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Pet shop worries!!!

hi there,
Went out shopping today for sum hay and stuff for the buns and called into a local petshop and thought i'd take a quick look round the store. :( They had about 6 cages 2ft by 2ft with on average 2 bunnies in each, lined with news paper,no hay or straw just a sprinkling of wood shavings in 2 of them. :( :(
I know how much whispy and lilly love their hay (and how important it is for their diet) and was just a little concerned about the conditions these rabbits were living in.
Any advice as to whether pet shops are allowed to keep rabbits in these conditions and thoughts on what to do (report to rspca?) or am i just too soft and used to spoiling my bunnies with loads of fresh hay. :?:
 
Bunnies need hay to stop them from developing teeth probems + to keep their guts moving nicely. Perhaps try having a friendly word with the pet shop owner? Just say you saw they didn't have any hay in, have they eaten it all, or something along those lines, and see what they say. Always best to be polite else you just get their back up immediately!!!

Nicola
 
yeah i think i might mention it to them. they didn't look too happy or stimulated, just sat ripping up the news paper and eating the wood shavings..bored i guess.
i'd hate to think that they are suffering that's all.
 
Yeah def go in and talk to them. Try adding in some suggestions on toys - toilet roll tubes etc that don't cost anything!!
 
Pet shops are licensed by your local Council, there are conditions on cage size/stocking density so might be worth having a word with them. I wouldn't be surprised if 2*2 was considered ok though (not that I agree!), I guess the theory is they won't be there long! Definitely worth mentioning the lack of hay thing though.
 
I don't understand pet shops, surely if the rabbits have hay and toys then they can sell them to their customers who buy the rabbits.
When I got Hobbes from a pet shop (before I knew any better) she didn't tell me I needed hay or toys. They aren't very enterprising are they? :roll:
 
Estelle said:
I don't understand pet shops, surely if the rabbits have hay and toys then they can sell them to their customers who buy the rabbits.

Exactly! Miles is a pet shop bun (again, before I knew better), and he was in a large cage, on his own, with a toss carrot, clean full water bottle, a loo roll, a bowl of Excel, a hay rack, and a cocoon house! He was in a little luxury batchelor pad! Sure enough, not wanting to deprive him, I bought EVERYTHING that came in the cage!! I think many pet shops are missing a trick!

AMETHYST
 
I wonder if having no hay would count under the "no food" bit of the RSPCA, as buns do need access to food all day?
 
My manager owns a pet shop in London (in Thorton Heath). Supposedly only a little one, but never seen it myself.

She breeds hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, kittens and puppies. Thats where Bindi would have been found a home if i didn't take her home with me!!! Because she also does a boarding servce at the keenels we do see quite a few come back through the gates as boarders.

The rule is that any problems including nail trimming etc. then shes willing to do that. One customer (a little old lady) came in with her guinea pig saying that the vets had just charged her £20 to trim her piggies nails. She was willing to give up her piggie (with tears in her eyes)because it was costing her a lot of money, until my manager she would do it for free if the lady brought her piggie a present every time she came in. Good deal, i think!!

Well, it just shows that if you look then your find what your looking for. The only decent pet shop near us, doesn't even sell animals. They are so polite and really helpful.

Gracie and animals x
 
i have one near me who dosent sell animals i prfure to walk thet bit ferther to use that pet shop than the ones at the end of the road
 
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