Here we go again!

[Myia09]

RosL wrote:

You suggest that my rabbits, are barely living but berate someone who realized her rabbits deserved a better life and made sure it happened.

The point is, though, that she didn't palm them off onto somebody else because she believed they needed a better life...she did it because she considered them an inconvenience.

Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Cheyrul]

RosL wrote:

You suggest that my rabbits, are barely living but berate someone who realized her rabbits deserved a better life and made sure it happened.

The point is, though, that she didn't palm them off onto somebody else because she believed they needed a better life...she did it because she considered them an inconvenience.

She is not obligated to share every detail with everyone. Nor, do I think most people would feel that she is sending a horrible message, if anything the message would be make sure you know what you are getting into when adopting any animal.
Some people are just very sarcastic. I complain about my animals all the time, complain about the poop, hair, food, time, etc. However, while I enjoy making jokes about them - even making stew or roast or kitty fritters, none of that means I do not love them or take care of them. I just like to laugh and get laughs.

I also do not think we should make people feel like they are scumbuckets for trying and not being able to succeed. Often it is better for the animal to be rehomed than left in mediocre care or worse.

 

[Anaira]

I do agree with what you are saying, Cheyrul, that the rabbits deserved a home where they would be loved. So, if she had admitted she made a mistake buying two pets she knew nothing about, and carefully looked, and screened potential new owners for her rabbits, that would have been a better ending.

She didn't. She passed them onto the first person she could, who could be anyone and anything. And then wrote about it in her column like it was a good thing.

Can we please keep this thread off rabbit meat, and how Cheyrul keeps her rabbits? It's not about that, and I can see this getting locked soon.

I can take her 'humorous' comments, as I'm used to stuff like that from non-animal lovers. They find it funny, and it's not meant seriously. I have an odd sense of humor myself, and don't mind the odd cannibal joke(although I'm sure her paper wouldn't print a similar crack about her kids.) It's the way she dumped her rabbits.

 

[Cheyrul]

Myia09 wrote:

I should clarify I am not arguing the meat rabbit thing as I know that is off limits, but I don't find it humorous that she suggested ALL rabbits are better off as casserole instead of at least recognize they are pets to thousands of people and many of who which love and care about them... people who rescue and keep rabbits strictly as pets find this extremely offensive. It IS the equivalent of her saying what a chore cleaning out a cat's litter box is and the shedding and that cats are better off dead but people don't make that connection.

There isn't any argument she DUMPED her rabbits. She said so. Who really cares WHAT she did during the time she had them. It is the END that matters most and her OPINION on where rabbits belong in society i.e not as pets.

And Cheryul I don't mean to suggest you abuse or don't take care of your rabbits, but you stated:
"I have kids who carry the rabbits every and play with them constantly and sometimes the kids are too rough, sometimes the bunnies are too rough, sometimes it is the dog ... whatever, the bunnies are better off than being in a stew or casserole which could have happened at an auction or as snake food."

Which is why I implied that. I sounded a lot more harsh than I intended to be. I was generally saying that anyone who can't provide the best home shouldn't take in an animal.

But who decides what is best? Your best or mine? I can assure you, all my pets have it good and I am doing the best I can. So if my best is not up to your standards, what then?

 

[golfdiva]

I often wander into empty lots and along the roadside picking rabbit food! No one has yet to complain to me because I was picking their weeds! Here are a few common weeds. If you want more info, let me know!

Wild Carrot a.k.a. Queen Anne's Lace
This plant is the ancestor of our domesticated carrot. Root and leaves can be feed to your rabbit. The roots will smell like carrots. (Roots can be eaten by people too!)

Dandelion
They are several species of Dandelion. They all look very similar. The flowers and leaves are edible.

Clover
There are also several different species of clover. Here are a few of them.

Yellow Sweet Clover (There is also a species that has white flowers)

Red clover

Just be sure it's not somebody's garden or lawn that might have been sprayed with pesticides!

 

[Myia09]

Nothing. There are basic standards generally agreed upon of a way of life that is best and keeps the rabbit the healthiest and happiest. If someone doesn't follow it, you just try to educate them why it is important (Such as spaying/nuetering, ect) and hope that they listen.

Wether you feed $100 food or $1 doesn't matter; as long as it is nutritionally sound and proper diet, as long as the rabbits are given adequate living space, free time, given medical attention when needed, and loved, that is what all that matters.

But when your "Best" isn't what is actually best for the animal the person needs to step back and reevaluate their position. That doesn't mean dump the rabbits or toss them aside, it is about acknowledging responsibility and commitment and the best possible outcome for everyone. The author, albeit jokingly if you can consider it joking, did not consider the responsibility she had taken on and instead played with rabbits as if they were meaningless and throw away pets and then decided to write some article about it.

Hey,3/4 of rabbits are abused and I partook in it as well! Cheers! Is about what I gathered from the article.

 

[Cheyrul]

golfdiva wrote:

I often wander into empty lots and along the roadside picking rabbit food! No one has yet to complain to me because I was picking their weeds! Here are a few common weeds. If you want more info, let me know!

Wild Carrot a.k.a. Queen Anne's Lace
This plant is the ancestor of our domesticated carrot. Root and leaves can be feed to your rabbit. The roots will smell like carrots. (Roots can be eaten by people too!)

Dandelion
They are several species of Dandelion. They all look very similar. The flowers and leaves are edible.

Clover
There are also several different species of clover. Here are a few of them.

Yellow Sweet Clover (There is also a species that has white flowers)

Red clover

Just be sure it's not somebody's garden or lawn that might have been sprayed with pesticides!

see. it is the pesticides that worry me, the sides of roads and often fields are sprayed. I am so scared of making them sick or killing them and poison ivy.

 

[golfdiva]

Just keep an eye out for poison ivy, and if you get it, there is medicine you can use that will make the itchy bumps go away.

What are the fields sprayed with? and why?

If your not sure it's always best to not use it. It's a shame though. Hershey really loves his weeds, and weeds are their natural food.

 

[Cheyrul]

I guess they spray to control weeds, with what I am not sure. Right now poison ivy is troublesome because we have not started, really started, our rainy/hurricane season and have had large fires which put poison ivy and the like pollen, air borne. My youngest dd has been dealing with a recurring blistery rash since mid April. Brazilian pepper hedge is all over these fields, it is a nuisance plant and in the poison ivy family.

 

[golfdiva]

I use tecnu. It's OTC at drug stores, etc. Its a topical solution. If you use it as soon as the itching/bumps appears, it will take care of it almost immediately.

I have also found getting an allergy steroid shot from the doc every spring lessens my reaction to poison ivy!

 

[Cheyrul]

We just got a referral for her to see an allergist again. She has not been since she was about 2. She was on oral steroids half of April and the beginning of May. We use Ivy Dry but it stings and she gets really cranky about it lol and it is all over her face and throat.

 

[golfdiva]

Oh, I sympathize with her! Poison ivy makes me cranky too! Tecnu does not sting, or make any sensation at all! You can use it to get the oil off of clothes or whatever also!

 

[Happi Bun]

I was finally able to actually read what the columnist wrote regarding pet rabbits and it does leave a bad taste in my mouth. Lets do this, replace "rabbit" with "dog or cat" in what she wrote and tell me you still think it was perfectly okay to publish or a reasonable view on a whole species because of one bad experience.

 

[Cheyrul]

I still do because I don't think it was meant to be serious. I've even made jokes, while signing medical releases for neutering to the vet tech, "if one gotta go during surgery, this one is my favorite so don't let it be him" - if you had seen the look on her face, you would have cracked up. I think my sense of humor is warped

 

[fuzz16]

im thankful i dont get poison ivy...i used to pick it for my dad in his gardens cause he breaks out in bloody blisters.

i never pulled anything from the side of the road due to exhaust fumes...gross.