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Rabbit left - Am I over reacting? UD post 38

Shel

Warren Scout
I am so angry and very sad.:censored: I live next door to a girl who owns a rabbit. The rabbit has not been neutered or vaccinated and lives in a tiny 3.5FT hutch, he has a run and rarely gets put in it.
Over the summer i was talking to my neighbours and offered to look after the rabbit if they wanted to go away. A few days later they knocked on the door, and asked me to look after the rabbit. 'Of course' I said, 'When?' - Well he replied we are just filling the car now, should be gone in 20 mins!! :shock: in other words they were going to go even if i couldn't look after him. I went out to see the bunny. They had stuffed his hutch full of food ready for them going away. When i looked at him closely he had very long claws (that would have been causing him pain) and a slightly dirty bun, so we got him cleaned up. The owners returned and I told them about what I had done and gave him some RWF leaflets on rabbit care - hoping to give him the hint.
ANYWAY they went away 2 days ago and left the bunny in his hutch! again just piling in the food so he had enough to eat and loads of hay. However it was so cold overnight I was really worried his water would be frozen and they had covered the hutch so i couldn't see him. So tonight I got into their garden and checked his food and water to make sure he was OK. There he was sitting in his tiny hutch, covered so he had no light, luckily his water was fine and he had food. BUT he had been sitting there on his own for 3 days!!!
I wish i could say something but they are our neighbors, and I work with their daughter.
Am i over reacting?? Any ideas???
 
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They would know it was me!! I have been on at them for ages, and they now I have been involved with rescue. :?
 
Offer to take him, as a friend for one of your bunnies. They obviously are not looking after it properly, and they must realise that.

Although saying that I had the comment from my aunty who said "well how do you cope with all the flies that rabbits attract?" Id had a few by then and said well I clean them every day so I never have a problem with flies!! I do think some people are completely ignorant. But you have said that you have passed on material to educate them, so they are just plain lazy and cruel.

Other than that it would be really difficult to say anything as you have to live and work with them.

I think if they don't take you up on the offer of rehoming their rabbit you must report them to the RSPCA. Leaving it for days with out care is just horrid!
 
Poor bunny!

I would ring the RSPCA but I know how it feels if your neighbours will know it is you.

Some people dont deserve buns :censored::censored:
 
I know it must be awkward, but I couldn't stand knowing that a rabbit was stuck in a hutch that size and not be able to do anything about it. Me being me would end up buying something bigger for it. I would have words with them though, as it's completely unacceptable. You could perhaps suggest attaching the run to the hutch so he has access all of the time.

People are morons. My young cousin has rabbits who basically live free range in the garden, and she recently got a puppy so I doubt the rabbits are even thought about. I normally look after them at this time of year as they go away for New Year, and this year they haven't asked me. I don't speak to them usually so it is worrying me who has the rabbits :?
 
It's an offense to leave ny animal with no one to look after it.
Have a very harsh word with them, tell them their hutch size is inadequete, blah blah blah and tell them that you'll take him as they obviously aren't giving him the right care if they ignore this next time just phone the RSPCA.
 
Offer to take him, as a friend for one of your bunnies. They obviously are not looking after it properly, and they must realise that.

Although saying that I had the comment from my aunty who said "well how do you cope with all the flies that rabbits attract?" Id had a few by then and said well I clean them every day so I never have a problem with flies!! I do think some people are completely ignorant. But you have said that you have passed on material to educate them, so they are just plain lazy and cruel.

Other than that it would be really difficult to say anything as you have to live and work with them.

I think if they don't take you up on the offer of rehoming their rabbit you must report them to the RSPCA. Leaving it for days with out care is just horrid!

I think that is a really good idea. I have the hutch that I offered them too. Just got to gain the strength to speak to them, when they get back. In the meantime, late night trips into their garden.
 
I've got a dilemma now too... I just rang another of my cousins who speaks to my aunty a lot, and asked who had the rabbits. She said she didn't know, that they had the dog, and that she wasn't bothered about the rabbits anymore. They are just left living out in the garden and food is put out for them. She didn't know if anyone was putting any food out whilst they were away and they have gone for a week :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:
 
I've got a dilemma now too... I just rang another of my cousins who speaks to my aunty a lot, and asked who had the rabbits. She said she didn't know, that they had the dog, and that she wasn't bothered about the rabbits anymore. They are just left living out in the garden and food is put out for them. She didn't know if anyone was putting any food out whilst they were away and they have gone for a week :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:

:D Sorry I seem to have started something. But it so upsetting that people do this!!
 
I would definately ask them if you could take the rabbit and if not then phone the RSPCA as it is classed as neglect.
 
It's ok.. I've kicked up a stink and may have got myself in trouble. My cousin rang her mum (who is at the same resort as my other aunt) and she claims the rabbits are at my aunts mothers house. I think they are just saying it because they know what i'm like, and I don't believe for a second they would have the rabbits at their house as they have never allowed it before :?

My cousin is going to drive over to the rabbits home tomorrow and see if they are there. I'll take the rabbits off them if they have left them. :censored:
 
It's ok.. I've kicked up a stink and may have got myself in trouble. My cousin rang her mum (who is at the same resort as my other aunt) and she claims the rabbits are at my aunts mothers house. I think they are just saying it because they know what i'm like, and I don't believe for a second they would have the rabbits at their house as they have never allowed it before :?

My cousin is going to drive over to the rabbits home tomorrow and see if they are there. I'll take the rabbits off them if they have left them. :censored:

I hope that goes well for the buns.
 
I think you should offer to rehome it, well done for taking care of it whilst they have left it
 
Yeah i agree.

Me too! It's totally unacceptable to treat any bun in the way this one & the ones Charlie82 talks about is / are being treated. I'm afraid I'd have no qualms phoning the rspca if they didn't look after them properly - no matter how much trouble it might cause me. They need to realise the responsibilities that come with having a pet. Good luck hun & let us know how you go on xx
 
I know how you feel, its a difficult situation to deal with. I went through the same sort of thing with a guy i worked with, he had a rabbit which was his little boys and the family didn't look after him at all and i offered to rehome him but they just wouldn't give him up even though they clearly couldn't care less about him or take him to the vets for his health problems. This went on for a few months and after the rabbit (archie) having a stay at my house i just couldn't give him back to live that life so after pleading and explaining how much the vet costs for his teeth could be they finally gave him to me :D I'm getting him well so that he can be paired with a nice lady bun and be given the great home he deserves :love:Wish u luck and hope the owners do the right thing for the bun :)
 
Thank you for all the support. I am still waiting for them to come back so I can ask them. I am practising my speech now :roll: - well if i don't i will say something stupid. We are a very close neighbourhood and we all get on well - I wouldn't want to cause friction. They could also cause me some problems at work too so i need tread very carefully.
 
it is difficult isn't it? I "found" a little bun on a recent walk (not far from my home) living in a tiny, tiny hutch with a sore eye. I couldn't get an answer at the door so spoke to the next door neighbour who said they'd got it for Christmas and it was being treated by a vet. I told then neighbour the hutch was too small and didn't have enough hay in in the hope she'd speak to the neighbour (she also knows the vet apparently as it's a friend of her's). This poor little bun was in a front garden exposed to the elements. I have left my name and number with the neighbour and asked her to pass on to the owners and if they want me to take the rabbit have told her i will. I don't expect to hear from them but will be re-visiting over the weekend to see if any change.
It had food and water and the owners, apparently, have had rabbits before. I will try again to speak to the owners by perhaps asking if they need any help. Good luck to everyone who is trying to help - I do know how difficult it is
 
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