its happening

[LoveChaCha]

My cousin told me to get onto her fb wall and … there was a picture of her niece with.. a rabbit in a box.. a 4 year old’s.. birthday present

 

A part of me wants to go WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

I just replied, I hope her parents did their research, and are going to help her with the rabbit. If they want to talk to me, they can.

 

……. I can see.. months later…

[Michelle&Lolli]

Maybe it will turn out for the best. I think that’s all you can really do. You made yourself available for advice, etc. It’s up to them to take it.

[LoveChaCha]

Yeah. It is the only thing I can do. I just sent a text to Rachel (dig me now) and said *head slam head slam head slam*

Then again, I shouldn’t be punshing myself over other people’s decisions.. but still, the rabbit advocate in me came out.

My cousin replied on the picture saying the family was holding the bunny a lot yesterday.. that isn’t going to be lasting. I have (I call them) suicide marks on my arms because Chacha HATES being held, even if it is for her own good for brushing and nail trimming. I do it, and I take it, because I care for her.

 

I asked my cousin if she could forward the link to the HRS rabbit site to the parents for me.

[Michelle&Lolli]

Oh I know. My cousin’s daughter got a bunny from her grandma. They were completely unprepared for it. I know they did the best they could but I was still like “I need to go rescue that bunny!!!!” Just like the bunny I went and helped with. The lady took him from other people and he was in bad shape. I got so sad and depressed about his situation. I did the best I could with helping her to clean up his poopy butt and clip his nails and give her some advice. She’s also doing the best that she can and he’s not in a cage at least. I wish I could’ve taken him but I have way to do that. I don’t know how involved I could be in pet rescuing. I’ve thought about get a degree in vet assistance, etc and working at a shelter. But I think it would be simply too hard on me emotionally. Anyways…..

The best we can do is to try to educate people on rabbits and their care.

[peppypoo]

Argh I hate when that happens…if anybody remembers my post on a similar situation a few months ago with two un-speutered bunnies – my message went entirely unanswered. To my knowledge both bunnies remain un-speutered and one even escaped briefly from their OUTDOOR enclosure recently. Sigh. Only so much you can do.

[Eepster]

Just b/c the photo is a picture of the 4yo with her bunny, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be one of those situations where the parent think a little kid is capable of caring for it in a tiny cage. We keep telling our 5yo son that Porky is “his” bunny. Our sons only “responsibility” is to love the bunny and give him a few treats. DS love to read books to Porky, and exercise with Porky, and give Porky parsley. Porky seems pretty fond of DS in return.

My husband and I understand that we adults are really the ones who will be taking care of Porky. I built the condo, and post here. Dh and I both buy him veggies and stuff. We clean out the litterbox. We take Porky to the vet. Etc.

[Monkeybun]

Unfortunately, Eep, you are in the minority when it comes to parents and bunnies. Alot of parents just get pets, give them to kids, then forget about them. It’s sad

But I am glad you know that Porky is your responsibility and care for him

[peppypoo]

Agreed with MB…there’s this misconception that bunnies that are good low-maintenance “starter pets” for kids to teach them responsibility, etc….and I think we all know full well that not even the most responsible toddler is able to give the appropriate level of care for a rabbit.

[LoveChaCha]

Eep, it is a good thing that you are teaching your son responsibility of a pet. It is something that all parents should instill in their children. Not all parents think like that and it makes me sad

I know my cousin will give that link to her niece’s parents. I hope that the parents read the site and understand what it is like to have a rabbit in a house and the care bunnies require.

[Eepster]

I know that it often goes that the parents expect the little kid to be able to care for the bunny, do little research and provide few resources, but it doesn’t always happen. So, we can hope that LCC’s cousin’s niece’s parents are responsible parents and pet owners, who understand the responsibility they have take on. I think that it’s just easy to dwell on irresponsible pet owners when the results are so visible at the animal shelter, and forget that many pets live long happy comfortable lives after being added to a family.

[Beka27]

People drive me nuts sometimes. If you cannot take in another rabbit Brittany, MAKE THAT CLEAR to them up front. I don’t want them to think, “Oh… you have a bun, you’ll just take this one off our hands as necessary.” Not saying that will come up, but be prepared it might. In the moment, it can be tough to say ‘no’. But you have to think about DOUBLE food, hay, litter, vet costs… NOT TO MENTION, spay/neuter for the bunny! Two separate areas to clean. Two separate exercise routines. I know Chacha likes being the Queen Bun. She might not like to share her space and only get free time half the time.

Similarly to Eepster, we got Meadow “for” my son. She is “his” bunny. Although everyone knows darn well that we really got her for me/the family. At 7, he can be trusted to measure out and feed them their pellets, BUT… half the time I go in there and it hasn’t been done yet, so I do it.

[LoveChaCha]

Beka, not to worry, these people live in Hawaii I don’t plan to get a friend for Chacha unless I have a better paying job. She is the queen and will always be.

[SmokeyBunnyRobinson]

I feel you. My uncle’s stepdaughters just got 2 rabbits. They’re both confined in a cage built for MAYBE one rabbit. And they don’t give them what they need and I just feel like screaming but they’re the type of people who “know it all” especially his fiance, little snoot that she is, so I’ll never get through to them. I try not to think about it too much. It’s so sad that people don’t even bother to do research. I went into rabbit-owning half-blind but after I got her, all I DID was research, research, research. With the help of many online sources plus BB forums, I have become the owner I needed to be.

I just wish all pet owners would do the same. So many people don’t realize how much care and effort there is to animal caring. I am just glad the teacher that’s in the room Smokey’s resides in during the week teaches these children, and parents when they’re around, about how much work it is for a rabbit and that it takes a lot of time and patience.

/sigh

[cactuspancake]

… I got my first hedgehog when I was in 3rd grade, and I was way too young to take care of him by myself. My parents didn’t tell me anything and he totally went psychotic from not getting 5 miles of running in/ day. He needed a habit trail and never got one. He lived in a pet carrier with cedar shavings… I wish my parents would have taken care of him when I was busy being a little girl miss you Spike <3

[cactuspancake]

My 6 year old niece got fish in one of those cruel ecohabitat things and her dad bought 3 fish too big to go in there and no snail or plants. They died from their own poop in 3 days. Her dad came back and got her four aquatic frogs. They looked awful and too much poop, no light, and I tested the water at 55 degrees. It’s supposed to be 80…. I cleaned the tank a little every day (I was there for 3 weeks in WA on vacation) and begged them to buy them a heater, light, and a bigger filter. The dad just kept telling me “I’ve had aquariums all my life” and I watched the frogs die over a few days. A few weeks later… her dad got her hermit crabs to go in the now empty tank… I don’t know how they are now I was so depressed taking care of these little frogs I knew were gonna die rip froggies <3

[LoveChaCha]

I had a lot of pets growing up. My dad loved having fish, so we had a nice long sized aquarium and I would help assist him in helping feed the fish, take the fish out when we had to clean the tank, and cleaned it..

I don’t know why, but I find fish tank cleaning theraputic, lol.

[LittlePuffyTail]

That’s very frustrating when you know the person. I think my biggest beef with the kid/bunny as a gift is when the kid “gets bored of it” and the parents don’t force the kid to take care of it anyways and the pet is either neglected or they give it a way. A 4 year old has no business with a pet…they have such small attention spans. It bothers me that the most timid of house pets gets given to kids as gifts. I can just imagine a little 4 year old trying to snuggle and restrain Olivia! ***Pummel Pummel Pummel, Honk Honk Honkl*** kid runs away with a scratched and bleeding face. Not a good combination. That’s probably why she was returned to the pet store before I got her.

I’m really hoping the SPCA I volunteer with doesn’t get overloaded with rabbits after Easter. They only have 3 at the shelter right now, with a few more in foster care. But I know that the pet store is stocking up on adorable baby bunnies.

[Beka27]

Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 03/30/2011 04:26 AM
That’s very frustrating when you know the person. I think my biggest beef with the kid/bunny as a gift is when the kid “gets bored of it” and the parents don’t force the kid to take care of it anyways and the pet is either neglected or they give it a way. A 4 year old has no business with a pet…they have such small attention spans. It bothers me that the most timid of house pets gets given to kids as gifts. I can just imagine a little 4 year old trying to snuggle and restrain Olivia! ***Pummel Pummel Pumme, Honk Honk Honkl*** kids runs away with a scratched and bleeding face. Not a good combination. That’s probably why she was returned to the pet store before I got her.

I’m really hoping the SPCA I volunteer with doesn’t get overloaded with rabbits after Easter. They only have 3 at the shelter right now, with a few more in foster care. But I know that the pet store is stocking up on adorable baby bunnies.

And to continue this line of thinking in your scenario, “Olivia” scratches or bites the child… and it is OF COURSE (in the parent’s eyes) OLIVIA’S fault, not the child who was restraining her!  I’ve said before that Meadow has bitten Michael on several (5 or 6 that I can clearly remember) occasions over the first 2 years we had her.  Believe me, I was ticked off because my child was upset, BUT I also understood that Meadow needed special handling and that she was not a fan of children.  Through working with Michael and educating him on how to approach her, we’ve gotten past this.  He can now feed and help me clean up the pen, while she is in there.  If I was over-reactive and did not understand rabbits as household pets… first bite, she would have been gone.

 

Brittany, I’m glad to hear that this family is not in your area.  I must have missed that from before.  I’m very glad you have a clear plan of when/if you are going to get a second rabbit.  It’s so easy to forget in the moment you are faced with a cute furry face.

If they do come asking for advice and you send links or something, make sure to also stress that they discuss all diet and health questions with their exotics vet.  Links and articles are great, but they need to form a relationship with a professional in their area.

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