When I got my new bunny...

a couple of months or so ago...one of my friends had just got a new kitten and said I should come over to see him..anyway I said "Oooh u should come and see my new rabbit:)" and her reply was "I've seen your other rabbit, they just sit there and do nothing...once you've seen one you've seen them all. Like fish"...I was so angry! I gather this is probably a common misconception among people...probably even people who own rabbits and that is why they often become neglected and just left in their hutches.
I was wandering if anyone else had ever come across this sort of view before?

I'm going a bit post crazy atm apologies! heh
x

Well, yes!

If I speak about having pet rabbits, people are a bit surprised. Expecting them to belong to small children. However, if I wax lyrical about a dog, then everyone thinks that is OK.

Rabbits, and probably most animals, are very misunderstood and comments like your friend's are pretty common. But it is nice to know that we know better and that our buns DO have personality and individuality. After all, if they were all like Katie B's Daisy or my Wolfie, or God forbid, the infamous Gabriel (who you have yet to hear about), where would we be.

Haha exactly! Although these are my first bunnys, so I'm a bit of a newbie to it all as of the beginning of this year...She was my only friend who was a bit of a meanie about it...others have wanted to meet them ^_^! So i was surprised when she said it...
But yeah, I wish people were better educated as where rabbits are concerned..as they are apparently the most popular pets under cats and dogs..it's a bit worrying! It's nice to talk to like minded people who absolutely adore their animals

My best friend is a vegan and an animal rights activist, and yet couldn't understand me going in rants for hours and hours about my bunnies, and telling her stories about what bruce and josephine had been up to recently.

She's gotten better at understanding how much I love them, but I think it's telling that even a vegan who is obsessed with animals can still carry preconceptions about which animals are "interesting" or not. While she loves pigs, chickens, dogs and cats (all of which she's had as pets), she has never had rabbits, and so she couldn't really understand their natures.

That's why we have HH, so that we can talk and know that we're not alone!

My rabbits are very entertaining and loving

I think its a crime that they are so mis-understood. I was even told by the receptionist at my vets "its only a rabbit"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its so shocking! And I see people glaze over all the time if I talk about my little man, and they think I am off my tree!!

My close friends understand that I love him millions but im not sure they completely grasp why.

Part of the reason the forum exists is to promote the idea that rabbits are far more then 'Just a rabbit' , as well as giving web-space to owners to share their experience and delight in these lovely animals, to educate and promote rescue. The You tube channel has similar intentions, but with a different medium.

As two guys, heading towards middle age (!) we are very used to the prevailing attitude that you describe, and are careful about who we talk to about buns. A few days after Bertie died, someone who I teach said '...cheap dinner then', and then had to sit and watch me cry my eyes out. He felt very uncomfortable and I'm glad he did, he deserved to.

Most of my friends who met Bertie changed their views on buns completely, and 2 of them now have them, so in a way, promoting buns can have a positive effect on some people, but there's always the people who won't ever get it .. their loss.

That's a horrible thing they said to you Jay I don't think anyone will understand fully what it is like to have a rabbit unless you are a rabbit fanatic so to speak like us all on here.

LillyGrace, that is so frustrating. I'm sorry to hear that.

Jay, that is outrageous! I might have to jump on a plane and go kick some... bottom.

That is SO offensive. People make jokes to me about eating rabbits all the time, but not when I have just lost my bunnies!

Jay i know this sounds bad, but i'm glad you cried, it shows that person how offensive their behaviour was, as opposed to getting angry. It's much harder to defend yourself to a truly upset / devastated person. But still...

ElleyMay and I can be your international SWAT squad

That is really horrible Jay, yeah people always make "rabbit stew" jokes...which is fine I just go "OI!" haha...but yeah I can't imagine how it would feel for someone to do it when you have just lost someone so precious to you .
His awkwardness was his karma for being unsympathetic!

I live with my boyfriend but I don't think he fully understands how much more they are than just a rabbit. My bunnies know when i'm upset and they won't leave me alone until I feel better particularly Paris she knows me so well and understands me well. I remember an arguement I had with my bf in which he said rabbits don't know when you are upset and they don't show emotions. This angered me and offended me. I have seen my bunnies cry before I can see in their eyes when they are unhappy as I do with my cats too.

Animals have very healing capabilities. They are good for the soul! As helping them grow and be happy, they give so much in return. That's a shame your boyfriend doesnt really get it ! Me and my boyfriend got Luna together, and then thistle so he loves them both to pieces luckily for me .
Rabbits most definately show when they are happy and unhappy...I can tell the difference from if I'm out all day..then Luna has strops and is very moody and if I spend the whole day with her n shes a massive sweety

The OH doesn't often take much interest in this forum.. But he's just been reading this thread & he said Jay's comment about why the forum exists is a good idea - To show people that a rabbit is more than 'just a rabbit'. He says that he used to think that, until he met me and Vivi.

I must admit my friends don't seem as bad as your friends, mine seem to actually be interested in my rabbits, as in, they like to look at them and give them a bit of a stroke, but I do also think they think that Im a bit rabbit mad...

I have to admit, I never saw the attraction of a pet rabbit. I had gerbils and hamsters as a child and a dog, then as I grew up I started keeping rats as they are more intelligent than the other rodents. I had never ever wanted a rabbit as my experiences of them had always been territorial aggressive horrid things. BUT......... for some random reason I was drawn to Vince one day in the rescue section of PaH, we had a spare hutch as we had just bought our guinea pigs a new hutch (incidentially, it was hubby's idea about the piggies, I find them a bit timid and dull, not very bright at all) and I took him home with me. He has TOTALLY changed my opinion of rabbits, I really love that little bun, he is very smart, loves being stroked and tickled. I trust him not to bite me when I fuss him and check his teeth and nails, and he is just so loving. I have spent a huge chunk of my savings on buying him the biggest hutch and run that I could find and that would fit on the patio, and on having him vaccinated and soon to be neutered. Basically, Vince has really opened my eyes up to rabbits, he is fab with the kids and even tolerates my baby stroking him (and accidentially sitting on him!), he actually chose to lay next to my baby when sat in the garden!

Phew... what a rant! I do love my Vincie babes

NSD wrote:That is SO offensive. People make jokes to me about eating rabbits all the time, but not when I have just lost my bunnies!

Jay i know this sounds bad, but i'm glad you cried, it shows that person how offensive their behaviour was, as opposed to getting angry. It's much harder to defend yourself to a truly upset / devastated person. But still...

ElleyMay and I can be your international SWAT squad

Jay, that is shocking and so tactless. Glad he felt like a heel.

The international SWAT team remark creased me up! Why, oh, Why do I get a vision of Ade Edmondson and Rik Mayell when I read that Ellie May is going to kick some bottom!!!!

Vince the bunny wrote:I have to admit, I never saw the attraction of a pet rabbit. I had gerbils and hamsters as a child and a dog, then as I grew up I started keeping rats as they are more intelligent than the other rodents. I had never ever wanted a rabbit as my experiences of them had always been territorial aggressive horrid things. BUT......... for some random reason I was drawn to Vince one day in the rescue section of PaH, we had a spare hutch as we had just bought our guinea pigs a new hutch (incidentially, it was hubby's idea about the piggies, I find them a bit timid and dull, not very bright at all) and I took him home with me. He has TOTALLY changed my opinion of rabbits, I really love that little bun, he is very smart, loves being stroked and tickled. I trust him not to bite me when I fuss him and check his teeth and nails, and he is just so loving. I have spent a huge chunk of my savings on buying him the biggest hutch and run that I could find and that would fit on the patio, and on having him vaccinated and soon to be neutered. Basically, Vince has really opened my eyes up to rabbits, he is fab with the kids and even tolerates my baby stroking him (and accidentially sitting on him!), he actually chose to lay next to my baby when sat in the garden!

Phew... what a rant! I do love my Vincie babes

That's a really uplifting rant I'm so glad Vince brings you so much happiness, it's great innit!

NickieM wrote:The international SWAT team remark creased me up! Why, oh, Why do I get a vision of Ade Edmondson and Rik Mayell when I read that Ellie May is going to kick some bottom!!!!

I was wayching 'Guesthouse Paradiso' at the week-end, just had me in fits. I find it difficult to watch the series without wanting to cringe badly, but the film is genius!