Is anyone else out there slightly over-protective over their bunnies?!

[BattleKat]

I wouldn't say that's being over protective - you just didn't want your rabbit getting shouted at.

I'm quite happy to let kids come and look at any of my animals but they're told how to behave and if they don't stick to the rules they can't "play" any more. Both my niece and nephew have always been great with animals because they've been bought up the right way. Kids like being loud and moving quickly - so they assume animals like the same unless they're told different.
When my niece was younger (18-24 months?) she used to get really exited about the mice and shout "mouse! mouse!" but as soon as she was near them she'd be really quiet and go "shhh!" if anyone laughed or was too loud. Even at that age she understood that animals don't like noises so by the age of 5 a child should definitely be able to grasp the concept. :thumb:

 

[hayley2126]

my buns have not had the pleasure/horried time of children yet but at leaste you can tell them how to behave adults on the otherhand!!!! I had some one over the otherday whos bun i wanted to rescue. Not that i told them that. They have a lovely boy who sits allday long in a two teir cage never had hay and on mixed food with a run yes... not a bad size but not good either with wire on the floor so i just thought i would try my luck as they never bother with him and i said that i new of someone very clued up with rabbits that wanted another and i was sure they would give him an amazing home. to be honest i had spoke to a resuce who would have had him and i would have paid for the injectiongs and to have him done till he found a home as he has had neither thinking they would jump at the chance but ohhh no their 2 year old that goes to say hi everyother week would miss him too much and they were even talking about when he dies they want another ( how about let yours live first) . Anywhoo they came up and kept picking mine up even though one was ill and i had told them not too. so i shut them in their home which is 12 foot by nearly 4 foot. When i next mentioned it again she said well mine has more room than yours which is rubbish to say the least!!! and she saide at leaste mine is on his own so he gets more room arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!! i would never see them again but she is my sister and i have to be honest a lovely person when it comes to humans it just some people with never understand animals and have never been taught to appreciate them so i feel it is very important to give them the knowledge young. ohhh and my bootiful white pink eyed bun is now a devil bun like all pink eyed aninimals of course :evil: as it bit one of my sisters the other day again because she picked him up even though i said not to. I pick him up daily for his ec meds as does my OH and he had never bit either of us so maybe sis just maybe its YOU!!!! sorry rant over but makes me even more mad when people think pink eyes are horried as so many of them do not get homes and mine is amazingly bootiful.

 

[Kerryyyy]

I have never had little kids near my 3 yet. I have 3 little cousins and the middle one had a bunny but they got rid of her. But he is bunny mad.

I am protective though, I am really trying to make a decision about my two boys and I feel maybe converting the shed and letting them live in there might be better for them. But there is far too many kids around my area that I know for a fact, if they knew rabbits were in there and wanted to seem them, they would try and get into the shed.

 

[Alibunmum]

I am fortunate that my kids have taken on board what they have been taught about the bunnies. They are great when they have friends round to play and tell them what they can and can't do. Any friends who don't listen are quietly shown the door!

The only rabbit I am not super protective of is Floppy. He is fab with the kids and has been here since he was a baby. If he its on the mood he let's them pick him up but they all know to put him down when he gets restless or they will get scratched.

Today it was hilarious. He was in the garden intently eating a patch of hay that he had found. He was near the bottom of the slide so when the youngest came clattering down the slideI was watching and expected him to scarper. He didn't even flinch, just kept munching.

 

[*lily*]

It is definately how they are brought up, we had cats when my children were born and they always treated them with respect. Even when very young they were never in any way aggresive towards the cats.

We didn't get a rabbit until the children were older, I think Daughter was about 7ish, and they have always known how to behave around all animals and have a great love and respect for them.

 

[Zahirre]

I'm protective over my lot with most people...

My little brothers (20, 11, 9) are really good with all of our animals, even the buns but then, they have been brought up with animals and know how to act.

Phoebe is still getting there... She can be slightly heavy handed with the bunnies, ratties and cats but she doesn't quite realise how to control her hands. We do sit with her and hold her hand and show her 'gentle' but she often forgets! Sometimes, if the ratties are free ranging, she can tend to pick them up a bit roughly but again, it's all about reinforcing the fact that she must be gentle.

Children do have to learn, they don't normally just 'get it'. I don't tell Pheebs off if she's rough but just try and change the way she does things.

 

[William]

I'm over-protective over all of my pets :lol:

It is definately how they are brought up, we had cats when my children were born and they always treated them with respect. Even when very young they were never in any way aggresive towards the cats.

Yeah, we always had animals growing up so my siblings and I were brought up knowing how to act around them.

 

[suzibunbun]

The first one I never met - I just heard it from the flat attendant, and told the lady at the refinery to find another one - I actually had the displeasure of witnessing the second incident and my blood was seriously boiling, but I just told her to f*** off and that if there was a rat in the flat, it was her :evil:

This sooooo made me laugh :lol::lol::lol: Good on yer!

 

[KateB]

Yep!

We allow children to look at the buns, and give them grass (under supervision) but we don't open the cages when they're around, so it's up to the buns if they want to come near or not. Even E has only been allowed to stroke Willow once (I think) and she was almost nervous about it and hardly made contact with him.

 

[martlou]

I get anxious of other people apart from us 2 being near the bunnies. I hate other people trying to touch them. We rarely have children here (about once a year I'd say :lol and I feel I need eyes like a hawk, I'm always scared of one hurting a bunny even though nothing like that has ever happened.

 

[shell1805]

mega mega MEGA overprotective and not just about children

if kids come over, buns dont get let out and i even shut the kitchen door so no one can get to them. im sorry but jasper is such a nervous little soul and bella is a madam, if someone pushed their luck they would either a) terrify them or b) get bitten and then who would be in the wrong?? :roll:
im the same with all my animals though, you can look but no touchy.
i've had people in the past think my house is a free mini zoo that they can let their kids run riot in and i won't be making that mistake again.

as for adults, im pretty lucky as most my friends are really respectful of them and just leave them to it and don't push too hard for them to interact with them. that said, the OH's best friend can be a bit 'rough' but he gets a mouthful so knows better now

i find most people are to 'man handaly' of my dog :? which used to have a lab so i guess they are used to a big dog that likes to wrestle but bentley (cavi) is a big wuss and it just scares him. my brother in law grabs his fur and ruffles him which he hates and it drives me nuts. he also picks him up roughly which then ends up with me grabbing him off him :roll:

so yeah.... bottom line very over protective and i cant imagine what im going to be like with kids

xxx