That’s a really tough situation. 🙁

Are you close enough with the family that you could maybe probe a bit more about the type of care they plan to give to the bunny? It does seem like with the rise of popular bunny youtube and Instagram channels there are a lot more young people wanting to spoil their bunnies and give them good lives, but the purchasing of a cage to start does not bode well.

Maybe you could also provide the parents with some info on how expensive vet care can be? Even mentioning spay and neuter costs might be enough to have the parent’s say “no” to a pet store bunny.  Also mentioning that rabbits can live to be 10+, so what will happen when the current 12 year old moves out or goes to college, etc.

I can imagine the worst scenario being a pet store bunny that’s never allowed out of it’s cage because they didn’t neuter/spay so it’s not litter trained. 🙁  Seems like some people still don’t realize rabbits should not be kept in cages… I tend to ask people if they think it would be acceptable to keep a cat in a cage, or a horse in a stall all the time, etc., and that does seem help people think of it in a different way.

My guess is that if this person is planning to buy a cage and a baby bunny from the pet store, the parents are not going to say “no” because of the cost of spaying/neutering or vet care. Unfortunately, they will just not get the bunny spayed/neutered and if it gets sick… “oh well, bunnies aren’t meant to live very long anyway”. This is just what happens when people don’t take having a pet, any pet, seriously.

I know it’s frustrating, but we simply can’t save them all. On a brighter (if you can say brighter), this person may come to you when they tire of the bunny. Perhaps you can be there to take it off their hands, even if it’s just to foster until another home can be found.

In the meantime, it certainly doesn’t hurt to try to convince them that bunnies are meant to be spoiled. Have they seen your bunnies? Perhaps if they see a better way, they will realize that the bunny doesn’t need to be in a tiny cage.

I shall present the “meaner” approach, and you can decide if it is appropriate, haha. Lots of negative generalizations, but sometimes leaving out the nuance and hedging is what’s needed.

Sometimes, the more indirectly it is discussed, the harder the person will push to carry on with the decision. You slightly nudge a disagreement and they verbally give their defense, strengthening the decision they already made. Sometimes, being direct is the best solution. If you are OK with it, I would be very plain and forward about it. Say that in actuality, a cage from a pet store is not an appropriate habitat for a rabbit, and if they believe it is, they should talk to a rabbit rescue (provide a contact for yours, and also give your contact a heads up that this is a family that needs ‘dissuading’) to learn what’s needed to prepare. Pet store employees know as much about rabbits as a clothing store employee knows about a random pair of pants on the shelf. Just like in any store, there are items that are good, but also items that are bad. Rabbits are destructive, not cuddly, and poop over 200 times a day. If they are not in a good environment, they will bite. Even if they are in a great environment, they will do what rabbits do, which is dig and chew. Their diet of hay gets hay everywhere. It is not a “fun” pet that acts on your terms like a dog, and it is expensive. .. you can also make it about the family, saying you (or your rescue; lean into some white lies) have talked to many parents who end up regretting the purchase. It is not what they imagined after the initial first few weeks of “Yay, we have a bunny now”. Also, pet stores simply want their money, so they will do what they can to make rabbits seem amazing and push products that are not actually the best. The family will deal with it, not the pet store. And again, pet store employees aren’t very informed nor will they try to dissuade someone from big purchases, like a pet and all the “starter pet” supplies. You can also mention candidly, do they have an exotic vet lined up? Rabbits cannot go to a normal vet.

Just some thoughts and things to consider as talking points if you decide to talk to the family. As LBJ mentions, we can’t stop everyone from making poor animal choices, so know you are not solely responsible for whatever outcome happens.

Besides all the good points that Wick made, your neighbor  or anyone should be aware of some other things before they consider bringing home a rabbit.  You said that your neighbor had other animals.  If she still has them, and they are “predators” it may not be wise to bring a bunny into the mix.   What if someone in the family is allergic to rabbits?  What if they are allergic to hay?  Are they prepared to go to the store frequently for fresh greens?  Do they know that rabbits have a complex digestive system and that they need the correct diet, otherwise they may have health problems?   Do they realize that most rescues stay full and only some shelters take rabbits, so if they find out bringing a rabbit home was a mistake, that there may be no place that will take the rabbit? (Or would they expect you to take the rabbit if it didn’t work out?) These are just a few of the other things that people should consider before getting a rabbit.

Hay allergies are extremely common. I would strongly suggest that they bring home hay, leave it out in the open in the house, and have every member of the home handle it with bare hands daily before they get the rabbit. The allergies alone might be enough to dissuade them if you can get them to do it. I used to have massive sneezing attacks that lasted for about 20 minutes every single time I fed my rabbits and my hands would itch horribly. I had to feed them with tongs and still sneezed a lot. The allergy has faded to almost nothing with daily exposure over several years, but they don’t need to know that 🙂

I have had a good amount of conversations with people about why a bunny might not be for them. Generally I bring up exactly how much care is required. And… We’re bunny people… we handle poop. A LOT. Like… most people don’t understand how much poop we deal with…

The property damage angle is a good one too. The ‘Electric Hay’ can get expensive and dangerous. How many phone chargers have I lost so far? I lost count.

Before getting my bunny I actually watched a bunch of videos by Lennon the Bunny.I believe that she tends to be very accurate on what to expect or not (besides the quirks each buuny might have due to personality) and they made me reflect a lot on what actually involved in getting one of our pals. I’m not saying you have to go with her, but maybe hearing it from someone that is less involved with her could be helpful? I worked for me