Is This the 'Best' Excuse for 'Wanting Rid' of a Rabbit ?

[bethepoet]

I had to remove myself from three Facebook groups last night because I became so upset at the callousness of the people selling their pets there. One was selling a chinchilla, she wanted just enough money to get a nice painting for her bedroom. The thing that set me off, though, was a woman who was giving away her rabbit because her husband and son were allergic. She was an outdoors bun! When asked if the rabbit was spayed, she said no because she was a singleton. When asked how much she wanted, she said it was free because, and I quote, "I just want rid of it!". There was someone else asking about rabbits "for my toddler". Someone else asking for a rabbit that wouldn't outgrow a 3ft hutch - someone I bought pet supplies from not so long ago replied, offering her a Lionhead, said that would be a fine size for it. Won't be buying off him again. People make me sad.

 

[Hesperus]

The saddest thing is it all sounds so familiar.
I'm looking around for a new bun at the moment and some of the excuses I'm seeing for rehoming are just rubbish, I saw one the other day that said the rabbit's hutch had broken and the owners didn't want to buy a new one. If I break my bed I'm going to have myself euthanised or move to another house, I couldn't possible buy a new one!

I'm just waiting now for a lovely, friendly dwarf lop to hop down the road looking all lost, and to jump into my arms so I can take him home, it's so hard to find a new bunny!

Suzie

 

[sparklefairy]

Gypsy was going to be pts for being the wrong colour, she was only 12 weeks old so glad I was at the vets that day and could take her home and away from that nasty woman

 

[youthnovels]

Being someone who a few weeks ago was contemplating rehoming some animals due to my MH I've been in that situation. However, the fact that I LOVE my animals to bits and the thought of them going somewhere where someone won't give them the correct diet, stimulation or general love fills me with dread meant I just couldn't let them go.

I've rehomed two rabbits before as both were single buns who would not tolerate another rabbit (bonded pair who fell out). I didn't feel that I was able to give them the one on one time they needed so I found them both excellent homes. Both became house buns and I still keep in touch now and get regular photo updates. I miss them but I know in that instance I did the best thing for them and I can honestly say that they look happier now then they ever did with me.

 

[Hesperus]

Well, you clearly had the comfort and happiness of your buns as your top priority.

I just cannot believe the number of people who don't, and who don't think through the money, the amount of care etc that an animal needs before taking them on! Anyone can have sudden things happen that change their circumstances, so that they can't look after a pet as they'd hoped, but why so many people seem surprised when an animal costs money or gets ill beats me. That can be worked out in advance!

 

[Angie65]

I'm sorry, I totally see where the woman is coming from re the wooden floors.

So I bought some equine matting - £34 per 6x4 slab. Easy clean, good grip & good for sore hocks, & when I sell my house - nice floors underneath.:thumb:

 

[ShazzaBunny]

There are a handful of reasons which are valid for rehoming animals, in my opinion.

Poor health (be it physical or mental)
GENUINE allergy
Real poverty (barely surviving and no fancy tv, internet, xbox etc)
Moving abroad

Fake allergies, new furnature/decor, new baby, new pet, financial strain when you still have all the mod cons, children getting bored and all the other rubbish excuses make me sick. Especially the children getting bored, pets are for the family, regardless of what species it is.

ETA it is cheaper to adopt from a rescue than to neuter and vaccinate yourself, i took two rabbits from rescues without giving a fee as i was covering the neuter on both, and i spent way more than the minimum adoption fee! Not that i mind, but the general public have nothing to complain about.

 

[Hesperus]

I don't know how many people in the general public are willing to vaccinate their bunnies though...
I personally think vaccinations are good value anyway, my vet always did a thorough health check with them, so all that for £15 struck me as a good deal!

 

[Ninny]

I had no plans to get a rabbit but offered to be a emergency foster for a rescue as Stanley had to be gone by saturday as they were going on holiday so would set him loose! Definitely my gain, he is so affectionate not only did he end up staying but of course he needed company.

 

[courtneydayle]

This is stupid. You can't just care for pets when it's sunny, I mean how many sunny days do we get a year? It's fricking England. You dont just walk a dig when its sunny and light.

The other week, when we had all that rain? I felt really bad for my rabbits, I'd tried to clean out my rabbits we were all getting soaked, by the time I'd tried to put dry bedding in, it had become soaked again in the end I found some old tarpaulin and made a shelter out of some wood I stuck in the ground XD

I can't wait until its winter I'm getting a shed by then and were going to have a heater in it with some solar lights and I'm going to put a chair in there with my laptop and spend an hour or so in there a day playing and generally being with my animals. I love the company of animals and I can't h e them as free range indoor animals, so a warm shed is the next best thing.

I know this is a serious post and everything, and I agree, rehoming pets should only happen in valid situations, not cause they don't flippin match or something. But this made me laugh... I'm not in England, but it still made me laugh...

A lot of the time here we get people wanting to rehome when it gets too hot to go out and take care of them. I can tell you, this summer I nearly caused myself to pass out from cleaning a rabbit shed in the middle of the day when it was really hot... (The rabbits were outside with air flow and misters, I was inside with neither). Didn't rehome them cause it was too hot, just did what needed to be done, played with them a bit then went and took a bath. Not that hard to do!

 

[courtneydayle]

There are a handful of reasons which are valid for rehoming animals, in my opinion.

Poor health (be it physical or mental)
GENUINE allergy
Real poverty (barely surviving and no fancy tv, internet, xbox etc)
Moving abroad

Fake allergies, new furnature/decor, new baby, new pet, financial strain when you still have all the mod cons, children getting bored and all the other rubbish excuses make me sick. Especially the children getting bored, pets are for the family, regardless of what species it is.

ETA it is cheaper to adopt from a rescue than to neuter and vaccinate yourself, i took two rabbits from rescues without giving a fee as i was covering the neuter on both, and i spent way more than the minimum adoption fee! Not that i mind, but the general public have nothing to complain about.

Why would people get new pets when they wouldn't get along with their existing pets? I wouldn't bring a cat or a big dog in to live with my rabbits, they'd kill them. And they don't get around my Dad's dog at all. It makes no sense.

 

[Kerryyyy]

I hate those animal facebook pages. I have seen I think one that offers advice as well but it's not very good. The amount of people who post I want rid of this 'small animal' and then say £25 for animal and the pathetically small and inadequate cage. The usually a few posts later they are looking for a puppy or kitten or some other animal!

I'll always remember being asked to take Milly cause the owners 'didn't even want her in the first place'. I dread the think what would have happened if I didn't take her.

 

[elaine]

People wanting to give rabbits up is alot worse than last year and most excuses are children won't look after them, can't afford them, its cold, was given it and don't want it as its teeth are odd and the best one is a frenchy freddy he was living in a 3 ft double hutch came in as he was banging his feet maybe he was going up and down in the hutch. We say about it being bad with rabbits at the moment cats are alot worse the amount being dumped etc

 

[bethepoet]

There are a handful of reasons which are valid for rehoming animals, in my opinion.

Poor health (be it physical or mental)
GENUINE allergy
Real poverty (barely surviving and no fancy tv, internet, xbox etc)
Moving abroad

Fake allergies, new furnature/decor, new baby, new pet, financial strain when you still have all the mod cons, children getting bored and all the other rubbish excuses make me sick. Especially the children getting bored, pets are for the family, regardless of what species it is.

ETA it is cheaper to adopt from a rescue than to neuter and vaccinate yourself, i took two rabbits from rescues without giving a fee as i was covering the neuter on both, and i spent way more than the minimum adoption fee! Not that i mind, but the general public have nothing to complain about.

That's the thing though, very few people know they need to be fixed and vaccinated at all. Why would they pay more for something they don't even think is necessary? I think pet shops should be forced to do it too, or at the very least chase up the buyers.

 

[RSPCA Macclesfield]

We say about it being bad with rabbits at the moment cats are alot worse the amount being dumped etc

This!!

 

[shaz1975]

OMG I have two dogs, two cats, two Birds, and 5 rabbits and out of all of them its my husband and the kids who ruin my furniture, decor, and laminate flooring, maybe I should rehome my OH and my kids in this case :lol::?:?

some people just dont deserve to even have pets in the first place !!!!!

 

[MissSherwood89]

When we first got Mylo the thought of getting rid of the dog, cats, hammy, gerbils or gecko didn't even cross our mind! We've never once had a problem with any of them coming into contact with each other as they have all been properly introduced and supervised at all times. I don't understand people who basically swap one pet for another.

 

[ShazzaBunny]

That's the thing though, very few people know they need to be fixed and vaccinated at all. Why would they pay more for something they don't even think is necessary? I think pet shops should be forced to do it too, or at the very least chase up the buyers.

I do agree, pet shops should be telling people of the importance, and i guess in an ideal world, they would up the price of the rabbit, but send it home with a neuter voucher (especially big pet stores who have an internal vet). But until then its about eduation i guess. It took a long time (and still is taking a long time) to convince people to neuter their cats/dogs but the problem in most cases is lessining compared to what it used to be. We need to keep chipping away .

 

[Fifibutton]

I hate the facebook pages too, they are disgusting. If anyone wants me to have a look at any of the various groups let me know. I am a member of the free-ads teem and have set an FB account to deal with these pages as sometimes neglect cases do come up. Remember to pm me though as links to free-ads are not permitted.



ETA regarding pet shops, they should do a lot more to educate, especially the poky wee independent ones. Remember is possible to boycott pet shops that sell animals and buy only with pet supply stores such as Feedem, Zooplus, even Amazon.

 

[KoShiatar]

If it was me, I would just bluntly asnwer "You want rid of the rabbit, do you?"