Bunnies at Pet Stores

[Ashley]

A local pet-store in my area had two bunnies one day when I went in to get fish food.  I asked them how much they were selling them for, and they were selling them for $240.00!!!  I told the girl that was a rediculous price and that they shouldn’t sell them anyways – they should refer people looking for bunnies to a shelter who adopts them out.  I asked her if they were a special breed and that was why they were so expensive, and she said “no, we got them from a local person who was selling them.”  I asked her what breed they were and she had no idea and the people who brought them there didn’t know either, so I’m assuming they were just house-bred rabbits of mixed breeds – which if it was from an accidental litter, what can ya do, but at least find them good homes without selling them for profit to a pet store.  Then make sure the “oops” doesn’t happen again. 

What is the best way to approach pet stores like this to discourage the selling of bunnies?

[Sarita]

Can you find out the name of the breeder? Maybe you can ask the breeder why her rabbits cost so much…

Were these rabbits altered? Perhaps that is the cost to help cover them being altered but that is still alot in my opinion.

[kimberleyanddarren]

yeah that is a huge amount, here they are like 2 for 20 quid in pet stores, hence why so many people get them as ‘cheap and easy’ pets.

[MarkBun]

The thing is that if the seller/breeder didn’t know the breed then yes, it was probably an accidential litter. As such, why they’d sell them to a petstore is because they don’t care about them else they would have had their rabbits altered in the first place so there wasn’t an accidential litter.

[rabbitsmba]

If you want to discourage a pet store from selling rabbits, tell the manager that you don’t like it – especially when so many rabbits are euthanized every day. Tell them you would like to see them work with a local shelter or rescue and help them find homes for the rabbits in their care. And then tell the manager you will no longer shop at that store/store chain because you will not support the rabbit breeding industry. Take your business elsewhere.

Denying them your consumer $$$$ is what will hurt them the most. I never shop at stores that sell animals of any kind.

[Ashley]

I highly doubt they had been altered – they were just babies.  They were old enough to be weaned, but definitely not old enough to have already been altered.  Besides that, I’m in central Vermont – I doubt it was a “breeder” who sold them to the pet store, I would bet it was just someone who walked in the pet store and said “I have these two bunnies I need to sell.” The pet store probably gave them $20.00 a piece for them and then turned around to sell them for a huge profit.  They were really cute too – if I didn’t already have mine, and they weren’t so rediculously expensive, I would have bought them just to get them out of there. 

[Sarita]

Either that or they don’t want to sell them which is why they asked $240.00.

[kimberleyanddarren]

why wouldnt they want to sell them?

[Ashley]

The pet store was asking $240 and my best guess is that they were making money off the deal so of course they’d want to sell them for profit. 

[Sarita]

Obviously this pet store will not get these rabbits sold at $240.00 a piece so that’s why I said that (it was supposed to be sarcastic). Considering that other pet stores sell rabbits for alot less even the altered ones at Petco are $99.00.

[Ashley]

They weren’t there but only a week because I went back and they were gone.  So some sucker paid $240 for them.  Either that or they paid the amount because they felt bad for them. 

[Sarita]

Are you sure someone bought them? Is that what they said. Or did they pay that price for the whole litter?

[Ashley]

They were $240 each.  So if someone bought both then they have money to spend. 

I doubt the pet store paid a lot for them from the lady who brought them in – they must know that rabbits can be found cheaper or even free elsewhere, so they wouldnt’ spend a ton of money on rabbits to re-sell. 

[kimberleyanddarren]

hmm weird, dont know whats going on there, something dodgy i reckon

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I still find that sooo weird that they were charging that?? Maybe a misprint, should have said 24$ and the dumb clerks didn’t know?

[Princess*Smudge]

There is a pet store in my city that sells angora rabbits (english I think) for $100 – $140. The reason they are that price is that they are pedigreed (sp?). I understand that many people like to show rabbits and in order to do that have to have a registered purebred however I’m still not sure why they are that much. I know that there are a few rabbits breeders in the city that sell rabbits with their pedigrees for $50 or less.

[Sarita]

I think K&K is correct – they made a mistake on the price.

[MarkBun]

It is also possible, although doubtful, that the SPCA stepped in and siezed them.

[skunklionshow]

I agree that they likely had the wrong price and once the mgr realized it…they set it straight.  I have a pet store near me, I could walk there, that I don’t frequent b/c they sell animals….kittens, cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, etc.  Worse yet they kept all those animals in a back room, away from customer eyes, which always gave me the heeby-jeebies.

Funny thing….I was at Petsmart this weekend.  They had a rabbits thing listed in the small mammal section.  I didn’t see any rabbits.  I probed the issue w/ several clerks and they told me that they did not sell rabbits and it was only there to provide general care info.  I insisted on speaking to the manager and he told me the same thing further stating that if I was interested they sometimes brought in rabbits from the local SPCA and I could check the shelter schedule in the front.  I told him that I had no interest in that, but as a rescue person and bunny lover, I was pleased that they were not supporting that industry etc., I think I even threw in something about how Petsmart agreed to not sell bunnies in their official response to House Rabbit’s Protests.  I really couldn’t remember if it was Petsmart or Petco, but I figured what the heck! 

W/ all that voice your indignation and offer to set them up w/ a local rabbit rescue or state that you will bring in HR literature on such/such date….etc.  Let us know if we need to start a badger campaign

[carrie]

i paid 25.00 at a pet shop for mine

[MimzMum]

I think a lot of these pet store people just say anything they darn well feel like sometimes, trying to look knowledgeable or just to keep you from starting in on them. When I was picking up Fiver, one of the clerks tried to tell me they stop selling rabbits in October because it gets too cold and dangerous to ship them. But not only have I seen rabbits for sale through winter, my daughter bought one from them. So I know he’s full of it.
Also, I wonder if you had tried to purchase those bunnies if they might’ve insisted on cash, which can be pocketed easily. >.> If the manager is not looking, that can be quite a nice bankroll to stuff away for oneself…despicable, but it happens.

[Deleted User]

Some of those pet store employees don’t even know what time of day it is … let alone the prices of their stock!

[kimberleyanddarren]

^^^ so true!

[Ashley]

Supposedly the clerk checked with the manager on the price because there wasn’t anything listed on their cage that they were in.  When he told me the price my exact response was “WHAT!? That’s rediculous!  Are they a special breed or at least even registered?!” and he said “um, I don’t think so, some lady just brought them in and was selling them.”  So I asked if the woman told the store what breed they were, and supposedly she did not and also did not know.  They just looked like your average mini-Rex, which is what I’m sure they were.  I think the pet store just decided that they coudl make some money from an unsuspecting person by charging well over the price they paid for them. 

[msarro]

Thats a shame – if anything its going to deprive those poor buns of good homes
I hope enough people have the same reaction that they lower the prices to something reasonable.

[Ashley]

Or that if the people who bought them had that kind of money, the buns will be spoiled rotten because they can afford to. 

[Steve Parker]

That is a very high price for bunnies. There is a pet shop down the street from me that has 2 bunnies that have already been “fixed” for $80 each. But I think that pet store is maybe an exception rather than the rule. They seem to really care about animals and want to make sure the animals go to really good homes.

That’s where my bunny came from. He had been left by the store’s dumpster and they carried him into their store and practically gave him to us. I posted his story on our website: http://www.pooh-moose.com/.

[Nicci607]

Posted By markusdark on 08/21/2008 10:50 AM
The thing is that if the seller/breeder didn’t know the breed then yes, it was probably an accidential litter. As such, why they’d sell them to a petstore is because they don’t care about them else they would have had their rabbits altered in the first place so there wasn’t an accidential litter.

well said markusdark!

breeders do NOT care for bunnies. its sooo easy money for them!

all these poor bunnies being destroyed every year…we do not need more breeding. some of there “leftovers” go …of course…for rabbit meat also. they get paid by weight.

its deplorable…

I wish there was something we can do to stop this and stop all these petstores from selling ANY live animals.

people are just so ignorant about this.

[kimberleyanddarren]

pet stores dont need to sell any kind of animals, i think it should be banned everywhere

[bunnytowne]

Hmm thats what I am thinking they must be altered. 

[TARM]

I just went to a family owned pet store to get the bunny boys more pellets. I usually get them from a pet supermarket but it’s only open until 12 on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. Since my daughter has been feeding the bunnies I didn’t know we were low on pellets until she told me this afternoon that she gave them the last of them.

This store sells puppy mill dogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, birds, fish, and of course…rabbits. I am generally very opposed to spending money in that store and I only do it when I have to…like today. (My petsmart is carrying a very limited supply of oxbow and the only had the timothy pellets.)

This store DOES take very good care of its animals. I know that doesn’t help the parents of the animals who are stuck in the mills but the puppies are always healthy, they’re well cared for, and they get a lot of interaction. They have these big glass display cages where they can play and be fussed over by people. The display is like a giant playpen.

They had about a dozen bunnies in a large glass display case that’s also like a playpen. There was more than enough room for all of them and the carefresh was clean, they had unlimited Oxbow pellets, clean water, but they had eaten all of their hay. I was upset because the bunnies were so much smaller than my boys were when I brought them home and they were only five weeks old. I asked the girl working there where the bunnies come from. They don’t come from breeders, they come from local people who have oops litters and don’t want to be bothered finding homes for them. That’s how they get their kittens too.

I asked why they didn’t have any hay and I was told they were given some that morning and I saw the remnants of the hay…and while I was standing there she pulled out a bag of oxbow alfalfa and gave them a genrous helping.

The bunnies are being sold for $40 each. They aren’t fixed. I fell in love with a tiny chinchilla colored rex mix. It took everything in me to leave him there. I REALLY can’t afford any more rabbits now and I don’t have anywhere to put them.

Anyway, I wasn’t happy to see them in the store but they could have it worse. At least they aren’t eating crap, they aren’t sick, and they probably won’t wind up in the belly of a reptile.

[kimberleyanddarren]

at least they are looked after well, thats a very rare thing to find here, i have had to get in touch with the RSPCA about several pet stores in my area.

[kAtHrYnLoVeSdAiSy]

Oh my goodness! I feel so ashamed! I never realised that pet stores selling pets was such a bad thing! I never owned a pet in my life until last month.

My housemate bought herself a bunny in April and she never took care of him. He would sit in his cage for days and days without being taken out or let to exercise and left in a dirty hutch. Once a week, she takes him up to her bedroom for cuddles. I have no idea what he does up there as the door is closed, but when I have him out, he can’t bear to be held or picked up so I doubt he is very comfortable when she cuddles him.

I felt awful for him, so I started getting him out for an hour every day in the living room. He would play and binky and run about like a mad march hare! I started to grow so fond of him, he felt like my own! I would feed him, clean out his hutch, give him fresh vegetables and fresh water every day. I never recieved a word of thanks, nor any aknowledgement whatsoever from my housemate. We barely talk at all to be honest, but I wasn’t doing it for her, I was doing it for Ducky because he needed to be loved.

One day, he had run out of hay, and I knew if left to his owner, he would be without for days so I went to a pet shop near me to buy some and whilst I was there, I saw a baby dwarf lop all by herself in a pen. She looked exactly like Ducky but with lop ears and the cutest fluffy little head I had ever seen!

We are moving out of our house in September and Ducky will go with his owner. The thought of saying goodbye to him had been upsetting me for weeks. This cute little bunny in the pet shop looked at me with sad eyes and I could practically hear her begging me to take her home! I sat for a good hour in the pet shop hemming and hawing about whether I should take her home. In that time, I “borrowed” a book from the shelf and read bits and pieces about how to care for a rabbit. The more I read, the more I realised I could offer her a happy home and endless amounts of love and attention, so I went for it! The lady in the shop helped me pick out everything I needed for her, and the rest is history!

I keep Daisy (the little lop) in a seperate place from Ducky so they can’t see eachother and I have her out all day long! I can’t imagine my life without her now! I know that sounds needy and a little pathetic, but honestly, I love her so much! I care for Ducky just as before, only now I have bunny proofed the back garden and he is out all day (as long as the weather stays fine).

I wouldn’t trade Daisy for all the money in the world, but Had I known that there are so many unwanted rabbits in shelters up and down the country, I would have gone to one of them to buy a rabbit. I have been thinking about getting a playmate for Daisy when we get to our new home as there is so much space for them and I was going to go back to the shop I got her from to buy her a friend, but after reading this thread, I will be visiting the Animal Sanctuary a mile away from me (which I previously knew nothing about) to see if I can find a suitable companion.

Sorry for waffling on and on, but I can’t believe I didn’t figure this out for myself and had to read all your words of wisdom to realise it.

Thank you for helping me make a better decision for all rabbitkind!

KLD x

[TARM]

Ugh. I had a roommate that I didn’t speak to. It was awful because she was a little psychotic, we’re both single moms, and when we did exchange words it was usually of the four letter variety. Usually she did the exchanging while I just looked at her like she was nuts.

Have you thought about possibly offering to buy Ducky from your housemate? I know that sounds kind of ick, considering how much we love these little critters, but maybe cash will be tempting enough for her to part with him. I know that wouldn’t have worked in a million years with my roommate and it probably would have made her keep what I wanted despite the fact that she wasn’t at all interested but it’s just a thought.

[kAtHrYnLoVeSdAiSy]

Ha! I love the idea of looking at someone like they’re nuts! How infuriating!! Genius TankAndRangersMom!

Well, we had a huge fight about her general laziness and selfish behaviour, during which the subject of Ducky was brought up. I told her she was a terrible mother (I was angry) and that she didn’t deserve to have a rabbit as she can’t or won’t look after him. I told her I was worried about what would happen to him when I wasn’t there to take care of him, and she reacted by denying everything and saying that she had had “issues” which meant her mind was preoccupied. (Don’t you just love in when people unknowingly contracdict themselves?)
I told her I would buy Ducky from her and pay whatever she paid for his hutch etc. She told me she loved the rabbit and started to get upset. Perhaps my words were enough to make her realise that she had been neglecting him. Took someone to point it out or something. After the fight, her mum came over and I discussed Ducky with her. I know that’s childish, but I needed to know there was someone else looking out for him in my absence. Her mum suggested I keep the rabbit when we all move out. The owner was mortified and promised to take better care of him form now on.

Anyway, a week later, I got Daisy, and since then, she has been paying much more attention to Ducky. She makes sure he has enough food and water, she knows he’s out all day in the garden, but if I’m not at home, she’ll let him out herself and she cleans his hutch out once a week. A part of me thinks she’s foing this to “prove” something to me like “See? I do look after him!” which is petty and stupid but at least her anger at me is making her take care of Ducky now. I also think she is in competition with me to be “the best owner”. Again, pathetic, but if it works…

Saying all this, having Daisy in the house has brought us together a bit. The few conversations we do have tend to revolve around the rabbits. I told her all about Daisy’s litter training troubles and she told me all about how she struggled with Ducky in the same area (like I didn’t know, having spent the last three months training him all by myself!) Regardless, she seems to be taking a much more active role with him. I told her about the shelter I had heard about in the hope that, if she does get bored or “preoccupied” again, then she might just turn to them and ask them to re-home him.

Since I’m looking for a companion for Daisy, who knows, I might just end up rescuing Ducky from the shelter! Although I hope it doesn’t come to that. It’s a shame pet shops don’t have a similar system to child adoption where they vet the potential parents for months to make sure they will make good mummys!

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Luckaly my petco does not sell bunnies.
But Petsmart sells them, luckaly the bunnies are brought from out local shelter, Our petsmart helps out our shelter, how nice.

[Author]

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