Ali's Hot Topic

[JadeIcing]

[align=center]How do you handle someone who doesn't understand your love of rabbits?[/align]



[align=left]So for my first topic I thought I would start simple but something that I am sure we have all encountered. I think how we react is very important.

[/align]

[align=left]Depending who it is I react differently...
With strangers or acquaintanceswho overhear I try to A) Not sound crazy. B) Not to get angry. If I can talk to them a little each time maybe just maybe I will reach them. With some I have. Each time I speak to them they ask a little more.
[/align]


[align=left]With family well some I am polite with others I tell them where they can step off. Some I know that no matter how much I try to get them to understand it just won't happen.

[/align]

[align=center]So here are some things to keep in mind when dealing with someone who doesn't understand:
[/align]


[align=left]1) Is it possible to make them understand? Maybe not understand but at least accept.

2) Is there a chance that by making them understand you make a difference? (They could reconsider getting a bunny because it is cute and get it because it will make an amazing companion. They could make the life better of a bunny they own or know that someone else knows.)

3) Is it worth getting angry? You know the joy your bunny(ies) bring into your life. If they miss out than that is their loss.[/align]

[align=left]So have at it and let the discussion begin.[/align]

 

[Elf Mommy]

Even my husband makes "rabbit stew" jokes and calls our rabbit (more Elf than Poe) our "hurricane preparedness kit." I know that he's joking. I know that he's just being sarcastic. I've seen him love on our rabbit.

I get a lot of people coming up to me when I take my rabbits out who are afraid of rabbits. They are curious about them, but seem to react to them as though they are pests, not pets. I try to educate those that I can.

I usually bring the rabbit to class with me at least once, to talk about rabbits and their care. Unfortunately, allergies and asthma are growing and growing. I cannot bring Poe to school this year. Too many of my students are allergic to rabbit dander.

 

[pOker]

My friend always comes in and says "Who is HUNGRY?" amd makes rabbit stew jokes as well..

I try to get everyone to understand that having rabbits is something that I enjoy. They make me happy, they read my emotions, and they are my furry little kids.lol.

I think getting people to understand is hard. Especially when alot of people just believe that rabbits are barn animals. My mom once said-They are barn animals, and my house is not a barn. But I sat her down and explained that I take great care fo my rabbits, and I want them to have a good life rather then end up in the hands of an immature child. She is slowly accepting it, as are some of my friends..

My grandpa still calls me the Bunny lady, instead of a cat lady... But he too understands that i can love my pets without getting overly obsessed with them.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

All my friends and family make bunny jokes.

Especially stew jokes I just tell them storm is not a meat rabbit. A lot of people have hung out with Storm and knows he has a personalty.

They still mess with me I have told family and friends where to shove it many times about all my pets.

Stranger don't really comment. I do a yearly Photo shoot around easter with storm he is really good with kids.

A company contracts him so they don't have to go buy a baby bunny. Its only one day and four kids normally.

But other then that storm is not around strangers.

So I don't have to worry about that.

 

[myheart]

Elf Mommy wrote:

Even my husband makes "rabbit stew" jokes and calls our rabbit (more Elf than Poe) our "hurricane preparedness kit." I know that he's joking. I know that he's just being sarcastic. I've seen him love on our rabbit.

:roflmao: I laughed so hard I had to snort!!!! Such a sense of humor that guy has. If you didn't live in sunny warm Florida, and froze your butts off with us Northerners, he wouldn't have a darn thing to say.....

 

[Nancy McClelland]

I usually don't care what family thinks as we only hear from them when they need something. Our friends understand us--probably think were nut, but they know we love animals and rescue what we can. Over the years we've had 8 Tarantulas, 1 Gopher Snake, several Alligator and Blue-belly lizards,1 Water Dragon, 2 Iguanas ( one over 6 feet long, the biggest we've ever seen), 2 mice, at least 2 or 3 dogs at a time, 2 cats, tropical fish, a pond with Goldfish Koi, and 17 Rabbits all at once. Currently one of our rabbits is named Stewart--my "bunny Stew", and one named Hossenpfeiffer--German for rabbit stew, or Hoss for short as he is a rather large albino New Zealand.

 

[mistyjr]

My mother is bad.. She tells my kids tat she is going to eat the rabbits and use them for target practice.. But she also says that about Sadie our Doberman... And when we had a ferret that was a lot worse.. I always been an animal love since i remember

 

[Myia09]

My in-laws joke about my rabbits, but all in all they joke about everything, and are supportive (They listen about rabbit shows, ect)

But its mostly strangers I get the problems with..I generally just try to tell them why rabbits make such great pets, and why I love all my animals (Since I have a large quantity)

My boyfriend is slow coming, but I know he loves our two now.

 

[Luluznewz]

My parents absolutely love animals. Its funny though, they were very confused about why I was getting a rabbit.

The biggest thing I get is people asking why I didint just get a dog. Every time some asks that I want to say, "I didn't get a dog because I wanted a rabbit..." That question doesn't make any sense to me.

Then one day my parents saw a documentary of some kind on rabbits as pets, and now they think i'm this forward thinking groundbreaking pet owner! Its the funniest thing. Once the TV told them rabbits were awesome all of a sudden they are completely on board. Apparently I wasn't a legit enough source for information.

When people are skeptical about my pets I try to do a few things. The first one is not get worked up, and the second one is I try to not sound crazy.

I hate to say it, but there is a bit of a stereotype about females who are "way to into" their pets. So basically I just stay calm, say they make great pets, and perhaps tell a short story about something funny she does. I make sure the story would actually be funny to them and not just to animal lovers. I find that gushing about how great they are really doesnt help; in fact its seems to make it worse.

I guess what I try to do is not come across as strange. If normal people have a "strange" pet it makes the pet seem a lot less strange.

I think being to adamant or into your defense of rabbits will actually make it worse. Like, if you go off on this long rant about negative stereotypes of rabbits and how ignorant people are and how every rabbit has its own personality people arn't going to believe you. They are just going to think that you are crazy and a bit weird.

At least that has been my experience. I find that if I just pretend like everyone has rabbits and that its not at all strange people tend to feel stupid for getting on my case about it. I think its easier to make them feel like they are the weird one for not knowing rabbits are great.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I get the rabbit food jokes all the time, and personally it upsets me. I don't care if one is joking or not, those are my pets your talking about and it bugs me to no end. My parents do it all the time... I just scoff and ignore them pretty much.

People always make jokes about my rabbit hopping too, and I try to explain it, because I know that they don't understand. Sometimes it'd difficult because they just think it's funny.

What really ticks me off is the comment "They're just rabbits."

I had that said to me this summer during the brush fire that almost took the lives of every rabbit in my barn. My neighbor whom I'd never met before said it to me while I was in tears... I seriously wanted to slap her. It's one thing to say it at all, but to say it when they're in danger of dying? Don't go there...Needless to say she ruined my first impression of her and I really don't even want to get to know her....

Emily

 

[Cabrissi]

I find people and what makes them tick endlessly fascinating... behaviour is sort of my "thing". When I get comments about 'wow, you have a lot of animals...' I usually answer pretty honestly and just say "yeah, I love it though, wouldn't have it any other way and am living my dream come true." It's a hard to argue with statement.

For people who feel the need to make unpleasant comments (and here in Aus where wild rabbits are a real pest there ARE a lot of negative feelings towards rabbits - rabbits shouldn't be in Aus, shouldn't be keeping vermin as pets etc) I may try to educate if the person seems open to it. If they're just being a bit of a jerk suggesting I should kill my pet I have no issue with saying, "Wow, that's a remarkably rude comment to make about someones pet!" There is no artifice in this, I am always genuinely surprised how rude some people will be to others.

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

Most people dont understand me and my pets, whether it be the dogs, cats or rabbits. I get the rabbit stew comment all the time, kind of old if you ask me but whatever. Most of the comments come from people who view thier pets as "just" animals. My aunt nearly had a heart attack when she found out the amount of money i put out for Sooty last year, and she would have had a stroke if she knew what i put out for my dog,lol.

 

[jleo3]

Admittedly, I never understood what the attraction to rabbits was until only recently. I worked at a pet store and we had two rabbits that came down with upper respiratory infections that had to go to the vet. One was a lionhead mix that I thought was ugly and I suspected that we were going to have a hard time selling for that very reason. We had to quarantine them and after a while of treating him, the lionhead was actually the first to find a home. His name is Newglarus and you can see a picture of him to the left of this post. It wasn't a rabbit thing for me so much as THIS rabbit. I fell in love and had to have him. My boyfriend (a devoted dog lover, like myself) bought him for me as a Christmas present and he doesn't even understand the attraction.

My love of my animals is my own satisfaction and I am completely okay with that. If someone else shares the same interests, I know we'll have stories to tell. If not, I always keep an open mind and also eager to learn about new things.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

I've found this approach seems to work well with people:

I tell them, "Y'know, I never pictured myself as being a rabbit person. I always thought they were justbig hamsters. Y'know, cute, butnot too smart." Then I tell them how I rescued Gus from my neighbour because I didn't want him going to the animal shelterwhere he'd very likely get PTS. Then I go on to tell them how surprisingly clean rabbits are, how they can be litter trained like a cat, how they are smart enough to learn their names and come when they're called, how they'll beg for food, how they tooth-purr when you rub their ears, etc.And then I like to show a few pics I have on my cell phone of Gus lounged outunder theliving room window looking as cozy as a cat.

I try not to beat them over the head with too much information (housing, feeding, health care, etc.), but I do try to correct any misconceptions they may bring up.Still, I find that, unless they meet Gus face to face, they tend to stay pretty skeptical about rabbits as house pets.

Oh, and if they bring up the rabbit stew bit, I usually tell them 1)Gus isWAY too small to eat, being a pet rabbit,and 2) Gus is WAY too old to eat, being nearly 3 years old. He'd be really tough and dry. But I usually add that, should we ever have an emergency situation where we are starving, it's much less distasteful to eat the pet rabbit than the pet dog. (This usually gets a laugh.)

Rue

 

[TinysMom]

I honestly don't get upset (usually) when people crack jokes about eating my rabbits - yes - even if they mean my rabbits.

First of all - the majority of time I know they're joking and they're trying to get a rise out of me. Art's best friend, Dale likes to call them "stew" and "roast". BUT - he also knows to watch it and not go too far and I just tease him right back - like telling him that with as much fertilizer as these rabbits give me - I'm gonna fill his bed with manure some day and see how much he laughs then.

For other people who question me - I look at it this way. I can take offense and snap back at them - and turn them off to learning more...or I can be polite and give information and watch the questions start coming.

So I look at each thing as a "learning" opportunity - or perhaps I should say a "teaching" opportunity - because I can share - but whether they learn or not - is up to them.

I do understand however that rabbits only became popular as pets in the last few years and this is new to so many people - especially older ones.

 

[JadeIcing]

Soup is one that comes up often. I usually say eww I know rabbits can be used as food but I didn't eat it before I had bunnies why would I start now. One time my aunt who is rather large asked if I had enough to make soup... I responded that she was big enough to feed us for atleast a year why don't we eat her instead. :huhShe didn't like that idea.

 

[countrybuns]

My mom cracked jokes when I first brought Donkey home but as my stories of his finding love with his humpy (stuffed bunny) and how he ran around the house and would hop up on the couch for a cuddle she warmed up to the idea of a rabbit as a pet. My dad always makes the stew comment when he comes over but then he is the first to give the buns a rub if they approach him. I don't really get any strangers making comments about my pets but if I did I would probably say "to each his own" and leave it at that.

 

[DeniseJP]

I get the hasenpfeffer remarks... and the "you have too many animals" comment. Too many? According to who?

Do I care? Not a bit... nothing like getting a BOB or Best Opposite...nothing like enjoying happy bunnies taking Yogies from my fingers, or getting chinned by Segal, packing the carriers for a show, even cleaning cages! I have a person who will trade rhubarb and raspberry plants for rabbit poop...awesome!

Time to go feed the herd...

Denise

 

[undergunfire]

I get really mean and nasty and have a hard time "brushing it off my shoulders" if someone offends me when I mention that I have pet rabbits. Very rarely will I bite my tongue. I would never say something nasty to them when they tell me they are a parent, so why are they being nasty about my FURKIDS?! I will then try to explain WHY I love rabbits, but only if they will listen. Obviously family you can't stop talking to (well, sometimes), but if its an aquantience, I will just avoid them if they seem like they can't accept the fact that I am an obsessed bunny & pet owner.

Hrm....maybe this is why I don't exactly have friends that I can hang out with, LOL! I only have 1 friend that I hang out with when we both aren't busy and that is because she loves animals as much as I do (even though she only has a dog).

 

[Stanza]

I suppose I am very lucky to have kind and nature loving friends. They all think rabbits are awesome!

But a good quote to remember when someone is being rude is "He who angers you, conquers you."