What It Means to Be an Ethical Rabbit Breeder

What It Means to Be an Ethical Rabbit Breeder

When people hear the phrase “ethical breeder,” they might think of someone who keeps clean cages, feeds their animals well, and provides basic care. Those things are important, of course, but for me, “ethical” has always meant something much deeper and more personal.

I have spent many sleepless nights worrying about the bunnies I placed in my early years of breeding — before we created our lengthy New Bunny Questionnaire, before we required spay/neuter contracts, before I fully understood how easily a rabbit could end up in the wrong home. Those nights taught me that being ethical isn’t just about the day the rabbit leaves my care. It’s about carrying responsibility for that life, forever.

Every Breeding Is Prayerful and Intentional

We do not breed because “babies are cute” or because demand seems high. Every pairing is chosen with care — for health, temperament, and the future of the breed. Behind each decision is the question: “Is this truly wise and good for the rabbits?”

The Well-being of Each Rabbit Comes First

Every rabbit born here will always have a home. If they are not placed, they stay with us, cherished and safe. Adoption is never about clearing cages — it’s about finding the right match.

Quality of Life Over Quantity of Life

It would be easy to breed more often, to produce a steady stream of litters simply because the demand is there. But that is not our calling. Each breeding is followed by weeks of round-the-clock care, syringe feedings if needed, grooming, cleaning, and gentle handling. It is not possible to give that level of care if the focus is on numbers instead of lives.

By choosing fewer litters, we choose depth over breadth — more time to socialize, more time to nurture, more time to truly know each Bun. Our rabbits are not raised in a system of efficiency; they are raised in a rhythm of intentional love. Quality of life will always matter more to us than filling cages.

Honest, Thorough Screening

Our New Bunny Questionnaire may feel lengthy, but it exists because of those sleepless nights. We want to know who our rabbits are going to, how they’ll live, and if the family is truly ready. When families disappear after filling it out, it hurts, but it also reaffirms why honesty and follow-through matter.

Education as Part of Ethics

Being an ethical breeder does not end when a rabbit goes home. We see ourselves as teachers as much as caretakers. Families need to know about diet, litter habits, grooming, bonding, and the sometimes subtle signs of illness. Without that knowledge, love alone cannot sustain a rabbit’s well-being.

This is why we write blogs, create guides, and spend hours answering questions from our families. Education is not an add-on; it is part of the adoption itself. To place a rabbit without equipping the family to succeed would be to fail both the family and the Bun. Ethics demand that we prepare people not just for the joys, but also for the challenges of life with a rabbit.

Required References

We ask for references not to be intrusive, but to ensure each rabbit is entering a safe and stable home. These conversations are always kept confidential. At times, references have raised concerns that made us step back from a placement.

Those are difficult moments. It is challenging to find a tactful way to decline without placing blame or causing tension between family, friends, or coworkers. But part of being an ethical breeder is holding that responsibility quietly — protecting the rabbit while also protecting the dignity of the people involved.

Commitment to Lifelong Support

Our responsibility doesn’t end on adoption day. Although our paperwork says we don’t take returns, the truth is that we always do when a bunny needs a safe place to go immediately.

Sometimes unexpected things happen — an allergy no one knew about, a sudden move to a pet-restricted home, or a change in lifestyle where the primary caregiver can no longer give the time and attention a rabbit deserves. These are valid reasons for needing help, and we would never want a family to feel trapped or a Bun to be at risk.

There have been moments when we were perilously close to not having enough space to help — but God has always provided, opening doors, hearts, and homes when it was most needed. Over the years, the Buns who returned have gone on to live incredible lives in new families. Again and again, we hear stories of a rabbit’s second chance becoming the best thing that ever happened to the people who adopted them.

This is why we stand by our promise: no Bun from Hot Cross Buns will ever be disposable.

Pedigree Does Not Equal Breeding Quality

One of the most misleading practices I see is when breeders hand over every rabbit with a pedigree, as though that piece of paper is a carte blanche permission slip to breed. It is not.

A pedigree simply records ancestry. It does not guarantee that a rabbit meets the breed standard, nor does it mean that the rabbit should ever be used for breeding. When breeders imply otherwise, they unintentionally (or sometimes carelessly) encourage new owners to breed rabbits that may have poor type, weak health, or unsuitable temperaments.

The reality is that the vast majority of rabbits do not meet the criteria to improve a breed. In fact, perhaps only eight out of every hundred rabbits born should ever enter a breeding program. The rest may be wonderful, affectionate companions — loving, gentle, and deeply treasured — but that does not make them suitable for reproduction.

Because of this, we do not place any of our rabbits as breeding animals. Every Bun who leaves Hot Cross Buns does so as a companion, and we require spay/neuter for all placements. This protects our rabbits, safeguards the integrity of the breed, and ensures that every Bun is valued for who they are — not just for what they might produce.

Respect for Rabbits as Individuals

One of the greatest tragedies of unethical breeding is when rabbits are reduced to numbers or traits: “a brood doe,” “a show buck,” “a clearance pet.” We believe every rabbit is first and foremost an individual soul with a name, a story, and a personality worth knowing.

Goldilocks, with her impatience at dinner-time. Boggle, with her resilience after illness. Scuba, with her boundless curiosity. Each Bun we have known has been as unique as any person — with quirks, preferences, fears, and delights that set them apart.

At Hot Cross Buns, we do not see our rabbits as “stock.” They are companions, teachers, and members of our extended family. Recognizing and honoring their individuality is at the heart of ethical breeding.

Never Discounting Lives

From the very beginning, we decided that our rabbits would never be treated like merchandise. It may seem easy to offer a “discount” to move rabbits quickly, but doing so undermines the countless hours of care, the intentional breeding decisions, and the love poured into each Bun’s life.

More importantly, lowering prices simply to “clear space” can attract families who are unprepared for the true responsibilities of rabbit ownership. A Bun’s value is not measured in dollars — it is measured in the lifelong commitment to their care and well-being.

For us, the choice is clear: we would rather close our rabbitry altogether than compromise our values by discounting rabbits just to make room for more. Every Bun deserves to be valued for who they are, not treated as clearance.

Faith as Foundation

Our ethics are not only rooted in experience but also in faith. We believe these little lives are entrusted to us by God, and that stewardship means more than food and shelter. It means prayerful decisions, humility when we make mistakes, and trust that God will provide when space or resources run thin.

There have been times we did not know how we could possibly take in another rabbit, yet the need was there — and every time, God opened doors. A family reached out, a space was made, a solution was found. We do not take credit for those moments; we give thanks. For us, ethics are not merely policies written on paper — they are an expression of faith, gratitude, and obedience.

The Cost of Ethics

Ethics are not cheap. They cost time, money, sleep, and sometimes tears. To require spay/neuter, we must wait longer for placements. To screen carefully, we must risk disappointment when families disappear. To keep every unplaced rabbit, we must buy more exercise pens and safe places to house them, buy more hay, and commit to more years of daily care.

It would be easier to lower standards, to place quickly, to make decisions with our convenience in mind. But easy is not ethical. We have chosen the harder road because the Buns deserve nothing less.

Every “no” we speak, every boundary we uphold, every dollar spent on the rabbits instead of ourselves is part of the unseen cost of being ethical. But when we see a Bun thriving in a family who cherishes them, or when we hold an older rabbit still safe in our arms years after their littermates have gone, we know the cost is worth it.

Standing Against Unethical Practices

We will never:

• Breed simply to produce more rabbits.

• Place with families who intend to house them outdoors, neglect spay/neuter, or treat them as novelties.

• Disregard the emotional needs of these deeply sensitive creatures.

Conclusion: The Heart of Ethics

Being an ethical breeder means living with both joy and responsibility. It means losing sleep, asking hard questions, setting boundaries, and sometimes saying “no” when it’s the harder path. It also means being there for the Buns, no matter what twists and turns life brings.

No matter what happens after December, these values remain. Whether we continue breeding or close our program, every Bun in our care will always be safe, loved, and treasured. That is the promise at the heart of Hot Cross Buns.