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So annoyed!

Mad Bunster

Mama Doe
I'm getting really upset today at reading some posts in the care section recently. Does it require too much common sense that if an animal is obviously injured or not eating, that they need veterinary attention? If it was a person in the sick animals position, what would they do? Don't animals feel pain?

If you were to go out and buy, say, a new TV, you'd look around, research it and get an instruction leaflet with it too. Why can't we have some sort of system like that at the very least - yes get a "trouble shooting guide" with your bunny! Even when I was a kid I bought a book on rabbits or whatever pet, and I read it! Is that too much to do?

I don't know what the answers are to this attitude with rabbits as pets, but would it be a start to have their sale in Pet Shops stopped? Sorry, theres probably been a thread like this before, but does anything ever come of petitions and the like?

Rant over - or have I just started one!?
 
I don't know what the answers are to this attitude with rabbits as pets, but would it be a start to have their sale in Pet Shops stopped? Sorry, theres probably been a thread like this before, but does anything ever come of petitions and the like?


You could talk with your money? Refuse to buy from any shop that sells live animals?
 
I agree, some shops do give leaflets on the care of animals now and their is a new law that they are suposed to take the name and address of the people who buy the animal...well thats what i heard.
 
I don't blame any new owner - the shop's 100% to blame imo. If someone buys a rabbit they aren't going to know what to expect and with other animals to stop eating due to stress of a new home is to be expected. If the shop bothered to give out care leaflets that didn't just promote their own products and gave proper advice re giving them hay etc then the new bunny owner would have some idea. Unfortunately not everyone is like us on RU and they just buy a rabbit and don't think that it might need any special care.

I've said it before but the only way forwards is education and the promotion of rabbit rescues and good breeders to stop people going to petshops and buying rabbits.
 
You could talk with your money? Refuse to buy from any shop that sells live animals?

You've obviously never tried to buy stuff in Lancs, there are no petshops that don't sell animals round where I live and tbh the attitude towards animals up here is questionable due to the farming population. If I tell you that P@H Blackburn is by far the best petshop around you can imagine how bad the others are - glass tanks, no hay, teeny tiny babies :cry:
 
You could talk with your money? Refuse to buy from any shop that sells live animals?

I wish I could do that. Unfortunately the only pet shops round here that don't sell animals [i.e my very local one] is absolutely rubbish and doesn't sell anything I actually want to buy and their hay is damp+mouldy >(

I am going to be trying to buy most things online from now on though but I expect I still may have to go to the pet shops for some things :(

Sadly I don't think people will stop buying from pet shops unless pet shops are stopped being allowed to sell animals. I personally think the best thing to do is to try to educate people and encourage them to learn about their pet so they can give it the best care possible - even if it does mean telling someone with a sick animal that they must go to the vet. I know it seems obvious to a lot of us but I guess it isn't to other people!
 
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I'm getting really upset today at reading some posts in the care section recently. Does it require too much common sense that if an animal is obviously injured or not eating, that they need veterinary attention? If it was a person in the sick animals position, what would they do? Don't animals feel pain?

If you were to go out and buy, say, a new TV, you'd look around, research it and get an instruction leaflet with it too. Why can't we have some sort of system like that at the very least - yes get a "trouble shooting guide" with your bunny! Even when I was a kid I bought a book on rabbits or whatever pet, and I read it! Is that too much to do?

I don't know what the answers are to this attitude with rabbits as pets, but would it be a start to have their sale in Pet Shops stopped? Sorry, theres probably been a thread like this before, but does anything ever come of petitions and the like?

Rant over - or have I just started one!?

hi,
Being someone who 'recently' bought a rabbit from a pet shop, yes i do agree maybe pets shops shouldnt beable to sell pets to anyone and everyone just live bait, but NO sometimes people dont read up on the pets they are getting, i held my hands up in my post and said i SHOULD of done some research first in to buns but i never, the day we went to the pet shop i never knew i was going to get one, but my son wanted one soo badly!!

But, i came here didnt i, ok yes theres lots of people out there who get these pets and still dont look in to what they do/dont need!! I found it a little harsh by saying some of the posts here were annoying you, at least people come here to seek advice if they are not too sure!! Isnt that seeking help for them, or at least the start of it!!?!!

If your child had a rash have you ever asked a friend or family to have a look at it before you have took them to the doctors??(havent we all!?!) Isnt that the same as here, our rabbits seem a little off so we come here to ask if this should be happening etc!!

I'm not starting a row or anything, i just think theres always more than one side!

Claire :)
 
at least people come here to seek advice if they are not too sure!! Isnt that seeking help for them, or at least the start of it!!?!!

If your child had a rash have you ever asked a friend or family to have a look at it before you have took them to the doctors??(havent we all!?!) Isnt that the same as here, our rabbits seem a little off so we come here to ask if this should be happening etc!!

Thats what the forum is here for, to share advice, experiences and to learn from one another - I myself have asked lots of questions and been given the answers when my animals have been a "little off" for which I am grateful and I don't know where I'd be without learning things from other members.

It was something that particularly upset me today, things that should really be known when a person takes an animals health and welfare upon themselves, basic, basic things.

I know it seems obvious to a lot of us but I guess it isn't to other people!

Exactly. As everyone has said its more education which is needed. How do we get that across to all pet owners? What happened with the sale of Puppies and Kittens, why was that stopped in Pet Shops? Can we attempt to get the same level of protection for rabbits?
 
I think both sides have a responsibility to whatever animal you buy, whether that may be a bunny, dog or cat, hamster... The pet shop should give out advice leaflets with every new pet and the owner should do the basic research on what a pet needs such as food, behaviour to look out for, neutering, common illnesses and how to spot them.

I bought Alice nearly 9 years ago from pet shop and knew next to nothing about rabbits, she was also an impulse buy. I did however buy a book and read it from cover to cover so I at least knew the basics of bunny care.

I don't think that pet shops will stop selling animals, although I don't really agree with it. Its too easy to make an impulse purchase, then find yourself with a bundle of fluff that you have absolutely no idea how to care for. However I do feel that common sense should prevail with some things and if say an animal wasn't eating or seemed to be injured, I would make an appointment for the vets as a first step and ask on here as well. This would go for any animal, not just rabbits...

I suppose being an experienced bunny owner teaches you what the emergency situations are and theres a lot of good advice on here for people new to bunny owning. I just hope the word spreads that people need to research their animals before purchasing. I didn't initially, but luckily my fingers weren't burnt in the first week of ownership.

Gemma xx
 
I too don't think pet shops can take all the blame, it's half and half really.

Even as an impulse buy you know you are consciously taking on a living creature and becoming responsible for the life and well being of said creature. I think it's people's responsibility to at least buy a book or something. Most petshops sell books an animal care.
 
No wonder you are mad, I've just read Rabbit Care, I'm now fuming, but feel sick at the same time. I wonder if it's the same post that made you annoyed:cry:

Surely if a bun is sick it should go to the vet no matter what the cost, I'd quite happily live off beans and toast if my bun was really in need of treatment:evil:
 
I hope it wasn't me that caused this thread. Archie had been eating and drinking up until last night and we just thought it was the stress of a new home etc. I would have gone hungry to pay for vet treatment and I was on the phone for an hour this morning organising a lift.

I did read a lot of stuff before I brought Archie and I joined the forum for advice. Again we live in a area with not many pet shops. I didn't let him suffer intentionally and as soon as I knew he hadn't pooed seeked a vets advice. I loved him so much.

I think it's difficult to know when u should and shouldn't be concerned.
 
Kylie, please don't speculate like that. I'm sure it is not you, but it does not matter who annoyed someone or a few people.

If this post continues to cause people to speculate, I think it should be deleted.
 
Kylie, from what I can see you did the best you could for Archie... so please don't assume people are talking about you, as I'm sure they're not.

xx
 
I think the problem arises when people ask for advice and then ignore it :roll: We're all learning all the time about rabbit care, and asking questions and for advice is brilliant, as we can share our experiences.
 
I'm a store manager for a well known pet store and have been for just under a year.

In our store just lately we have talked more people out of having rabbits than we've actually sold and I'm rather pleased about that.

We go through all the medical (vaccinations, neutering etc)and costing side of things first, so the people know what they're letting themselves in for. We also use adoption bunnies to show people how big their rabbit may possibly get and also to make them understand why we will not allow them to go in to small hutches (5' min for a dwarf lop or 4' if a permanent run attached).

You may detest pet shops, but believe me, we are doing our damndest to educate people.

Having said that, the person can give all the right answers and still not do a good job.

Be it pet shop, rescue centre or breeder, no-one can 100% guarantee that the people who take on the rabbit will do a good job

I took a rabbit off a customer a few weeks ago because of the state they had allowed its teeth to get in to (after only 6 months). They claimed the rabbit could not be handled. He's a teeny tiny Netherland Dwarf. We've had to have his incisors removed, but he's doing fantastically well and is a beautifully natured little thing.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t47/Lspacehopper/Picture_0062.jpg

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t47/Lspacehopper/10-06-07_1703.jpg
 
You've obviously never tried to buy stuff in Lancs, there are no petshops that don't sell animals round where I live and tbh the attitude towards animals up here is questionable due to the farming population. If I tell you that P@H Blackburn is by far the best petshop around you can imagine how bad the others are - glass tanks, no hay, teeny tiny babies :cry:


I know some people struggle.

Can you buy online?

I always bought from P@H until my horse feed supplier started doing bun food.
 
I think the problem arises when people ask for advice and then ignore it :roll: We're all learning all the time about rabbit care, and asking questions and for advice is brilliant, as we can share our experiences.

I've got to be honest I sometimes ignore advice, it's not compulsary we take on other forum members views. You have to do what you feel best for your bunnies in the long run. People on here are not always right and I think you have to remember that, nobody can give diagonise over the internet and always seek professional advice.

Although Helen, I know you do, I just don't want people thinking that they should listen to people on here then go to their vets.

I know The thread you're all on about and personally I think it may be a wind up.
 
This is a quote from the original post: "If it was a person in the sick animals position, what would they do?" , which I think answers the whole question.

If I was snuffly, off my food, limping, had the runs, didn't feel like getting out of bed, whatever, I most certainly would NOT go to the doctor. If I am ill or injured I tend to wait 'til it gets better on its own. The lesson I had to learn is that rabbits are very delicate creatures and that I must treat them FAR more tenderly than I treat myself. Obviously, this is a point that should be made whenever a new owner acquires a rabbit (whether at a pet shop or breeder's place or rescue), but we know that this is not the case, so it is up to all of us to make sure that everybody we know knows this. This forum is a good place for that, and I would not want to think that anybody who asked a 'daft' (to experienced people) question in the care section felt that they were derided for their ignorance.
 
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