• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Shocked at Pet Plan's 'advice' on rabbit care

Bunny Buddy

Wise Old Thumper
This morning I've just skimmed through 'Pet People' which Pet Plan sent me.

Re exercise P48

Your new rabbit is so small and vulnerable, you're anxious every time you let him out of his hutch. surely every cat, dog and fox in the neighbourhood will come calling? Isn't it safer not to let him loose?

Of course it can be nerve-racking to let your little pet roam the garden, but rabbits need to be active and stay healthy and enjoy their lives. This must start from a young age, or as soon as you get your rabbit. without exercise, they will become overweight and eventually obese, as well as bored and even depressed. "Quite simply, rabbits need to stand up and hop about, " says Inga. "If you are worried about predators, start off by supervising your rabbit's play outside".

Alternatively build a secure outdoor run that's high enough for him to stand in and big enough for him to stretch and hop about - a minimum of 8ft is recommended. And locking your rabbit into his hutch by twilight will keep him safe from unwelcome visitors.


Seriously? a secure run only being an 'alternative' to unsupervised free range time??

On page 53 re "I only have one rabbit. A female. Do I still need to get her spayed?

...... if you only have one, you still need to get her spayed, as rabbits can become irritable when in season. their seasons can also be prolonged if they don't mate, which makes them harder to handle.....

Where to even start with this one :?


....re uterine cancer ..... The vet will confirm the condition through ultrasound and then perform a hysterectomy - essentially a much more complicated, expensive version of the routine spay....

It would have been so nice to see it highlighted that it's life threatening to risk uterine cancer rather than just 'complicated and expensive.'

Yesterday I read a Pet Plan article that said rabbits' teeth could be kept in check by clipping :? The article was supposedly about 'Anorexia' but only mentioned dental issues - giving the impression that anorexia is purely a dental problem.


Why even bother writing this stuff if they don't have good knowledge of the subject matter:cry: I'm so shocked that these articles are so poor when there's so much information out there now.
 
Last edited:
Jeez!!! :shock: what a load of twoddle!! :evil: :shock: I'm with petplan, if i have time I'll email them.
 
Jeez!!! :shock: what a load of twoddle!! :evil: :shock: I'm with petplan, if i have time I'll email them.

Quite. It bothers me that they are such a well respected organisation that if you didn't know the subject you'd expect what they write to be worth reading. Somebody somewhere will think that the can teach a rabbit to be safe during freerange time unsupervised and it will be okay if they lock them up at twilight. I just can't bear to think of the consequences of this information being put out there.:cry:
 
I noticed about the teeth clipping and the dental problem stuff too :( surely a massive company like that should be more careful and accurate in what they send out to their clients :? :(
 
Back
Top