Craigslist

[Hedi]

Does anyone else look at craigslist on a regular basis?

More and more I am seeing people putting their rabbits up for "adoption" on there. I know in Dayton/Cincinnati there is a lady calling herself a doctor who is taking unwanted animals (dogs,cats) to use in lab testing!

When I see these posts I refer them to the house rabbit society and the local animal shelter. I make a point of reminding them people will buy the rabbits for their meat and fur or to feed other animals and the only way to really make sure they get a good home is to go through a reliable adoption system.

I have probably made someone mad but I don’t know that posting your rabbit free to a good home is a good idea these days.

[osprey]

I look at my local CL pets listings several times a day because I do the CL postings for The Rabbit Haven when we have an adoption show or a rescue appeal.  I flag lots of posts, African puppy scams, back yard breeder sales, commercial spam, flame wars, it is amazing how much junk gets posted there.  We do not get many rabbit posts here, but there was one person who was asking for Easter rabbits, chicks and ducklings that people no longer wanted so that he could raise them on his farm and eat them.  Even with most of the blatantly illegal stuff getting flagged off, there is still plenty of garbage.  Just like the rest of the internet, I guess.  Anything open to public posting will get spammed.

[BinkyBunny]

That’s terrible about the animal testing!   If I see someone who is giving their rabbit away for free, I sometimes encourage them to require a decent money exchange.  That way it will discourage people who are looking for a cheap meal for their snake etc etc.   FYI:  Many rabbit shelters will not take in rabbits directly from people, they will only try and save the 11th hour bunny at shelters who euthanize. 

 

 

[Hedi]

THe humane society I just started volunteering at will take rabbits but they request a little $ when bringing them in usually. But we don’t have room for more than 5 small animals at a time because they have to sit out front. Otherwise they do ask people to foster the rabbits until they can find a cage for them inside the shelter.

I did refer them to the local house rabbit society that way they have someone to ask questions to about adopting out their rabbit.

Although this week we had THREE rabbits get adopted out! I really thought those rabbits would be with us forever but they already found homes. Now we just have three adults and three babies waiting on homes.

[BinkyBunny]

Kudos to you for helping out at your local humane society!!!

[Hedi]

To be honest it has been a little bit..scarey!

I have been going two-three times every week since I am not working right now. I am one of only two people who even know anything about rabbits! The other guy works full time and I think goes in once a week but he is the person they usually call for questions.

It has been a learning experience to say the least! But it has been fun. When I go I clean cages and give them veggies and fruit and then spend time playing with them. I have to say a binky from one of them just makes my day! It is one thing for my buns to binky but they are all happy, healthy and spoiled. But for a shelter bun to binky for me just makes everything worth it. We have one who just cries and cries-nothing wrong with her but she has figured out if she cries it makes people nervous and they will leave her alone. Shes a biter too! I have a huge dent in my thumb from her. She is the one I worry the most about since it would take a very understanding person to adopt her thats willing to give her her own space.

But I have really enjoyed it. And it is nice to be able to help answer bun questions. Some of the workers thought I was a little crazy putting hay in their litter boxes until I told them the reason behind it.

[LillyBear]

^^ a crying bunny? My heart-strings are getting tugged. I wish I had room for another bun.. Id come scoop her up in a second.. my rabbit likes to be left alone and is agressive too.. nothing new there. 😮

[Hedi]

Yeah, its pitiful. As soon as you open her cage she starts crying really loud. Once you start petting her then she cries a little more quietly then stops. But trying to pick her up makes her just howl.

I had never heard a rabbit cry before. But she has figured out that it keeps people away.

[Ester Yeh]

Earlier today I saw someone trying to adopt out 5 week old baby rabbits. I sent them a very nice, courteous email stating that I didnt wish to offend them or nag or disapprove of anything that they were doing, but just wanted to inform them that baby bunnies coudlnt leave their mom until 8 weeks.

I got a very nice email back saying, thanks for the information. Then later, i got another email from the same address with someone saying that it was their gf who had replied previously. and very rudely told me that I obviously knew nothing about rabbits. GRR!!!

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By Hedi on 05/07/2007 4:28 PM

Yeah, its pitiful. As soon as you open her cage she starts crying really loud. Once you start petting her then she cries a little more quietly then stops. But trying to pick her up makes her just howl.

I had never heard a rabbit cry before. But she has figured out that it keeps people away.

Could she have an indiagnosed injury of sorts – somewhere internal?  When picking her up could it be hurting her, and maybe when the cage door is opened she fears the pain that may follow?  

Does the vet there know about this?

If they have thoroughly checked her over and she’s fine, (I guess if she was suffering terribly she wouldn’t eat.)  then maybe she had some sort of abuse in her background.  Usually a bunny won’t scream unless they are dying or in major pain.   I

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By Hedi on 05/07/2007 11:08 AM

To be honest it has been a little bit..scarey!

Scary?  AWW, how come?   Is it the people or the animals?  or both?       

[Hedi]

The crying bun has been checked out several times by the vet. She only cries when a hand comes into her cage. Otherwise she is ripping stuff up and flipping things over and having a good time. Whatever happened in her previous life must have been pretty bad for her.

The man I have been working with at the shelter he answers all their email questions. He has been a great resource however I am finding some things he just doesnt know or isnt looking up. For instance, they were using cat litter before I came along. The bad kind. As soon as I suggested an alternative they were fine but my only options were corn cob litter or pine shavings. I told them the dangers of the corn cob and the issue with pine shavings and they are supposed to be finding something else for us but who knows…we have been discussing YN and carefresh but I have yet to see any.

It has just been scarey working at the shelter because no one knows anything about rabbits. I think its bizarre they would accept them in to adopt out and the vet would check them out but refuse to fix them. I understand not doing surgery on an unfamiliar animal but  I don’t understand accepting animals you aren’t familiar with. That could be detrimental if something bad happened-like if they got gas. I would hope the vet would know what to do but would anyone know enough to catch it? Im there a few days a week and I check to make sure they are pooing/peeing and eating but I worry the days I am not there if something did happen….

Before I showed up there were no toys in their cages. It is kinda apparent that the rabbits are treated like the poor little guinea pig they have-kinda ignored. Small animals seems to get lumped into the same catergory-sit in their cages and look cute but have no personality. I know nothing about guinea pigs and the other day I had sat a napkin full of greens by his cage for a rabbit. He came right over put his little head thru and was sniffing. Very apparent he was interested in the greens. As soon as I held one up he grabbed it and went to town on it. Poor little guy.

Things are getting better though. People working there are taking an interest and I answer questions when they ask so at least they are taking an interest.

[Spacehopper]

It’s nice to know there are still people out there like yourself Hedi!!!
I could have cried last weekend when we went to a pet shop near us. The state they keep the birds in horrifies me and has done since I first went in there, and they just don’t seem at all concerned for the animals welfare, just want them sold to anyone! They had some gorgeous baby lionheads which had thankfully been sold together as a pair, and three of the cutest dwarf lops, which i fell in love with and very seriously considered (not sure how Brian would take to a new bun?!). All of a sudden these 3 precocious children came charging up the stairs and across to the baby rabbits, barged me out the way, hauled themselves over the top of the glass box the rabbits were in and in went their hands, screeching at each other all the while. I turned to see the parents who for want of a better word, were Rough as Arrusholes,but they grabbed the children and went off.

As we were getting in the car I swear my heart stopped, as, out came the dad armed with a hutch, and the 3 revolting children in tow arguing over who was holding the box with one of those poor bunnies in. I can just imagine what poor life that poor baby was in for. :=(

[Hedi]

I have heard Binky and other Californians say that there are pet stores there that no longer sell rabbits.

The only pet supply store here in Ohio that doesn’t is Petsmart.

How do we stop this? You would think people that love animals are the ones that own these stores and even they only make pennies off these rabbits why continue to put them in circulation? I don’t think there enough rabbit owners out there that a boycott would work.

But then again, it isn’t just rabbits. It is all the other animals coming from animal mills that end up in bad homes.

We have been fortunate that the rabbits we have had at our humane society have all found great homes. Of the five originally there when I started a few weeks ago only one is left.

[BB Administrator]

Posted By Hedi on 05/08/2007 7:32 AM

I have heard Binky and other Californians say that there are pet stores there that no longer sell rabbits.

The only pet supply store here in Ohio that doesn’t is Petsmart.

ACKK!   Sorry, this is Binky, and I’m working on the site, and I keep forgetting to sign out as admin and back in as Binky.

It really depends on the city. But just a few miles south, east or north of the city, there are pet stores that sell rabbits.  : (

San Francisco pet stores do not sell rabbits, but I also heard the only reason they don’t is because rabbits are considered livestock and cannot be sold in the city limits.  I am not sure for a fact that that is the reason why, but I remember asking a petstore once about it, and that was their answer.    But since I do not see kittens or puppies sold at petstores in the city, I really wonder if it has to do with something more ethical. This does spark my interest though, so I am going to call SF Animal Care and Control and ask them about the reasons. I’ll keep you updated.

 

 

Helloworld!!

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By Hedi on 05/08/2007 4:18 AM

The crying bun has been checked out several times by the vet. She only cries when a hand comes into her cage. Otherwise she is ripping stuff up and flipping things over and having a good time. Whatever happened in her previous life must have been pretty bad for her.

…….. I told them the dangers of the corn cob and the issue with pine shavings and they are supposed to be finding something else for us but who knows…we have been discussing YN and carefresh but I have yet to see any.

Things are getting better though. People working there are taking an interest and I answer questions when they ask so at least they are taking an interest.

Awww, the crying bun sounds so sad. I wonder what in the world happened in her past.  I hate to think too much about it, at least she’s safe now, and I hope someone adopts her.  IF she was abused, it wouldn’t be much of a life to be taken to a shelter and then put down.  With kindness and socializing,  you may be able to help her trust again.  How long as hse been there?

For shelters, I know YN and Carefresh can be expensive.  I am glad you informed them about the dangers of corn cob and pine shaving.  A good inexpensive alternative you can suggest is pine woodstove pellets!  The toxic phenols in the pine are processed out during compression.   I know here a huge bag of woodstove pellets only costs about $4 – $6 (I got them in Lowe’s, but places that offer horse suppliles also sell these kinds of pellets, and some places use them for the stables.

At least the people there are open and taking an interest.  You just never really know even at places that are looking to care for animals what politics are going on, or if egos get in the way.  So, at least they are not brushing you off.

I give you big kudos for trying to make a difference in the lives of bunnies.   You are welcome to post about the bunnies in the "rescue section" of the forum to try and spread the word!

Keep up the awesome work!  The bunnies will have a better life because of you! 

 

[Hedi]

I went in today and the crying bun was still there. She is currently the only one we have left except for a mom with babies.

She did so good today! She actually perked up when she saw me. I am only there a few days a week but I think she has figured out when I clean her cage I give her yummy veggies and fruit. lol She came right up to me in the cage. I always give her a little warning before attempting to pet her. She didn’t cry at all! AND she went right into a carrier so I could put her in a room to play while I was cleaning her cage. I was so impressed. I think she just needed some attention. I did get a little whimper once but that was all which is very good for her. She didn’t really want to play with me but she did sit and let me pet her.

I did tell the shelter about the wood stove pellets being our best cheap alternative. We just may have issues finding them. I think tomorrow I will call around to see if I can find us a big bag.

I don’t know if this is good or bad (probably the nurse in me) but I feel the buns are my responsibility. And I have to make sure they are taken care of to the best of my knowledge. So I keep the fridge full of veggies and fruit snacks for them. And I came up with a 10page handout to leave in the area our buns are in that way people can take it home and learn more about buns when they thinking about adopting. I am also waiting on permission to start putting the "coloring book" that Rabbit House Society has on their webpage in our waiting room. Our HS usually give a three page handout printed from the house rabbit society and a list of the three bunny vets in our area. When I went to the Columbus HS a few weeks ago they gave me the handout they provide so I copied all of that and then added stuff relevent to our area as well as stuff from binkybunnys LINKS site. I added binkybunny and brooklynbunny. I think people will really be impressed that there are bunny forums and the webcams.

[Sean]

poor crying bunny hope she feels better

[Author]

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