Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS.  SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED.  We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best. 

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time. 

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.

What are we about?  Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules

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 Bunny owners

Viewing 19 reply threads
  • Author
    Messages

    • HECA
      Participant
      211 posts Send Private Message

        I would like to say something about other bunny owners. 

        Also you’ll have to excuse any mistakes I may type, as my brain isn’t working right today (low iron and Lupus fog).  

        Until I got Peanut… I too was of the uneducated about buns.  
        There is still that mentality that buns are kept in small cages inside or a hutch outside. You only feed them pellets or that awful mix with the corn and such. This is NOT an uncommon mentality.  It’s just the way it’s been for eons.  Part of this is because rabbits are still livestock, and 4-H projects.  I’m sure they always will be. Do I agree with it? NO! Although it’s the way it is. 
        As for bunny owners that keep house rabbits and don’t care for them properly… It’s about education.  Part of this is the fault of pet stores too.  They still sell the small cages to keep bunnies and guinea pigs in (I have one in my garage).  They sell those mixes of feed that our rabbits shouldn’t eat.  It wasn’t until recent years that they started selling rabbit toys.  
        I can’t tell you how bad I felt about the way I cared for my earlier rabbits.  I had no idea, and after seeing Peanut thrive in a free roam situation with toys and a proper diet.  I of course would never keep a rabbit in any other situation. Although I think it is our responsibility to educate others without condemning them. 
        The gal I got Butters from had a couple of Flemmies as 4-H projects. She lived on a small farm.  She had her rabbit outside of a barn in hutches. She loved her rabbits and was very proud of them.  She had the BEST of intentions, but she just didn’t know the extent of the possibilities.  I told her my plans for Butters and my experience with Peanut.  She didn’t know they would play with toys, could be litter box trained, and so on…she was amazed and impressed like I was a bunny whisperer or something.  I told her it’s just their nature. I told her of my experiences, but I didn’t condemn her for the way she kept her rabbits.  I just planted the seed. People don’t tend to respond well otherwise.


      • HECA
        Participant
        211 posts Send Private Message

          When I got Butters I asked what they were being fed. They told me pellets (and not much for 9 baby Flemmies) and small amounts of alfalfa on occasion as a treat. Those babies weren’t being fed properly, but I also realize that the breeders just didn’t know. It was their first litter, so I educated them. I also realize that there is so much contradicting information out there. It can be hard to know who to listen to, but you have to go from experience too. For instance there is a famous Flemmies breeder out there, that sells his buns for thousands of dollars a piece, and he only feeds pellets. So really… To one who doesn’t know… You would think he has good info on feeding Flemmies.
          My point is… I don’t think most people are purposely mistreating or miss feeding their rabbits. They just have the wrong information. If they are lucky enough to find good information like the HRS or this site. They may change their minds.


        • BunnyLady1989
          Participant
          446 posts Send Private Message

            Sadly not all cases are just solved with educating. Like my co worker for example. She refuses to buy hay, even though I have told her a million times, and she has education material I have given her, and she won’t listen. She says that since she never did that with her previous bunny and he lived to be 8 then her new one is just fine without it. Some things she will take my advice but other more important things she won’t. She is the same one who gives them licorice to snack on, fruit snacks, crackers…the list goes on and on. Her mentality is basically if he will eat it then it must be fine. If I did this Lulu would be eating plastic and having chocolate covered raisins and peanuts every day. She handles her new one all the time, or at temps to and it makes me nervous that he will end up hurting himself because he hates being held. I don’t know what else I can do…


          • JackRabbit
            Participant
            5451 posts Send Private Message

              Unfortunately for the ones that don’t want to be educated by us “crazy bunny fanatics”, we have few options. For the extreme cases, we can report them to local SPCA orgs or animal control. For others, we often have to let it go (which I have difficulty doing but am trying).

              My son’s now ex-girlfriend has a 1 1/2 year old unspayed lionhead in a small cage. A friend of hers who is living with them has an unspayed male in a tiny cage — teeny litter box and a small tunnel and no way to even stretch out. He gets pellets when she remembers, water refilled every few days, and no hay. It made me ill to see. I’ve spoken with the ex-girlfriend and with my son to try to get them to speak with the girl to no avail. I bought a 10 lb box of hay and hay racks for both bunnies. I’ve gotten angry and yelled — told the ex that if the friend’s bunny is living in her house and is being neglected that it becomes HER responsibility to care for it. I’ve also begged her to get her bunny spayed. Short of taking the bunny myself (won’t give it up), I’m out of options. Guess I could really make a stink now that the girlfriend is an “ex”. . . Definitely thinking about it!

              Sometimes I guess our best option is to try our best to educate whenever we can (our local pet store that sells bunnies hates to see me come in now!) and know we tried.


            • HECA
              Participant
              211 posts Send Private Message

                I’m totally not saying there aren’t people out there that aren’t just completely ignorant.  We all know there are THOSE people. I’ll admit I get angry too.  

                Though I do have some leniency for those farmers and 4-Hers.  To them it’s the way it’s suppose to be.  I also admit it’s really hard to get someone to listen about feeding when the stores sell crappy food buns shouldn’t eat…. And those cages! 

                The spay/neuter can be a hard sell because let’s face it… Most vets try to detour from doing so by their prices.  

                The feeding of candy to rabbits drives me nuts.  I saw a video of a dog and a Flemmie sharing a fruit by the foot.   That’s just stupidity. 

                All I’m saying is that some people are just misinformed. 


              • BunnyLady1989
                Participant
                446 posts Send Private Message

                  And I agree with that too. I was one of those misinformed people. My whole family was. We never knew that we could have a bunny that is somewhat of a mix between a puppy and a cat lol. But in many cases people have to want to learn and want to change.
                  The lady I referred to even wanted to get our bunnies together for a play date. Mine is a Holland lop who is spayed. Hers is a male mini lop who is not neutered, nor will he ever get neutered. I had to laugh at this point. She just figured since mines fixed there will be know problem. So I was rather blunt. Given Lulu’s size and attitude if I let that happen we may end up with one less bunny…not meaning mine. I just hope that one day she will listen to me and atleast but him hay! But you gave me an idea…maybe I can try getting an extra bag for him and maybe once she uses it she will buy it. It’s worth a shot right?


                • Whobott
                  Participant
                  168 posts Send Private Message

                    I think all we can really do is educate people. My cousin (below the age of 10) got a rabbit for her birthday right before vacation too and I know they have no idea how to care for it and they handle it a lot and stuff and I am waiting till after vacation to get mine. So I put together a booklet and I’m going to give it to them and hope that I can help the bunny thrive. My point is basically do whatever you can to educate people so that bunnies can thrive in a loving home


                  • HECA
                    Participant
                    211 posts Send Private Message

                      I only have a couple of minutes… But Bunnylady… That sounds like a good idea. This guy who has Sugar Rays Rabbit (you can google it) he says he doesn’t give them much hay… But yet he also says that they perk up when he gives it to them. One would think that would be enough to get him to give it to them A LEAST daily… But no.


                    • bunnytowne
                      Participant
                      7537 posts Send Private Message

                        Oh HECA this is good to talk about.  It gets frustrating with those who don’t want to learn.  And the fellow who would feed hay on occasion and the rabbit would perk up.  Yes doesn’t that tell him the rabbit would like hay everyday.  Duh. 

                        I understand y’alls frustration with people not listening to you about proper rabbit care. You care about the bunny and hate to see it not getting what it needs for good  physical and mental health. It does hurt ones heart when people aren’t willing to listen and learn. With the 4H they are seen as livestock.  When we raised rabbits when I was a wee one we didn’t feed them hay either.  Just pellets called calf manna it was rabbit food not for calves. I didn’t know any better then either. No one told me any different either. 

                        Hey if its the extra $ for hay the people don’t want to spend they can always go outside and pick some grass for the bunnies.  Its what they eat in the wild.  St. Augustine Bahia Dandelion Dollar Weed Rose petals leaves. mint sage rosemary basil marigold    Grass works tho.  If its the $ they don’t want to spend . Grass will do.  Unless they just want to remain uncaring and ignorant.  Which happens unfortunately.  

                        When I see a bunny owner or go to cottons vet I mention these sites house rabbit society and binky bunny for to spread the word for bunny owners to learn more.  Learn about litterbox training toxic food and safe foods proper feeding spay and neuter etc.  I try.  And yes I agree vets do make it hard to get a bunny spayed/neutered with their high prices.  I agree. 

                        Cottons vet even learned something from me.  I remember on BB here that someones vet said to give a bunny benedryl.  I mentioned it to the vet cuz Cotton had some flea bites and I wanted to make him more comfy.  The vet wasn’t sure so he went to look into it and he said sure enuf I never knew that. Cool huh? 


                      • HECA
                        Participant
                        211 posts Send Private Message

                          I agree that people have to want to learn to change.
                          I just feel that there are people, like some of us,who just didn’t know.
                          Whobott I love the idea of the booklet you put together… Good for you.

                          Also good for you with the vet bunnytowne. It’s good to hear that your vet will look into something they don’t know about.

                          We have 2 vets in town. One won’t even touch rabbits for spay/neuter and admitted that they are “too hard”. The other vet is more educated and does them. Though that’s another point I guess… If some VETS aren’t even educated enough to see past rabbits as being “livestock” then obviously the education isn’t “out there” as much as it should be. Though there will always be some that are just plainly ignorant, and not willing to change.


                        • Taysmama13
                          Participant
                          28 posts Send Private Message

                            Sorry for posting on an “old” topic but, I sadly am one of those ignorant new bunny owners. I’m trying to learn everything I can at every opportunity but in my own defense, there are very contradicting things cited online. One thing that jumps to mind is the food list! One site said every vegetable and fruit a human can eat, so can a rabbit. Another site said no onions or bananas or parsley or peaches. Then, I saw that using banana hats may help during bonding and I was very confused.

                            I was very unaware about boy/boy bunny bonding not working. I seriously thought there was no gender bias. (Clearly I was very very wrong!) Hindsight is 20/20 and bunnies are way more work than I ever imagined! Unfortunately so many people love the idea and don’t do research or talk to bunny owners to find out the real work, time and money that goes into proper care. (Guilty as charged! )  The really sad and discouraging part is that it’s not just bunnies that get the short end, it’s ferrets, sugar gliders, other exotic pets that need specialized care, and truthfully even cats and dogs are in that group as well. It’s a shame. I’m sorry for being one of “those” people. I swear I am doing everything possible to give my boys the best life possible!!!


                          • HECA
                            Participant
                            211 posts Send Private Message

                              I was one too! I probably still am in some sense.
                              You’re right about the food lists. Some say you have to give fresh veggies… Others say NO! It’s not good for them. Some food lists are different than others. Give broccoli… No don’t. I honestly have found it depends on the individual rabbit.
                              But that is a very good point… That even among the house rabbit sites the information isn’t consistent. It isn’t consistent among vets even. Trial and error with caution I guess.


                            • JackRabbit
                              Participant
                              5451 posts Send Private Message

                                I don’t believe the problem is the people who want to learn, the problem is the people who should be teaching and aren’t and those who have the information but ignore it because “uts just a rabbit”.

                                HECA is absolutely right, we have to do what we can to make the information available whenever an opportunity presents itself. We cant force people to do the right thing, but we can offer the info. I know the people in one pet store here hate to see me coming when they are trying to sell a new bunny owner crappy pellet mixes, large hamster run balls, and tiny cages. I’ve found that all it takes is saying “I have three pet bunnies and I’d be glad to tell you what I’ve learned.” The first question they usually ask us about the cage. Once I whip out condo and xpen pics, the questions flow. I even make sure to have pen and paper with me all the time so I can hand out web urls. Have even had the pet store employees chime in with questions. If it helps even one bunny have a better life then, sorry, I dont care if I’ve stepped on the pet store’s toes! One of these days I’m also going to go in that store, buy a bag of hay, and wall straight back to the bunny cage/tank and give it to the bunnies they have for sale. Just haven’t gotten quite that gutsy yet.


                              • Aeyja
                                Participant
                                132 posts Send Private Message

                                  One of these days I’m also going to go in that store, buy a bag of hay, and wall straight back to the bunny cage/tank and give it to the bunnies they have for sale. Just haven’t gotten quite that gutsy yet.

                                  I love this so much! If you do it you need to let us know how they react I was in a pet store yesterday and they had a few young bunnies, none of whom had any hay and were being fed that colourful muesli/junk food. I looked all around the shop and realised they didn’t even sell plain pellets, only the mixes. Felt like going up and having a wee rage, it shouldn’t be harder to get plain pellets than crappy mixes.


                                • BunnyBrigade
                                  Participant
                                  203 posts Send Private Message

                                    One of these days I’m also going to go in that store, buy a bag of hay, and wall straight back to the bunny cage/tank and give it to the bunnies they have for sale. Just haven’t gotten quite that gutsy yet.

                                    Lol Jackrabbit! I actually did this the other day. There were two teenage girls who were terrorizing this poor baby bunny. He did NOT want to be picked up and they just kept reaching their hands all in front of him and grabbing at him to pick him up. I kept giving them nasty back off looks. And it scared them away. So after I finished paying for my hay I told the associate, “I’m not poisoning your rabbits, I’m giving just going to give them some hay.” I walked back there and gave the poor baby a HUGE chunk of hay. xD

                                    Aeyja that’s really sad. =[ I hate it when pet shops sell things that are not pet friendly and honestly should not be sold on shelves.


                                  • manic_muncher
                                    Participant
                                    1061 posts Send Private Message

                                      Taysmama: I just wanted to chime in here about boy/boy bonding. It -is- possible to have same gender bonds. Both buns should be neutered prior to trying to bond them. If you check out the bonding section you will find many bonding threads documenting their sessions, with pics too! Many of the BBers here have multiple rabbit homes and can answer specific questions regarding bonding should you wish to ask about them.

                                      But on topic… yes.. so many discrepancies across the board, and it doesn’t help when misinformation is so widely available on the internet. With that being said, with each experienced bunny owner’s contribution, more is learned by everyone, even the “experts”!


                                    • Aeyja
                                      Participant
                                      132 posts Send Private Message

                                        So after I finished paying for my hay I told the associate, “I’m not poisoning your rabbits, I’m giving just going to give them some hay.” I walked back there and gave the poor baby a HUGE chunk of hay. xD 

                                        Good on you!! I’m seriously considering making a special trip to the pet shop (and the other two in town while I’m at it) and doing this. I wonder if I talked to them about the food, would they listen? Or would I just be a crazy customer who doesn’t know what she is on about? The stuff shouldn’t even be manufactured to begin with


                                      • KytKattin
                                        Participant
                                        1195 posts Send Private Message

                                          I have wanted to ask this question, as I feel it is a similar vein to what you are talking about, but I am hesitant to make it its own topic because I do not want to upset people.

                                          Basically, what is the point of raising rabbits for 4H? Like, at one point I understood the point of it. Rabbits were bred and raised to be used for various things which we do not talk about here, but that reason has become a small, niche market. When they were used for another reason, that reason basically took care of overpopulation. Now though we have rabbits bred simply for looks, like the lionhead and lops and it is creating a huge overpopulation problem. Even if we went back to their original reason these breeds are not suited for any particular purpose other than looking cute or unique. I really respect the other parts of 4H that still raise animals for food, wool, etc, and while I would not want to see rabbits become a part of that again, I wish that 4H would go back to its roots and focus on raising farm animals that serve a purpose in this day and age and focus on raising animals only for that purpose. Just like the AKC and the standards that have been warped to make some dogs completely unusable for their original intended purpose (which might not even exist anymore), I feel as though the 4H has lost its way. I understand also that a lot of people on this forum are completely against animals for human consumption at all, but I think that this would be a good place to start. Additionally, I feel as though chickens would be a good alternative for the suburban 4H project, as many of the other animals are impractical to keep in a backyard, which is why I think rabbits have become such a popular choice.


                                        • JackRabbit
                                          Participant
                                          5451 posts Send Private Message

                                            Good for you BunnyBrigade!


                                          • RabbitPam
                                            Moderator
                                            11002 posts Send Private Message

                                              Hi, guys,
                                              I’m going to step in and lock this thread for 2 reasons. First, we really don’t want old posts revived and have new comments added, as explained in the rules. We have a variety of good reasons for that, but primarily, we find that keeping them “read only” allows you to garner all the good info. provided by a post without any further discussion. If it prompts you to have a new question, it’s better to create a new post with it so it can be addressed as a fresh post.

                                              Second, it is too easy, as demonstrated here, to veer off into a new direction that actually should be its own post. We call it piggy-backing the original post. It ends up being confusing for the original person posting, as they will get an email alert, only to find a month later that someone is asking a new, possibly unrelated question. It’s much better to start a new post for this reason as well.

                                              If you find you are hesitant to post about a topic, listen to your intuition. It may be you are remembering a rule that prohibits a discussion, or that it was discussed before and you can just research the topic to read earlier posts. If you’re not sure about a subject, just pop over to the rules page and re-read it. We cover many issues that have been brought up previously.

                                              Going to lock this now.

                                          Viewing 19 reply threads
                                          • The topic ‘Bunny owners’ is closed to new replies.

                                          Forum THE LOUNGE Bunny owners