean, willing to snuggle, and not bolt away at movements. My little girl is coming along way and LOVE cheek strokes now :biggrin2:

I am definitely getting my little Chive fixed, probably next month. I found a very inexpensive, and informative vet to take her too! So I definitely hope it helps make her a bit calmer. I am looking to hopefully bond her with the next Bunny I get, and that is why I was thinking of going with a younger bunny, to help the bonding process.


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## JBun (Apr 10, 2013)

Actually, getting a young bunny can make the bonding process more difficult, as babies personalities can change when the hormones kick in. The best way to go to find a rabbit to bond with your current rabbit, is Lisa's suggestion, to go to a rescue. You can go other places too, you just are looking for a neutered/spayed rabbit, that you can spend some time getting to know it's personality, then also let your current rabbit have bunny dates with to see if they get along. 

Rabbit personalities do vary quite a bit in every breed. You can say a certain breed is generally a certain way, but not all rabbits in that breed are going to conform to that. Like a lot of people say that dwarf breeds tend to be more hyperactive and less cuddly, but one of my friendliest sweetest bunnies that I ever had, was a dwarf breed. So it really does come down to spending time with a potential rabbit, to see if it's personality kind of *clicks* with you.


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## J.Bosley (Apr 10, 2013)

JBun said:


> Actually, getting a young bunny can make the bonding process more difficult, as babies personalities can change when the hormones kick in. The best way to go to find a rabbit to bond with your current rabbit, is Lisa's suggestion, to go to a rescue. You can go other places too, you just are looking for a neutered/spayed rabbit, that you can spend some time getting to know it's personality, then also let your current rabbit have bunny dates with to see if they get along.
> 
> Rabbit personalities do vary quite a bit in every breed. You can say a certain breed is generally a certain way, but not all rabbits in that breed are going to conform to that. Like a lot of people say that dwarf breeds tend to be more hyperactive and less cuddly, but one of my friendliest sweetest bunnies that I ever had, was a dwarf breed. So it really does come down to spending time with a potential rabbit, to see if it's personality kind of *clicks* with you.



Great idea! I have already been talking to a rescue about getting a neutered male, and am asking the personalities of the ones they have. Unfortunately they are quite far away, which makes it hard to go and spend time with! I am hoping they can suggest a few, and I can go visit and get my bunny the same day. So that way I can still see the personalities.


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## agnesthelion (Apr 10, 2013)

J.Bosley said:


> Thanks for the input!
> 
> By calm I mean, willing to snuggle, and not bolt away at movements. My little girl is coming along way and LOVE cheek strokes now :biggrin2:
> 
> I am definitely getting my little Chive fixed, probably next month. I found a very inexpensive, and informative vet to take her too! So I definitely hope it helps make her a bit calmer. I am looking to hopefully bond her with the next Bunny I get, and that is why I was thinking of going with a younger bunny, to help the bonding process.



Actually, getting a baby bunny makes it a more challenging bonding process. If you want the odds stacked in your favor as far as bonding is concerned you will want to get an adult, already altered, of the opposite sex.

If you get a baby, they may get along initially. Babies won't fight or challenge other buns. So you will have what appears to be a bond. THEN, baby reaches sexual maturity and literally overnight they could start fighting. Their once thought of bond actually isn't a bond. You will then have to seperate and cage in two different enclosures, get baby fixed, wait for healing time, amd start the bonding process all over. 

So if bonding is your main goal here I encourage you to adopt a fixed adult. Even better, take your spayed girl (wait a few weeks to allow healing and hormones to dissipate) to a bunny rescue for some bunny dating. That way she can help pick out who she likes as buns don't automatically take to any rabbit  I did that with my two. It took 30 days to bond them. It's tedious and a lot of work but worth it in the end.

Best of luck and let us know how things go


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## Blue eyes (Apr 10, 2013)

I agree with Lisa & Jbun. If you want to bond Chive with your next bunny, then your best bet is to wait until 2 months after Chive is fixed. Then take her with you to the bunny rescue and let her try out some potential males to see if they appear to have potential to get along. 
Many rescues will allow "bunny dates" just for this purpose. And if they end up not getting along, you will be able to trade the new one out for a different one. 
Lisa and I both know from experience and research that bonding is never a given and sometimes is impossible. 
Breed doesn't determine temperament. It really is best to attempt bonding with an already fixed bun -- far higher probability of success.


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## kat25521 (Apr 10, 2013)

hi i have an american chinchilla too and yeah all he does is lay around in the backyard but you get use to it


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## J.Bosley (Apr 10, 2013)

Thanks guys! I think I will wait until Chive is fixed before getting another one. I do plan on getting a baby, cheaper to fix, but if they don't get along it's okay! I have no problem giving everyone their separate homes


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## Blue eyes (Apr 10, 2013)

J.Bosley said:


> I do plan on getting a baby, cheaper to fix,




Not sure what you mean... The rescue rabbits are already fixed so they are usually waaay cheaper since you only need to pay the adoption fee. The adoption fee is usually way way less than the cost of fixing.


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## Acacia-Berry (Apr 10, 2013)

Shelter bunnies are WAY cheaper since they come already spayed-neutered. And (beating the dead horse here) an adult, already fixed bunny will be your easiest chance at bonding and knowing the personality.


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## J.Bosley (Apr 10, 2013)

Originally I was thinking of rescuing an already fixed rabbit, except the rescue I was looking at charges 200$ for 1 bunny... which is absurd to me. I am getting adult, male, fixed and its only costing 102$. And for anything under 6 months its 50$

Which is why now I am seeking out a baby bunny! Unless I can find a cheaper, already fixed, rescue bunny.


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## bad kelpie (Apr 11, 2013)

My french lop was so calm, she earned the name "Lump". She was old though too, and deaf, and maybe half blind. But extremely sweet!


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## Ilovemyrabbit (Apr 11, 2013)

kat25521 said:


> hi i have an american chinchilla too and yeah all he does is lay around in the backyard but you get use to it



If your talking to me, than yes I agree with you. Mine loves to lay around too.


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## candice136 (Apr 11, 2013)

I have a lop eared rabbit but he is crossed with something bigger but not sure what it is hes calm though


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## Acacia-Berry (Apr 11, 2013)

Hmm, still. In my opinion I would go for the rescued one. Think of everybody else who overlooks the shelter bunnies for the cost alone, then buy them in stores and those rabbits end up unwanted and the cycle continues. I'm not saying yours will end up in a shelter, not even suggesting it for a second, but in the grander scheme of things there are far more ignorant people. The shelters charge that price because they're non-profit and need the funds more than anyone, in order to continue rescuing bunnies.


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## agnesthelion (Apr 11, 2013)

$200 for a shelter bun??! I've never heard of them being that high! Where are you located?


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## J.Bosley (Apr 11, 2013)

This was for a Bunny from a non-profit rabbit rescue I found online. There are no Bun's at my shelter, I will be checking back to the shelter though!

I'm in Hamilton, Ontario. I need something more locally because I don't drive. I was thinking of checking Kijiji for an adult bun needing a home, opinions on that?


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## J.Bosley (Apr 11, 2013)

I have decided to try and find a rescue bunny! I have a few months, so hopefully I can find the right one that isn't an absurd price. Thanks for the advice! This thread can be closed, no idea how to close it


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## Blue eyes (Apr 11, 2013)

No need to "close" a thread. People will just stop posting when there's no more to be said.:thumbup


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## Acacia-Berry (Apr 11, 2013)

I "voted" Flemish Giant without reading the entire thread. Good luck!


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## holtzchick (Apr 14, 2013)

There is a rescue called rabbit rescue tha deals with buns in Ontario and they charge $150 for their rabbits but the bunny is already spayed/neutered and fully up to date with vet checks. If you happen to accidentally get a female from a store etc, it can cost you much more to spay than a neuter would! 

Good luck!


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## J.Bosley (Apr 14, 2013)

holtzchick said:


> There is a rescue called rabbit rescue tha deals with buns in Ontario and they charge $150 for their rabbits but the bunny is already spayed/neutered and fully up to date with vet checks. If you happen to accidentally get a female from a store etc, it can cost you much more to spay than a neuter would!
> 
> Good luck!



See and thats really expensive to me, mainly because I found a VERY cheap place to get even adult female rabbits fixed.... I might just be being a pain! Haha. Thanks though, and I am going to be waiting a while anyways, so Im sure I will find the perfect Bunny!


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