Meat rabbit vs pet rabbit

[FuzzyWabbit]

Hi all,

Can someone explain the difference between a meat rabbit and a pet rabbit? From what I heard, people with meat rabbits tend to give inferior care compared to people with pet rabbits. Is it true?

Thanks

 

[MaggieJ]

Some people keep rabbits as pets. Some people keep rabbits as livestock, to provide their families with high quality meat at a reasonable cost. Both these are valid reasons for keeping rabbits, and I can assure you that meat rabbits receive care as good as or better than the average pet rabbit. After all, who wants to eat meat produced in poor conditions?

The idea that meat rabbits receive inferior care compared to pet rabbits is sometimes pushed by people who cannot see rabbits as a multi-purpose animal. There is no more validity in it than if they said that pet rabbits languish forgotten in hutches in the backyard.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Pet rabbits are usually free roamed and spayed/neutered, and usually only one or two

Meat Rabbits are big breeds of rabbits that are bred and raised for food

And they do not get inferior care

 

[Mariah's Meadows]

If you are searching for a more technical difference: there is none. A cuddly and cute Lionhead rabbit could be used as a meat rabbit, just like a massive New Zealand rabbit could be a pet rabbit. How they are given care ultimately depends on who owns the rabbit. I recently acquired a 5-year-old pet Mini Rex rabbit who stayed in a small cage alone for all of his life with no human/animal interaction. His claws were so long they actually fell off when I touched it to give him a trim. Now he's happily living with me and my other meat rabbit breeders in a cushy multilevel enclosure with much more space, and he gets my affection daily as well as interaction with other rabbits -- something you can tell he was craving. A general blanket statement of "meat rabbits are treated poorly" is pushing a dangerous and outright false stereotype.

Edit: I can see how this may be coming across as defensive or aggressive. Please know that is not my intention! My point is that meat rabbits are not inherently given inferior care simply because they are used for meat. To reiterate: the care given to the rabbit depends solely on the caretaker of the rabbit, regardless of if the rabbit is a pet, for meat, for breeding, for shows, for fibre, etc.

 

[Dandelion’s Mum]

Some people keep rabbits as pets. Some people keep rabbits as livestock, to provide their families with high quality meat at a reasonable cost. Both these are valid reasons for keeping rabbits, and I can assure you that meat rabbits receive care as good as or better than the average pet rabbit. After all, who wants to eat meat produced in poor conditions.

The idea that meat rabbits receive inferior care compared to pet rabbits is sometimes pushed by people who cannot see rabbits as a multi-purpose animal. There is no more validity in it than if they said that pet rabbits languish forgotten in hutches in the backyard.

I agree as when I needed help with my baby bunny Dandelion whose mum wasn’t feeding, I got the most help on here and I have grown up eating rabbit meat and I am here to stay xxx

 

[Albert]

These are our meat rabbits. Their indoor living space (the raised box on the end) is a yard long pet hutch. I would say anyone keeping a rabbit in one of those would be "giving inferior care". Just take a look around here and see how many people who keep meat rabbits are deeply invested in their care and you'll find it impossible to make the distinction between them and the pet / show rabbit keepers.

And yes all our rabbits get cuddles and strokes and treats and in our case they even got a Christmas present each! That last bit is true and now I've written I feel a little bit embarrassed

 

[Olbunny]

Wow that looks real nice. We give our rabbits a special treat now n then. Say hello ladies when I go feed them.
I also feed branches from certain trees for their trace minerals. Birch, willow, poplar grow here.
Ours are in raised pens. So I go forage a 5 gallon bucket of dandelions, chickweed n such every morning for them. Happy rabbits make more rabbits. Your rabbits look very happy

 

[Olbunny]

As far as meat vs pet rabbits. Our does are treated pretty good. Like a pet. The kits are meat rabbits. But still favor good conditions

 

[kthomestead]

There's no difference any rabbit can be a pet or for meat. Generally rabbits for pets are handled more often as you want then more friendly.