They should be alert, curious, with no discharges from ears or noses, and no sign of diarrhoea round the tail. They should have soft, dense fur, with no parasites, clean feet, and firm, well-nourished bodies. Long claws mean that rabbits are probably older. Rabbits are not easy to sex when young. Juvenile males have small, circular openings, and juvenile females have slit-like openings.
Adult males have testicles, and adult females have V-shaped vaginal openings.
Rabbits need peace once they arrive home. When they become curious, they can be offered titbits and talked to gently, until they start to nuzzle. Then they can be allowed to sniff their new owner. The British Houserabbit Assocation had more than 2,000 members in 1999. Indoor rabbit cages should have a strong bottom tray made from plastic, which is easy to clean.