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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

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 Between a rock and a hard place…

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    • Frankz
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        So…to make a [beginning of a] long story short, me and my mom went out to a pet store to buy some hay for Sunny, and, they had rabbits there. So of course, me must playz wif teh bunz.!

        WELL…

        I noticed there was about 6 buns in a triangular tank with an opened top, so, air ventilation was good. BUT, the tank was big enough for the rabbit (they were all pretty small, all females, different breeds and bonded well) to take 6-10 hops from one side to the other. It seemed is if they had nothing to do, so they just decided to sleep, and they were all in one corner, sleeping almost on top of each other, in a little bun-pile.

        Now, I’ve been wanting a new rabbit (preferably female), and & willing to take the time to bond her/him with Sunny.

        So, I really wanted one from the pet store (I know, they’re usually sick or something), but got to thinking about the sickness issue. So then I thought to just adopt from my local humane society.

        Now here’s where the issue comes at hand..

        I don’t like the fact of those rabbits being all bunched up together, with nothing to do, and think I could make a good and better-loving- home for one of them.

        But then again, it probably is just contributing to the whole “puppy (using that as an example) mill” or backyard breeder issue.

        So, I need your guys’ opinion. What would you do? It’s kind of like 2 different types of rescues.

        Thanks for your opinions.

         
         

         


      • TARM
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          As sorry as I feel for the baby bunnies I would resist the urge to buy one. Purchasing one of those babies only encourages the store to stock more. I know that’s not what you want to hear but that’s probably what would have happened.


        • Frankz
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            Yeah, I kind of guessed that :/. I guess it’s supply & demand.

             


          • feeona
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              my local pet store has about 12 bunnies down there at the moment – and they breed thier own !!! i am appaulled because they get fed food that is not good for them – there is no litter tray ….. and most of them are bound for the shelter – i want to save one of them but i know that it will just encourage them to breed more of them – though whether i buy one or not i know more will come – but thats my stand – its a no win situation but what can you do?
              personnaly i dont think you should be able to buy anything but fish from a pet store – i think it should be illegal – i think you should have to go to a breeder or shelter – at least with those two it isnt so spur of the moment


            • Beka27
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                I would also encourage you to adopt rather than purchase. I try to avoid stores that sell animals but when I find myself in one, the bunny lover in me has to stop and look. It is so tempting, which is the exact reason why they keep bunnies in OPEN TOP TANKS, rather than behind glass like they do with cats and dogs. They WANT you to reach in there, see how small they are, pet the bunnies, feel how soft they are…

                Pet stores set them up to be an IMPULSE buy. They also count on you not having a spare cage, litter, water/food dish, and food laying around your house, so that’s another $100 sale automatically.

                Another way to look at it, as if all the rabbits in shelters were not enough… is the COST of buying an unaltered rabbit. The buns themselves cost between $30 and $50. I recently called around to my local vets to ask the price of spay/neuter and MALES ARE $220, FEMALES ARE $280. This does not include the initial exam beforehand (approx. $75) and any other fecal/parasite tests that must be done on a pet store bunny. Pain meds are usually another $20-30.

                So assuming you have no cage, food, litter, etc… a petstore bunny will typically end up costing about $500 (OR MORE!) within the first 3-4 months.
                I’d rather adopt a bun for $50-75, who has already been examined by a vet, and not have to pay for altering myself.

                I am in no way saying that the money aspect is more important than the rabbits in need, but at least for my family, it is a MAJOR factor.


              • KytKattin
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                  Definitely adopt if you can!!! I think the list of preferred ways of getting a rabbit that is helpful to rabbits in general in order of helpful to not very helpful (and nobody take offense to this if you got your rabbit from a pet store because what is done is done, and I know you love your bunny and won’t ever regret it!!!): Adopt from a shelter/rescue, find a rabbit (that someone dumped), buy from a good breeder (much easier said than done), buy from a petstore/bad breeder. Now, as Beka said, it is often much cheaper to get a rabbit from a rescue, and also, if the shelter allows, Sunny can choose the new bun! Also, none of the other options are as inexpensive as adopting from a shelter/rescue. I found my little Nova and she cost me an arm and a leg (she ate the other arm and leg to boot)!!! Also, since shelter buns tend to be older (6 months and up!) their true personalities tend to shine through, so you know what you are getting before you even bring it home! Since buns in pet stores tend to be babies, it also means you have to wait longer to start bonding, and that bond can be broken after a spay/neuter. Plus it means they have to live separately longer, and two cages aren’t really better than one. So since you have the option, don’t buy while shelter animals die!


                • TARM
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                    Sadly, if you wait long enough, the bunnies you saw at the pet store will be in the shelter, and you can pick one then. :0(


                  • Frankz
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                      Posted By TARM on 11/22/2009 12:43 PM
                      Sadly, if you wait long enough, the bunnies you saw at the pet store will be in the shelter, and you can pick one then. :0(

                      That’s true. In a way I see it as a no win situation. If I get one from the shelter, the ones at the pet store will most likely be dumped at the shelter. But then again, sooner or later they could uthanize the shelter buns !

                       


                    • KytKattin
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                        Posted By Frankz on 11/22/2009 03:02 PM

                        Posted By TARM on 11/22/2009 12:43 PM
                        Sadly, if you wait long enough, the bunnies you saw at the pet store will be in the shelter, and you can pick one then. :0(

                        That’s true. In a way I see it as a no win situation. If I get one from the shelter, the ones at the pet store will most likely be dumped at the shelter. But then again, sooner or later they could uthanize the shelter buns !

                         

                         

                        At the shelter near me, if they get more than 8 buns they start euthenizing the ones that have been there the longest (even if they have only been there a day). It does depend on the shelter, but yes, unless it is a no kill shelter, the rabbits are put down after a certain amount of time. Even at a no kill shelter, they can not help or take in more rabbits until their current rabbits have found homes. Essentially, if you pull a rabbit out of a shelter you are giving a spot to another rabbit, and giving that new rabbit a better chance to live, not to mention a great home for the bunny you bring home!


                      • sammyp
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                          This is a really tough one, and I can see both sides of the argument. With every animal sold from a bad shop, there comes the stigma that it will simply be replaced once you’ve bought it and the cycle will continue. More bunnies/reptiles/rats or whatever it is, will be brought in, sold to idiots (most likely) and end up in shelters or dumped. But honestly, no matter how many good pet owners boycott these shops, for every one of you, there are ten idiots coming for an easter bunny, or a “toy” for their 3 year old kid or something to coo over for a month then stick in a cage and ignore – the lucky ones will make it to a shelter. I honestly don’t know if not buying an animal from one of these places will help in the long run – really, there needs to be legislation barring pet ownership prior to some sort of training and inspection – but I think you have to do what you feel is best.


                        • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                            I would really resist buying one.

                            In fact-I don’t spend a dime in any store that sells pets-and we all hsouldn’t-vote with your dollars!
                            If your concerned about them I’d phone and talk to the manager, and as well if it’s a chain store-email or phone head office. The more they hear about concerns-the less likely they will be to sell pets.

                            Petsmart no longer sells Dogs, Cats or Rabbits (It’s their official statment that they will not sell animals who are euthanized in shelters) and instead supports shelter with their charity fund and having adoptable animals in stores. It’s not futile to voice your opinion to the store!

                            BUT don’t buy them-they will just replace them.

                            I’d really say-adopt instead. I know it’s tough but if we all buy bunnies we want to rescue from the store-they’d be putting more and more bunnies in stores. Instead let them know it’s not ok and you won’t shop there while they have bunnies for sale


                          • Elrohwen
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                              I completely agree with the others. By purchasing a pet, you’re providing revenue to the store to continue buying and selling more baby bunnies. By adopting, you’re opening up a spot for a new bunny. Plus, all of the dollars you spend at a shelter are going towards that shelter continuing to do good work – not to a pet store.

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                          Forum THE LOUNGE Between a rock and a hard place…