Shocked, appalled, LIVID, upset

Just went shopping and had to come home I got in such a state.

There was a man at the market who had four little baby bunnies there. (I saw them on Saturday...no hay, no shelter.)

I took him some hay...asked how old they were and tried to give him some pointers.

The rabbits were 5 weeks old Their mum, not with them, is about to give birth again...and has done for the whole of her life.

I politely tried to educate him that it really wasn't healthy for rabbits to be bred every month, and what the natural diet was...

He called me a lot of rude names, and that he's been keeping rabbits for over 75 years....so what's a "silly" little girl on her high horse going to teach him that he doesn't already know.

He doesn't feed them hay or pellets....just cabbage. He had the cheek to tell me that my 80/10/10 diet was bad for my buns health! :evil:

So I might have lost it a little bit :angel: and told him just how full of **** he was, and that it doesn't matter how long he's kept rabbits, because he was keeping them wrong. I also might have called him a ******* imbecile!


I tried to carry on by going to M&S, but was in such a state that I had to go home.

I've called the RSPCA, but I honestly don't think they're going to do much. They have no guidelines about overbreeding, or selling babies too young. They can't do much about how he feeds them, and I'm guessing they can only...if anything...give him a warning about how they're kept.:evil::evil::evil:

I'm so upset...those poor babies.

Thats disgusting

Those poor bunnies.

I'm so sorry you had to see that Ali, but well done for sticking up for the bunsters.

Surely its against the law to sell livestock on public markets? :?

GrahamL said:

Thats disgusting

Those poor bunnies.

I'm so sorry you had to see that Ali, but well done for sticking up for the bunsters.

Surely its against the law to sell livestock on public markets? :?

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I just want to take them all home with me!

Can I go throw eggs at him please?!

RubyTed said:

I just want to take them all home with me!

Can I go throw eggs at him please?!

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No. But Bricks would be a more viable option.

I'm appalled this kind of thing is occuring.

Actually, the RSPCA should be able to do something about how young the kits are that he is selling. The law states an animal must NOT be sold before weaning age, unless the mother is to go with them.

I agree the RSPCA SHOULD do something as Kits are being sold underage. Plus the living situation at the moment is not ideal they should act.

Well done for sticking up for the bunnies!!!

Guy said:

Actually, the RSPCA should be able to do something about how young the kits are that he is selling. The law states an animal must NOT be sold before weaning age, unless the mother is to go with them.

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They're technically of weaning age. Even pets@home don't sell buns before they're 8 weeks!!

This is by no means of an excuse for such a horrible man but, unfortunately there are and always will be such people. Sad to say, they just don't care.

Meanwhile there are people such as yourself who are upset by the plight of such poor little bunnies, and will constantly strive to improve their welfare.

You did your best in voicing your opinion. Sometimes you may as well speak in a foreign language for all the good it does.

BUT WE ALL TRY AND SHOULD KEEP ON TRYING.

Life can be very cruel and unbalanced at times.

Try to focus on the good that happens in the world and of course, especially on this wonderful forum !!!

I hope you feel a little brighter later.

RubyTed said:

Just went shopping and had to come home I got in such a state.

There was a man at the market who had four little baby bunnies there. (I saw them on Saturday...no hay, no shelter.)

I took him some hay...asked how old they were and tried to give him some pointers.

The rabbits were 5 weeks old Their mum, not with them, is about to give birth again...and has done for the whole of her life.

I politely tried to educate him that it really wasn't healthy for rabbits to be bred every month, and what the natural diet was...

He called me a lot of rude names, and that he's been keeping rabbits for over 75 years....so what's a "silly" little girl on her high horse going to teach him that he doesn't already know.

He doesn't feed them hay or pellets....just cabbage. He had the cheek to tell me that my 80/10/10 diet was bad for my buns health! :evil:

So I might have lost it a little bit :angel: and told him just how full of **** he was, and that it doesn't matter how long he's kept rabbits, because he was keeping them wrong. I also might have called him a ******* imbecile!


I tried to carry on by going to M&S, but was in such a state that I had to go home.

I've called the RSPCA, but I honestly don't think they're going to do much. They have no guidelines about overbreeding, or selling babies too young. They can't do much about how he feeds them, and I'm guessing they can only...if anything...give him a warning about how they're kept.:evil::evil::evil:

I'm so upset...those poor babies.

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Does he need a license to sell things at the market? If yes, then find out who gives him the license and complain about him being rude to you and selling animals that are too young. I would have been fuming, too.

RubyTed said:

They're technically of weaning age. Even pets@home don't sell buns before they're 8 weeks!!

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Sorry but at 5 weeks old no bun is "technically of weaning age". At the very least six weeks, but then 8 weeks is considered the minimum.

Mrs. Bunnykins said:

This is by no means of an excuse for such a horrible man but, unfortunately there are and always will be such people. Sad to say, they just don't care.

Meanwhile there are people such as yourself who are upset by the plight of such poor little bunnies, and will constantly strive to improve their welfare.

You did your best in voicing your opinion. Sometimes you may as well speak in a foreign language for all the good it does.

BUT WE ALL TRY AND SHOULD KEEP ON TRYING.

Life can be very cruel and unbalanced at times.

Try to focus on the good that happens in the world and of course, especially on this wonderful forum !!!

I hope you feel a little brighter later.

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I totally agree with this and i think are wonderful to try and re-educate the thick ****.

Bavarian Bunny bring up a very good point of complaining to the people who licence him and explain how he is rude and being cruel to the kits.

I hope you feel better soon too xxxx

Guy said:

Sorry but at 5 weeks old no bun is "technically of weaning age". At the very least six weeks, but then 8 weeks is considered the minimum.

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But they will have weaned themselves from milk to solids at that age. It by no way means that they should be away from mum!!!

Bavarian Bunny said:

Does he need a license to sell things at the market? If yes, then find out who gives him the license and complain about him being rude to you and selling animals that are too young. I would have been fuming, too.

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I'll find out.

I wish I had a cooperative family to go and get them out of that hell. If they don't sell then I bet they'll be used as breeding machines for their whole life! :evil:

They will be eating solids but still very much having a nightly feed of milk off the doe.

RubyTed said:

But they will have weaned themselves from milk to solids at that age. It by no way means that they should be away from mum!!!

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Are they sold as pets or for meat?

Bavarian Bunny said:

Are they sold as pets or for meat?

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Pets. They're teenie little lionheads.

The stallholder sells eggs, and usually has chickens in that cage, but they've been replaced with this litter.

I don't think the chickens were ever for sale though....

:evil:

Hi all,

I think the lady was very brave and tried her very best in that situation. But, have to say, I dont always think RSPCA are always the best port of call unfortunately. (please dont yell....just my opinion)

I bought a lop from a pet shop in Castleford, we had been thinking about a bunny for a long time, reading up on things and general research. I only went into the shop for some rattie food and there was this little bun. The staff didnt seem to know alot about him, told me he was just 5 wks old!!! And they had had him for about a week. Couldnt leave him there...so took him. Staff told me NOT to feed him any veg, just the rabbit mix that they sell. I pointed out rabbits need veg and hay, afterall, you dont see rabbits on grass verges eating bowls of rabbit mix. But they were adamant.

Anyway, 24 hours later I was at my Vets and he was advising that Little Snow be pts, he was in GI and it was a diect result of poor care and being away from his mum. The poor babe was in so much pain, grinding his little teeth and crying. But, I insisted we try anything. And so we did and 3 weeks later we had a different bun!

I contacted the shop, sent letters, and got no-where. Was told I didnt know anything and their staff were fully trained. So, contacted the RSPCA and local Council.

After their visit they rang me to say, he was such a lovely man and his cages were so clean, no poops! Of course not, more poor victims! The RSPCA lady told me shed given them a care-sheet to photocopy and give out with each rabbit sold. And thats it. I felt like I had banged my head on a brickwall!!

We did lose Little Snow, to GI. Vet warned us this was a very big possibillity.
We had him for a very short 16 weeks. But Im so grateful I had him for that time and I know he had the best life he could have in those few weeks.

People think rabbits are expendable as they are so available. And people think they are an ideal pet for kids....which thay are not. NO pets are ideal for kids. A pet, should be a family pet.

Sorry for rant.

Hugs for the very brave lady xx

Rach

I'm so sorry about poor little Snow.

I agree that the RSPCA will do sod all when it comes to rabbits, but it was either them or the police...and I don't think they'd have taken kindly to me! .

To pick on my age being a factor for good rabbit care was completely and utterly absurd. Whether you've kept rabbits one year or 100 years...it doesn't matter!! If you're doing it wrong then no amount of time is going to change that, without you doing something about it!

I'm just about to give my poor mistreated bunnies a top up of meadow hay. I wish I could do the same for those poor babies