BOUGHT vs ADOPTED rabbits

[Beau Belle]

We've done both.

Our first two were bought, before I knew about this forum.

We've rescued a couple too (separately) - I couldn't bear not to, after I'd seen the conditions they were kept in.

If someone was to ask my suggestion, I'd say to them to rescue a bun the first time round - an older, calmer bun that has been spayed/neutered (but think carefully about the commitment. My neighbour is thinking of getting one for her kids, who love my buns, but I'm trying to put her off the idea).

It they want to get a younger bun later on, that's up to them, but I find a lot of people who say they can't cope have bought a small, cute bun, and then been taken by surprise when the little cutie becomes a teenager and starts to destroy furniture, curtains and rugs. Often they don't want to spend the money on neutering, preferring to give bun up instead as it is "aggressive".

Many also give buns as "gifts" to young children, which is wholly inappropriate.

It makes me sad.

 

[catherine09]

I've done both - but would always now rescue

First two bunnies and two piggies were shop bought (before I knew better), all the rest (5 piggies, 5 soon to be 6 bunnies) were rescued one way or another (2 piggies were private re home and two bunnies taken from a family member who wasn't doing a very good job - the rest rescues)

 

[happybun]

I think you were correct the first time. License is the verb; licence is what you hold.

Thank-you, Omi!

 

[Zarla]

First lionhead in 1997 was from a petshop and the other three have all been from breeders. I travelled from London to Lancashire and to Worcester for two of them, but the breeders did put us through the Spanish Inquisition and lots of 'observed handling' and looking at photos of our proposed hutch space. It's quite hard to find young double-maned lionheads at rescues and I do love the baby stage and find the hours of grooming very soothing and relaxing.

 

[CometLucy195]

Hi tulsi, can you tell me how you bonded your 4 rabbits? I have a pair and 2 singles ( all neutered) and am building a rabbit shed and run and want to put them all together. I've got them all living next to each other and in runs next to each other in the daytime. Bit nervous about the next step! Any tips? Thanks, Sarah

 

[tulsi]

I am no expert. This was my first bond. I will link you to the thread. There are loads and loads of bonding threads on the forum.

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...now-a-quad-More-pics!&highlight=bonding+begun

 

[SarahP]

I wonder if we overestimate the numbers of true impulse buys from pet shops. I think it is probably more that people have access to go and see the animals time and time again (obviously not necessarily the same ones, as they are sold), possibly as they are buying other things. I can't help but think the pet shop becomes a bit of a zoo for children in that sense ('can we go and see the animals?' )

With a rescue, the person has to actually search them out and arrange to go and view. This is obviously as it should be, as they ought to by that point have done their research (and the rescue can help them with the rest).

 

[daphnephoebe]

SarahP, you're so right. It does become a zoo.

We used to have "regulars" that would come and look at the buns, piggies, birds, hamsters & gerbils. One girl got very upset when I arranged for the Degus to go to another store where they'd have more room and a better chance of getting a home.

I didn't get that many impulse buyers (Maybe one but she was well known to us staff and she was an incredible care giver to her animals.& highly knowledgeable). But we tended to put the impulse buyers off by questioning them and showing the cost of our only hutch & run.

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

 

[willow and squiggles]

I bought my first 2 from pets at home before joining RU, they sold me wrong sexes and ended up with 6 babies. These 6 would have been in a rescue if i hadnt kept them all so i do understand how some rescues get full. For anyone taking the petshop at their word, they are chancing creating babies. Thats why more petshops need educating. Willow and squiggles got looked at before i even said i would buy them. Obviously they didnt have a clue. I rescued another 2 from someone who was "going to let they go on the field" It feels a lot more rewarding when you rescue and i will always go down the rescue route in the future (when kids move out and i have spare bedrooms lol..)

 

[MrsCoultas]

We always had rescue dogs growing up, all from weimaraner rescue. I remember having chinchilla's and I'm guessing they were bought from a pet shop because we were told there were two of the same gender. Lo and behold, two more chinchillas appeared! Sadly, the mum died shortly after having them, then the dad died because he pined for the girl. My parents then surrendered the two babies as they didn't know how to care for two baby chinchillas It was so sad.

And all our bunnies have been rescue, Lagertha from Tameside, Ragnar from BARC and Poppy was from a lady who rescued all sorts of animals in Portsmouth, who had taken her in from a family that no longer wanted her I just couldn't justify getting a bunny that wasn't from a rescue.

But we will be getting our first non-rescue pet, our tamaskan puppy, just after Christmas. They do very thorough checking and you also have to sign a contract that if you feel unable to look after the dog then it must be returned to them. They have a rescue for tamaskans too.

I would never judge people on buying from a pet shop, it's really not their fault that these animals are so readily available and the whole purpose of these pet shops is to make money. What better way to make money then to play on human emotion! In an ideal world, there would be a ban on selling pets in shops, breeders would need to be checked regularly and have to uphold certain standards, and there should be a cap on how many times they can breed a year. For all pets.

 

[tabithakat64]

I would think about 70% of pets around me were bought - small animals from local pet stores, no questions asked.
I've only ever bought/been bought two animals and heavily volunteering at several rescues and vets over time and seen what the animals go through due to uneducated owners then I would always rescue in order to give animals a second chance.
I would never support anyone buying a pet when there are so many in rescue that need homes, I actively avoid commenting on photos of pets that I know are from breeders or pet shops unless they are asking for advice, that's how strongly I feel about the matter.