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Next door have a bunny

rachylou

Warren Veteran
Oh dear!!
Saw them bringing in a small hutch and unload a little bunny!!
What if they don't vaccinate it? Jack won't be able to go over and play 😞
 
Are you on good enough terms to be able to drop a friendly hint that he needs to be vaccinated? I'm not sure if it's true or not, but you could point out that with another rabbit in the area, their bunny will be at increased risk of getting something if it's not properly vaccinated?

Could you also "be friendly and helpful" and drop lots of hints? "Oh, come and see our set-up if you're ever looking for inspiration! I really recommend X,Y,Z hay/food, feel free to help yourself to X from the garden, I know bunnies can really enjoy it" kind of thing?

Fingers crossed!
 
They have only recently moved in, I have spoken to the husband about 4 times but will drop a friendly hint next time I speak to him and ask what vets they will be using and say we have a great vet and that I recommend vaccinating as would hate for a anything to happen to their bunny. I'm wondering if I could write them a note?!
 
I'm wondering if I could write them a note?!

How about a "welcome to your new home bunny" card? (If you don't mind splashing out a pound!) You could just put in a "Do ask if you have any questions, always happy to help, and can provide info on a really good vet" kind of message - I think a card would be more friendly and non-judgmental than a note could potentially be (which sounds like I'm accusing you of being judgmental - I promise I'm not! I just know how hard tone can be to get right with people you aren't friendly with. Like this.). I think they will probably appreciate any offers of advice though - I know we would have! Just beware of being overrun with questions :D
 
Are your own buns vaccinated? if they are you shouldn't need to worry if your son goes over to play.

If it was me, I'd probably not say anything for fear of it coming over the wrong way. I wouldn't do a note for the same reason really, in case they thought I was interfering (not saying you are, but it might appear that way). But if you find you get chatting in general or the children play together, you might have an opportunity to have a chat about rabbits x
 
Your bunnies are vaccinated, so they will be fine. Keep repeating that to yourself when you start worrying about it.

It would be great if you could give them some friendly advice on vaccinating their bunny, but do it gently to avoid offending them. And remember - even if they choose not to, their bunny is no risk to yours, because yours are vaccinated.
 
Thankyou Nessar, I will keep telling myself that!

I have printed off some information about VHD2 and bought the rabbit care booklet Lagamophlion recommended.
I have blank card with a bunny on it and I'm just wondering what I can write which doesn't sound bad, Dan keeps saying 'great so now I'm going to have to go over and apologise for you being pushy and rude'
I said I'm not being rude I am offering friendly advise.
 
Something like (but in your own words)

Just a little card to welcome you & the rabbits to the neighbourhood. We have 2 rabbits so it would be good to swap stories and experiences some time. If you need advice about good rabbit vets, hay suppliers etc let me know. I've enclosed a bit of info about bunnies you might find useful, vhd2 is quite scary as it has been taking lots of domestic bunnies & not all vets & owners know you can vaccinate now

sign off

I think you need to be careful about not implying their bunny care is inferior, even if it is . Good luck
 
I think what J&B has suggested is good.
The book is quite extensive so if I were you, I'd make sure the RHD2 information is no more than A4 size. Any more than that may come across as pushy x


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I'm probably going against the tide, but I would be mortified if someone put something through my door about my pets. If you can have a conversation about them, where you naturally manage to give information, eg. good vets, vaccinations etc, then that would probably work really well. But a note just sounds like you think they aren't very good rabbit owners, to me, whatever the very best of intentions and careful wording.
 
I really like what Joey&Boo has suggested, especially the welcoming them into the neighbourhood!
In addition, saying something along the lines of 'this helped me a lot when I first got rabbits' will hopefully eradicate any feelings of inferiority on their side.
 
I'm probably going against the tide, but I would be mortified if someone put something through my door about my pets. If you can have a conversation about them, where you naturally manage to give information, eg. good vets, vaccinations etc, then that would probably work really well. But a note just sounds like you think they aren't very good rabbit owners, to me, whatever the very best of intentions and careful wording.

I would be mortified too...

If you're determined to write a note, I'd suggest you write down the details for your rabbit vet, and say it's "as promised - sorry it took so long to get to you. Hope you (and bun) are settling in ok, and if you need any rabbit advice, you know where to find me". When you next speak to them, say you have a really great rabbit book if they'd like to borrow it.
 
I would be mortified too...

If you're determined to write a note, I'd suggest you write down the details for your rabbit vet, and say it's "as promised - sorry it took so long to get to you. Hope you (and bun) are settling in ok, and if you need any rabbit advice, you know where to find me". When you next speak to them, say you have a really great rabbit book if they'd like to borrow it.
Oooooo! I love this idea!

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Yeah, I'm still in the, don't do it, camp as per my last post. Whilst J&B has come up with something really good, I just can't imagine it going down as intended. I don't think I'd like it, if I was the recipient of the note. I still think it's probably better to let a face to face conversation happen naturally about the rabbits.

Have you managed to resolve your worries about them possibly not being vaccinated, Rachylou? As that was what prompted your concern.

If the buns not being neglected, I think I'd be inclined to leave them to it or go with something like MiniC has suggested x
 
Can Iadd my two pennyworth?
Maybe take the view that you don't assume they know nothing, (though they probably/possibly/definately don't,). so with the booklet, something like, "you probably/possibly know all about this already, but just in case you don't, I found this info really helpful......."
 
My grandmother lived in Italy and had rabbits; they had a rabbit village I would say: every 2nd house had these fluffy babies. As kids we played with them, the rabbits met and played and no one cared about any vaccination that time :D. I miss it, I would love to live in Italian village in some isolated but beautiful house like this one in Tuscany https://tranio.com/italy/adt/1677704/ , to take care of my house, farm, garden and wait for the grandchildren to visit :wave:
 
I would strike up a friendly conversation with them praising them how well their bunny looked...then ask them if they heard about the vhd2 epidemic in the area and how terrible it is to bunnies and state that to protect your own you are having them vaccinated in the coming week..then ask if theirs was vaccinated yet...subtle without being pushy
 
I agree with the ''don't do it'' group.

I would also be devastated and mortified if say when I got Luna (having never had a cat) I got a card or a letter through my door with information about cats and their care from a neighbor. I would immediately assume it was extremely cheeky and insulting, even if it wasn't meant that way.

Do you get rabbiting on? What about if you see them just be friendly and say ''Oh I've got some rabbit magazines I don't need any more would the kids like them to read?''

Id find that more approachable and acceptable :) because then it seems like you're doing something nice for the kids.
 
I wouldnt put a note through. If you bump into them outside the house you could try to start a conversation about rabbits "I saw that you have got a rabbot, how is he settling in? I love rabbits ive keot them for xxx years etc etc "
 
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