Ethics of keeping rabbits

[Crunchie]

Personally, I think it's a shame that all these people who 'love' these exotic wild animal, rather than forcing them to live in an artificial environment, don't spend their money on protecting their natural habitat and enjoying them in their beauty in the wild, where they should be!

Ta

 

[William]

But why should they be in the wild? And why can't you do both? I don't have any truly exotic creatures yet but I currently do stuff to help animals in the wild, like manatees, and will continue to when I have exotics. It's not either/or and it's like apples and oranges, you can't compare it really. I love exotic pets, nature and zoos. All 3 are enjoyable in different ways.

Most exotics are perfectly happy in captivity and they were captive bred, often many, many generations from the wild and they wouldn't want to be in the wild.

 

[Crunchie]

Most exotics are perfectly happy in captivity and they were captive bred, often many, many generations from the wild and they wouldn't want to be in the wild.

Mine certainly appear much happier than my rabbits and hamsters, less steryotypical behaviour and less health problems as well. The common small snake and lizard species along with many inverts are far easier to cater for than every single traditional pet out there in my opinion. I've never had to take my corn snakes, geckos or inverts to a vet yet and none of them sit and chew things in their enclosures or spend their time trying to escape.

 

[William]

Mine certainly appear much happier than my rabbits and hamsters, less steryotypical behaviour and less health problems as well. The common small snake and lizard species are far easier to cater for than every single traditional pet out there in my opinion. I've never had to take my corn snakes and geckos to a vet yet and none of them sit and chew things in their enclosures nor spend their time trying to escape.

:thumb:I completely agree with that, I always hate when people say reptiles shouldn't be kept as pets when the truth is that they are much more content in captivity than mammals and birds.

 

[halfpenny]

Mine certainly appear much happier than my rabbits and hamsters, less steryotypical behaviour and less health problems as well. The common small snake and lizard species along with many inverts are far easier to cater for than every single traditional pet out there in my opinion. I've never had to take my corn snakes, geckos or inverts to a vet yet and none of them sit and chew things in their enclosures or spend their time trying to escape.

I'm talking about the large, exotic mammals and monkeys that William was classing as exotics.

 

[halfpenny]

:thumb:I completely agree with that, I always hate when people say reptiles shouldn't be kept as pets when the truth is that they are much more content in captivity than mammals and birds.

Being devils advocate it has been shown that battery hens have lower stress levels than free range- but does that mean they are happy.

 

[Crunchie]

I'm talking about the large, exotic mammals and monkeys that William was classing as exotics.

Well yes I can't imagine many people could properly cater for one of them, the term "exotics" covers a huge range of animals. Some of them make interesting and easy to care for pets but some are really hard to care for and shouldn't be available for anyone to buy.