People Who Don’t Understand Rabbits And Their Owners

[Thorunn]

I just wanted to make a rant I guess…

I had a friend/boss who owned rabbits for-… well, they were farm animals. (The rabbits were taken away before they-… you know.) And anyway~ he told me I should pick Thorunn up by the skin on her back neck. I told him even rabbit mothers don’t do that. He said “Well I had rabbits and I seen their mother’s do that.” I said “That’s not what the expert said.” He said “The expert is wrong.” I wanted to so bad tell him how wrong he was by looking it up and showing him websites that explain how unlike some other animals rabbits are born with the muscles on their neck attached to their skin and to lift a rabbit at any age in this way would cause tremendous pain and likely tear the muscle. But I know it would just make him mad and he was my boss as well at the time and I know he would never give it up… I’m just glad he doesn’t have rabbits anymore. Oh yeah, he also kept his rabbits in wire bottom cages and I told him about the cecotropes rabbits need to eat to stay healthy and that they will fall through the wire bottoms so that the rabbit can’t eat them and he said that farm rabbits are always caged in wire bottom cages so I must be wrong…

Another time Thorunn was having a flea problem but she was only 5 months and the research I did was very specific over and over saying not to use advantage until she is at least 6 months and only by a veterinarian so I was looking for safer alternatives. My boyfriend suggested cedar shavings. I said “She can’t have cedar around her.” He said “Yeah I know but it doesn’t have to be in her cage, it can be next to her cage. The fleas don’t like the smell for some reason. My parents used this trick in the past.” I said “It’s the smell. I remember reading about cedar messing with her internal organs or something. Just the odor can make her really sick.” and he looked at me like what I said was ridiculous and I sighed and rolled my eyes and said “I know you don’t believe me so just google rabbits and cedar so you know.” and he did and agreed but said that was really strange and he had never heard of such a thing before.

Also, recently one morning Thorunn didn’t go crazy for her morning pellets (she gets pellets for breakfast and a salad in the evening) and I got worried and tried to get her to eat anything. She wouldn’t eat lettuce or even carrot! I finally tired to offer her a treat which she spat out a few times before eating. I panicked! I started calling all the clinics in my area for anyone who had a rabbit vet to take an emergency visit because Thorunn’s vet clinic takes lunch breaks from 12-3. I started telling my boyfriend about stasis and he said “she probably just has an upset tummy and doesn’t wanna move around or eat.” All the offices I called either only did appointments and had no openings today or they pointed me to MY clinic which was on a three hour lunch break. I had my boyfriend run to the store to get baby food and pedialite and pediatric anti-gas medication ready to play doctor all night if I had to. But I finally got ahold of my clinic and they said I could come immediately and wait for an opening as an emergency. When we saw the vet she said she was really glad I knew Thorunn’s behavior was a medical emergency and that I knew about stasis and I sort of was thankful my boyfriend heard her say that. (Thorunn is okay now, this was actually yesterday. Shes got every kind of medication she needs and lots of kisses too!)

Or when my boyfriend’s dad suggested I feed her the grass outside because it’s cheaper than hey because “That’s what their rabbit before ate”… 

Anyone else have a story or rant? It’s just so frustrating to me. I feel like an expert surrounded by potato heads and I know I’m no expert. But I’m never taken seriously! 

[Deleted User]

That’s why WE are BB member’s Thorunn! We know better! Or if we don’t, we ask, and we are all here to help each other out. That’s what makes us better people.
Where I live, bunnies are illegal so I can’t discuss him with anyone that I know personally (family excluded), how/why I met BB and became a member. But I have to admit, even if I could talk about Henry I doubt I would want to – the ignorance would be to frustrating for me. I wouldn’t have the patience to argue half of what you mentioned above. And I can’t tolerate hearing the horror stories. Even my hubby who is from Spain remembers as a kid having rabbits bred for meat. His family were never ever cruel, they all had a good life before their time ended. I’ll accept that any day over a pet bunny being treated poorly through ignorance. I’m all for ‘quality’ over quantity.
And anyone who truly knows me wouldn’t dare argue that issue with me, even over ‘just a bunny’ – I respect and treat ALL my pets as a privilege to own.

My rant??? I was (am) super impressed with the pet shop owner that I buy Henry’s Oxbow hay and pellets from, and without actually mentioning that we owned a bunny (non of us do – we just buy the food, smile, pay and leave) but sort of mentioned once during a very brief conversation that it was a shame he didn’t sell appropriate toy’s. Each time I go back, he has a bit more – along the lines of cane food holder’s, etc., but the last time I went I was very distressed to see he had those dam tiny corner toilet trays. They are absolutely useless! Henry (and he’s not big – a mini lop) would have to back himself up to it, like we humans do on a toilet – ridiculous! Some poor sucker is going to buy that and wonder why their bunny won’t use it, and may get angry at the bunny. I am the only QLDer on BB, how would anyone else know (and there are lots of us!) to make friends and ask for assistance/guidance on a site like this (do any other’s exist???) to know that toilet tray is NOT appropriate and basically useless!
I wanted to say something, but don’t want to get on his bad side – he is my bunny food man! Not like I can go to another pet shop.

Sigh…..

Thanks for letting me rant Thorunn!

[Roberta]

It’s funny, all my buns like big litter trays except Nermie Nomnoms… She likes the corner tray with clay litter and a screen. Nomnoms refuses to poop in the big litter tray.

[BrunosMama]

No rant here, but I had to laugh AH. I just got a corner litter box for Annie lol I got it because it will hook to the cage. She’s small so I thought it may work. Might end up being useless or a good hay box lol

[Deleted User]

Oh no, these corner trays are ‘tiny’! The size of my two hands put together. Honestly, Henry would barely fit his bottom on/in it!
Are your corner trays that tiny??? If so, Oooops! ha ha ha……

Maybe your girls have smaller dainty bottoms???

[Bam]

I’m glad Thorunn is better now and that you took her to the vet!

As for ranting, I can only say I’m so happy I found the BB forums when I did. I tried Swedish forums, but they were mostly about breeding and I’m not a fan of that, young kids having rabbit-breeding for a hobby makes me sad -or rather, angry, to be honest. There already are so many unwanted rabbits.

I think having pets is easier now in the Google era though. It’s possible to find good info from reliable sources. In the olden days you had to trot off to the library and if you were lucky you’d perhaps find a book from 1976 on how to take care of a puppy =D

I don’t know any other rabbit-owners irl. I’m glad I don’t. My family is quite used to my being capable of doing proper research, so they would never argue with me on the subject of rabbits. They all realize that rabbits are a big deal, not at all “just rabbits”.

[JackRabbit]

We do have larger corner litterboxes, and they even make a huge one for cats. They were fine when our bunnies were babies, but Moshi liked to dig in the back corner and his butt would hang out so he’d end up peeing out the front (long side) of the thing. He got yo where he’d do the same thing with the med sized cat litter box where we had cut out a doorway too, so on to xl sized cat litterboxes with no cutouts.

[MoxieMeadows]

Mmmm, I know the feeling about feeling like an expert surrounded by potato heads.
I hate it when people say stuff like: “It’s just a rabbit!”
I honestly think everybody I know thinks I’m crazy when I mention my bun…

Anybody every say something intelligent about buns and suddenly everybody goes quiet and is starring at you with blank expressions on their face… Yeah… It’s not fun…

[JackRabbit]

I would like at least one really good shut-them-up comeback that doesn’t involve four letter words for the people who joke about eating my bunnies …..

[Thorunn]

Oh yeah! I hate it when people joke about eating Thorunn! I know they are just kidding but it’s also insulting and rude! 

As for the litter box; when I first got Thorunn she was/is my first bun and I thought I could try to litter train her in her cage and bought a corner litter box (without a wire bottom) but she decided it must be her bed!  So now she just likes to sit or lay in it. 

[JackRabbit]

Thorunn – that’s typical bunny! Many many bunnies like to lay in their litterboxes, even on top of used litter. I guess they find comfort in being surrounded by their own scent!

[MoxieMeadows]

Whenever My sister jokes about my bun “being the first to go” if we were all starving, I tell her that her parrot would make a delicious nugget.

[BrunosMama]

My mom had a talk with me today about I may have possibly crossed the “too many animal” line lol she explained its unhealthy for humans to live in a house with this many animals, they carry diseases, their waste is a health hazard no matter how clean I keep them. Plus, financially. She meant the buns plus the cats. I see her point and agree we are maxed out. I also know she means well. So it didn’t upset me. But I’m curious…..is there health hazards to humans with multiple animals?

[LBJ10]

I threaten Leopold and tell him I’m going to make him into a pair of mittens. He can’t hear me anyway, so I’m really just talking to myself. LOL

[JackRabbit]

LBJ – that’s different! Mysti used to bite when she was a puppy (puppy teeth are sharp!) and I used to tell her that if she bit me one more time that she was going to be dinner. She would just cock her head funny and bite my pants leg and I’d rub her ears . . .

It’s other people who joke about eating the bunnies — if I hear one more gravy, barbeque, open spit, or saute joke, or one more person feels the need to tell me they ran over “thumper”, I’m going to scream!

[Thorunn]

BrunosMama- The only health hazards I can think of would be breathing in too much pet dander or feces but that would be more due to uncleanliness and hygiene. If you do a good job cleaning their cages regularly and just over all keep on top of the cleanliness it shouldn’t be a health hazard. Personally I think kitties can be stinky because their litter boxes smell pretty strong but I don’t think that should be too harmful to a human. Personally I use Timothy hey as bedding and litter for my rabbit so usually my house just smells like Timothy hey. I also clean Thorunn’s cage and litter box every two or three days despite how much poo is in there because if she pooed three days ago you have a chance of getting maggots and nasty things like that so it’s best to clean it often.

If you’ve got some hard urine build up on the bottom of their cages or litter boxes; I use vinegar and a sponge. Vinegar breaks down the urine pretty well. Especially if you soak it. 

Also vacuuming/sweeping and moping the floors where they play is important for their health and yours. It’s best not to use any harsh chemicals. Soap and water works perfectly and is cheaper. 

[Flopsie]

My biggest pet peeve about the ignorance of rabbits is: carrots!!!

Yes the love carrots and they can’t eat them but it shouldn’t not be their only or staple diet. I blame warner brothers and Bugs Bunny

[LBJ10]

Mine don’t like carrots. LOL

[MoxieMeadows]

Yeah, but when people think rabbits ONLY eat carrots? That annoys me too.

[litheandgraphic]

Posted By MoxieMeadows on 10/04/2014 7:46 PM

Yeah, but when people think rabbits ONLY eat carrots? That annoys me too.

Ooooh that drives me nuts. The cascade of misconceptions astounds me.

I run a little rabbit-care blog / blog about learning things about rabbits as a relatively new owner, and one time I made a post about proper rabbit housing, and someone reblogged it and started talking about how “actually it’s really okay for rabbits to have wire flooring!” and “the House Rabbit Society really only tells you one way you can have rabbits and should be taken with a grain of salt…” well, yeah — they tell you how to care for house rabbits, which is what the blog is about. Hello!?

Ugh. Personally I believe if you’re going to be any kind of a responsible pet owner, you need to do your research, and it’s virtually inexcusable to not do this considering the internet age we now live in.

[Stickerbunny]

I hate when people tell me “funny stories” about their rabbits, which ends up being how they died of heat stroke or something because they left them outside in 100F+ weather… I own two rabbits, I am buying things for them to take care of them, WHY would I want to hear that? And HOW do you think I would find that funny?

[MeketatenBun]

The biggest rant I ever had about someone who didn’t understand bunnies was when I joined here and brought Meki up to my college town with me for a week because she had meds and my mom couldn’t hold her down alone to give them to her.

Well we found out later she was allergic to that first round of antibiotics (completely bunny safe, but two bunny vets confirmed that like human medicines, some medicines don’t sit well with certain bunnies) and that first night she was going through stasis. I left with her at 3pm and got to my apartment by 7pm. She didn’t eat anything when we got there so I was hoping she just needed to settle, but then I woke up at around 3am, so 12 hours since she last ate, and realized I haven’t heard her drinking or eating ALL night. And when I went to her cage, she was COLD. So I flip out, and turn the light on and wake up my boyfriend and we sat there for two hours in the middle of the night trying all sorts of emergency rabbit care including mashing her pellets up into a dust and making our own quick-solution Critical Care. I remember my boyfriend tried saying “she’ll eat tomorrow, just don’t worry about it” and I flipped out and straight up told him that if she doesn’t start eating soon, she could legitimately die and that no, I will not “not worry about”. You do NOT get in the way of a sick bunny and her worried mommy.

Or when I worked at a Doggy Day Care and my old bunny broke her back and died a few days later. I was sluggish and sad those few days, and straight up tried calling in the day she died. DOG people, PET OWNERS, told me she was just a rabbit and that I need to leave home problems at home and keep my focus on the dogs at work. I nearly got written up for “being inattentive”. Then later that year my boss’s Boxer was diagnosed with cancer and died within a few weeks and she was out for a whole week. I was livid. I don’t care if she’s a rabbit, she’s a family member. I woke up to her jumping on my bed and digging at my sheets and sniffing my face every morning, I played catch with her, took her for walks, slept with her cage next to my bed… she was as much of a dog as any dog in that entire daycare… and bigger than some of them!

On the other hand, I like to tell Meki, especially when she’s being a brat, that she would make a nice hat for these cold Wisconsin winters. Then she flicks her feet at me and hops away as a way of saying, I believe, “Yes mommy, you’re right, I would indeed make a fine hat, please do not hesitate if you are feeling cold.” Problem is, she’d be warmest if she was alive, so I’d have to just wear her as-is and hope she doesn’t move, lol

[Hazel]

As to people who talk about eating bunnies: When our last bun died, Hubby told his coworker about it and all he had to say was “Well, they’re only good for eating, anyway.” He wasn’t even joking.

The carrot thing is funny, we gave Oscar a piece of carrot for the first time a few weeks ago. Normally he is very suspicious of new foods but he tore right into that carrot! Why does he have to be such a cliche?

[Thorunn]

MeketatenBun- Wow, they get special treatment if their dog dies but if your bunny dies “It’s just a rabbit”?! I hate major displays of vapid, hypocritical stupidity especially when it’s harmful to others.

Hazel- That reminds me of when I told my co-worker about my bun and she said “A rabbit? What’s the use of those? What are they good for? Just to cuddle with or somethin’?”

[Bam]

When I tell people I’ve two free-roam bunnies (well, they do roam free only in separate compartments of the apt), that they use litter-boxes and are very social, that generally makes people pleasantly surprised, because in Sweden traditionally, bunnies sit alone in small boring cages and poop and pee all over the cage floor that is covered in wood shavings. Many bunnies are grumpy and they’ve good reason to, too. Wire-bottom cages are completely forbidden here though.

Generally there is more meat on your average dog than on a rabbit, so when people start talking about having Bam or Yohio for dinner, I suggest we eat Ephi instead. Just to put things in perspective. You don’t eat your family members. If the world came to an end we would perhaps eat people like in that terrible terrible novel The Road, but until then, nobody’s eating anybody in my household.

Mekateten, I can totally see you using Meki as a hat on cold winter days! I’d choose Bam for that task, he’s very good at staying put. Doing absolutely nothing is his favorite pastime.

Cruel jokes about animals are generally not appreciated in Sweden.

[LBJ10]

Soylent Green is people!

[Boing]

The carrot thing is the most common here – I like to nicely point out that wild rabbits eat grass, not carrots. I consider this a “teachable moment”. The ‘Thumper’ thing is the next most common, but few people believe me that Disney got it wrong. No one jokes about eating rabbits. Actually, the biggest pet related pet peeve of mine is the assumption of dog people that I want their dog jumping on me. I don’t. They then assume you dislike dogs. I like the socialized, well trained ones, but they’re uncommon.

[LizziAnn]

I got the ‘mad women’ look the other day when I compared my rabbits to someones dogs. One of them had bitten her by mistake because two were fighting and she was trying to split them up. I told her a bit about rabbits being like that and how I had once been in the way when Neji tried to nip Luna. She looked at me as if i was ridiculous to compare dogs to rabbits.

I really feel like the people who have never had or been around rabbits think they are pointless and have no personality. It’s really sad… but they think I am the sad one. Anyway, I can’t get enough of my buns and there is a reason why I own three. My heart melted today when i saw Neji and Luna cuddling in the corner.

[Bam]

Soylent green is made out of people! Managed to google that now, yesterday my Internet was really slow. Seems like a terrific movie. Charlton Heston as subtle and low key as ever.

[jerseygirl]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/binlylikenobodyswatching/20-things-all-people-who-have-pet-rabbits-know-to-onsk?s=mobile

[Bam]

Oh, Jersey, how true isn’t that???? Except for the rescue, that we don’t have, and perhaps the stroller =) (And I still love all pics from Rabbit Island).

Bunnies really do make people better. Weirder too, perhaps – but in a GOOD way!

[jerseygirl]

Haha! I had similar thoughts when reading it bam.
I never had urge to rush out and get a stroller. Just not my style.
I’m also guilty of forwarding things like rabbit island onto other “crazy rabbit people”. Even things to my rabbit owner friends here even though there’s a great chance they’ve already seen it. But what if they missed out?!

I only read the list tonight and was going to post it separately in the Lounge. But after I read this this thread, I thought “wow, it’s like you guys were composing that list!”
So I thought it better fitting to link it here.

[Stickerbunny]

Haha yeah that list is pretty good. I don’t have a stroller, but my two would flip out and be stressed if I tried to put them in one!

[JackRabbit]

Hmmm, a stroller …..

[Silverpaws]

The soylent green comment made me laugh!

My bunny rant is about my aunt. I’m just gonna say it now, because I’m anonymous, but she should not have pets. At all. My aunt and her cousins are silly people… handbag puppy, fashion pet people. You know the type? She comes and goes through pets, only recently she got rid of a lovely gentle pitbull for no reason. It was one of those awful ‘free to anyone who can pick up.’ ads. Horrible. What gets up my nose about the bunny is that its an outdoors rabbit. Thats fine, I know a lot of bbers are. But two points:
The only reasons I knew she had a rabbit was she posted once abut it on fb. She never mentions it, fusses over it, interacts with it… I have a horrible feeling it was a one week wonder pet.
point two – the post she put up was about the storms we’ve had in the UK lately and how apparently ‘the rabbit was soaked’. My heart breaks. That poor little bun, all wet and ignored in a cage. Urgh.

On the other hand – bunfest?! That is a thing??? As soon as I saw that I grabbed my partner and he just went ‘let me guess. you want to go?’
me: NEED YOU EVEN ASK?!

[LBJ10]

LOL, I figured only a few people would get the Soylent Green reference.

[MissGabbster]

I bought my Dad some Soylent Green crackers from Think Geek a few years ago.

Silverpaws, I know people like that as well. It’s heartbreaking. :\

I want to go to Bunfest as well! Where is it?

[BrunosMama]

The Midwest bunfest is going on in Columbus OH in mid November. We live pretty close, I think we’re gonna try to go.

[Sarita]

Honestly I just don’t think about it anymore or let it bother me. There is alot I don’t understand about other people and alot they probably don’t understand about me…I just decided I can’t sweat the small stuff and just carry on. Makes life easier for me :~)

[bunnytowne]

Yes I remember Soylent Green. 

Thats sad bunny out back in the cage soaking wet ignored.   Breaks my heart.  So many pets are treated this way.  Why have them then.  

[BunnyHugger]

I swear, the next time someone makes a sadistic “joke” about eating a rabbit, I’ll ask to see photos of their children and “joke” about how meaty they look.

[pixmix]

My only rant is about my Dad. Before I moved with Anais for my PhD program, we were both living at home with the parents. I was pretty new at taking care of a rabbit but I did a ton of reading up on her and knew what to feed her, how she is supposed to behave when healthy, and how much play time she needs (back then she only had a limited amount of space to run around in- lots of things to climb on but not the most bunny safe room ever. I’d limit her play time to about 2-4 hours, but now she can run around as much as she wants when I’m home). One night I was taking the remains of a salad (my mom makes them in bulk and eats it all week) out to the compost bin but then my Dad stopped me and said, “Hey, you know the bunny would eat all of that right?” We did have two bunnies a very long time ago (Bubbles and Tails- no pictures exist of them unfortunately) but they lived outside and I don’t think my parents took super good care of them. However, Dad “knows a thing or two.”

So I kindly said to him, well sure, but there’s a lot of iceberg lettuce in this salad, and that’s not really good for bunnies. Internally, though, I wanted to tell him, so, we’re going to throw out this old salad that we don’t want to eat anymore, but you think a bunny should eat it instead? I don’t think so, even today when I feed her scraps they are at least fresh from my own salads that I make daily- with spinach mind you! But he got super upset with me, that it’s “just a rabbit,” and that I was being too particular with her.

Dad did love Anais, I think he was very sad to see her leave with me. But it was still so frustrating to be told how to handle my own pet.

Otherwise most people are really interested in the fact I own a bunny, and usually the question I get asked the most is, “But… doesn’t it smell?” For me it’s not the smell- which is minimal at best- that I care about- it’s the fact that her fur is everywhere!!!

[JPetrucci84]

My rant is similar, except with my Mom who thinks she knows everything about rabbits (to her, there is only one breed: OUTDOORS). She continues the close minded thinking that she should be outside because she’s a rabbit. She’s okay being outside because that’s what all other pets do, right? It’s 90 degrees outside and she wants to explore the yard under the heat. She apparently asked a vet if rabbits can live outside, which they confirmed. Sure, they CAN live outside, why would they? Hell, thousands of years ago (when she was my age ) didn’t people live outdoors, or in caves to hide from the dinosaurs? She can’t run around inside because she’s “dirty”. She sleeps in her poop, and is generally unsanitary. Sheesh.

[BunnyHugger]

JPetrucci, if your Mom claims to be an animal lover, ask her if she approves of puppy mills. These days, most people react with horror. Tell her that puppy mills were designed after meat rabbit mills, which is true. The medieval Catholic Church started the practice of raising domestic rabbits for meat by declaring them “fish”—so Catholics could eat them on Fridays. Ignoring Biblical food hygiene laws entirely, of course.

[DethronedbyQueenB]

We, Catholics, don’t follow Jewish dietary laws if that is what you are referring to.

Gross in my book, anyhow. Eep.

[Henry0205]

I makes me so mad when people say I waste money buying hay for the rabbits and that all they need is pellets! >

[BunnyHugger]

Henry, again, bad advice coming from the meat breeding industry. By the way, if you’re buying the expensive small bags of pet hay at the store, go to a feed store and buy a few flakes or look on Craigslist “Farm and Garden.” I get the nicest, greenest Timothy for $3/flake—about 2 lbs. $9 worth fills up a large Hefty bag, without shaking the hay loose.

[<3 Bunnies <3]

I feel you!!!! I talk to my colleagues about my rabbits and how awesome they are and that they are toilet trained, can understand commands etc, and they all laugh at me, shrugging me off like I am kidding or exaggerating!

[Author]

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