How did you get interested in bunnies?

I'd love to hear stories about how everyone got introduced to the bunny world and also how long you've been bunny crazy!

... for the foster mums/dads and rescuers, I'd also be fascinated to hear how you got into it!

I can't imagine my life without rabbits now and find it hard to believe I've had Brynn for less than a year!

Like the topic!
When I was little I lived on a farm, and one day we woke up to find a giant rabbit in a box left on the doorstep. Called him bluberry, oput him in a hutch that was far too small, and he lived less than a year in far from perfect surrounding, with a rubbish diet and little understanding of his needs,

Zoom forward a lot of years, and Paul n I had a summer, 4 years ago, where we were feeding station and home to a family of squirrels who stayed on our balcony for most of the summer. I learnt lots about squirrels in that time, set up assault courses for them (sound familiar!) and they had feeding stations, and a swinging bucket that they jumped into for nuts, it was just delightful, and when they left for the winter we were a bit bereft
That's when we decided to get a bun, partly for the cathartic reason that I had a great wrong to put right, and as I couldn't have a carnivore in the house, so it was either a nocturnal animal, or a rabbit. Never looked back-the experience of the squirrels has helped enormously

Jay - I never knew that you had had this squirrel experience?! Please can we have a thread of squirrel pics and more info about that time?

For me, I had, at the age of 11, had a rabbit which I knew very little about and didn't bother with. He lived in the garden in a hutch. I fed him/her when I remembered and made his life a misery when I look back. I at least had the sense to not like him being cooped up. My Nan let him out one day and from that day on he mostly lived free range in our garden. He ate all the plants which annoyed my Nan and it is a wonder he didn't poison himself.

Eventually he hopped over the stone wall of our garden and moved in with the buddhist who lived next door. This is the best thing that could have happened to him as I was nothing short of cruel when I look back. I am appalled and ashamed.

Later in life my understanding about animals and their needs grew and grew and became a passion. I was well known for being the crazy cat lady and for loving my cats more than people. One day at work I was sat with a girl I had known for about 4 years. Somebody mentioned their rabbit and this girl said "oh I hate my rabbit, I am just waiting for him to die". I was appalled. I looked at her and said "I didn't even know you had a rabbit?". It turned out he lived in a tiny indoor hutch on their outhouse. I immediately told her I would have him. I literally knew NOTHING about rabbits and had a poor opinion of them really, as boring.

I went away that night and found out as much as I could about rabbits. He arrived a few days later and when she had dropped him off and gone, I got this beautiful black and white dutch bunny out and lay with him on the sofa. He licked my chest for ages. I didn't at the time know what an honour it is for a bunny to lick you. I was in love instantly. Bugsy and I had 2 years together. He got an abscess and we fought it with all our might but eventually it won. He died aged 9. He had had 7 years of misery and only 2 years with me. But I hope I made those 2 years the best. I love him and miss him to this day. He was incredible and taught me so much. That was 6 years ago and look at the passion he started!

What absolutely amazing stories!

I have never had a bun before but the summer before last my boss said his bunnies had had bunnies and that he had new homes for all but one little girl.

So me and OH went and brought hutch and all kinds of other things and brought our little daisy home. Popped bunny in hutch and left "her" to settle. The next morning OH appeared in bedroom with morning cuppa and a bun tucked under his other arm....we were both in love with our baby

The first cold night.....daisy moved in.....and we discovered - well that our little girl had nuts!

I had no idea that bunnies were so clever, so much fun, so loving, and how somebun so small can fill your whole house with his personality. Cant imagine life without him. He really is our little boy.

Not as moving as the stories above.....but its all ive got folks! ha ha

I think it is a beautiful story Katie. I wish I hadn't had a wrong to right in the first place
Daisy is a babe. You would die of you saw my baby foster Tommy that came in today. He is tiny and just gorgeous. Just like Daisy!

Wonderful stories!

Jay, that is so interesting about the squirrels. It just goes to show that humans need animals in their lives on some metaphysical level.

Charlotte, that is such a heartwarming story about Bugsy. I'm so glad he got to have those wonderful years with you. You really shouldn't beat yourself up about your lack of knowledge in the past though. I think the internet is such a blessing because it has given animal loves such a great place to research, explore and discuss their pets health and well being.

Katie, I love your story! It's great that your OH has been so accepting of Daisy as well! So glad you've found HH!

I too had a bunny when i was young, but he was my sisters and he did have a good life. he was alone, unneutured etc but had a massive run so he was okay as far as things could have been.

fast forward - im 18, have my boyfriend of 18 months and we were chatting about pets. i mentioned a rabbit and joked i was getting one. the next weekend i went into a garden centre as he wanted something, and well... by the time we met at the car i had "the beast" the rabbit that nobody wanted in the petshop, the meanie that bit. My Jelly.

the next day we went to pets at home to get everything we needed and there was a cute brown and white lop. he was being chased and bitten by his brothers, he was smaller than them. My boyfriend was like "lets just get him". My Peanut Butter!

when we broke up (he was a beep beep beep beep beeeping beep!!) he tried to take one of the bunnies and i was having none of it, to the point where i actually hit him because he opened the hutch to take Jelly! By this point i had 2 other bunnies, and after he left i convinced myself i would never let anyone treat me so badly again....

2 years later my babies kept me strong. Peanut died, but my other three are still here to get me through.

Lovely stories Charlotte, I am on a guilt trip too

I too had bunnies as a child - however the first arrived as a present for my 4 year old brother when he started nursery. Guess what, he soon lost interest and whilst I loved the bunnies, the care given by my family and myself was woefully inadequate due to ignorance. Those poor bunnies, my heart breaks for them even now I so hope Benji, Jubilee and Pip are playing at Rainbow Bridge.

Then three years ago my teenage daughter Louise badgered Chris and I for bunnies. Eventually we agreed and after some admittedly inadequate research along came Herbie and Barney. Well I fell in love with them straight away but sadly Barney hated anyone who wasn't Louise and started attacking me, and anyone else who came too close. He also had problems with excess caecos which led me to seeking help on another forum. This was such a find, the info and knowledge sharply bringing me up to speed on bunny care. Sadly, Barney's aggression increased (I still have the scars) and we realised he was bullying Herbie who then developed snuffles and syphillis probably through stress.

At this point I met Kay from BunnyHops and she offered Barney a home with a friend with a garden full of free range rabbits. With a heavy heart I let Barney go, but he soon settled and loved his life as a free range bun until his life was sadly cut short with a tumour

In the meantime Rosie and Hollie had joined Herbie from BunnyHops - I had no idea of the scale of rabbits in rescues when we acquired Herbie and Barney However Rosie was always the odd one out in the threesome so a partner for her was on the cards for when they moved back outside after wintering indoors. This happened sooner than planned tho as the trio's bond fell apart after Rosie and Hollie had to be spayed at different times - Hollie had reacted badly to the anaesthetic at the first attempt. Thus along came my gorgeous black BJ from BARC who has made Rosie a very contented lady

And last but not least some 15 months later Gabriel and Nia came our way.

All six are very special, much loved and very different in personality. As Katie has said, it is incredible how bunnies can take over your world It horrifies me now that Barney and Herbie came along with me having so little knowledge. I am just so pleased that places such as HH exist to try and improve the lives of bunnies.

When I was a teenager, we had a huge New Zealand White female rabbit who we were terrified of. She was a a monster! But now I know it was only because she was unneutered and regarded our small garden as her total domain. Our garden was completely fenced in with a 6 foot fence and as soon as you opened the gate and came in, she lunged at your ankes. She also used to beat the living daylights out of her hutch door with a Fray Bentos pie tin which was her food dish. Eventually she beat her way out to freedom and was never seen again. I like to think that she lived on happily giving the local rabbits a hard time, but know that she probably didn't!

I cringe when I think of all the bad things we did through ignorance. We thought she was vicious but know it was just US not understanding her and her needs.

Years later, I got a rabbit for my son who was 11. He loved animals and had always wanted a pet. We can't have anything in the house due to my OH and eldest's asthma and eczema. A bunny was a great choice. My friend was trying to rehome her bun, Holly, who was about 4 or 5. We had her neutered and built a huge run for her. After six months, we got Wolfie from the SSPCA to be a companion for her. The bonding took about five minutes but I didn't realise how lucky I was.

After Holly died, Wolfie was very lonely, so we decided to get another bun for him and along came Gloria from Dundee SSPCA. We collected her on the way back from seeing Red Hot Chili Peppers at Hampden.

I find it amazing how they have taken over the garden and my heart. They are such fun to watch and are always up to mischief - like escaping regularly just to annoy me!

I really love these stories!