Animal Welfare

[farmerchick]

I run a rabbit hay company. i get alot of rabbit people from all different walks of life...there's the customers that you can tell they really love their rabbit(s) and theres those who could care less.......

in the last 3 weeks i've had a few customers ask me to take their rabbits. (6 rabbits in total, i already have 6 now) one was genuinely allergic to the hay and his rabbit, and if i could take on another rabbit i would... i understand people who are in the terrible situation of being allergic or too sick to have their pets. Then theres the people who...got a rabbit for their kid who their kid lost interest in (the highschool single moms that think a rabbit for their baby would be "cute"), and the rabbit whos so ill and need someone with a big wallet to make them better, and the ones who got a rabbit an decided their rabbit was interfering with their lives. if it wasn't for humane societies and animal shelters and people who rescue animals WHERE WOULD ALL THESE LOST SOULS GO? People would be outraged if these lost souls were human children.

i don't know where i'm going with this but i'm just frustrated how people are so rightous about their children, but will pawn off a innocent pet as soon as they loose interest...maybe kids aren't a good idea either.

i can't save every rabbit, but some how i feel emotionally responsible for some of my customers rabbits. i meet people who think their rabbits should be kept in hamster cages and think its "dirty" that i let my rabbits out in my house. i have also met people who didn't even know rabbits eat hay....

does anyone else feel this way? not trying to offend anyone. i understand there are legitimate reasons people get rid of their pets, and children.

ugh.

 

[Jynxie]

Yes.

All the time.
There is someone I know who wanted to get a bunny - I told her NO, because it's not a childs pet and there is a lot of cleaning... Their husband also said it was stupid that I brought Harley to the vet, he would have just broken his neck... Nice right?

Now she wants to get easter chick... even though she was told by the seller they will die.

UGH.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

The Rabbit Hopping club gets a lot of rescues and people wanting to dump their rabbits. Most the one families rabbits are rescues in some way or another. We recently had 3 dumped, 1 found a home that night, 1 found a home shortly after and 1 was adopted this past weekend. For some reason people seem to think we are some sort of rabbit rehoming service. Many of the rescues have just been dumped, threatened to be set 'free', would have been snake food or just passed around from home to home.

People just don't see rabbits as a long term pet. If you can get a rabbit for $20 at a pet store, why would you want to spend $100 on the cage and even more on other stuff not to mention the vet costs. People probably see them as more like a hamster that only lives a few years and is fine in a small cage and doesn't need vet care.
People really need to take responsibility for their pets. They need to do research before they get the pet and be prepared to keep it and care for it for it's whole life.

I can understand that some people are allergic, but I doubt that all the people who claim it as their excuse are actually allergic. I also realize that your situation can change, but many people just aren't prepared or willing to take their pets with them.
You can work around allergies by keeping hay contained, vacuuming, getting an air filers and taking medication. You can find pet friendly housing and the stress of moving is usually less than going from temporary home to temporary home.

 

[Ponyta]

My favorite are pregnant woman who think their animals will become a danger to their unborn child. If Fluffy hasn't mauled you yet, do you really think it's going to go crazy after the fetus makes an exit?

My old housemate irritated me more then these people do who throw pets away. She collects them. She had four large birds that never, EVER, came out of their cages for the whole two years I lived there. Not once. No toys, no interaction, no nothing. She had six dogs, eight total. One cat. My aunt had a dog in the basement she neglected, a cat, and fish.

I was expected to take care of all those animals. None of the dogs were trained, they pooped and peed everywhere, they howled and fought.

More then anything, I can't stand negligence.

 

[MiniLopHop]

I knew my Becky came from somewhere rough when I got her from the SPCA. The story was the people were moving and couldn't take her. She was better off being given up. She was malnourished, had an eye infection in both eyes, and clearly had been contained in way too small of an area. She crawled rather than hopped and would fall over when she tried to periscope. Now, the vet thinks she had head trauma as well because she has a slight head tilt and scanns, but the condition has been stable since December.

It makes me want to cry to think of what she went through. How could anyone be so heartless? She is the sweetest little girl that soaks up all the love you can give her and gives lots of kisses in return. She was on the exam table, turned and put her front feet on my chest and looked at me like "mommy, pick me up, I'm scared". She likes to cuddle in the crook of my neck.

It's a good thing I don't know who had her before because I would go after them. What a big person you are to treat a small helpless animal so mean (lots of sarcasm).

thanks for the rant.

 

[butsy]

after i got butsy i realised i was allergic to her, but i deal with it .. i made a commitment and im sticking to it !