Stupid Things Pet people say

Complied list of some of the most insane things we have gotten as comments from Pet people who think they know about rabbits.

Ulcerative Pododermatitis AKA Sore Hocks

• Bumblefoot
• Sorax
• Sore Hawks

What species is this again?

• "rabbits aren't mammals"

Why is my rabbit sick?

• "I gave my rabbit a head of cabbage, he won't eat today... is he still full?"

Sensationalist Rescues

Florida Rabbit

"I would strongly suggest you find another vet that treats rabbits as pets and not a commodity. I am fully versed in the EC issue. Denying hay is the worst thing you can do to a rabbit. If you are a breeder I suggest you find a group that caters to breeders. We treat house rabbits with care and do not advocate breeding at all."

I suggest you do a deeper dive into rabbit research rather then just a surface pull of blogs from google and actually look at the references and the writers affiliations.

I also know very few ethical breeders who will.sell.to pet homes . For the exact reason this mentality, that a pet rabbit should be given a different, and species inappropriate diet, or other different care and not follow best practices, because somehow the same species with same care needs gets different care just because you lable it a pet, makes no sense to anyone who actually cares about where their rabbits end up

Dollys Dream Home Rabbit Rescue

“People still commonly breed and butcher rabbits for meat. They’re often called “fryer rabbits”. Californian Whites, New Zealand’s, and Rexes are the most common “meat” breeds.

Meat rabbits are bred to be larger and more docile so that you can not only get more meat out of them, but they’re easier and “less resistant” during butcher. They’re typically culled and used for meat once fattened up enough (typically at about 3 months old or occasionally 8 months if they’re a larger “roaster”).

According to one butcher we’ve spoken with, rabbits often let out blood curling screams (it is fact that they sound like children screaming) as they watch their littermates get culled because they’re incredibly aware of what is happening. Bunnies are intelligent and personable. If you wouldn’t eat your family dog, you shouldn’t eat rabbit.

Unfortunately, the majority of meat rabbits are raised in wire bottom cages and never even touch the grass or solid ground. They’re overbred until they quit producing babies at which point they’re culled inhumanly. 1.2 BILLION per year are slaughtered.

There are no laws on living conditions for rabbits, so rabbits are forced to suffer in inadequate environments before dying. It is very common to hear variations of “the rabbits live a good and full life with just one bad day,” but this is incorrect. These lack of laws are the reason why many “rabbitries” can stack row upon row of wire cage where each rabbit usually has a smaller space than a piece of paper.

They suffer throughout their entire lives on wire bottomed cages, without proper diets, without proper nutrients, dehydrated, overbred, scruffed and handled incorrectly, forced into the elements such as freezing cold or heat they’re not equipped for, and spending their lives in undignified and unjust manners. Their physical and mental health are both horrible both before and at the time of their butcher.

Several homesteads have sent us photos of their bunnies set to go to slaughter and requested $ in exchange for us bringing them back to our rescue. When we don’t, as we do not pay for rabbits ($ goes back in to harm even more), we’ve been sent photographs of their lifeless bodies after culling. This breaks our heart every single time. Truly devastating.

The amount of insensitivity people have about culling rabbits will never cease to be astounding. Occasionally when we make posts people will comment, “looks like dinner” or “yum rabbit stew”. Once we even had someone try to purchase one of our Californian White rescues for their meat herd. We take these comments very seriously and block the offending commenters, since rabbits are NOT for meat.

Here are some ways you can help:

- Stop purchasing rabbits from rabbitries, rescue them instead!

- Try and educate rabbit breeders about better alternatives.

- Consider adopting a REW at your local rescue so they have space to save another. REW variations are the most common meat variation and most difficult to adopt.

- Stop following breeders and encouraging breeders on social media, particularly Instagram.

- Consider writing your local legislators with facts and evidence about bunny butchering. It’s time for the laws to change!

If you have more ideas on how to slow and prevent the breeding/butchering of meat rabbits, add your idea below!”

lets break this down :

“People still commonly breed and butcher rabbits for meat. They’re often called “fryer rabbits”. Californian Whites, New Zealand’s, and Rexes are the most common “meat” breeds. Meat rabbits are bred to be larger and more 
docile so that you can not only get more meat out of them, but they’re easier and “less resistant” during butcher. They’re typically culled and used for meat once fattened up enough (typically at about 3 months old or 
occasionally 8 months if they’re a larger “roaster”). 

this is true, fattening is a colloquial term meaning to hit butcher weight typically the rabbits aren't " fat" they are well muscled. Rabbit roaster grown out to 6-8 month are usually done primarily for fur harvest with a larger roaster size body being a secondary bonus product.

According to one butcher we’ve spoken with, rabbits often let out blood curling screams (it is fact that they sound like children screaming) as they watch their littermates get culled because they’re incredibly aware of what 
is happening. Bunnies are intelligent and personable. If you wouldn’t eat your family dog, you shouldn’t eat rabbit.

While a few rabbits may scream .. if your frequently getting screamers while butchering your doing it wrong. A stressed rabbit is a tough and untastey rabbit, so it is in everyone the animals, the butcher and the clients interest to have a calm relaxed animal at slaughter time. . I have only twice in 8 years had a rabbit scream during slaughter . And both times I immediately stopped and it was set aside and not culled . One became a foundation breeding doe And the other is still a pet. A dog is a omnivore that will eat rotten meat And can carry parasites that are zootonic.. they aren't typically housed the same and are full of chemicals. Rabbits are typically bred in controlled sanitary conditions that are crated to look out for their best welfare and comfort

Unfortunately, the majority of meat rabbits are raised in wire bottom cages and never even touch the grass or solid ground. They’re overbred until they quit producing babies at 
which point they’re culled inhumanly. 1.2 BILLION per year are slaughtered. 

There are no laws on living conditions for rabbits, so rabbits are forced to suffer in inadequate environments before dying. It is very common to hear variations of “the rabbits live a good and full life with just one bad 
day,” but this is incorrect. These lack of laws are the reason why many “rabbitries” can stack row upon row of wire cage where each rabbit usually has a smaller space than a piece of paper. 

Actually there are multiple national and local laws governing Rabbit welfare, the AWA, as well as local and state municipal codes.

They suffer throughout their entire lives on wire bottomed cages, without proper diets, without proper nutrients, dehydrated, overbred, scruffed and handled incorrectly, forced into the elements such as freezing cold or heat 
they’re not equipped for, and spending their lives in undignified and unjust manners. Their physical and mental health are both horrible both before and at the time of their butcher. 
 

Rabbitry' s normally follow guidelines set forth by the American rabbit breeders association that are based in years of collected practical knowledge, Rabbit Journal, Veterinarians and Peer reviewed studies to ensure the best care possible provided.

• Wire has been proven over and over to not be detrimental to rabbits and actually beneficial to creating a clean safe environment for them to thrive.
• Rabbit feeding recommendations are based on over 150 years of research to provide them with the most optimal diet to ensure their peak health and wellness.
• rabbit aren't dehydrated, I can speculate this is a attempted reference towards the debunked Matt Clauss study that tried to prove their was a significance difference between bowls and bottles. Since any rabbity's use bottle waterers. the truth in the matter is their is no difference between delivery of water as long as fresh clean water is available bowls, bottles, or gravity systems are all acceptable.
• Overbred, while some breeders have a more intensive breeding schedule I and many of my colleges caution to only rebreed a doe when she is of acceptable condition, and may homesteaders and breeder are on an even less frequent schedule choosing only to breed 2 litters a year one in the spring and one in the fall for their own rabbits peak comfort. So while rabbits can theoretically be bred for 12 litters a year I max out at 5, but typically breed each doe quarterly.
• rabbits are very well equipped for cold and actually prefer it, a hot rabbit is a dead rabbit, so breeders do what ever they can to mitigate heat

Several homesteads have sent us photos of their bunnies set to go to slaughter and requested $ in exchange for us bringing them back to our rescue. When we don’t, as we do not pay for rabbits ($ goes back in to harm even more),

we’ve been sent photographs of their lifeless bodies after culling. This breaks our heart every single time. Truly devastating. The amount of insensitivity people have about culling rabbits will never cease to be astounding. 
Occasionally when we make posts people will comment, “looks like dinner” or “yum rabbit stew”. Once we even had someone try to purchase one of our Californian White rescues for their meat herd. We take these comments very 
seriously and block the offending commenters, since rabbits are NOT for meat.

I personally doubt this actually happened, and would bet this is added for theatrical effect. Typically a homestead MEAT raiser isn't going to offer there culls to a rescue when they have a place in the freezer.

Here are some ways you can help:
- Stop purchasing rabbits from rabbitries, rescue them instead! 

By supporting adopt don't shop you perpetuate poorly bred animals living in bad conditions, By supporting meat , and terminal culling of unhealthy stock you guarantee their is no over population issue and all animals end up where they Should , either in the freezer or bettering their breed.

- Try and educate rabbit breeders about better alternatives. 

like?

- Consider adopting a REW at your local rescue so they have space to save another. REW variations are the most common meat variation and most difficult to adopt. 

or support your local butcher so that animal didn't have to suffer in a shelter being fed incorrectly and dying slowly by misguided husbandry choices.

- Stop following breeders and encouraging breeders on social media, particularly Instagram. 

- Consider writing your local legislators with facts and evidence about bunny butchering. It’s time for the laws to change!  

if you area breeder do the same , to stop these Agri-terrorists.

If you have more ideas on how to slow and prevent the breeding/butchering of meat rabbits, add your idea below!”

I have some ideas, how about this rescue stops harassing people with their militant and false ideologies? Maybe no more mass bullying of teenagers and agricultural institutes? Dollys Dream Home Rabbit Rescue has repeatedly attacked , threatened and promoted organized attacks on small farmers , and anyone who they do not agree with. It is not this persons place to dictate the type of care that animals are housed in especially when that care has ben proven to be correct and species appropriate. If you do not like meat or do not wish to eat rabbit fine, then don't , but forcing your views and harassing and threatening others is illegal and abhorrent. As breeders, farmers, butchers, families, Veterinarians, Scientists and homesteaders it is our right to stand up against such foes and defend our livelihood. Rabbits were domesticated FOR meat , the PURPOSE of a rabbit is Cuniculture, while some may find their way into homes as pets it doesn't negate the fact that they are livestock, have been raised as live stock for Centuries , a rabbit is no different then a chicken as far as being a small robust animal that can be raised to supplement the feeding of families or as an alternate protein source used for people and pets with severe protein allergies. Rabbit is even classified under the same laws that govern poultry and while you can have a favorite pet chicken it does not change that fact that they are livestock.