Needing advice about a potential buyer

I have my bunnies for sale and I had a girl email me. She told me she's owned rabbits her whole life and her bunny of 10 years recently passed away and she's looking to purchase a new bunny. Sounds good right? Then she says she doesn't drive and wants to know if I can deliver the bunny 45 min. away. Not a major problem if you want to pay extra for gas and my time. But then she tells me she's already purchased a cage, blanket, food, treats, bowls, a brush, litter box, shampoo, conditioner, and so much more, for a bunny purchase that fell through when the seller felt she wasn't capable of properly caring for a rabbit because she doesn't drive :shock: I responded saying these bunnies are French lops a very large breed and are not suitable for a standard pet shop cage. They need good quality pellets and they eat a lot of hay. I sent her pics of both parents my buck is 12 pounds and my doe is 14 pounds they are as long as my body minus my legs :lol: and she may want to get a smaller bunny, maybe a dwarf breed. And that she should never bathe a bunny unless absolutely necessary. that it can take days for them to dry and if they get chilled they could die. Should I continue to respond? Now she's asking for pics of the babies, and says she just has to have one. Am I being too picky? She doesn't sound like she knows much about proper rabbit care, but at the same time, I didn't know much about proper rabbit care either at one time. I just don't want one of my babies to suffer from bad care. Any suggestions?

If your gut is telling you something, there’s usually a reason. Trust your instincts, she may be just fine but if she isn’t you’ll never forgive yourself for putting an animal in a bad situation.

MeadowView":2jvum0xy said:

If your gut is telling you something, there’s usually a reason. Trust your instincts, she may be just fine but if she isn’t you’ll never forgive yourself for putting an animal in a bad situation.

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:yeahthat:

bunny love, I think your gut is catching on to something… between the girl saying she just bought all of those supplies (I would have expected she’d still have things from the rabbit she kept for 10 years that just passed away), the mention of shampoo/conditioner, and the other seller backing out and refusing to sell to her (she says because of her inability to drive, but that may just have been the excuse they gave her)… something would set my alarms off a little as well. And of course she may have all the best intentions, but at the very least she needs to brush up on basic rabbits care and requirements. Did she actually respond to your email regarding the whole “rabbits shouldn’t be regularly bathed” situation, or did she ignore it and just ask about the babies?

Maybe talk to her a little more about what she’s looking for in a companion rabbit? And make sure she understands that she may need to buy a different feed, or be prepared to slowly adjust their feed to the new one over time, as that can cause problems for some rabbits. While you’re right that a French Lop would need a large cage, I think it might be ok if the rabbit is allowed to roam a room all day and just put in their cage for the night. (Not all pet owners do that, but if that’s her plan I’d be more lenient on the cage size, unless it’s too small for the bunny to stretch out comfortably in).

If you still get “off” vibes from her or are concerned that your rabbits will not be cared for appropriately under her care… don’t sell to her. Simple as that. You can send her a final email of “I don’t think this arrangement will work out, but I hope you have a pleasant day” and leave it at that. Even if she responds, stop engaging.

Pass
I always send out a list of questions to potential buyers as I don't want one of my rabbits to be part of someone's learning curve. With the Internet in virtually every home, there is really no reason to not be educated on animal care

Nymphadora she totally ignored the email about bathing and just asked if I could send pics of the babies. I explained to her that they are 3 months old and already weigh 7 pounds and are about the size of an adult standard breed. I'm going to ask her to send me a pic of the cage and supplies that she's purchased thus far and see if she really has purchased those items. And talk to her a bit more about what she's looking for in a companion as you've suggested. If I still get bad vibes I'll pass on the sale. Dood, That's a great idea. I always give out a care sheet with each bunny that tells the buyer the basics. I also include a sheet stating what I've been feeding the bunnies as well. I also tell each buyer about the wealth of info. here on rabbittalk and about all the great folks here who are so willing to help with questions and/or concerns that a new bunny owner may have. Once again thanks for the replies.

bunny love":3g6tgrr4 said:

Nymphadora she totally ignored the email about bathing and just asked if I could send pics of the babies.

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Yup, that would be a pass from me. She ignored the red flag and is in full "baby fever". I'd call it quits, she's too focused on the cute little babies to hear any advice about proper care. :x

My thoughts exactly! It's a pass!

Doesn't drive would be a problem if she suddenly had to take the rabbit to the vet. And shampoo and conditioner, ooh lord. She must have done something right thou if she had a rabbit for 10 years, thats a pretty decent age. But it does indeed sound like a baby fever that should get a pass

SimonSeven":1azpgils said:

Doesn't drive would be a problem if she suddenly had to take the rabbit to the vet. And shampoo and conditioner, ooh lord. She must have done something right thou if she had a rabbit for 10 years, thats a pretty decent age. But it does indeed sound like a baby fever that should get a pass

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I doubt any rabbit would have survived 10 years in her care...