Male vs female as pets

Zass":3ust56j8 said:

Am I the only one with a herd of SUPER friendly and nice does? My bucks are cool, but a bit more standoffish.

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I have the nastiest Rex does on the planet. Some I've handled since birth, or at least since they were 12 weeks, some I bought as srs. Sometimes I wonder why I breed them at all.

SF does are indifferent, Angoras pushy but reasonable. The JW are so adorable. Personality and temperament hands down my favorite.

Some breeds are bred more for temperament than others. I would never sell a Rex as a pet, no matter what gender.

I have four Mini Rex rabbits, bought them from a livestock auction and they hadn't been well socialized with people. They just got fixed about three weeks ago. They are all exceptionally sweet, curious, and funny. We had another bunny growing up, he was a Rex and he also was very sweet. So maybe I've just never gotten a comparison, but I haven't found that this breed has an attitude or is genetically predisposed to being rough around the edges, so to speak. They are separated now into a bonded pair and also two single males. They were all picking on the one big guy, but the bonded pair also was picking on the little male a little bit too, so they are all going to different homes. There was one instance where the female was chasing the big male, and a separate instance of the little male chasing the big male (I tried different combinations) and both times it was sort of like flying mini fluffy fists of fury.
Full blown fight mode, but even when I reached down and separated them they didn't even come close to biting me either purposely or accidentally. And from everything I've ever read about rabbits they're known to get you if they're already in that state. Every time I come in they all run over, whoever is out comes right up and wants to check out what's going on. I'll do my yoga in there and they like to sniff me and run under me and do happy hops or goofy flying hops lol. So idk that's just my experience. Thought it was worth sharing as another perspective.

I have always heard that bucks make better pets....
With my Magpie Harlequins; my does tend to be more attention hogs... the buck like to be pet, but tend to make you chase them to be pet.... I have two does that bump my hand for pets and one that licks me... I also have a buck and a doe that run to the back of the cage and cower, no matter what I'm going in the cage for...

I will vote that it matters more of the personality of the animal it's self rather than the sex.
Most of my bunnies at 10 weeks are stupid friendly and practically fall out of the cage for pets and attention.

Hormones can make both genders aggressive. I would go off of the personality of the rabbit rather than the gender. I have had both males and females who are absolute dolls and I have had both who were total grumps.

I have limited experience with pet rabbits, had a young doe (about 6 months when I took her in) in my apartment for 8 months, myxo quarentine, very destructive, hormone driven, quite bored. Nibbled all cables. Reduced all plinth, wood and PVC alike, to flakes and splinters, started to dig a tunnel straight into the wall, after 2" the bricks stopped her...
Not to mention her sloppy litter habbits, urinating here and there.
After getting a second "doe" she had her first litter in my kitchen... :roll:
Now, in her hutch and free range in the garden she's a digger, a great mom with good instincts, and an Alpha to anything she encounters. She's definitly not average, but a very strong character, never met any other rabbit coming close to that.


For about 4 months now my herd buck is my pet, 3yo, free range, I didn't bunny proof anything - no problem at all. Uses his litter box from day one, doesn't chew anything, doesn't mind the slick floors, and jumps on my bed in the morning when I'm late for his piece of apple. Had 2 foster dogs here meanwhile, no problem.

He isn't very affectionate, or demands pets as does do (their hierachy thing), but he learns to like being petted more and more, and comes for treats when called (no matter if there's a big dog beside me).

I don't have any experience with neutered rabbits, but my intact buck makes a perfect, housebroken pet, much to my surprise, I ran out of hutch space and that was a quite desperate experiment. Well, there is one thing to be said - I wouldn't have tried this when he was younger, he showered everything with pee, like a fire hose gone rogue, but grown up, he's a great pet.

My male rabbit ( not fixed) makes the best pet ever! He's the best pet I've ever owned and I love him to bits! I personally prefer bucks to does as pets because bucks are friendlier. Olaf is like my little puppy that I always dreamed of :lol:

Beware, I have read 0 responses from this post other than the main post.

I would suggest not getting a doe, unless you are going to breed. Once they come of age, hormones kick in a lot normally, and they get aggressive for a while until you do breed them. Bucks are normally mellow unless you push their buttons wrong. Either way, I think that both are great, but I still lean away from does.
Even though my brood mini lop doe acts like a lost puppy, wanting attention, she is still not the nicest thing in the world. My bucks don't move as much, and don't act like puppies, but they are still nicer than my does.

I wish you good luck with finding you're perfect rabbit though!

Therabbitryperson":3l3gjw33 said:

Beware, I have read 0 responses from this post other than the main post.

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The original post is from 2013... they probably made their decision a long time ago. It's always a good idea to check the date on posts when you go through the forums, some are more active than others.

That said, I agree that our bucks are much more "mellow" than our does... although our youngest keeper buck could do with some manners when it comes to spraying! :laugh:

My previous rabbit was a male, he was superkind, calm and cuddly. Now i have a female, she is more reserved and can grunt if i move my hand to fast towards her, she does like a little cuddle thou, but she dont follow me around and seek my companionship like the male did