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Accused of 'starving' my rabbits, because they come to the front of the cage :S

DemiS

Warren Veteran
I'm sick to death of my grandma accusing me of being cruel 'starving' the rabbits, just because they go to the front of the hutch when someone goes near, and because they take food off her just before they're due their tea anyway :evil: They get unlimited hay, veg a few times a week and quite a lot more than the reccomended 'eggcup of pellets', they aren't starving! I can even offer them their favourite treats and most of the time they're full and just ignore them. They're all friendly rabbits, and follow me around, of course they're going to come up when I go near their hutch

I don't know how she has the cheek when she's had a rabbit who did the same, the rabbit which has been 'boarding' with me for the last 5 months (And in that time has gone from an aggressive little ****** who would lock onto the skin of anyone who went near to one of my friendliest rabbits)!

I'm so angry :evil: Is there anything I can say that might change her mind? :roll: I don't appreciate being called cruel, especially by a family member who should know how much I love rabbits
 
It just shows that they ARE fed.
Why would a rabbit run over for food if they hadn't learnt that they GET food?
:roll:
 
I know the feeling. :roll: My sister thinks i'm not feeding the babies enough, baring in mind they're small and have unlimited hay.
 
aww im not sure what to say but if it is your thriantas, mine does that too, when anyone goes by she squishes herself so close to the front so she can be seen and practically rips your hand off when you give her food! she gets fed regularly (as if i could ever forget her) and loves her food.

My brother once accused me of starving my cat becasue she is really tiny and skinny, he soon found out what a fussy cat she is when he looked after her when I went on holiday and saw that she only eats a tiny bit of food anyway.

Your grandma perhaps doesn't mean it, she might just be joking (not a nice joke, i know) .... my brother didn't mean it but i know it is not nice when someone says it. it got me paranoid about letting the cat out for a bit in case someone thought i wasn't looking after her.
 
The way Sox acts when I go near his hutch its as if he never gets fed. He jumps into the bowl before I get it into the hutch and looks like he's going to eat my whole arm off. its how I know if something's wrong with him; if he doesn't jump up I worry.
 
She isn't joking, she truely thinks I'm starving them

With my bonded pair (also the friendliest so the ones who really frantically run up to the front of the cage), they snatch food out of your hand too before the other gets to it, doesn't look good :roll:

She gives them a whole bowl full everytime too which just completely messes up my feeding schedule, and messes with her 'former' rabbits stomach because if she has a lot of pellets she produces loads of squashy poo's which end up all stuck to her
 
I think it depends: is she genuinely concerned for the rabbits - in which case next time they have jabs get the vet and vet nurse to comment specifically on their weight so you can quote it back to her - or is she merely using this as an indirect way of attacking you? If it's the latter I'd tackle her about why and say it's obvious it's not really about the rabbits and their weight is fine (cue vet quote) so what's the real problem? :?
 
The way Sox acts when I go near his hutch its as if he never gets fed. He jumps into the bowl before I get it into the hutch and looks like he's going to eat my whole arm off. its how I know if something's wrong with him; if he doesn't jump up I worry.

I know what you mean, to any non-rabbit person watching they'd think the poor things had never seen food, I can't get the bowl in the hutch without them climbing all over me and knocking it over
 
I think it depends: is she genuinely concerned for the rabbits - in which case next time they have jabs get the vet and vet nurse to comment specifically on their weight so you can quote it back to her - or is she merely using this as an indirect way of attacking you? If it's the latter I'd tackle her about why and say it's obvious it's not really about the rabbits and their weight is fine (cue vet quote) so what's the real problem? :?

I'm not sure really, to me it just seems she's mistaking attention seeking buns for ones starving and frantically trying to get to food. I think someone on here said a while ago rabbits are like children, they can be full up on the savoury stuff but if they think they can get sweets they'll act starving to get them.

The vet thing is a good idea, if they're a good weight I can't possibly be starving them
 
I'm not sure really, to me it just seems she's mistaking attention seeking buns for ones starving and frantically trying to get to food. I think someone on here said a while ago rabbits are like children, they can be full up on the savoury stuff but if they think they can get sweets they'll act starving to get them.

The vet thing is a good idea, if they're a good weight I can't possibly be starving them

You could take it further and get him/her to warn you against feeding them any extra as it would jeopardise their health! ;)
 
You could take it further and get him/her to warn you against feeding them any extra as it would jeopardise their health! ;)

Haha definately! :lol:

My rabbits are often infront of vets, welfare officers, breeders and judges and no one's commented on them being starving or unhealthy
 
She gives them a whole bowl full everytime too which just completely messes up my feeding schedule,

My boyfriend does this and I have to stop him feeding my rabbits. He says "oh ruby's hungry so i have filled her whole bowl up again as it was empty" I then have to tell him off as she will eat it all and even though there is more food, she still doesn't share it with Reggie.
 
My friend came round and said the rabbits pellet bowl was empty, they need some more, I said good it should be empty and they don't need more until their evening feed later, she then said no they should have an unlimited supply, I said no I know what theire diet is and showed her leaflets etc where it said pellets are bad for them if given too much, I left the shed for a minute and came back and she'd helped herself to filling their bowl up full, and the bowl is huge and was just about to give it to the rabbits!! I told her I'd just told her and showed her their diet and that could've been dangerous for them eating loads of excel pellets they wouldn't normally recieve and was really annoyed that she had the cheek to start filling their bowl up herself despite what I'd said!! She hasn't been round since :roll:
 
Oh you poor thing!! :(

I know it's hard but try and ignore her. It's obvious to anyone who has food-centric buns that they're coming in for treats, mine used to periscope like mad if they saw anyone with food! :D
 
It must be really difficult as she probably just doesn't understand that pellets are not good for bunnies it they have too much. So many people don't understand how rabbits act, unless they have a pet who does the same thing. I've known cats to miow for food after they have just been fed! My pebbles actually bit my finger today as he thought I had a fenugreek crunchy, and he made my neighbours kid laugh when he started tugging at my skirt for food :shock: he literally tries to climb my legs now.
 
She probably just doesn't understand - mine will both act as though they're starving all the time if they think there's the slightest chance of getting any more food out of me. :roll::lol:
 
Honestly....the way mine act you'd think I never fed them. Personally I'd tell her to keep her opinions to herself and jog on. But that's just me......and I'm not great at diplomacy :wave::wave:
 
My mums the same:roll:

My new girl Willow is in our living room, the others are in the animal room but when ever we go to her she goes to the cage like rabbits do, wanting attention, wanting to come out and play, wanting a few tasty noms.

My mum thinks shes straved, says I'm not feeding her enough and even has given her food without telling me, I woke up to find she gave her the wrong pellets (ones left over from her old house, I was weaning her over to excel and she was completely on them now) and then I even went in once and she gave her some lettuce and halfr a stalk of celery, she could of choked on the celery. :roll:

The thing is shes not underfed, shes only 10weeks since yesterday, shes a flemish giant so has alot of growing to do, she has unlimited medow hay, some burgess excel bark with timothy hay, and during the day her bowl is full of pellets about 90% of the time.

It sickens me..
 
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