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I am slightly concerned...possible sensitive issue!

Buuny_Friend

Mama Doe
I know we are all very focussed on helping rabbits the best we can...I certainly am. I am just a bit concerned that advice can sometimes come across as misleading or scary (I am guilty of this). It is beacuse we are all so passionate about buns.

The article that was published in the Independant for example (in another thread). It is a lazy article for sure and I cringed through the whole thing. The journalist should have researched thoroughly befoe writing this blase piece.

A lot of people are not educated enough and, I feel, a lot of the blame lies with Petshops. I think we should work with petshops rather than against them. I don't think that petshops will ever stop selling animals, not in the near future anyway. Some of them have got better but I would like to see them promoting neutering more etc.

I just feel that, sometimes, our advice (mine included!) can feel off putting. Obviuosly, we want to avoid people getting rabbits on a whim, of course!!! But there is a fine line between directing those people and putting genuine people off.

It's really annoying as I know what I mean but it doesn't sound the same on here as it does on my head. I REALLY am not having a go at ANYONE as I have the same goals as the rest of you and I think you are all some of the most amazing people in the world. I am just trying to think of as many ways as possible to try and help our poor furry friends.

Please don't slate me :(
 
I agree with you. If we could get pet shops to hand out tons of leaflets, books etc, and train their staff into proper care, it must do some good.
 
i know what you mean...if I had posted pics of my setup here when I first got rabbits, I would have been slated beyond belief and probably never come back and learnt as much as i had about rabbits....I'm not surprised that people sometimes get offended by advice here.
 
i know what you mean...if I had posted pics of my setup here when I first got rabbits, I would have been slated beyond belief and probably never come back and learnt as much as i had about rabbits....I'm not surprised that people sometimes get offended by advice here.

It's very difficult isn't it as we all just want to help so much but there really are people out there who are tyring to do the best thing but are just mis-informed to start with. When I got my 1st 2 rabbits, I did not know about spaying but I did get them vaccinated against myxi. They lived in my mum's shed in a 4ft hutch. That was about 11 years ago. I am still learning now as I think we will always be but feel I am a good bunny mum :)
 
I know what you mean, but I don't think offended is the right word~

I think moreso they just get a bit overwhelmed by what must feel like a brick wall of information hitting them at full speed - especially to new rabbit owners as much of it is in contradiction with what some vets and petshops are telling them. It's understandable though - on the face of it, are you going to immediatly trust the word of your vet who (you believe) has been fully trained in your bunny, or someone on the internet who you don't know and you have no evidence that they know what they're talking about. That's not a dig at anyone here, moreso on the contrary it's a compliment to the vast knowledge that exists on these boards :wave: It's just that sometimes it's a bit of a hard thing to have to adjust to, that your local vet who you trust with your rabbits life may not be that good at treating rabbits, and the petshops you bought your little one from may not have given you the right advice in the first place :?
 
I think it is naturally an emotionally charged issue. We all know that there are hundreds of rabbits out there in horrible conditions, suffering for no reason. And when we see someone who wants to change their ways, we pump them full of what they think is essential. I think a lot of us have our own personal issue we like to press. I think water bowls are a lot better than bottles (although there really is nothing wrong with a good functioning, often changed water bottle), and Jack's Jane is big on pain relief. It's definitely good that we all have our passions, but I can understand the idea of being overwhelmed.

I also agree 100% with getting pet shops to change. If people knew what they were getting into to start, they would probably A) not choose a rabbit as a pet, or B) take care of their rabbit correctly from the start with more realistic expectations.

I have been trying to get in touch with my local rescues to see if they would help me put together a class on rabbit education. Then, the class could be offered for free to pet stores to help educate their staff. We would also recommend books and give leaflets or handouts that they could, in turn, provide to potential rabbit owners to give them a good reference point. So far, the rescues aren't returning my call, so I want to head down there personally.

There really should be a law that all pet store employees MUST be educated on EVERY animal they sell, with a minimum requirement of class hours that they would be paid to take. Not sure how to get such a law in place, but that would certainly be ideal.

Sometimes I get so frustrated, because it feels like these dreams will never be realized. :? Maybe I'll be the first to get it done!

I aspire to be... HERO OF BUNNIES! :p

*sigh* :oops:
 
If I'm honest, I don't believe pet shops will ever change their ways because it's not in their interests to do so! They just want to make as much money as possible and the vast majority don't care where their pets end up.

I agree that there is a big problem with getting information over to people in a way that is helpful and is not going to overload them. I guess part of the problem is that as much as you can prepare for having a pet, you are never really ready to deal with some of the medical problems that come with them (I know I certainly wasn't when I first got the rabbits).
 
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