there's a gal in the nearby city that rescues rabbits. She contacted me after I sold her a bunny as a pet, and then she got hooked on how nice they are and wanted to start rescuing them and so contacted me again wondering if she could buy rabbits from me to prevent them going as food.
I said sure, when I have a good bun that should go as a pet I'll let you know. I was VERY skeptical of her and told her so. Told I'd had run-in's before with rescues that were less than positive and that she'd have to prove her trustworthiness to me and so I would only give her pet quality rabbits with reasonable temperaments.
Over the past 1.5 years she's proven that she's fairly decent. Tries hard to be honest, tries hard to rehome rabbits, and works with them. She's worked her way so that I get her some babies that I go.. you are a nice one, can't sell you and you are too nice to send for critter food. She gives me $10 and we call it good. AND Today I traded her one nice young bunny (tiny that I talked about in a different post) for one nasty ill-tempered brute that should NOT go to any unsuspecting home.
Today I was over visiting with her as she wanted to show me some bunnies she had (and to do the trade). We had talked previously about a rabbit someone wanted to give her (a vet office) that had bad teeth - I told her NOT to take it, but she did and wanted my opinion on it. I was expecting the normal bad teeth...split bottom teeth and a somewhat thin rabbit. What I found was an emancipated rabbit with all six teeth that were bad. And I told her that this was NOT okay. that this rabbit was basically living a life of bare subsistence and was basically starving for three weeks out of the month.
I picked out one of her other rescues and said feel this.. rabbit that is solid, in good shape, friendly and active. NOW.. feel this rabbit..thin, bad teeth, very inactive. "but she's so sweet"... well "yeah, she's so sweet because she has no reserves or energy to be anything other than sweet". THE BEST thing to do is to cull her.
Then she showed me a field rescue. A young flemmy (I think cross) I picked it up and said.. hmm... something not right with this one. Did the teach and explain thing with a different rabbit... listen to this one when I pick it up, now.. .listen to this one.. what do you hear? "A slight gurgly sound". Now, run your hands over the body...what do you feel. Solid rabbit or slightly boney squishy rabbit? Squishy rabbit. YUP.. feed it hay and oats only for three days. NO PELLETS. get rid of the gurgly sound. And if you see jelly poops.... I've got some sul-met you can use on it.
She thanked me for my willingness to teach and help her. I said... that's what good rabbit folk do.. they do their best to be helpful.
I am still somewhat skeptical of her as she is an animal rights person...but she is a person willing to listen and I'm willing to work alongside my hesitancy.
I think she's starting to hear my message of "rabbits are lovely, marvellous animals but NOT every rabbit is a pet rabbit, and if they aren't a pet, they should be put to some other GOOD use, even if all that use is, is to be fertilizer".
I said sure, when I have a good bun that should go as a pet I'll let you know. I was VERY skeptical of her and told her so. Told I'd had run-in's before with rescues that were less than positive and that she'd have to prove her trustworthiness to me and so I would only give her pet quality rabbits with reasonable temperaments.
Over the past 1.5 years she's proven that she's fairly decent. Tries hard to be honest, tries hard to rehome rabbits, and works with them. She's worked her way so that I get her some babies that I go.. you are a nice one, can't sell you and you are too nice to send for critter food. She gives me $10 and we call it good. AND Today I traded her one nice young bunny (tiny that I talked about in a different post) for one nasty ill-tempered brute that should NOT go to any unsuspecting home.
Today I was over visiting with her as she wanted to show me some bunnies she had (and to do the trade). We had talked previously about a rabbit someone wanted to give her (a vet office) that had bad teeth - I told her NOT to take it, but she did and wanted my opinion on it. I was expecting the normal bad teeth...split bottom teeth and a somewhat thin rabbit. What I found was an emancipated rabbit with all six teeth that were bad. And I told her that this was NOT okay. that this rabbit was basically living a life of bare subsistence and was basically starving for three weeks out of the month.
I picked out one of her other rescues and said feel this.. rabbit that is solid, in good shape, friendly and active. NOW.. feel this rabbit..thin, bad teeth, very inactive. "but she's so sweet"... well "yeah, she's so sweet because she has no reserves or energy to be anything other than sweet". THE BEST thing to do is to cull her.
Then she showed me a field rescue. A young flemmy (I think cross) I picked it up and said.. hmm... something not right with this one. Did the teach and explain thing with a different rabbit... listen to this one when I pick it up, now.. .listen to this one.. what do you hear? "A slight gurgly sound". Now, run your hands over the body...what do you feel. Solid rabbit or slightly boney squishy rabbit? Squishy rabbit. YUP.. feed it hay and oats only for three days. NO PELLETS. get rid of the gurgly sound. And if you see jelly poops.... I've got some sul-met you can use on it.
She thanked me for my willingness to teach and help her. I said... that's what good rabbit folk do.. they do their best to be helpful.
I am still somewhat skeptical of her as she is an animal rights person...but she is a person willing to listen and I'm willing to work alongside my hesitancy.
I think she's starting to hear my message of "rabbits are lovely, marvellous animals but NOT every rabbit is a pet rabbit, and if they aren't a pet, they should be put to some other GOOD use, even if all that use is, is to be fertilizer".
