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Why ??

Jack's-Jane

Wise Old Thumper
Why is it that Rabbits kept by people who dont give a stuff, keep them in poxy hutches stacked one on top of another, dont vaccinate or neuter, feed a **** diet, never get any exercise but still the Rabbits remain relatively healthy.

Then you get people who do EVERYTHING by the book and would spend their last pound on their Rabbits, yet said Rabbits fall victim to a variety of illnesses, often cutting short their lives


If there is a God he/she has a bloody warped sense of humour
 
It's a bit like the people who smoke and drink heavily and live to a ripe old age I guess. :? But I suspect the rabbits whose owners defy the rules of humane husbandry and still survive tend to be the exceptions - the rest just "disappear" quietly having lived short and unhappy lives. :cry:
 
It's a bit like the people who smoke and drink heavily and live to a ripe old age I guess. :? But I suspect the rabbits whose owners defy the rules of humane husbandry and still survive tend to be the exceptions - the rest just "disappear" quietly having lived short and unhappy lives. :cry:

Yes I agree that this is the more likely scenario :cry:
 
It's a bit like the people who smoke and drink heavily and live to a ripe old age I guess. :? But I suspect the rabbits whose owners defy the rules of humane husbandry and still survive tend to be the exceptions - the rest just "disappear" quietly having lived short and unhappy lives. :cry:

Completely agree with this.
 
I always wondered this when i was younger.

I used to have hamsters, loved them, cared for them, took them to the vets, they never lived a year (well.... I only had two, it was too heartbreaking to carry on).

My friends had them, never got them out, cleaned them not nearly enough, their little furries lived for about 3 years.

I now try to look at it 'fate brought me this particular poorly animal becuase it needed extra help'. The only way to put a positive spin on it :)
 
This is what I said to Lisa about Locksley, and I really believe it:

It's like everybun has a happiness quota, like every single bun in the world is allowed 300 days of happiness. Many buns will never get up to that much Some buns, like your cousins', haven't had their quota yet, so the big guy upstairs lets them carry on living, hoping one day they get their full quota.

But Locksley was such a lucky boy he got all his happiness quota early, so God took him. And if God had let Locksley keep living over his quota, he would have started using up other bunny's quotas. Or, God would have had to stop Locksley being happy, and had to make him poorly or something to make him not use up any more happiness. And you wouldn't have wanted either of those things.

Plus, God has seen how good you are at filling bunny's quotas, so he wanted to make sure you had room in your life for another bunny who needs to make up his quota.

I also think that's why mowgli had his problems, like with his eyes. God could see that mowgli was gonna get to his quota too quickly because he was so happy with you, but he wanted to give you extra time with him, so he made mowgli's eyes sore so he used up his quota less quickly.
 
I was having this exact conversation with my daughter at the weekend.We had rabbits when they were young with no tooth problems or stasis etc. Now my buns are so looked after and a couple of them are costing a fortune with dentals. It does make me wonder if its to do with breeding as my mini lops seem to be prone. Where as when I had them years ago they were pet shop buns that were x breed and perhaps tougher. I don't know, would be interested
to know the answer. Also I never had them vaccinated as it was not discussed much then and had no problems. Now I have them vaccinated every 6 months and 2 of my buns over the last couple of years have caught myxi in spite of being up to date. Luckily they survived after treatment but still upsetting.
 
I think a lot of the time people think their pet lived a long and happy life but in reality it may have died in pain from not eating for a few days because the person who owned it did not know the signs of dental problems (for example). The owner would think bunny died at 6 of old age, but with a more knowledgable owner maybe bunny would have died at 9. If you see what I mean.
Sometimes, with some people it's just ignorance (not because they're cruel, just they haven't learned) that makes things seem a certain way.
 
I've often wondered this too.

I think basically the poor animals have to toughen up or they just die. Just because they are 'surviving' does not mean they are healthy or enjoying life. It's because you look after them you are constantly at the vets with yours ( does that make sence? :?:lol:)
 
mine are not (yet) in the best housing, and non are vac'd, okay they are neuted (2 to go)

yet NONE have been seriously ill!

had one with a sore lip from a fight, 1 who had snuffles before we got it, but thats it!

then obv Matilda with her incontinace from having Gracie, and then Gracies missing ear from Matilda

but none of my buns have been ILL ill!!
 
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I would never ever not vaccinate my buns, i think thats a huge risk to take :?

I think some people are just luckier than others, I have had buns live long healthy lives and other that have died far too young, its just life. I would rather by buns had shorter happir lives than long lives stuck in small accomodation and miserable.

Having recently lost Dreamer I'm glad he had the life he did, i know I looked after him well, was responsible and vaccinated him and gave him the space he needed for his personality, he really enjoyed himself everyday, running and leaping around, being cheeky and giving me wonderful memories of a very happy little bunny. I can't ever imagine him cooped up in a little hutch, he just would not have been the same bunny and I'm sure he would have died earlier than he did.

Its quality not quantity and the knowledge that you did everything you can to protect your bun and give them a good quality of life.
 
I almost lost Mischa at 1 due to my own stupidity and caused Mini great pain due to my own stupidity so no I wouldn't agree with that view.
 
I would never ever not vaccinate my buns, i think thats a huge risk to take :?

I think some people are just luckier than others, I have had buns live long healthy lives and other that have died far too young, its just life. I would rather by buns had shorter happir lives than long lives stuck in small accomodation and miserable.

Having recently lost Dreamer I'm glad he had the life he did, i know I looked after him well, was responsible and vaccinated him and gave him the space he needed for his personality, he really enjoyed himself everyday, running and leaping around, being cheeky and giving me wonderful memories of a very happy little bunny. I can't ever imagine him cooped up in a little hutch, he just would not have been the same bunny and I'm sure he would have died earlier than he did.

Its quality not quantity and the knowledge that you did everything you can to protect your bun and give them a good quality of life.


:thumb: great post x
 
I wonder about this too.

Especially with Nancy and Cutie-pie. Both rescued from dire conditions exactly as you described. Nancy, didn't live to be as old as she should have. :( But for 2 and a half years was healthy with me. I will never know what was really wrong with her in the end. Bad judgement on my behalf with the vet I used.:(

Cutie-pie was 5 and from the same conditions, as far as the rescue knows, never had hay, only oats. She was underweight but other than that no known health problems. She has thrived, in fact I better watch she doesn't get podgy now. Did need a dental when spayed. Thankfully not come back yet.

But yes, 5 years in dire conditions. How she survived or put up with it, is very sad. But she is a happy girl now.
 
It is frustrating.
I do agree with others that there's a element of these poor hutch rabbits being seen as disposable and being left to live or die and be replaced rather than taken to the vets when health issues arise so they don't get the chance to be poorly for long if you catch my drift. However, I have no doubt whatsoever that a rabbit would choose a shorter but happier life with a loving owner, even if s/he had some health issues, over a long life in a tiny hutch with no exercise, companionship and stimulation xx
 
i was putting a post a few weeks/months ago too:(

my mums always saying i have no luck with my cats or buns.....she said its the rescue ones...theyre always faulty/sick:shock:

her oldest son had a rabbit live till it was 5 or 6...never saw a vet in its life..was never a sufferer of sticky bum etc.......never ill. Its the same with their guinea pigs!

and me....i am unlucky yes...but as that woman outside the vets when we took oscars body to the vets in 2006

these dearly loved pets come to us....we like to think we chose them...but we didnt. When that pet has known true love and a happy life.....they have to pass on because another animal has a greater need for our help..home and loving care.


but it doesnt stop you feeling frustrated:oops::(
 
The thing is the owners who couldn't care less so outnumber the owners that care that a few of their rabbits are bound to confound expectations and live long relatively healthy lives. Most of them, millions sadly, do die young of many many problems that go untreated, but of course the ones that defy the odds are the ones we hear about.
 
I think a lot of owners don't KNOW rather than don't CARE. I didn't know that rabbits need a constant temp and not to be in and out, I didn't know wood shavings were bad for them, I didn't know that rabbits don't like to be held and can flip out of your arms, I didn't know they needed to eat hay. And IMO it's partly the owner's fault and partly the pet shops fault.
 
loved bunnies feel safe enough to get ill and die in the paradise we create for them, neglected bunnies hang on hoping for something better or are too scared to let go, thats what i reakon anyhows.

plus ofcourse the people who are dedicated to bunnies get the sick ones because they need us more than the healthy ones do :wave:
 
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