How To Evaluate A Pet Rabbit Before You Buy

Make Sure You Buy A Healthy Rabbit

So you've decided on a breed and located a breeder-hobbyist near you. It's time to select the rabbit that will be part of your life for the next 7 to 12 years. Here are a few things to check before you buy.

Personality

You can expect a rabbit to be more shy with you now than he will be after just three days in his new home. So don't let a little nervousness and a reserved attitude put you off. Observe how the rabbit reacts when the breeder - someone he's familiar with - handles him. If you want a really out-going rabbit, avoid the ones who run to the back corner of the cage, avoid being held by the breeder, and do not settle in fairly quickly once held.

Nose And Eyes

Eyes and nose should be clean and clear of white matter. In hot weather, a rabbit may have a little bit of clear moisture on its nose, especially if he is being held against a warm body. That should not be confused with white mucous which indicates illness. Just like people, rabbits can get a little dust or an eye lash in their eye which will collect white matter, but once it is removed, the matter should not quickly reform. With a sick rabbit, white matter in the eye that is removed will redevelop fairly quickly.

If you are unsure about discharge from eyes or nose, look at the rabbit's front paws. If there has been matter for a period of time, the paws will be matted where the rabbit has tried to clear the discharge away.

Eyes should have a clear look and should focus on objects. An opaque film over the eyes may indicate blindness. White rabbits with pink eyes (or other colors with a ruby cast to the eyes) may scan their heads back and forth, trying to get the best focus. Some may even bobble their heads a bit. This behavior is normal and is due to the lack of pigmentation in their irises.

Ears

Take a look inside the ears and check for crustiness, scratches, or extreme redness. Rabbits can develop ear cankers and suffer from ear mite infestation.

Teeth

Normal rabbit teeth require the top front incisors to overlap in front of the bottom front incisors. Any broken teeth should be discussed with the breeder. Rabbit teeth do grow, so an issue with broken teeth may be resolved without problem.

Butting teeth that are wearing normally should pose no problem for a pet rabbit. Butting teeth is a showing disqualification, so breeders will often sell them as pets. You may be able to get a very high quality, beautiful pet rabbit by accepting a rabbit with butting teeth. Since they are wearing normally, they require no special care.

If the bottom front incisors are in front of the top incisors, do not accept the rabbit unless you are comfortable with clipping teeth or taking the rabbit to the vet to have its teeth clipped. It is not expensive, comparable to having dog nails clipped. It is painless and takes a few seconds.

If the teeth are not growing evenly, you see a tooth jutting out at a strange angle, or the teeth are growing long and you are not interesting in clipping teeth, pass on that rabbit.

Nails

Check the nails to make sure they have been clipped. Clipped nails are just one clue that the rabbit has been well cared for. However, young rabbits may just be ready for their first clipping. Now is a great time to ask the breeder to clip the nails and give you a mini-lesson at the same time.

Genitalia

Make sure that the breeder shows you the rabbit genitalia and confirms the sex of the rabbit for you. The area should be free of foul smells, crustiness, pus, redness, or any other signs of disease. Rabbits do have glands on either side of their genitalia that should be cleaned periodically. Those gland scan have an odor not attractive to humans. That smell should not be confused with a foul odor indicating illness.

Fur and Overall Appearance

Rabbits do molt and can look a little shabby while they are doing that, but if the rabbit is not molting, you should see healthy fur appropriate to the breed. Rub your hands down the rabbit's body. You should feel no knots indicating cysts, tumors, or parasites. You should not feel the rabbit's skeleton just beneath the coat. The rabbit should be well-fleshed, but not obese.

Don't Forget To Just Ask

Most breeders will give you an honest assessment of the rabbit if you just ask. Ask their opinion of the rabbit's personality. Ask if the rabbit has been sick or if there have been any recent health issues in the barn. Ask when the rabbits were last wormed or treated for parasites (should have been in the last three months). Ask how large they believe the rabbit will be in adulthood. Ask which rabbit that they have available for pets has the best pet personality. Ask whether the rabbit is appropriate for a child, teen, or adult, as appropriate for your situation.

Warranty

Make sure you know the rabbitry's policy for replacing rabbits who exhibit a health or behavior problem. Any rabbitry should be willing to take a rabbit back in the first few days. Many will replace a rabbit for weeks or even a month after purchase should a problem arise.

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