Do what I do, turn round to them and say ” Gee, you’ve got cute kids, I bet they’d taste good with a chianti and some faber beans” Then smack your lips.Trust me they won’t come near you again. Or you could also point out that Dog and Cat is also a delicacy in some countries, do they intend dinning on Fido anytime soon ?

I agree with Roberta. I’d say the same, and then promptly drop those people from my life. If they can’t respect you, why bother having them around.

I prefer to explain to people that bunnies are gentle, social, sweet, very intelligent creatures that can learn to do tricks and use a litter box just like a dog or cat. I’ll go on to tell them that I like to lay on the couch for hours at a time with my two buns while they lay on me and almost lick the skin off my face. As my mother always says, “Every time you eat a bunny, you miss out on having a best friend.” I’ve found that once people learn how sweet bunnies are, their opinion on eating rabbits (and animals in general) can completely change. And if it doesn’t…well, who said that you need to be friends with those people?

I have a couple of pet mice, too, and I’ve actually found that it’s harder to deal with the stories about how many “disgusting little pests” my now former “friends” have killed with brooms and rat poison. Once they see the cute little mouse faces, they usually stay quiet.

i’m never one for holding back on responses when someone pisses me off.
if they have kids, i ask them if we can slit their throat so we can have soup for an appetizer.

Posted By longhairmike on 05/22/2012 10:28 PM

i’m never one for holding back on responses when someone pisses me off.
if they have kids, i ask them if we can slit their throat so we can have soup for an appetizer.

I also have had problems with people being completely clueless, insensitive or purposefully try to stir things up, 

but Holy…!!!  “gulp” ….your response would have freaked me out!  I’d be whispering to the kids…”Hurry, children, get in the car! Get…in…the…car…NOW!” 
 Then you’d hear me peel out of the parking lot.  I definitely would be thinking twice about saying something stupid about rabbits again…of course, I would need therapy after that as well.   

Whilst I am a passionate animal lover, I also understand that regardless of my opinion, for many people rabbits are a food source. You will encounter these remarks when owning any animal that is commonly eaten in our culture because many people have that mentality and associate them with food. I think returning with spiteful words will simply fuel their sarcastic remarks towards you as they will see that they are riling you up. Telling them calmly that it offends you and asking them not to make any further comments of that nature when you are around may get you further, and if not it doesnt sound like they are worth talking to! I live in Australia and have studied conservation biology for 4 years and with rabbits being such a major threat to our biodiversity here, I have to fend off plenty of snark. I really do find that educating people as to what wonderful pets they make is the best option, and if they arnt interested simply not talking to them about that topic.

I was totally mad last time I was at the vet. I had Stormy in a carrier and this man with a big dog came in and said What do you have in there, a cat. I said No, a bunny. He asked how big he was and I showed him Stormy and he said, oh thats not enough for lunch. More like a snack. I was so angry and upset. Stormy is my baby. I just gave him a horribly nasty look and turned and faced the other way. I should have said something but I was just too mad. I really wanted to call him a sick hillbilly and kick him in the groin.

Sorry about the lack of quotation marks. Stupid french keyboard.

Once again, look at the dog. “Gee, slap some marinade on that and you could host a BBQ for 30 !!!!”

This is so common, it’s not even funny. I used to hear that alot when I was doing adoption events when I helped with rabbit rescues – I usually just gave dirty looks and turned my back on the rude person.

Unfortunately it’s going to happen and you will probably be more sensitive to it since you are a new rabbit owner. Hopefully you will become less sensitive about it later and perhaps think of a clever comeback to rude people or just ignore it like I do when you realize they are ignorant.

Don’t forget to smile sweetly and suggest that Rover always tastes better with a little chilli and garlic.

I have a friend and co worker who lives a lot off his hunting/fishing. In all the time I have known him he has ever only joked once and then it was a mutual amusement based on other peoples ignorance. When I first got Pepper and Piglet as rescues he was the first to offer assistance with housing etc. He understood the difference. I know he hunts and eats wild rabbits and he knows I have house bunnies. he thinks my babies are beautiful and understands why I love them, I also understand why he hunts and eats wild rabbits. Mutual respect is a good thing.

Oh and even as a rabbit hunter/eater he is the first one cheering me on when I suggest someone marinate their dog or horse for the next family BBQ after they make some thoughtless crack about bunny stew. He has even suggested Tropical Fish Kebabs !!!!!

I agree with Frey.

But although I usually ignore it, Ive asked if that person has actually had rabbit and it’s always no, so then they just look like an idiot.

I just ignore those kinds of comments entirely.  They’re obviously extremely ignorant, or trying to get a rise out of you.  It’s not worth it.  Delete the comments and move on.

When someone makes those cracks at me (not jokingly that is..) I get a lil’ defensive & usually my 1st respose is “Screw u!” but then I go on & tell them how awesome Hunny is. Once I tell them about her personality & about the tricks she does they are actually surprised… a lot of people don’t know anything about house rabbits they just think rabbits are boring ol’ “caged” animals. Even my boyfriend was like “You wanna get a what??!!” “I don’t want a dirty, smelly rabbit in the house…” “You get a rabbit & I’m moving…” “Blah, blah, blah…” BUT now he’s as crazy about her as I am…

My father and my mother constantly got on my case about owning a pet rabbit, making the comments about having good recipes I could have if I ever decided that a pet rabbit is not something I want (Booooo). However, my mother admitted that, if I took a photo of my rabbit wearing some kind of ribbon or article of clothing to make it clear he was a pet, it could change her mind. Her mind did change…when I sent her a photo of my little mini-rex with his head in a paper-bag of treats (in my profile if you want to see it). I would also tell her stories of the games he plays and that made her realize that he really is a pet and not something to even have as an appetizer. She then came to visit and met my rabbit and fell head-over-heels in love with him, calling him her “Grandrabbit”.

My father (who yes, was a gun and bow-hunter who ate all of what he killed…nothing wasted and with great respect for life, even though his favorite meat is rabbit) was won-over when I told him how my rabbit reacted when he felt an after-shock of a small earthquake, thumping and hooting his warning to the warren (me). He now refers to my rabbit as “Butch” and sees him as being my guard-rabbit…protecting his “little girl”.

As for others who make jokes about eating the rabbit, just expressing to them how lame their joke is because it has been heard too many times seems to cut them off. Since I live in a large city where people tend to be rather removed from knowledge of where their food comes from and have already dealt with a lot of these same comments or issues having not eaten animal flesh for most of my life, it usually shuts them up to point out that I have eaten meat, including rabbits, and killed my own meals and can tell them in greater detail than they want how to gut, skin, and butcher an animal, including fish, game birds, rabbits, and deer. And, when I offer to do so and include the offer of making them a meal using parts of those animals most people don’t want to think about eating, they usually cower in a corner and never bring up the topic again.

Oh boy, I get these all the time… it’s either that or the horror stories about how they had a rabbit when they were kids and well… I’ll spare you all the details, but they are never so kind.
People are entirely too oblivious to what comes out of their mouth. All we can do is continue to spread the news that bunnies are great companions and watch our own mouths for the same kind of ignorance about other subjects.

Truth be told though, I just might borrow Roberta’s comment from time to time. 😉 (some people have thicker skulls than others)

You can make snarky comments back. But I think the best thing is to ignore it or if this is coming from people you consider friends, then explain how it makes you feel and ask them to stop. If they don’t, re-evaluate your friendship because true friends will stop. But……a well timed snarky comment about their kids or beloved pet can work wonders too.

I ignore it from acquaintances unless it is something truly rude. But on a whole i just dont mention bunnies to people around here cause they always have a “funny story” which ends up being about how horrible they were to their rabbits they owned…

I am lucky because I get more questions about my rabbit than comments about eating her. For one, I ALWAYS introduce her as a house bunny. Not just a bunny, because she isn’t just a bunny, she is a house bunny. I think that normally sets her apart from other rabbits immediately. If I refer to her as just a rabbit/bunny then I am much more likely to get the typical responses of hossenfeffer or abuse. So if your rabbit is a house rabbit, consider that his/her new official title. It isn’t foolproof, but it does pique most people’s interest!

Second, I can respect hunters and others that eat anything (other than humans, I have a bit of a problem with cannibalism), as long as they do so legally and with respect towards nature and the animals they are hunting and eating. My pets are (pending any tragic accidents) never going to be food. My problem is with most people who talk about turning my rabbit into stew when they practically faint at the sight of blood (no offense to anyone who has hemophobia!).

On the other hand, I can understand why people bring these things up (hunting and childhood bunnies). They are simply trying to relate to you somehow. Doing a horrible job it it, but still, trying to make conversation. I am pretty sure that most don’t realize they are being offensive, and the ones that do aren’t worth your time. Hence why I introduce Nova as a house rabbit. It opens the door for questions instead of “tragic bunny death story time”.

Posted By BB on 05/22/2012 11:56 PM

Posted By longhairmike on 05/22/2012 10:28 PM

i’m never one for holding back on responses when someone pisses me off.
if they have kids, i ask them if we can slit their throat so we can have soup for an appetizer.

LOL I also give them a copy of this picture, then again i am trying to be vegan and it normally shuts them up!

Why, are we as rabbit owners, entitled to have to listen to horror stories about other peoples rabbits? Like: rabbit got eaten by the dog, etc?

I don’t hear any horrible stories about cats or dogs. It angers me how low the public thinks of rabbits.

I know I get them all the time!

Kyt – people around here don’t care that my rabbits are house bunnies. My boyfriend went up to the pharmacy to ask for a dropper because our pet bunny was sick, the guy was like “for a rabbit?” and boyfriend went into the whole yeah he’s a pet, he has run of the house, litter trained, jumps up in the bed with us etc explanation of having a rabbit. And poof go starts smiling and going into the whole “I used to breed rabbits in a hutch outside then one summer…” boyfriend told him to stop before he finished the sentence and I refuse to go back to that pharmacy (the guy owns it and he was LAUGHING as he said it) ever again. He explained it to the pizza place girl cause it’s always the same person there and she got a disgusted look on her face and said “I don’t like rabbits except for eating” – I still go there, she didn’t have an abuse story, but I wish boyfriend would stop mentioning bunnies. Cause 90% of the people are like the pharmacy guy.

Yes rabbits are livestock, so if they just mention that they eat it, like the pizza girl.. ok it’s sad to me cause I am a vegetarian (any animals being talked about being eaten is sad to me) but I can live with it. If it’s an abuse story… sorry, if that is your idea of relating to an animal lover, you aren’t likely to be a part of my life anyway, so stay away from me.

I actually don’t get that very often…I actually get more cracks about using my horses for glue *rolls eyes* But, when I do get those cracks they’re normally just joking so I just roll my eyes and laugh along. It probably also doesn’t hurt that most of my friends have house rabbits as well I’m also not the type of person you say those things to *laughs* I actually get more serious cracks about my goats since a couple of my friends raise and eat goat. *grr* No one I hang with eats rabbit. It’s too fancy for us simple country folk We’re all cattle ranchers

Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 05/23/2012 05:55 AM

I was totally mad last time I was at the vet. I had Stormy in a carrier and this man with a big dog came in and said What do you have in there, a cat. I said No, a bunny. He asked how big he was and I showed him Stormy and he said, oh thats not enough for lunch. More like a snack. I was so angry and upset. Stormy is my baby. I just gave him a horribly nasty look and turned and faced the other way. I should have said something but I was just too mad. I really wanted to call him a sick hillbilly and kick him in the groin.

Sorry about the lack of quotation marks. Stupid french keyboard.

I actually found that one funny.  I’d probably just play along and go “Penelope is too cute to be eaten.”

I haven’t gotten “rabbit meal” comments from anyone…

I hate it. I just don’t tell people I have a rabbit until I know them super well. I agree though Chacha, I think rabbit should be treated the same as dogs or cats. They are as intelligent as them. I’ve honestly considered going to law school so I could fight to get rabbits moved from the livestock category to domestic pet so they had more rights and more protection from all the cruel people out there. I just can’t afford law school nor do I have the learning ability it requires (I watched my brother do it and struggle and he’s in Mensa)

Posted By angelicvampyre on 05/24/2012 03:05 AM

Source: Uploaded by user via Georgina on Pinterest

on a turkey, you use a baster instead of your fingers to push the juices back up the rear…

I threaten Leopold and tell him I’m going to make him into a pair of mittens. He can’t hear me, but I don’t think he would know the difference anyway. =p

I really don’t get people making eating rabbit comments. Maybe a couple in the past 2 years? I honestly don’t remember. I do get a lot of the “I had rabbits outside in a hutch when I was a kid” though. I don’t let it bother me. I just explain that mine are indoors and they are my babies just like the dog. They usually start asking me questions about them at that point.

LBJ10, yeah, when I tell people that I have a ‘house rabbit’ they get really super curious and ask,”Does she use a litter box? Does she chew things up?” It cracks me up, but gives me the opportunity to educate the public on ‘house rabbits’ and how freakin awesome they are