If you are getting your first pet bunny, your initial assignment is to find a perfect place to buy a rabbit.
Where you buy your rabbits can significantly impact how happy and healthy your bunnies will be for the rest of their lives. So, try to do as much research as possible and choose where you get your rabbit carefully. If you make a wrong choice, your rabbit might need a lot of vet treatment, which may cost you much in the long run.
Here are some of the best places to buy a rabbit; both in physical locations as well as online.
Physical Locations To Buy Rabbits
Physical locations are the most common places to buy pets, including a rabbit. They are so reliable, and they offer customer protection and satisfaction. They include:
1. Animal Shelter and Rescue Groups
Your local shelter or rabbit rescue group should be your first stop when you decide to adopt a rabbit. If they don’t have a suitable bunny for you at the time, ask to be put on their waiting list.
Almost every region has at least one animal rescue, although not all animal rescues take domestic rabbits. To find a rescue group specializing in rabbits, contact your local animal shelter or search online for “Rabbit Rescues Near Me.”
Besides dogs and cats, rabbits are the species most often surrendered to animal rescues. Most rabbits lose their homes due to people reasons, including the owner’s inability to care for the pet, not because the rabbit has health or behavioral issues.
In addition to shelters and rescue groups, there are a lot of private rabbit adoption agencies that are operated by individuals with a deep understanding of rabbits. Most agencies depend on volunteers who offer foster care for the homeless until they can find them a home. Some rabbit rescue groups partner with local animal shelters, helping place bunnies through their foster care network.
When you contact a shelter group, ensure to find out much about the organization and how they care for their animals. In addition, find out how they decide which animals are adoptable and what other adoptions and post-adoption services are available.
Adoption fees vary, but the package might include a certificate for a free vet visit and an affordable spray or neuter surgery cost.
2. Local Pet Rabbit Breeders
In almost every region, there are probably individuals who breed rabbits as pets. These are often healthy bunnies from rabbit enthusiasts who love their pets very much.
Reputable breeders are not in the business just for money, but they sell their rabbits to the first person who shows up with cash in hand. A good breeder is personally involved in each sale. They will never sell through a pet store or any third party that does not allow them to meet the potential family and ensure it’s a perfect match for the bunny.
Avoid buying a pet rabbit from the so-called backyard breeders. Most of them are not knowledgeable about genetics and appropriate breeding practices. The result is bunnies with health and temperament issues that you may not discover until years later.
You can find a reputable breeder by asking for referrals from a trusted friend or your vet, contacting local breed clubs, or attending rabbit shows.
Don’t buy a rabbit without having a personal visit to where the bunny was born and raised. Take your time to find the right breeder, and you will be happy for the rest of your rabbit’s life.
3. Pet Stores
A pet store is the most common place to find a pet rabbit.
The significant advantage of getting a bunny at a pet store is that these stores are easily accessible, and it is easy to get a rabbit. Most pet stores often have several rabbits to choose from and usually have a lot of breeds to ensure you get a rabbit of your choice.
To find a pet store, just open your browser and search for “find a pet store near me.”
4. Animal Swaps
Nearly every region has animal swaps where individuals come to buy and sell animals. The pets are usually kept at local farm supply stores or animal sale houses.
To find an animal swap, start on Facebook and search events for “animals swap” or “animal auction.” Or else, you can contact your local farm supply stores and inquire whether they know of any animal swap in your area. Most animal swaps are regular events in the non-winter periods.
5. Local 4-H Clubs
If you were raised a 4-H kid, you probably have an idea of the depth and breadth of 4-H projects available for these children. One of the most common projects in every 4-H Club is rabbits.
Children and their families raise rabbits for production, shows, or sell them as pets in these rabbit clubs.
You can look for local clubs on the 4-H Clubs websites. However, if you don’t find a local 4-H Club leader there, you can begin looking locally.
Almost every region has an Extension Office which links the community with the regional Agricultural Department or Colleges. These Extension Offices often oversee the 4-H Clubs, and if they don’t, they will connect you with who does.
Google your regional Extension Office to find your local 4-H Club and email them asking for the local clubs’ contact details.
You can also find out when your local County Fair will happen and attend to find the rabbit show area. There you will see various breeds of bunnies, and you may even get some rabbits for sale at the end of the fair.
Online Stores For Rabbits
If you want to buy a specific breed of a rabbit, but you can’t find one at an animal shelter or individual group, then you might need to look for one online. But be careful when you are shopping online. Without research and caution, you may find yourself funding an imported, unhealthy, and unhappy rabbit.
However, that does not mean you shouldn’t use the internet to help you find a bunny. Some online sites can help you find specific breeds based on your routine and lifestyle.
1. CraigsList
Craigslist remains the greatest online committed classified market which allows the selling of animals. You can find nearly anything for sale on Craigslist, including rabbits.
Craigslist usually has a different website for every city and big town. They have listings’ categories on each website, and pet rabbits usually fall in the “pet” category. Just Google “Craigslist CITY Pets” to find the right website and category for you, where you replace CITY with the name of your city/town.
2. Rabbit Classified Websites
There are numerous rabbits classified ad sites on the internet, though most of them are very small that they are hard to find and likely not worth finding.
Here are some of the well-known rabbits’ classified websites:
3. Farm Supply Stores Posting Boards
Most farm supply stores have posting boards that support local ag-based people and businesses. If you want a field of grass cut and bailed, need a pasture cleared of pine trees, or even want to buy a new pet rabbit, check the posting boards.
You can find them online by searching “Farm Supplies Near Me.”
Final Thoughts
The best place to buy a pet rabbit depends on your requirements. Rescue bunnies from animal shelters or individual groups are the best places to buy a rabbit because you are saving a rabbit. However, your local breeders, local 4-H Club, and animal swaps can also be good places to get a pet rabbit.
Pet stores are also common places to buy a pet rabbit, though they are not highly recommended. Rabbits at pet stores are usually stressed and exposed to health problems that you will not commonly find in other rabbits. In addition, you may pay a high price for a rabbit at a pet store.
Featured Image Credit: Zanna Pesnina, Shutterstock
