07/19/2026
I want to be transparent about every single rabbit that leaves my home to go to yours. A lot of people have become upset with me when I refuse to sell a rhinelander as a pet. This is why.
Rhinelanders are not a nasty breed. They are not inherently mean and they are not inherently hateful. HOWEVER.... their back legs are so strong and they are so wiggly that even I get got sometimes. Can you imagine bringing home a "pet" and letting your toddler try to pick it up and this happening across their face?
I know rhinelanders are gorgeous. I love them! I love them so much that I will put up with this to gentle a rabbit. I just will NOT sell one as a pet in the majority of cases.
First and foremost, they are a rare breed. I would be doing a disservice to my show quality rabbits to sell them as a pet and never let them pass down their genetics. We are actively working on their conservation because as far as I know, I am only 1 of maybe 2 or 3 breeders that raise them in Oklahoma. I go to a lot of shows and it's me and my friend Amanda with them. That's not only less fun, it's not really challenging for our rabbits to not have adequate competition.
Secondly, rabbits are a lot when you're starting out. There are so many things they can't eat, so many stereotypes about them that are dead WRONG, you have to learn how to trim their nails, deshed them, check their health, and then you have to keep them temperature regulated, gentle them, and clean up their bowel movements which are sometimes up to over 200 a day. The last thing someone needs when learning how to handle rabbits is a rabbit that has the kick power of a stinkin' mule. I want your kids and you to have fun and see how rewarding rabbits can be, not be discouraged by rabbits that frustrate you.
Rhinelanders aren't like little Peter Cottontail, they're more like a malinois dog. They are not a blanket beginner rabbit. It's not fair to you or them to pair you with a rabbit that I genuinely feel is not going to be a good fit. Running breeds are something to be taken seriously when you know you really want to be in the game deep. They're a job sometimes getting everyone running time and utilizing exercise pens and to be honest, they are EXTREMELY difficult to breed to standard!