Told Not to Bond as it is 'Too Distressing'

[Cari]

I would write a letter to the store manager and head office. They need to make sure this kind of nonsense advice isn't given out.

I took the gentleman's name and have emailed customer services to see what they say about it all, I am currently awaiting a reply. When I went back in again and spoke to a different staff member I spoke to her about what had been said before and she said that was incorrect advice and that she would relay to her manager that bad advice RE: bunny bonding had been given out. I thanked her and told her that Stephen and I may make a visit to go and see her this week.

I understand what you are saying Sky-O which is why I have asked Honeybunnies to get back to me regarding a homecheck and potentially adopting from a rescue centre rather than P@H. If it didn't work out and they weren't friends, my outdoor hutch came from my Dad and family, who have said they would happily take the little bun and she would live outdoors (in possibly the hugest back garden I have ever seen), they are used to having rabbits and they would try and bond her with another rabbit and I would have to continue my wife searching. However, one rabbit would have turned into four in the space of about 6 months! I don't think any of us really mind though.

[Fiiddlestix]

I work for a P@H store myself, the only reason i can think of that he wouldn't recommend bonding with Stella is maybe they have tried mixing her before and she is aggressive towards others or perhaps she has suffered an illness in the past such as snuffles or syphillus that is likely to re-occur and therefore you cannot risk mixing her due to possibly passing it on? Ask a different member of staff if they have more information on her (ask the staff rather than managers as it is the staff who spend time with the animals and care for them, they will have a better idea on their personailty etc).

I don't see how trying to bond Stephen with a new bunny will stress him out, rabbits are generall sociable creatures. I recently lost a rabbit (Alfie) who had bonded with another (Ava)... Ava became depressed and ill after Alfie passed and i was worried she wouldn't survive, she had just been neutered too. 2 days ago i took a rabbit home that had been in our adoption scheme at work and Ava is back to her normal self, happy, eating and playing with her new boyfriend (Big Ears). In my experience, bonding Stephen with another rabbit is a great idea!

[Emmax15]

p@h make me so angry!

When I went to pick up my baby bun from them, I was looking to buy a pair, but told them I only wanted to buy the small hutch to attach to the larger run that I have. I already had a big two storey hutch for them to sleep in at night.

So they would have a run/hutch combo in the day but shut in the bigger hutch at night.

The sales man (I say man, he was probably only 16)... told me that he wouldn't sell me two rabbits with that small hutch because 'how could he trust that I actually had a bigger one at home'???

I did kind of stamp my feet and argue with him and he eventually got the manager, who was so rude. She told me I should go away and learn 'the philosophy of rabbits' before I bothered to buy one. She told me I'd never ever ever EVER be able to bond two rabbits together and only professionals should do it. Either I buy one rabbit or leave basically. So I did get the one, and when she is spayed I will be looking for a companion.

Half of me wishes that I had gone somewhere else and bought a pair, but then I wouldn't have Hermione

The other thing that they did was when they were sexing Hermione, this boy couldn't tell if she was a girl or a boy because the bun she was in with was a boy???? They got three opinions but only when I took her to my new vet for her check up they clarified that she is a girl.

Rant over

[Cari]

Thanks for the replies guys...

I rang the other day because I wanted a reply to the email I sent regarding conflicting advice given by their sales staff, they weren't able to tell me why their staff member had told me not to bond them, just that it would be stressful and that it should be in a neutral environment. I enquired after Stella and apparently she has "gone" although they wouldn't confirm quite where that "gone" was. (I wasn't asking addresses, just that she had been rehomed and not PTS )

Fiddlestix - I did ask about her temperament etc and they said she was fine with other animals, and other staff members said it would be fine to try and bond her so maybe I just had an unknowledgable sales person beforehand. I'm just trying to get things right at home regarding his diet and then hopefully Stephen will have a wifey-bun.

Emmax15 - I'd have gone ballistic if someone had said that to me, especially considering the tiny indoor hutches that they sell advertised for small rabbits. I own one myself and it is used for nothing more than a litter tray and dining area, although he does sit in it sometimes. How they think it is appropriate to sell them I will never know. Grr.

[Emmax15]

I got pretty angry. I wish I had complained, but it was more one of those times when you're like, 'Did you actually just say that?!' and I was kind of shocked!

I know - he told me for 2 rabbits the smallest hutch he could sell me was *this one* whatever it was called... it had 2 cubed inches of extra space??? Was just longer but shorter

Grr!

It is a shame that she has gone for you Although I suppose now at least you don't have to deal with them. And it sounds like you are right about it just being that specific sales person. I saw someone else write on here somewhere that p@h staff are mostly just teenagers looking for a part time retail job. That's how it seems at my local one anyway, although I'm sure its not the case everywhere! (hopefully )

[Mirth]

p@h make me so angry!

When I went to pick up my baby bun from them, I was looking to buy a pair, but told them I only wanted to buy the small hutch to attach to the larger run that I have. I already had a big two storey hutch for them to sleep in at night.

So they would have a run/hutch combo in the day but shut in the bigger hutch at night.

<b>The sales man (I say man, he was probably only 16)... told me that he wouldn't sell me two rabbits with that small hutch because 'how could he trust that I actually had a bigger one at home'???</b>

So you would've rather they sold you two rabbits and a too small hutch with no questions asked? If you saw a lady buying two rabbits and that small hutch, I'm pretty sure you would've come on here and ranted how horrible P@H is for doing that and that they know nothing of rabbit care. Did you show them a photo of your set up before arguing with them?

P@H don't do homechecks so they can only go by what the owner tells them and what they are buying. I actually think they are in the right for refusing to sell you two rabbits and a small hutch. They get some customers lying and claiming they have a bigger set up as soon as they're refused fish or animals to go in a tiny cage, so you have to excuse them from being cautious.

They were in the right in my humble opinion.

I did kind of stamp my feet and argue with him and he eventually got the manager, who was so rude. She told me I should go away and learn 'the philosophy of rabbits' before I bothered to buy one. She told me I'd never ever ever EVER be able to bond two rabbits together and only professionals should do it. Either I buy one rabbit or leave basically. So I did get the one, and when she is spayed I will be looking for a companion.

Now that is completely wrong for the manager to be rude, however her being rude could be a response to your stamping like a child over their animal welfare concerns (imagine you are in their place) but she is completely wrong about bonding and shouldn't have been rude about it! I do think staff need more training on bonding.

The other thing that they did was when they were sexing Hermione, this boy couldn't tell if she was a girl or a boy because the bun she was in with was a boy???? They got three opinions but only when I took her to my new vet for her check up they clarified that she is a girl.

Rant over

Some staff don't check the sex of the rabbits they get in, it's usually the delivery guy who tells them what sex they are or someone who has 'more experience' tells them and not everyone double checks. I completely agree that a lot of people can't sex rabbits correctly! However, I have known of vets not sexing rabbits correctly either. And there's this little petshop nearby has no clue and doesn't even try. They are not easy to sex when tiny and the staff had to watch a sexing dvd and they have leaflets on sexing animals, so they should at least recongise boy or girl and if they're not sure should say, "we don't know you should get it checked by the vet." I'd rather that honesty rather then guessing.

(although I think those leaflets should show images of sexing baby animals as adult boys in most small animals are pretty obvious and needs to more explain what the differences is, tube for a boy and slit down the side for a girl with detail pictures.)

[Mirth]

I got pretty angry. I wish I had complained, but it was more one of those times when you're like, 'Did you actually just say that?!' and I was kind of shocked!

I know - he told me for 2 rabbits the smallest hutch he could sell me was *this one* whatever it was called... it had 2 cubed inches of extra space??? Was just longer but shorter

Grr!

I understand about being mad if the hutch he recommended is bigger, really isn't much bigger. They now have the recommendations on the hutches for what size rabbits, like this hutch is suitable for one medium rabbit or two guinea pigs, which I think helps because before it was more asking others or guessing yourself which one would be more suitable.

[catherine09]

So you would've rather they sold you two rabbits and a too small hutch with no questions asked? If you saw a lady buying two rabbits and that small hutch, I'm pretty sure you would've come on here and ranted how horrible P@H is for doing that and that they know nothing of rabbit care. Did you show them a photo of your set up before arguing with them?

P@H don't do homechecks so they can only go by what the owner tells them and what they are buying. I actually think they are in the right for refusing to sell you two rabbits and a small hutch. They get some customers lying and claiming they have a bigger set up as soon as they're refused fish or animals to go in a tiny cage, so you have to excuse them from being cautious.

They were in the right in my humble opinion.

This .

If you were that angry with them Emmax15, why did you give them your custom and buy a bunny from them?

[Emmax15]

Ahh you're probably all right

I was most annoyed because it felt like they were in it for the money. The hutch they wanted me to buy was like I said had 2 inches more floor space and was about £30 more expensive

I understand that they have to watch their backs and only go on what I'm telling them and have regulations which I'm glad they do, but I suppose cause I knew I was telling the truth. Also the way the staff were irritated me more than what they were actually saying - the boy was really patronising and then his manager was rude.

But hey ho And I bought her because I fell in love with her

[Fiiddlestix]

I got pretty angry. I wish I had complained, but it was more one of those times when you're like, 'Did you actually just say that?!' and I was kind of shocked!

I know - he told me for 2 rabbits the smallest hutch he could sell me was *this one* whatever it was called... it had 2 cubed inches of extra space??? Was just longer but shorter

Grr!

It is a shame that she has gone for you Although I suppose now at least you don't have to deal with them. And it sounds like you are right about it just being that specific sales person. I saw someone else write on here somewhere that p@h staff are mostly just teenagers looking for a part time retail job. That's how it seems at my local one anyway, although I'm sure its not the case everywhere! (hopefully )

No we're not all teenagers looking for part time work, some of us have studied for years and done many advanced courses to be able to give customers the proper advice they need and look after the animals welfare to a high standard. Please don't judge all P@H staff on one kid (who is probably still training). All it would of taken for you to get two bunnies is a photo or your set up as proof, unfortunately not all customers are honest with the set ups they have at home so we have to be extra careful for the animals sake. I'm glad you fell in love with Hermione, i hope you find her a nice boyfriend soon