I don't know why this has shocked me so much

I knew people were ignorant about rabbit care, but to "not know" that they need time out for exercise beggars belief!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/21/pet-rabbits-cruelly-neglected-mistreated?fb_action_ids=10152019594755468&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210152019594755468%22%3A10150186497799724%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210152019594755468%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

Poor bunnies

unbelievable in this day and age people should be more aware

And also to "not know" their diet! Who gets an animal without finding out what it eats

It is shocking. What I find even more shocking is that there are adults out there who are ignorant enough to not only not educate themselves on the correct care for a rabbit, but also who do not insist that their child learns this and also expect them to care for a rabbit for it's entire life and do not take any responsibility themselves.

If you can find my ranting on one subject, it is this.

I hold my hands up and admit: I got Ted on an impulse. I had intended to get a pair of piggies, but the pet shop had none (I didn't know of any rescues for small animals at that point, believe it or not) and we met the Tedster, and OH and I fell in love, and reserved him for when he was big enough to leave his mummy.

We went home and bought about 10 books on rabbit care, bought the biggest cage we could, bunny proofed the front room and bought him loads of toys (which he ignores) and then after neutering, we got him a lady friend.

I did it the wrong way round, but to me it was a no brainer to learn all I could about bunny care in the period leading up to the Tedster coming home.

There's no excuse for the way people mistreat animals.

You did research though and that's admirable. I do wonder why the hell people get animals but don't research how to look after them, it's as if they're a novelty toy and not a living thing.

I did it the wrong way too, I'd been really wanting a pair of rabbits for a year and I'd spent the year finding out lots of info about them, how to look after them, what to feed them etc but my mum had always said no no no - then my 21st birthday came and they were top of my list and my mum finally caved.

I know buns as presents isn't seen as a great idea sometimes, but they were all I wanted, two fluffs who could be completely dependent on me. I knew how high maintenance they would be but I was more than prepared. It's what I wanted.

I got Tigger and Nelly from the local garden centre on my 21st, Nelly died a month later so I had only Tigger. We waited until she was 6 months old to have her spay, jabs and panacur and then I adopted Jeeves from a rescue

I also bought Willow on impulse and knew nothing about caring for bunnies, but the minute she was home and settled I did all the reading up I could and have continued learning since, and all of the animals I planned to get I was very well educated on before I did so. Sometimes it's worse if people don't want to learn, that is just ignorance and they shouldn't have animals.

When I got Vince I knew I would have to neuter him and vaccinate him, but i believed the P@H adoption bloke when he said to keep him as a lone rabbit as he was aggresive to other buns Fortunately for Vince when I got him home and put him in the 4ft double hutch I quickly realised this was way too small for him and got him a bigger hutch with a run attached. I read up and joined here and Vince is a very happy little chap with his 2 does

I think people think they are easy to keep like a gerbil or hamster, get a cage, plp them in it and then wonder why their rabbit is aggressive and unmanageable. If I was shut in the downstairs loo 24 hours a day with nothing to do and left with hormones raging through my body, I'd be aggressive and territorial too especialy if I was manhandled by an over zealous child

You wouldn't shut a jack russel sized dog in a 3ft hutch, why on earth would you do it to a rabbit????????????????????

I shouldn't have looked at the article.

Vince, I've seen so many buns in the P@H adoption saying 'I should be kept alone because I'm aggressive to other rabbits'. I always stand there and think is it because they aren't spayed/neutered or because they simply didn't get a good bond and will be perfectly happy with the right rabbit partner.

It's sad, but like you've said, it takes nothing to research a rabbit, it doesn't matter if you spend weeks reading articles before you get one (like me ) or if you get a rabbit on impulse and research after you've got it or just before. Even picking up one of the guides on rabbits that pets at home sell and giving that a quick read before you go would be better than the blatant ignorance shown by most people. It's not like it's difficult to find out what's best to feed your rabbits all they need to do is google it

It's so sad, and it makes me more than a little angry to read those statistics

Hats off to The Guardian for publishing it though The more articles we see like this, the better.

Every article is (hopefully) chipping away at people's ignorance and highlighting what they need to change.

Fingers crossed this article helps some buns out there.

I daren't even look at the article love, anything like this makes me homicidal.

The rescue I'm helping at has two very tubby dutchies is, because the previous owner said that 'they love their digestive buscuits' Yeah! I bet they did!! Mine love jam sarnies but I don't feed that to them (discovered they like jam sarnies cos they raided the kids picnic )

Vince the bunny wrote:The rescue I'm helping at has two very tubby dutchies is, because the previous owner said that 'they love their digestive buscuits' Yeah! I bet they did!! Mine love jam sarnies but I don't feed that to them (discovered they like jam sarnies cos they raided the kids picnic )

Rabbits love anything naughty when offered (and quite often stolen!). They won't hold their little paws up and say 'no, I can't have that'.

This is so true love, wide eyed and innocent doesn't even cover it LOL!!

Hugs

JO xx