What would you do?

I just found out from my OH that his ex wife has bought her 6 year old twins two bunnies. Apparently my OH's son (almost 13) knows how to look after them because of my bunnies and the things I post about them on fb. So he is the one who is mainly looking after them. This is all I know.

I'm so worried. I'm guessing by the names they are boys and I also guess they are babies so I'm assuming they are brothers. They have hardly any money to take care of themselves as it is and they also have a cat who I think has attacked one of the bunnies going by my step son's fb status. Therefore I can't imagine they will be vaccinated or neutered and I also doubt they have suitable housing. I don't know if they're indoors or outdoors, what they're fed on or anything else like that.

I don't know what to do. My OH and I aren't married, don't even live together and the twins aren't even his children. Just the 12 year old who is apparently looking after them. So this is probably none of my my business but I'm worried about the bunnies and feel guilty that they've probably seen cute fluffy bunnies on my fb and impulse bought them, even though I like and share many rabbit welfare stuff about how to properly care for bunnies and their unsuitability for children's pets.

I don't know what to do. Do I keep my nose out and hope for the best or barge in with advice and hope for the best?


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You could comment on the pics of 'cute Bunnies' and say that if they need any help/tips about looking after them they can always contact you. You would love to be of help to them to enable them to be great Bunny Care Givers xx

Yes that's a good idea! I have some vouchers for bunny food too, so I could offer those to see what kind of food they use. The vouchers are for SS pellets, I feed mine Excel pellets so no use to me.


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I've recommended coming on RU before now when I know people have got rabbits. I noticed another mum from school had put pics of new baby bunnies on FB, I commented how cute they were and told her for any help, tips and advice I found RU invaluable. She thanked me for the thumbs up and said she would take a look. Hopefully this helped to educate (fingers crossed)

I've given people RWAF and RSPCA leaflets before now.
My "success" story is getting someone at work to encourage her sister to go to the RSPCA and re-home
This is too late for your ex and the complications of the relationship do not help, but you have had some good advice.

Jack's-Jane said:

You could comment on the pics of 'cute Bunnies' and say that if they need any help/tips about looking after them they can always contact you. You would love to be of help to them to enable them to be great Bunny Care Givers xx

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Janes advice is spot on.

I assume your Oh son comes to yours - could you occasionally maybe send him home with 'spare hay' just to find out if the bunnies are getting plenty of it to eat.

Im sure they won't be treated as badly as my stepgrandsons rabbit. They got him as a house rabbit Christmas 2010 and by February he was stuck in a hutch outside as he kept weeing everwhere and they got a dog. I wanted to give them the money to get him neutered but OH said they would spend it on something else. To cut a very long story short poor Charlie was pts last year with 'stomach problems'. I found out from my other stepson that they couldn't afford rabbit food so fed him dog biscuits.:evil:

Unfortunately they live in Cornwall, we're in Essex, so only see them a couple of times a year so my attempts to educate were very ineffective.

Although on the whole i have a good relationship with my stepsons and their families this particular one iswith money. They certainly shouldn't have pets. Fortunately they didn't replace poor Charlie.

At least you can educate these twins via their big brother.

I agree with Jane. I wouldn't get too involved at the risk of them telling you to mind your own business and then switching off to everything you've got to say. The voucher thing would be a lovely thing to do especially as SS is now sold in P@H :wave:

Yes he does, in school holidays as they all live down in Newbury. But I will do what I can to help them. Perhaps I'm wrong and there's nothing to worry about, I just don't want them to be unhappy and have to stand by and wAtch.

I'm sorry about Charlie, poor bunny I'm sure it could have been avoided, but hopefully he is happy in bunny heaven now

youthnovels said:

I agree with Jane. I wouldn't get too involved at the risk of them telling you to mind your own business and then switching off to everything you've got to say. The voucher thing would be a lovely thing to do especially as SS is now sold in P@H :wave:

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Yes I don't want that to happen which is why I haven't mentioned my concerns to my OH. I want to do what I can without coming across as the evil step mother type.


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Thank you everyone I've been talking to them on fb and they're eating excel pellets and are going to be neutered after I said what would happen if they weren't. I also said they need tons of hay constantly and ask me anything they want to know as if I don't know the answer, I know someone on here will do!

I've left it at that. That's enough for one day!


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You could make your OH's son a 'Bunny Pack'. Fill it with some healthy treats like the Burns Dried Forage and Fenugreek Crunchies and maybe one of those selection packs of different hays and bunny toys yours don't use. And then put some leaflets in from the RSPCA or RWAF on care etc.

I got my first rabbit at 11 and I was solely responsible for his care. My parents made sure I cleaned him and fed him etc, but I did everything. It was before the internet and I got all sorts of bunny books and read up everything. I would have loved something like that if it was given to me. :wave:

If there is anyway to close this thread (so they don't see it), you could comment on fb about this forum then they (the parents) could read up themselves?