I Guess Rabbit Owners Don’t Have Feelings

[EssMargie]

I understand tough skin and all that, but don’t you ever just get so tired of people cracking rabbit recipe jokes, looking bored when you mention you own rabbits and saying, “What do they do”,  or siblings aggrivating you ’till the cows come home about if we run out of food we’ll have back ups?

 

There’s a lady who works at the grocery store my family goes to. Nice lady, but she has owned several rabbits and  she can’t see the point in them. She treats her dogs like humans, better than humans actually, but when she owned rabbits, she would leave them in the barn and come in the next day they would be missing limbs where it was the only part rats and other things could reach through the cage.  (Yes, I get sick when I think about it. ) She is always cracking rabbit recipe jokes to me.   I put on a fake smile, and I can take the first several times, but I’ve thought about learning some recipies involving dogs to throw at her.  Somehow I don’t think she’ll take that well.

 

How do you deal with attacks and insults against your precious little bunnies? 

[Sarita]

If I know I am going to get that kind of reaction, then I just don’t discuss it with them. Many people though do react positively and I will interact with them. If you know with this particular woman you are going to get responses you don’t like, just don’t discuss it with her.

If it’s new people who respond that way and aren’t positive then just don’t try…you will be less miserable if you do.

[Elrohwen]

I’m with Sarita – I only discuss my bunnies with people who I know will react positively. Just realize that the people who make the obnoxious comments are immature (it’s one thing for a teen to say it, but another for an adult) and ignore them. No point in getting worked up over someone who is probably trying to get a rise out of you.

[aBeautifulHope]

I get that from my father. He makes the same jokes about my goats. He’s amazing, and I love him. But, he just doesn’t get that they are different than the guinea pigs we had. He lets us have them since we love them and they make us happy but he doesn’t get it. If it was anyone OTHER than my dad I would probably get upset. But I know my dad and know he means nothing by it. He’s just my father *rolls eyes*

[Stickerbunny]

I generally don’t mention the bunnies to anyone, because around here, rabbits are food or things you abuse and leave out to die in summer and laugh about it. My boyfriend bringing them up has caused us to have to steer away from several businesses because I simply refuse to support an animal abuser by going to the business they own.

[LBJ10]

I generally don’t have problems with this. There might be a snide remark here or there from someone I don’t really know. I usually just give them a glare and they will shrug and walk away. People that know me, know that I love my bunnies and they usually ask about them to see how they are doing.

[LoveChaCha]

What is interesting is that – I’m a grocery cashier. I constantly talk about Chacha bun. Certain customers will even come through my line to hear stories about Chacha, and some even give me their carrot tops to give to Chacha. I have a regular that volunteers at the local humane society and has a rabbit of her own (a chinchilla colored rex) and is apart of ‘Bunnies in Baskets.’ She is amazing! She said to me the other day,”I don’t know who I will go to when you are done with school and get a medical career!”

I find it really disrespecting that people can make jokes about rabbits, and do not see them as a pet like a cat or dog.

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

My sister is like this she doesn’t crack jokes about recipes. She did make a comment because I have a disabled rabbit. I still love my sister I just try to ignore her when she starts this I actually leave the room. Then my mom will start saying things. I do live with my mom and normally she doesn’t say anything except when my sister is around. My sister does love my pets because she buys thems gifts its just when she is in a mood she will say mean things. I really would say just try to ignore this lady don’t bring any attention to it and see if that helps or try avoiding her in the store. Hope this helps.

[KytKattin]

I have had less problems with people talking about abusing rabbits and more problems with people talking about abusing bettas. I think just about everyone (myself included) has likely abused one. They justify that it is okay to keep them in 0.5 gallon, unheated bowls that they only change once a month because “they live in shallow puddles in the wild”, or “my friend had one for 5 years in the same little bowl”. They are so much more common as children’s pets because they only cost a few dollars (sometimes only a dollar at the Dollar Store!), so parents can easily buy them a new one when the pet dies instead of the $15 ($30 in store) for a heater, $5-10 for the bigger bowl, or the few minutes it takes to clean the bowl more than once a week/month. They justify that it is “just a fish” without feelings or even basic needs! If you had to sit in a cold, little room with a toilet that doesn’t flush you would probably succumb to something pretty quick too!

Thankfully for every “meat rabbit” comment I get two or more “oh, what is a house rabbit?” comments! For both my bettas and rabbit I try to lead by example. I keep my fish in lushly planted, heated aquariums that people gawk over when they see how active, beautiful, and happy my fish seem. You can’t miss seeing how happy my bunny is when you walk in the door. You can’t make everyone happy, and you can’t save all of the animals (or people for that matter), so just do well with the ones you have and let others see what they are missing when you pull up a photo on your phone of your rabbit stretched out in an epic flop on the floor! Then they can choose to take it or leave it.

[longhairmike]

the simple answer to “what are house rabbits?”

they’re the rabbits that rule my house.

[Elrohwen]

I was thinking about this today, and I guess I’m lucky that I don’t get those reactions often. Not everybody wants to hear about the buns, of course, but nobody says mean things (though I do occasionally hear the “I had bunnies when I was a kid and they escaped” stories, but those people know better now).

In fact, some people who meet my bunnies start thinking about one of their own, then say “I can’t get one – I don’t have a whole room for them like you do so where would I put all of their stuff?” Haha. I like that reaction because I know I’m teaching people that bunnies deserve huge living spaces with lots of free time, not tiny cages. I think meeting them can make a huge difference in how people see them, but of course you don’t want immature mean people meeting your pets anyway.

[fuzzykiwiwolf]

I have 4 guinea pigs ans a rabbit and my boy friend makes those jokes. I know he is joking so it doesn’t bother me much. I know that most people just do not know how to react to a house bunny. When I first brought Savannah home I was a little worried, but my boy friend simply loves the idea of a bunny who rules the house now!
People are people. I tend to ignore them. When it comes down to it I don’t think they would actually hurt an animal, just have to put on a show to get attention.

[Hazel]

I hate people sometimes. We got only one negative reaction so far, but it was bad enough. When Hubby went back to work after we had to put our bunny down in ’09 (he had cancer), he told his coworker what happened. All he had to say was “Well, they aren’t good for anything other than eating anyway.” I’m glad I wasn’t there for that, and even more glad that he managed not to punch the guy…

[kralspace]

Aw Hazel, that was cruel, this is what should happen to people like that!  😉

 

[Hazel]

Lol, yeah, people like that deserve a good bunny spanking.

[EssMargie]

I love that picture.  

Actually, the people are the ones to bring it up, usually. Almost everyone I know knows I own two rabbits. I have learned not to bring it up to that lady. Sometimes it can’t be help, though.

[Rei]

Some people just don’t understand that their “joking” (that is meant to be in good fun) can be very upsetting, especially when its something that you feel strongly about. In all honesty, we can’t expect everyone to have the same passions as we do. I’m not saying that justifies their behavior, because it certaintly does not. But it does show their immaturity and ignorance. Best thing to do is not to laugh or smile or pretend like it doesnt bother you. I’m not saying you have to confront them or get all huffy, but just give them a blank stare, and when they see you aren’t smiling or laughing back, they will get the message. Sometimes words don’t even need to be said. It will certaintly make them feel akward when you are staring at them and they are the only ones laughing

[Stickerbunny]

I would just calmly explain that you do not like those jokes, the rabbits to you are like her dogs are to her and ask them to respect your choices. Or, simply zone out of the conversation when they are doing it, if they lose you and get no response at all, usually they will stop doing it. I have issues controlling my facial expressions, so I know the look on my face when people start talking about rabbits they had in a bad way gives away that I don’t like it. People do it about all sorts of animals – I have a parrot (cockatiel) so every one makes jokes about eating chicken (as in my bird). *rollseyes* I just totally ignore them when they do it.

And Hazel – wow, just wow. How insensitive can people be. I get that THEY don’t think a rabbit is a big deal, but they should know YOU do and that is such a horrible thing to say to someone who lost a pet, no matter what pet it is.

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