Attitudes to rabbits

OH is Sicilian and I lived out in Sicily for four years. I didn't have any pets out there although I did want to get a rabbit. I only ever saw one pet shop and a remember the rabbits squashed together in a tiny cage and I was quite upset by this. I soon discovered that rabbits were still considered food rather than a pet. How happy I was to move back to england!!

Recently we went back to see OH's family and I met his Grandparents for the first time. We told his Grandma that we had four rabbits and she said -

'oh that's nice, so from time to time you can kill one of them for dinner!!!'

I was completely in shock and upset!! OH saw my face and quickly explained that they were family pets!! She thinks I'm stange now.

People over there have such a different attitude to animals - most of the time they are not loved or respected at all and there is no RSPCA or similar, so although we have a lot of cases of cruelty here in the UK it's good to know that the majority of people do care.

I had an erstwhile colleague at an advice centre I used to advise at when doing my bit of Pro Bono. Her family were from Morroco though they had lived in France near the Swiss border for many years. Two of her neices aquired a pet Bunny but left it in ist cage at Great Aunties house whilst they went out. Great Aunty (my colleagues Mother) thought thats nice, Rabbit Tagine it is then. I said "The Poor Rabbit!", she said, "What do you mean Poor Rabbit, what about the poor kids?". The fact that she was French and Morrocan probably meant we would never agree on that one. :lol:

Its worth remembering that was the case in the UK, probably up to the second world war. Beef and Lamb were luxuries beyond the reach of many and Rabbit was an inexpensive source of protein. The most significant change came with the orginal myxi outbreak in the 1950s where urban dwellers were clubbing sick rabbits to put them out of their misery whilst farmers looked on in disbelief. Now we keep rabbits as pets and (most people) eat Cows and Chickens instead.

Adam