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anyone live in or near Nuneaton? long haired pet shop buns

honeybunny

Wise Old Thumper
I went into a pet shop in Nuneaton yesterday to pick up some feed and as always when in pet shops went to look at the pets on sale there. A lady was holding a small long haired bunny standing near a cage with approximately 10 young guineas and 6 baby rabbits in, :( . I was worried that so many animals were in a cage that size, as well as the fact that they had mixed buns and gps. I asked her how old the rabbit was and she said 7 weeks, I think I'm right in rabbits should stay with mum until 8 weeks. I said they're a bit young and she replied they're ok . I then looked at the ones in the cage 3 or 4 of the buns were long haired and already had shavings tangled in their fur. Trying to be diplomatic I said, " there's a lot in there" she then said she was just about to move the rabbits to a seperate cage and I said they need to be taken off the shavings as they have long fur. I dont think she knew why. :(
If anyone is near Nuneaton could you go in and see if they have been moved? I really wish pet shops would not sell any bunnies but especially long haired types.
 
It is so difficult isn't it - there is a shop near me that had two 'lionheads' in recently. They did have a lionhead mane but their fur was really thick and woolley, I don't think I have ever seen fur like it. I could see matts on them from outside their cages. Like you, I passed a few comments regarding how much care they will need and that it must be difficult to find owners to take on such fur but I was dismissed with being told that would need brushing weekly. Weekly?? I don't think so.
I have been in a couple of times since and they were still there.
 
:( Jill, I would still report them to the RSPCA on their hotline number. When I reported a petshop in Lichfield, they did go out and when I next visited the shop, I noticed that they had seperated the rabbits from the g/pigs. The cages were what I would class as unsuitable but as the RSPCA told me, there is only certain requirements for birds :( I think different areas have different licensing requirements :( Although they had only seperated g/pigs and rabbits it was a start in pushing for better welfare in some way :) I also think that the RSPCA dont agree with keeping g/pigs and rabbits together but could be wrong in this :?

I would explain to the RSPCA what poor state these rabbits will end up like if kept on shavings and not groomed :wink:

From what I was aware, I thought that all animals could not be sold until they were 8 weeks old although I understand that the new legislation is trying to make this higher now :wink: I would also tell the RSPCA how old she said they were :wink:
 
I got my rex (X netherland dwarf v fluffy) from a pet shop he was the only bun left and is still the same size he had been there for weeks!! when i picked him up all the long hair around his bumwas matted and smelly with poo! so i took him home and cleaned him up and now he's fine, i know i shouldn't buy buns from shops and really wish that pet shops wouldn't sell animals. But i think until pet shops can be stopped from selling they should atleast be trained in propper small furry care!!!!
 
I saw a bun a while ago with long hair in my local p/shop who was starting to get matted fur. Didn't really want to say anything as they can be a bit funny, although in their defense I have been in there twice when they have queried customers about what they are buying and why and even turned one away (a man who wanted to buy a hamster claiming he had a bird cage to put it in - they said it wasn't suitable).

There is another petshop near me which doesn't have a licence yet to sell animals - the lady in there is really nice and I was chatting to her and she said she might get rabbits. Next time I go in I think I will try and dissuade her... have already given her a load of RWA leaflets and chatted about all the potential problems rabbits face (esp young ones) but unfortunately the RWA's current stance is 'working with' the petshops not against them, which means they do not (as far as I'm aware) produce anything which highlights the problem of too many rescue animals and encourages people NOT to purchase from petshops (and after the Pets at Home stories I have seen on here, I'm very surprised that the RWA continue to work with them at all).

Having said that, the pet shop lady has already had two rabbits dumped on her (quite literally) so I know she is only too aware of the problem with unwanted rabbits. It is all very sad and I actually cannot look at the p/shop buns any more in the other shop because it makes me want to cry. I also try and avoid going in there too often and go to the one where they don't yet sell animals... :(
 
Hi All,

I recently reported a petshop in Walsall to the RSPCA but nothing came of it im afraid. I complained about the sizes of the cages the rabbits and gps were in. There was a lionhead (quite large rabbits compared to the usual 'babies' you would see in a petshop) in one, a mini/dwarf lop in the other, two nethies in another and 5gps in another. I went back in shortly after reporting it and nothing had changed except the buns, the lionhead and three gps were still there but the others had gone and were replaced by three baby rabbits in one cage (couldnt tell the breed as they were tiny). I reported it again and had a phonecall from the RSPCA saying that they had been to visit the shop but couldnt do anything as the cages met the local councils requirements and I had to take it up with the local council if I wanted to take it further.

Im going back in at the weekend hopefully to see on the off chance if anything has changed, im hoping that the visit from the RSPCA may have shaken the owners up a bit.

Has anyone ever contacted their local council about a matter similar to this?
 
No, but I have written to my local councilor before and it is policy that they have to reply to you. Can take some weeks though...
 
The problem with the RSPCA is that there seem to be different policies in different areas. Some branches seem to be willing to take more action in these things than others :?
 
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