Anyone Got the Latest Issue of Rabbiting On ?

[InspectorMorse]

Just heard that as well as not accepting photos of single Rabbits they will no longer be including photos of Lop Rabbits. Both due to not promoting poor welfare.


Thoughts ?

[bunny momma]

This is extreme imo, especially banning lops.
Why lops and not dwarfs,giant rabbits, angoras, and many other breeds with characteristics that result in health/genetic issues.
These lops will still need to be rescued by loving people who will attend to their special needs.
It would make more sense to educate people by writing articles about challenges of specific breeds so people are prepared for time and financial impact when they adopt certain breeds.

[InspectorMorse]

This is extreme imo, especially banning lops.
Why lops and not dwarfs,giant rabbits, angoras, and many other breeds with characteristics that result in health/genetic issues.
These lops will still need to be rescued by loving people who will attend to their special needs.
It would make more sense to educate people by writing articles about challenges of specific breeds so people are prepared for time and financial impact when they adopt certain breeds.

I completely agree. I feel it is ridiculous tbh. I can understand the single Rabbit issue. But Lops are certainly not the only breed to have potential breed type health problems.

It all sounds like a PETA campaign to me and it will do nothing to promote Rabbit Welfare. It will just further divide the Rabbit keeping community. If we are gong to these extremes then why publicise Pet Rabbits at all. Rabbits should never have been domesticated in the first place.

The world really has gone mad

[mikek]

i think both are good

[bunniemum]

I agree, very sad, lots of people take on rescue lops (have had two previously myself). So does this class them as second rate rabbits, and not worthy of the same love, or that owner's are not able to show their love for their rabbits. Will this put people off rescuing them in the future?.. and then what, more being abandoned/dumped?

[KarenM]

It's pretty similar to the CRUFFA campaign for bracycephalic dogs - the acronym stands for campaign for the responsible use of flat faced dogs in advertising.

The idea being that, the more these breeds (particularly the more extreme examples) are normalised and portrayed as cute in the media, the worse the issue becomes and they're trying to reverse that trend by urging companies to use dogs with a more normal phenotype.

I do see the point - lops have only come about because we've selectively bred them to have lopped ears and a much shorter face, without much thought to the issues caused by squeezing all those teeth into a much smaller space etc.

People see a cute photo of a single rabbit in the mag and think it's OK for them to live alone.... or people see a cute photo of a lop with big floppy ears and a squishy round face and think that's what rabbits should look like. Neither should be normalised, I guess.

I would like to see a multi-pronged approach though and hopefully they're also planning to raise awareness with some articles explaining the health issues with particular breeds.

I realise I probably sound like a total hypocrite, as I've owned lop rabbits and still have a brachy dog but it's about encouraging more moderate examples of those breeds for me, rather than wanting them to disappear altogether.

[InspectorMorse]

It's pretty similar to the CRUFFA campaign for bracycephalic dogs - the acronym stands for campaign for the responsible use of flat faced dogs in advertising.

The idea being that, the more these breeds (particularly the more extreme examples) are normalised and portrayed as cute in the media, the worse the issue becomes and they're trying to reverse that trend by urging companies to use dogs with a more normal phenotype.

I do see the point - lops have only come about because we've selectively bred them to have lopped ears and a much shorter face, without much thought to the issues caused by squeezing all those teeth into a much smaller space etc.

People see a cute photo of a single rabbit in the mag and think it's OK for them to live alone.... or people see a cute photo of a lop with big floppy ears and a squishy round face and think that's what rabbits should look like. Neither should be normalised, I guess.

I would like to see a multi-pronged approach though and hopefully they're also planning to raise awareness with some articles explaining the health issues with particular breeds.

I realise I probably sound like a total hypocrite, as I've owned lop rabbits and still have a brachy dog but it's about encouraging more moderate examples of those breeds for me, rather than wanting them to disappear altogether.

I have not received my copy of RO yet, but hearing the reaction of some folk who have all it has done is drive previously committed RWAF supporters away.

The point bunny momma makes is very valid. Should pics of Rex Rabbits not feature ( pododermatitis, heart disease), Netherland Dwarfs ( Many are brachy), Giants ( Heart disease, pododermatitis, hip dysplasia, spinal problems) all long haired Rabbits such as Angoras and Cashmeres ( high maintenance coats often leading to health problems) Spotted Gene Rabbits ( Megacolon), I could go on.

These Rabbit Breeds are here to stay, promoting better breeding ( PLEASE DONT START A DEBATE ABOUT BREEDING ON THIS THREAD) to achieve an overall more healthy breed type would be far more useful. The blanket ban is a blunt instrument which will probably do more harm than good.

[Graciee]

I get not the single buns, no lops seems a bit OTT.. I don't like the rwaf anyway though, seems like something they'd do

(which I know is probably an unpopular opinion)

[KCG]

Are rabbit breeds such as dwarf and lop more prone to getting sick?

[Graciee]

Are rabbit breeds such as dwarf and lop more prone to getting sick?

Not sick in general, but having teeth issues (also root issues etc) because their mouth is too small to actually accommodate all their teeth

It's more than that, I've not explained it well, it's their skull is too small in general iirc Jane will be able to write something better