Needing some reasurances that I am not a terrible person!

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

You are NOT a terrible person and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Those rabbits look beautiful to me. They also look very healthy, you take good care of them.

 

[bossynbella]

Thank you all so much. I think I will just stop checking in on that area of the pet forum, they just said that my 2' by 4' cages are not going to be even close to big enough. I looked at some of theirs, they are like dog kennel rabbit cages, with wooden bottoms that sit on the ground. Wow, I mean to clean that out every day? Maybe if they where potty trained rabbits it wouldn't be to bad.
Also-
Quote:
I noticed that holland/mini/ dwarf lop thing yesterday and should of specified when I posted on their, but when I suggested that being the reason that they where thinking of their mini lop which is more like our holland lop, they said no they knew what breed it was. That they don't call them dwarf lops there or something similar to that. I just need to avoid that area. I felt, still kinda feel, really guilty about my rabbits accomidations, though I thought they where pretty good this morning.

Thanks so much guys! One of the best things about BYC even if someone doesn't agree with you they don't act like they are better then you. We have a wonderful group here.
Thanks again
Melissa

 

[bossynbella]

wanted to add a link to a site with some "Good" outdoor setups for rabbits. Not the forum that I'm having a issue with, its just a site they "recommended"
http://www.rabbitretreat.com/showthread.php?tid=20

 

[LiLRedCV]

Eh.. some people just have a carrot stuck up where the sun doesn't shine.

The fact you're rabbit cages are so clean and they look so healthy is what matters the most to me. Just like puppy mills - there are rabbit mills - and those poor critters don't get anywhere near the love and attention you apparently give your bunnies. Besides, WTH do wild rabbits do? Hmmm... I seem to recall seeing wild baby bunnies about your bunny ages roaming my pasture more than once in the past 9yrs. They seem to be doing just fine! I think that outdoor time and eating natural grasses can do more for their overall health and immune system than giving them strictly store bought feed with fillers.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

My question on the cage link is why are they so tall without utilizing platforms for the rabbits? It'd be easier for people to walk in there and clean, but it just makes me cringe. Wasted space, ahhh! XD Can you tell I'm used to living in tiny apartments?


I was considering the store bought one with the pull out run, but, on top of fears of them digging out without modification to an already pricey cage, I have had issues with rabbits and wooden cages, especially if not sealed really, really well. They tend to soak up odors and any spray/urine, are harder to really get clean, and are very tempting to chew on if you are a rabbit. I like the ones better that are wire and only have wooden parts where the rabbits can't reach. Personal preference, and probably comes from my background in working with research animals who must be housed in easy to clean caging systems.

I guess my point is, a good cage or caging system is what works best for you and your pets. It's going to be different for people in different areas, with different goals, people with different ideas of what is most important, different predators, rabbits that get out of cages often versus those who never will see outside of them, etc.

 

[debilorrah]

Punky, rabbits like to stretch and when they do they double in length. They need head room. Especially larger breeds. I have one of mine in a hutch that I feel is way too small for her because of the lack of head room. She winds up with more outside time because of that.

 

[dainerra]

Honestly, no matter how much you spend, no matter what food or how big the cage, someone will th ink their way is better.

As long as your pets are healthy and happy, then don't worry about what anyone else says.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Definitely, I hear you there Deb. My current two demand headroom. Just that human-tall wooden barn one makes me itch to put in a platform. ;-). Basically, one persons dump is another's palace, and another's palace is a no-way-am-I-scrubbing-that. XD

 

[NellaBean]

Rabbit people are interesting. There is the "pet" crowd who want them to be free ranging house bunnies or in giant enclosures. And then there are hardcore breeders who keep them in small cages. and then lots of in betweens.

A breeder I am friends with and respect keeps her in cages 24/7, absolutely no treats, greens, etc. Her bunnies have never been on the grass or had a carrot. EVER. She prefers 18x24 cages (dwarf breeder) even for does with kits. Her bunnies are all healthy and happy and quite honestly friendlier than any of mine.

I have a pair of bunnies in a big tractor out back on the grass. 4x8 total....2 feet inside, 6 feet outside.

They dug out twice so I had to put wire on the bottom.

I also have bunnies in 18x30 cages inside the house currently. Wire with drop trays. They are tall so I can add a hammock or shelves eventually.

Plus bunnies outside in either 2x4 or 2x2 cages. Bucks are all in 2x2 on left. Does are in 2x4 on right. Over summer when the does were all inside, I had the left sides as full 2x4 also to let each buck have a condo out there

I give all of mine carrots and treats and even pull weeds for them.They got lots of hay, alfalfa cubes and best of all TOYS TOYS TOYS.




But the "pet" rabbit people would hate my setup. And breeder rabbit people would hate the pet setups. I'm kind of in the middle. Wish I could come up with a way to keep retired breeding does in a colony of sorts. Not sure how that would work without them trying to all kill each other. But for retirement, sure seems like a huge pen would be the best option for the ladies.

 

[pdbantam]

beautiful bunnies..........oh oh, now I want a bunny!

...must leave this forum...must leave this forum...