What can you do ? :s! :(

So yesterday I went to the craft shop, and behind it is a garden centre - I went last time and they had a wonerful set up for bunnies! *I know shocking* - they werent any bunnies there at the time, but I said I would love to have that!
it was a shed divided in 2 ... one end it came out with a large run and the other end as well.
So yesterday I went ....
and there was a giant bun , with her babies! and on the other bit was the dad - also a giant of some description. They had plenty of space , fresh water and food *the cereal stuff :roll: * and the little girl who owned them, was cleaning them out - She said they were hers and I asked the names and she said I dont know :roll: .
Anyways I saw they had straw , but no hay!!!! - So I went a nd bought them a bale of hay gave half to dad and the other half to mum and babies.
I said how often do they get hay she said every few weeks! :evil: :evil: ....
Mum was over the moon with the hay as were the babies! - So I think I am going to go visit more often and give them a bale of hay! :roll:
I know they werent in a state but no hay - and then when I went into the craft shop there. The lady said she never used to give her buns hay either! - and said as long as they had pellets they didnt need it.
Now am I just totally wrong or is it true they dont need hay ??? *I am not stopping my buns hay btw*

Then there is the other extreme!
I went to another craft store in the afternoon - miles away! :lol:
And this lady was telling me, she had got 2 giant bunnies *supposedly 2 girls* :roll: and they had babies - she of course got dad done straight away and separated them... but mum died a few days after babies were born and she then hand reared all of them. Bringing them wherever she went and being up all night with them, and then made sure they went to good homes and kept one and bonded it with daddy.

And you sit herre and wonder just how it happens :roll:
But what can you do! - I just came home and I bought my bunnies some toys and gave them huggles and kisses... and you at least know that there are some bunnies like ours that are safe and sound - and you have at least helped a few of the many.

Ok rant and general life talking over! :lol:

Petshops make me so mad as they don't give the rabbits they have in hay (due to cost I guess) although P@H does. However if the public don't know rabbits need hay the problem is lack of education. When people tell me they have a rabbit I always pretend I'm looking for a new hay source and ask them where they get theirs from. That way I can 'spread the word' without being critical.

From the setup you describe it sounds like they're doing the best for the rabbits and just don't know about them needing hay. Hard to believe isn't it - surely most people know wild rabbits graze on grass and nothing else.

I know when I was a kid in the 70s nobody gave rabbits and guinea pigs hay - we certainly didn't I guess a lot of people just do it like they did when they were kids, and teach their own children wrong too - majority of people aren't going to buy a book on rabbit care (eh?? They just need a tiny wooden box with some carrots and mix dont' they? :roll: ) and majority won't have internet access either

Good tactic kayjay! :thumb:

Thats a good one Kayjay I might use that The biggest pet shop we have over here has bunnies in and they always have loads of hay in their hay racks and it looks like timothy hay to me too I went up with my sister the other day because she wanted a bird feeder and we went into the bunny room and one lady who works there had 3 bunnies out for free range time and was playing on the floor with them She said she lets one group out every afternoon for playing

mum was saying that when she was little and had rabbits she would go down to the corner shop and ask for a mix of pellets and oats and that is what her bunnies had. mine get through loads and loads of hay though couldnt imagine giving them a bowl of pellets and nothing else!

Isn't it weird how people don't know about giving their rabbits hay. I guess as pellets are labelled as a complete food they think they shouldn't? :?

I guess a few years back rabbits were mostly kept outside on runs so had access to grass constantly. Do they need hay as badly if they have constant access to grass i wonder?

I went to a petshop in town yesterday, I was looking for some hay. They keep their rabbits in glass tanks, much like you see in P@H(the ones they have hammies and rats in):evil:

They were really small, and had both piggies and very young rabbits in them, it must have been really hot for them.

Needless to say I didn't buy anything:evil:

Why not print off some articles about the importance of hay and take it in? Be really friendly about it and I'm sure they won't be offended.

There are some articles on the RWA and other places like house rabbit society.

I would, except these werent for sale, they were the girls own - I guess her family run the garden centre .... and she was only about 8, and I did tell her they should have hay and how important it is- but I dont know how much got in... She said they have it every few weeks :s .... and I do remember there was some grass growing into the run. :? ... I think I will just periodically check in and buy them a bale of hay each time.

The shop I got Archie from had hay for him so I brought him a holder for it and he seems to love it. But the lady in the shop I got it from said that if he was on Burgess he shouldn't need any but I have read in some many places that he should have it and it's not as if it's expensive is it?

Hay is much more important than pellets - well I believe so anyway - better for the teeth and much more natural and a lot less calories!

I think the trouble is (at least when I originally got bunnies) foods are always described as 'complete' and if hay is mentioned it's in the small print.

Unless you've done some research (which a lot of people don't cos they had rabbits as kids) then you don't know about teeth & guts.

It's easy to forget how much you've learnt since having bunnies.