Posted an Easter Bunny “ad” online

[ScooterandAnnette]

Yesterday I posted an “ad” on kijiji – for those not familiar with it, it’s kind of like craigslist. 

http://winnipeg.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAd?…60ffff05fd

In case the link doesn’t work, this is what it says:

** Thinking of getting a bunny for Easter? **

Bunnies can make wonderful pets (I have 6!) but they are NOT for everyone.  Did you know:
– A well-cared for house rabbit can live for 8-14 years – the same lifespan as a large dog!
– They are NOT a low maintenance pet – their cages/areas require cleaning every day, nails trimmed, grooming etc.
– They need 4 or more hours of time to run around outside a cage every day
– Those little cages they sell in pet stores are not actually big enough for a rabbit, an adult rabbit needs a cage or area at least 2′ x 4′ to properly stretch out.
– They have specialized diets.  
– Care for them costs more than for my cats or my dog – their food costs more, their vet care is more expensive.
– Pet rabbits should be spayed or neutered to prevent behavioural and health problems (both sexes can be very aggressive, male rabbits will spray if unaltered and female rabbits are prone to uterine cancer)
– Despite looking very snuggly they don’t really like to be cuddled.  
– They can and do bite.  
– Every year thousands of bunnies are brought home for Easter and then just abandoned outside to die months later when the familes realize how much work they really are.  

If you really want to provide a forever home to a bunny please research their care and requirements first, and then consider adopting one from one from a shelter or rescue.  Yes, the Humane Society has rabbits and they’re already spayed or neutered.

 

 

I’ve only gotten one response to it so far – I was expecting irate messages from people selling rabbits but instead I got this:
 ”Very nice ad!! I hope it gets through to people  “

Kind of nice to get

– Annette

[MirBear]

i get tons of those responses… and yes you will get some nasty ones, some of the ones i got were horrid! but i always got i nice one or two after so… you add may get deleted so i’d save the info on your computer and just keep posting it.
ive had lots of e-mails from people saying stuff like “i was looking for a bunny for my kids when i saw this add, my kids are getting stuffed bunnies instead.” or “great add, i had no idea that they were so much work” and one even said “i really wish someone had of posted this before i got my kids one for easter last year, i had no idea how to look after it properly untill i read this add”

[katiep]

I posted your ad on craigslist for cleveland too. I think it’s a good idea to remind people what they are getting into!

[jerseygirl]

Great!  You ad runs alot like mine except yours is more informative. Mine is pretty simple and I added a Make Mine Chocolate image and weblink.  Like Mirbear, I keep reposting it. Actually, I delete it before the weekend then immediately repost it. That way it comes to top of the list for the weekend. Otherwise they want you to pay to promote it.

I have had just 2 responses. One from the rabbit rescue here which was great, and one from a woman asking if I had any free bunnies I could give her! 

[TARM]

I posted something similar last year multiple times and I got accused of being a rabbit hater and my ad got flagged off!

[LoveChaCha]

Yay
When I clicked the link, it said 90 views I am glad to see such good responses!

[Barbie]

I posted an ad too, and I’ll keep reposting it. Scooter and Annette, I hope you don’t mind… I copied your text and just modified it a bit, so… thanks! 🙂

[ScooterandAnnette]

No I don’t mind at all! I got another positive response from it:

“awesome, awesome, i’ve emailed so many people about this, so glad someone else is. ”

I was so sure I’d only get angry breeders responding to me!
– Annette

[Monkeybun]

Posted By ScooterandAnnette on 03/28/2010 08:31 PM
No I don’t mind at all! I got another positive response from it:

“awesome, awesome, i’ve emailed so many people about this, so glad someone else is. ”

I was so sure I’d only get angry breeders responding to me!
– Annette

 

A decent breeder owuld agree on having people research how to care for htem first.. it’s just so hard to find decent breeders nowadays.

[Barbie]

Sigh. Some jerk already flagged my post and had it removed. I’m going back to repost. There is absolutely NOTHING in my post that violates the user agreement…

[kralspace]

I sure it didn’t violate anything, someone got enough friends to flag it so it disappeared. Mine would go away several times a day sometimes and I’d just repost. Mind if I cut and paste yours into our area craigslist?

[Barbie]

Yeah, I did repost it

[TARM]

If I had that much free time I would wonder why flaggers feel like they are entitled to dictate what is posted on CL and what isn’t. But I don’t so I won’t.

[ScooterandAnnette]

If anyone wants to use this one please go ahead! So far my ad is still there and no negative responses to it, just another positive one today.
– Annette

[ScooterandAnnette]

If anyone wants to use this one please go ahead! So far my ad is still there and no negative responses to it, just another positive one today.
– Annette

[LittlePuffyTail]

Great ad! I posted one on my local kijiji a few weeks back, it’s based on the editorial template from the Make Mine Chocolate website but I made some changes. I was really worried about getting some bad responses from horrid people like Mirbear received. A few hours after posting I got 4 e-mails from people thanking me for the ad but no other responses since. Bunny owners or animal rights advocates I assume but it’s nice to have positive feedback. I want to re-post it before Easter because there have been quite a few ads in the last week for the “perfect” Easter Gift.

[MirBear]

Posted By Barbie on 03/29/2010 07:27 AM
Sigh. Some jerk already flagged my post and had it removed. I’m going back to repost. There is absolutely NOTHING in my post that violates the user agreement…

 

on kijiji it is a violation to post warnings ect… so people flag them.. i just keep reposting and eventually they stop… the kijiji disscussion board also works

[MirBear]

i replied to one of the breeders on kijiji who was selling ‘easter bunnies’
heres the add:
http://kitchener.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAd?AdId=194731288&MessageId=MSG.VIEW_AD.REPLY_TO_AD_SENT&ilIds=195273170%2C194835266%2C172123928%2C194731288%2C194634024%2C194301158%2C193977040%2C193983908%2C193748098%2C193710206%2C193598645%2C193600549%2C193508372%2C169021528%2C193251064%2C192893847%2C192890858%2C192890662%2C192242660%2C192200198&ilNext=2&ilPrev=-1&ilProvider=SearchIdListProvider&ilqcCatId=112&ilqcKeyword=rabbits&mpname=R2S&mpname=Activity-R2S&mpuid=1700209%3B114%3B194731288%3B39639830%3B%3B&secev=AQAAASekpI4AAM0AAAACACIxMjdhY2NiMjdkNy5hMjBiMjcxLjY3MjQ2LmZmZmQ0NDkyAAAAAAubXRgBAAAAAgAAAAABfXhAdZsHmCpC1QpvTa5jFdE%2FCO8cJlY*

and my reply:
why are you sellng baby bunnies for easter??? do you not care about their future?? do you have any idea what the percentage of bunnies that go into shelters after easter is?? its horrible that what!! these people will think that bunnies are cute little cuddly things all their life that can sit in a tiny store bought cage 24/7 eating just pellets and whatever else gets thrown in. please put some information on your adds that bunnies are not meant for everyone, that they SHOULD be fixed once they become of age and that they need to be housed properly!
if not your “customers” will most likely end up dumping these beautiful bunnies at a shelter once they realise what they have gotten themselves into.. eg. when the bunny hits puberty and becomes a little terror, they wont know to get it altered… they will think it is an agressive animal and they will dump it at a shelter or will “set it free”. please be very cautios when selling these bunnies.
thank you,
Miranda

[Barbie]

I don’t think it’s a violation on CL though…. Anyway, I got a nice reply from someone else who was posting about not getting Easter bunnies. Made me feel good.

I can’t browse craigslist very much though… Just came across an ad posted by some photographer… he bought two baby bunnies from a pet store, used them for two days in photo shoots with babies (baby humans) and now wants to get rid of them. I was INFURIATED! You DO NOT treat animals like a prop that you can just toss out when you’re done. Sigh. I wrote him a pretty nasty email but didn’t send it. You never know who you’re dealing with on the internet, and the LAST thing I want is to tick him off and for him to come looking for me. Yikes! I AM going to go back to that email and re write it and tone it down. I’ll ask him to take out the part that he just used the bunnies as props because I don’t want other people reading the post and thinking it’s ok to treat animals like that.

So in that vein Miranda… I know your heart is in the right place, and I know ads like that are infuriating, however, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar… a nasty email only sets the recipient on edge and makes them defensive, and you never know how crazy some people are… There are ways to track emails and IP addresses (I don’t know how, I just know it can be done), so just please be careful. A simple factual email expressing your concern because you love bunnies might be better received.

[MirBear]

there are 3 add of 4 month old mini rex’s 2bro’s 1sis. on kijiji, because of that same reason, used as props then dumped…
and another add that was “get your child’s picture taken this eater with live bunnies, your name will get put into a draw to win 1 of 9 live holland lop baby bunnies!!”
i couldnt belive it….. i didnt even bother sending anything, who knows what would have come out….

[Author]

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