Frustrating question

Love your rabbit
shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I'm not bothered by the question. Most people think rabbits are rodents and won't live very long. I am way more offended about the "eating" comments. Jason always combates the eating remarks with "Actually your child would be far more tender then my bunny"...... They usually shut up after that :)
 
I always say that cannibalism is healthier than rabbit because there aren't as many proteins to break down and rearrange for nutrients.

That may also be the reason I don't have a lot of friends..now that I think of it.

o_O
 
ROFL Katie and Sammy, I like the way you two think! I will have to remember that for next time.

Working with Toxicologists it comes up more than you would think. They just think it is such a hoot to tease me about them. :(
 
MiniLopHop wrote:
ROFL Katie and Sammy, I like the way you two think! I will have to remember that for next time.

Working with Toxicologists it comes up more than you would think. They just think it is such a hoot to tease me about them. :(
Click to expand...

:dunno

Some people just can't take a hint. Sorry you have to work with that kind of teasing.
 
Sorry if I seem insensitive...but I think its a really fair question. When adopting a rabbit, as with any other animal, you are committing to that creature for life. People are in different phases with their own lives, so I think its okay to judge weather an animal is right for you partially from life span.

I got my rabbits at the beginning of college. While I very much hope they live to be 12+, I would not have adopted rabbits if they would live for 30 years. I have a tortoise that will probably live that long, but I know I will be able to commit to her care no matter how my circumstances change.

Its better to know and understand before getting a pet. If we are being honest, not everyone can commit to an animal for 15+ years.

I wish all my animals health and happiness through as many years as they can survive, and will miss them terribly when they pass, but I dont think I could have committed to them if I thought they would live over much over 15 years.
 
Not all rodents are short lived either, but for people that want shorter lived pets I recommend a pair of female mice or a pair of rats since they live 1-3 years on average. I used to breed/rescue gerbils and always found that people asked the longevity question. Gerbils are odd since I've had some live to only and seem to be arthritic and showing signs of aging, and I had one that was over 5 when she passed. My rabbits in the past lived 8-9 years, and two of my foster buns I couldn't bring with me to college that I took care of about 5 years ago are still alive and now adopted in good homes.

A lot of times when people get a pet, they know their situation won't always be the same and just want to know if this animal will be there or not.

I know when I was in highschool I wasn't allowed to get any more rabbits since they lived longer and I was leaving in 3-4 years, so I stuck to rats/hamsters/gerbils and nearly every single one had passed before I moved, and the remaining few went to good homes with other critter people I knew personally. It's good for someone to know how long they should commit fully to any pet before they get it, so I'd rather be asked 100 times how long they live than see 1 rabbit dumped at the shelter since it was only supposed to live "a few years" as told by someone.
 
Samara wrote:
I always say that cannibalism is healthier than rabbit because there aren't as many proteins to break down and rearrange for nutrients.
Click to expand...

Cannibalism can lead to a disease that's basically the same as mad cow disease. That said, it's better than starving to death, so if no murders are involved [they were with the Donner Party], ... Luckily, not many people are in this situation.
 
Samara wrote:
My god that looks horrendous taken out of context, LOL.

:embarrassed:
Click to expand...
Don't worry Sammy, I know you were responding to people asking about eating rabbits. I was planning on using that come back to the guys next time they say I should cook my pets. See how they like being in the stew pot!
 
Anaira wrote:
I see it as a great chance to ram info down people's throats. :D
Click to expand...
omg me too I love it. The girls at work are quite young and often make jokes about me liking rabbits. when I told them that they aren't supposed to eat carrots as a staple one of them said in a really sarcastic voice 'well what are they supposed to eat then?' as if there are no other alternatives for a bunny to eat :p Bugs Bunny isn't real people...

I don't mind when they ask me how long bunnies live for, what I don't like is when I tell them they can live to around 10 years or more they laugh and try to argue with me that they only live for 2.

I also hate when you say you have a bunny and they automatically come out with the horror stories and bad things they have heard, so I tune it out with images of me fly-kicking them in the head...
 
I haven't gotten that question often, other than from my mom. But she's just curious.

I do have one friend who jokes about eating rabbits, but I know he doesn't really mean it. Plus he likes my rabbit. Haha helps that Harvey is a shameless beggar and will like anyone who gives him a craisen or banana chip.

When he did make those jokes I remind him that people eat cats and dogs in other countries. He's a big cat lover like me.
 
Samara wrote:
"...fly kicking them in the head."

Did we just become best friends??! :highfive:
Click to expand...
Yup! wanna go do karate in the garage?!

**hopes you have seen step brothers** lol otherwise that would be weird :p


I always get the jokes about bunny stew it makes my blood boil. I don't think people mean it to upset you but I really don't find it that funny
 
I am actually kind of glad when people ask me how long they live. It means that you can give them the correct answer and maybe give a fair bit of info about how they are as a pet and some general requirements. I like to think that at least one person has reconsidered getting a rabbit because of me. I also like to think at least one loving person got a rabbit because of me. I feel many people get pets without realizing exactly what they are getting into and it can lead to problems for the people and the animals.

TL;DR Passing on good information makes me smile.
 
:( I'm so saddened to say that my dad and his side of the
family actually grew up eating rabbit stew...
But they don't support inhumane meat farms. he used to eat
wild rabbits...

It's really sad :(
his never made it in my lifetime though so maybe he was
playing a cruel joke on me... but I doubt it... :(

I think what I hate the most with people... is I noticed
at petshops they never tell people about myxo and calici when they're buying a bunny so they won't even know about it til it happens since they don't protect the hutch...
 
For me, I can support the humane* rabbit farms if the rabbits are raised in clean, sanitary conditions and loved every bit of the way and unknowning of their fate. I'd rather see people like this than people who don't give a darn about hurting them or scaring them, or keeping them clean and happy till the last day.

People are going to eat rabbit no matter what we do, the best we can do is make sure they're being raised with love and adoration and respected even after death.

I hate too that pet shops don't warn about illnesses. I wish when they sold rabbits they'd give them a pamphlet or paper with good websites to check out. Like here or HouseRabbit.org.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. I understand the need to educate people about pet rabbits, but I still feel a blunt question about how long they live is in poor taste. That question would be fine from someone I know, but a random question like that from a stranger is just odd to me.

Speaking of taste, if someone likes to eat rabbit, I don't get upset about that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top