Do you consider yourself a good rabbit owner?

[*lily*]

I think that everyone has a different opinion of what constitutes a good rabbit owner.

 

[yvette]

I do my very best.
It may not be up to someone elses standadards, but its the best of MY ability.
They seem happy and appear well.My vet seems happy with the way my animals are and Ive had no RSPCA knocking on my door as yet........

 

[Sky-O]

I think it becomes a problem if someone thinks they are a good rabbit owner, if they think, due to that, that there is nothing left to learn, or they don't want to learn, or have no interest in learning.

I guess when confidence turns to arrogance and then the rabbits suffer? I've come across several people like that on my travels and it's only the rabbits that suffer due to a misplaced confidence which actually leads to ignorance.

I consider myself to do the best I can, but I would always love to do more and improve more, thus never being as good as I want to be.

 

[Stator]

Not particularly.

I keep them forced into an area that isn't particularly big enough, i can only provide them with stimulation I see fit, not what they would necessarily want.

Indeed, no-one can know whether they are a good owner unless someone invents a machine to talk to rabbits and ask them what they think.

 

[helennnnnn]

Indeed, no-one can know whether they are a good owner unless someone invents a machine to talk to rabbits and ask them what they think.

:lol: Mine would say I'm a terrible owner as I take him to a horrible man who does awful things to him!

 

[:3IdidntCHEWit:3]

i wouldnt say am a good rabbit owner but a respectful one
theres allways room to learn more .allways room for improvement and besides that if there isnt anything to learn left what would be the point it would be boring for me and my bunny in the long run.

 

[mini lop1]

our vets says im the best bunny mummy they though and also the lady i got my buns off said they are lucky to have found me, i always keep in touch wth her via email ans send her photos of how they are gettng on

sometimes i wish i could give them much more, but they are happy so i am happy

 

[Gemmapookie]

Indeed, no-one can know whether they are a good owner unless someone invents a machine to talk to rabbits and ask them what they think.

True, but I do think that its fairly obvious whether a rabbit is happy or not. Personally Im pretty sure I can judge how mine are feeling quite well.

The question wasnt do you think you are the perfect rabbit owner, just whether you think you are good.

 

[GrahamL]

True, but I do think that its fairly obvious whether a rabbit is happy or not. Personally Im pretty sure I can judge how mine are feeling quite well.

The question wasnt do you think you are the perfect rabbit owner, just whether you think you are good.

To someone who knows rabbits as well as yourself, perhaps.

Think of the average rabbit owner.

3ft hutch, rabbit inside, i bet they think that rabbits happy too, as it gets fed, has water and "a bedroom area and a house bit too!"

*sob*

 

[Elena]

My vet once said if he's reincarnated as a rabbit he's coming to my house Though he said that before Mischa and Nutmeg got snuffles reoccurances and before Smudge jumped off the table. Oh and before Mischa head butted him in the chin So he might think differently now :lol:

 

[Gemmapookie]

To someone who knows rabbits as well as yourself, perhaps.

Think of the average rabbit owner.

3ft hutch, rabbit inside, i bet they think that rabbits happy too, as it gets fed, has water and "a bedroom area and a house bit too!"

*sob*

Oh yes I know.

I know my rabbits are happy but I will always strive to learn more about them and improve their lives in any way I can. I am certain I still have alot more to learn. I think thats how alot of us on the forum are, and I think that, coupled with how much we adore the little critters, makes us collectively 'good' owners.

 

[Lea-Anne]

Oh yes I know.

I know my rabbits are happy but I will always strive to learn more about them and improve their lives in any way I can. I am certain I still have alot more to learn. I think thats how alot of us on the forum are, and I think that, coupled with how much we adore the little critters, makes us collectively 'good' owners.

well said :thumb:

I feel I'm good but there's always room for improvement, with anything

 

[dinklepip]

Sort of... :?

I think they get more attention from me in spring, summer, & Autumn......feel a bit guilty thru the colder months tho
[outside buns]

I love them zillions tho

yeah me too, it's difficult standing outside giving them fuss in this weather, I wear that many clothes I look like the michelin man:lol::lol:

 

[Hc1]

I'm not perfect but I'm a miles better bunny owner than I used to be. So the only way is up for me. to be fair though, when I was a rubbish bun owner, it was through ignorance and I always did try my best for them (or so I thought)

 

[megansmummy]

I dont think im a bad owner...I love my girls so much and spend alot of time researching rabbit diet etc and trying to make sure that im providing as much as I can for them! I would like them to have more space and really I would like them indoors but thats not really possible

 

[RubyGordy]

I've come to the conclusion I'm a useless owner. Whereas I can relate to dogs and cats really well and get them to bond with me with no difficulty, I feel totally out of my depth with rabbits.

I first took on Ruby and Gordon, who was a guinea pig, for a young customer who had moved and his landlord who lived next door wouldn't let him keep them, In fact, he threatened to have them done away with if they weren't rehomed. They lived in a 3ft hutch and when I, somewhat reluctantly, agreed to take them, the hutch was crawling with maggots. I was hoping to find another home but ended up keeping them. Got them sorted at the vets, split them up, got Wesley for Ruby and other guineas for Gordon. Best housing I could, best diet I could etc but I didn't feel anything like I've felt for my dogs and cats.

Ruby and Wesley were really happy and so were the guineas. A friend wanted more guineas and had fantastic accommodation so I let them go to live there but kept Ruby and Wes. They pretty much did there own thing. Ruby was more sociable and would be more up for the odd stroke etc but Wes was happiest just alone with Ruby.

After the tragic incident when my dog nipped Ruby in December, resulting in her being PTS, I feel totally out of my comfort zone. Wesley hates me. He is very shy and doted on Ruby. I've tried to bond him with 2 females now and they've both chased him, lunged at him and bitten him and he is terrified. I've still got the second one that I got from the RSPCA kept in a seperate hutch/run but I'm finding the whole thing more than I ever wanted it to be in terms of finance, time, energy and stress. I'm so fond of little Wes deep down but he mistrusts me and runs from me all the time. I get no real pleasure from any of it. And if I can't get him to bond then it's all the more stressful.

The cleaning out is a chore, the mess gets me down, I now have to be really careful with the dog and I feel like I'm running round trying to do what's right for these animals but all the time feeling like a failure. It's giving me no joy - just lots of grief. Yet if I decide to give them up for rehoming, I'll feel bad for that as well.

 

[BattleKat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect

Quoting the first sentence of that
The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which the unskilled suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly rating their ability much higher than average.

I would say the vast majority of members on here do provide better than average care. I'd also say that when people on here say they are good owners they're probably taking in to consideration their interest in the welfare of their rabbits and their keenness to learn and do the best by them.


Do I think I'm a good owner? It's a tricky question. I have their best interests at heart, truly care for them and will always aim to provide the best possible care I can, but equally I have constraints on time, money and space that I know would increase my rabbits quality of life.
As far as rabbit owners go I know I'm above average, but to give rabbits an "ideal" life is near impossible while they're in captivity. Is anything less than ideal bad?

 

[BattleKat]

The cleaning out is a chore, the mess gets me down, I now have to be really careful with the dog and I feel like I'm running round trying to do what's right for these animals but all the time feeling like a failure. It's giving me no joy - just lots of grief. Yet if I decide to give them up for rehoming, I'll feel bad for that as well.

You didn't exactly "choose" to take them on. You didn't support breeding or the pet trade, you just helped someone out. If they're really getting you down (which I can totally understand) then maybe it is time to think about re-homing them, and you shouldn't feel bad about that. Think of yourself as a foster home. You saved them when they needed saving, and you'll look after them until someone else really wants to love them

 

[Hc1]

To someone who knows rabbits as well as yourself, perhaps.

Think of the average rabbit owner.

3ft hutch, rabbit inside, i bet they think that rabbits happy too, as it gets fed, has water and "a bedroom area and a house bit too!"

*sob*

And don't forget the "they seem quite happy - they don't complain anyway" - cue for me to tear my hair out and scream.

Then I remember that my first indoor cage was 3 feet

 

[bunnytoes]

Quoting the first sentence of that
The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which the unskilled suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly rating their ability much higher than average.

I would say the vast majority of members on here do provide better than average care. I'd also say that when people on here say they are good owners they're probably taking in to consideration their interest in the welfare of their rabbits and their keenness to learn and do the best by them.


Do I think I'm a good owner? It's a tricky question. I have their best interests at heart, truly care for them and will always aim to provide the best possible care I can, but equally I have constraints on time, money and space that I know would increase my rabbits quality of life.
As far as rabbit owners go I know I'm above average, but to give rabbits an "ideal" life is near impossible while they're in captivity. Is anything less than ideal bad?

I agree with this post above but I do not beleive that saying you are a good owner has anything to do with the Dunning-Kruger effect though. In my opinion saying you are "good" does not meant that you are saying that you are superior or even above average. I interrupt "good owner" as meaning that you care about the welfare,health and happiness of the rabbit,admitting that you do not know everything and do research/ask for help such as being on this forum and getting your rabbit the best medical care available. always putting them first and doing your best to advocate for them. That is a good owner which sounds like most people are expressing not that they are exceptional or above average.