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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum THE LOUNGE So upset – now I have a dilemma!

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    • luvmybunny
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        I have been SOOOO upset since yesterday before I went to work. I need some advice!! I went to a local mom and pop pet store/grooming place close to my parents house yesterday to pick up a couple chew toys for another foster bunny I got today. Well, as I was going to the check out I saw the most disturbing living situation EVER!! They had a lionhead bunny in a plastic tank….probably a less than a 10 gallon!! Nothing to play with, terrible food and it looked scared out of it’s mind.  I was sooooo super PO’ed that I didn’t buy the items I had and left the store. I wanted to talk to someone (the manager) but they were busy helping the owners picking up their dogs from grooming. So I went to my parents and called and demanded to talk to the manager!!! She saw nothing wrong with the bunny’s cage and said he was fine because he is a “dwarf lionhead”  and won’t get much bigger, then proceeded to call me honey!!! What the heck!?!?!   I was so upset about this. Well today I decided to call them and ask about the rabbit so maybe I could buy him and save him from that terrible life!! They don’t know if the bunny is a boy or girl, but said it’s probably a boy. The bunny costs $50. I have been thinking, thinking and more thinking about getting this bunny!! Am I a bad person? I just want to help improve the rabbits life.

        I can give him/her a great home, pay for surgery and feed him the best hay and pellets available. What should I do?!?!?


      • Moonlight_Wolf
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          Oh that is so sad, some stores around here sell bunnies in small cages. Some glass and some wire. Luckily they usually have something to do and I usually see hay in their cage, but a lot of the time they are fed pellets with seeds and other junk in it.

          I know it is very sad, I usually just try to ignore my “save the bunnies” instinct, just because if I did not then I would have about seven bunnies. One time I saw a lady buying a bunny from a pet store and she had a lot of kids milling around her. I managed to tell her that bunnies are good pets and they need lots of exercise, I was dying to give her a huge lecture on bunny care but my mom said that I might annoy her if I did so. I REALLY wanted to spread bunny knowledge, and it still bothers me that I did not! The thing I think about when I feel bad about this is that the bunny probably had a better home with the lady then it did at a pet store. Ok sorry tangent.

          I’d say if you are looking for a new bunny, and this is the right one then get him, but there are many other bunnies that can be saved at shelters. Plus if you buy the bunny you will be supporting the pet store. I know its sad, but if I bought every mistreated bun in my area I’d have about twenty.


        • Barbie
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            Awww… I’m sorry to hear about the poor bunny. That’s infuriating when you see stuff like that. Honestly, I wouldn’t buy him. At $50 per bunny, they’re DEFINITELY making a profit off of that and by buying him it’ll only encourage the store owners to stock more bunnies. Supply and demand….

            Anyway, I know youre frustrated and feel bad for the bunny, but I would do my best to go in the sotre when they’re quiet and ask to speak to the manager – maybe give them a call first and set up an actual meeting with the manger and or store owner (if you can avoid it, I wouldn’t try to address the issue over the phone or even mention what you want to talk about since it’s so much harder to read people over the phone, they might misconstrue your phone call or shut you down without giving you a chance).  If they refuse to meet, go into the store periodically and ask the employees if you can speek to the manager, and until you do see the manager, while you’re in the store you can explain to the employees and other customers proper bunny care.  Just be polite about it and offer up suggestions. 

            If you do get a meeting, explain to them that the bunny’s living conditions concern you and offer to give them some advice about bunny care and point them in the right direction (to sites like this and HRS). Be calm about it and don’t attack them – if you make them upset they’ll only ignore you or cut the meeting short, even if what you’re saying makes sense.  Offer to write up a facts sheet about basic cunny care (and make sure to include links to informative sites) and ask if they can post some copies by the (hopefully larger) cage to hand out to potential bunny owners.  Tell them about your bun(s) and that you wanted to meet with them so that this bunny (and any future bunnies the store may have) can have the same great lives that yours does.  Hope that helps!

             


          • Kafrn
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              awwwwwwww bunnymum, I would have felt and done exactly the same as you!!! poor little lionhead. Is there anyone you can report the situation to? I read somewhere that any animal welfare place cant do anything unless the pen is less than 4 times smaller than the rabbit – RIDICULOUS! can you imagine keeping a rabbit in a cage only 4 times the size of the bun? Cant believe its legal!

              I would buy him…. Is there any way that you could purchase him and foster him and find him a good home yourself? I can donate paypal dollars if you need support for the bunny
              Anything is better than a fish tank


            • luvmybunny
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                Thanks everyone I do know that there are lots of rabbits at rescues waiting for homes, so I am fostering 2 bunnies for a local rescue I adopted Daphne from to help them out and I really hate petstores with passion but needed something ASAP or I would not have even stepped foot there.

                Kafrn, thank you so much for the awesome idea!! You are so sweet to offer to donate money! You have enough to deal with already with Elle and Peanut. SO – I am going to call the girls tomorrow that I help out fostering for their rescue. I don’t care about the $50 to pay for him/her I just want him out of that cage. Maybe they can help me find a home for the bunny. If not, I was going to go there and speak to the manager face to face and have an information session about proper bunny housing, if that fails I don’t know what to do. I realize that if I buy the bunny they will find another to cram into this small cage. If not, I am going to beg my boyfriend to let me get him….my birthday is coming up in 10 days…he didn’t get me a present yet….lol! So I will call the rescue I am helping out and see what they say – if not Plan B!

                Thanks again for your advice and help – I know we can’t help all the bunnies, but this one is REALLY tugging at my heart strings


              • Moonlight_Wolf
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                  I think you should talk to the manager, cuz remember if you just buy the bunny they will probably just get another one.


                • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                    It’s hard to say what you should do…

                    On one hand if you buy it, it will have a good life. But you will be supporitng it and they will likely get more (demand drives supply)

                    On the other -someone will get the bunny at some point. And again-drive supply.

                    I’d try instead/as well to speak to them about NOT doing it again and perhaps give them a care package (like info on how to care for the bunny) for them to give out with the purchase?


                  • jerseygirl
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                      Posted By bunnymum on 11/17/2009 07:40 PM

                      I realize that if I buy the bunny they will find another to cram into this small cage.

                      I’m glad you recognise this.  It is very likely.   If you are willing to spend $’s on getting the bunny, what about donating a second hand cage instead?  I truly don’t know if this would make a difference or whether they just put a different rabbit in it.  Was it only 1 in the store?  Do they normally have more?  I’m wondering if you could approach them about having rescue rabbits in the store?  Since you’re now involved with a shelter,maybe they and this pet store could arrange something and that way can be involve in setting up better housing for them and education.  They might be open to it if they know that the large pet chain stores are going this way.

                        Either way, if you approach the manager explaining you’re involved in rabbit rescue and this is why you are concerned about this one bunny, they might be more open to listening to you and changing a few things.  Perhaps emphasize the reasons so many end up in shelters and how you want to work toward stopping the cycle.


                    • TARM
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                        I wonder if you could make an appointment to meet with the manager and present her with some information. They sell x-pens, maybe you could get them to set the bunny up in a pen instead of in the cage? And mention that more people would be drawn to watch the bunny if she could move around and play rather than just sit there with no room to even turn around.

                        Also, you could mention this rabbit to the rescue you work with and see if any of the other volunteers, or maybe a board member, could contact the store. The message may be more well recieved from an actual organization than a single member of the general public.


                      • MarkBun
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                          ASPCA is always a good call if you think the conditions are bad. Do realize though that what we, who enjoy free roam buns, think are bad conditions and what the local ASPCA will think. Never hurts for them to check in on a store though. Keeps the storekeeps on their toes.


                        • Deleted User
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                            I wonder if stores want to make people feel compelled to save the rabbits by housing them carelessly. Stores must realize that rescues and shelters are their competition in a sense.


                          • bunnytowne
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                              Petzy I was wondering that too.   If they play on peoples sympathy. 

                              I woudl get him.   #1 a lionhead  I love them.   #2 crappy food and small housing.  nothing to do.  

                              That is a good idea to set up an appmnt to talk to the manager.   Maybe if they are reluctant maybe you can say you are job hunting?  I dont’ know that may delay the appmnt.  but I would try anything.


                            • Jenna, Chubs & Comet
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                                I am so lucky that the pet store in my area is fairly responsible with how they care for their buns or I’d have 20 by now…lol I understand the compulsion. Heck, I get the compulsion even when the bunny is perfectly content just because it’s so cute! I agree with everyone’s suggestions and wish you luck!


                              • Jenna, Chubs & Comet
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                                  I am so lucky that the pet store in my area is fairly responsible with how they care for their buns or I’d have 20 by now…lol I understand the compulsion. Heck, I get the compulsion even when the bunny is perfectly content just because it’s so cute! I agree with everyone’s suggestions and wish you luck!

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                              Forum THE LOUNGE So upset – now I have a dilemma!