The Bunny Chat Thread - For Bunny Owners

[FortCluck]

Please realize that the way this is phrased implies that you are the only good owner and people who do not treat their rabbits as you do are tantamount to killing them young. This is not a good hot take.

https://rabbit.org/fun/life-span.html
https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/live...e-victoria/other-pets/rabbits/owning-a-rabbit
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.co...rlds-oldest-rabbit-who-is-16-years-old-563690
https://www.thesprucepets.com/rabbit-lifespan-4582447
https://www.petmd.com/rabbit/care/how-long-will-my-rabbit-live

Note that all of these sources, from agriculture to medical to house rabbit society, cite 8-12 years as the average domestic rabbit lifespan in good care. And the Guinness world record lifespan for a rabbit is 18 years (currently oldest living is 16). Comparing this to the world record holding cat at 38 years, you can see how these are different.

Suggesting that someone whose rabbit develops severe health issues in the end stages of their natural lifespan is providing inadequate care is neither helpful nor accurate. There are many ways of keeping rabbits and many of them do not involve hay and result in long lifespans. Many of them include hay and involve short lifespans and improper nutrition. I understand your frustration with inadequate education on animal nutrition but it's always better to be helpful and check your facts twice.

I go by my vet recommendations and I agree with his stance. Ever since seeing that office my animals have been doing amazing. Before I was listening to vets who told me not to use hay... someone also said just because you can eat McDonald’s every day doesn’t mean you should. Same goes with animal diets it’s best to do their natural eating. Pellets do not grow in the wild. Most pellets are made with stuff animals shouldn’t eat... they can get away with a lot on animal feed. Just like McDonald’s gets away with a lot with their food. There are nasty chemicals in it.

 

[Fishychix]

I go by my vet recommendations and I agree with his stance. Ever since seeing that office my animals have been doing amazing. Before I was listening to vets who told me not to use hay... someone also said just because you can eat McDonald’s every day doesn’t mean you should. Same goes with animal diets it’s best to do their natural eating. Pellets do not grow in the wild. Most pellets are made with stuff animals shouldn’t eat... they can get away with a lot on animal feed. Just like McDonald’s gets away with a lot with their food. There are nasty chemicals in it.

It sounds like you need to find a better brand of rabbit feed. It’s mostly ground up hay like alfalfa, timothy, etc. I always read the labels, on our food and the animals’ feed.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I go by my vet recommendations and I agree with his stance. Ever since seeing that office my animals have been doing amazing. Before I was listening to vets who told me not to use hay... someone also said just because you can eat McDonald’s every day doesn’t mean you should. Same goes with animal diets it’s best to do their natural eating. Pellets do not grow in the wild. Most pellets are made with stuff animals shouldn’t eat... they can get away with a lot on animal feed. Just like McDonald’s gets away with a lot with their food. There are nasty chemicals in it.

Veterinarians, as you're aware, can be wrong. You've even gotten conflicting opinions from the professionals in your life. They do not study rabbits or nutrition in college. They are reading from a textbook. Many pellets are made of 100% compressed hay and mixed minerals. Many of them have high fiber and provide a complete and healthy diet.

It also does not change the fact that your perspective on my way or the highway is not helpful and neither is shaming people whose animals develop health issues at the end of their natural life span. And it does not change the fact that you have your facts wrong about average domestic rabbit lifespans.

It's much better not to judge. Other people will always have a different way of doing things than you do, and while something may work for you it may be very detrimental to someone else.

 

[FortCluck]

Veterinarians, as you're aware, can be wrong. You've even gotten conflicting opinions from the professionals in your life. They do not study rabbits or nutrition in college. They are reading from a textbook. Many pellets are made of 100% compressed hay and mixed minerals. Many of them have high fiber and provide a complete and healthy diet.

It also does not change the fact that your perspective on my way or the highway is not helpful and neither is shaming people whose animals develop health issues at the end of their natural life span. And it does not change the fact that you have your facts wrong about average domestic rabbit lifespans.

It's much better not to judge. Other people will always have a different way of doing things than you do, and while something may work for you it may be very detrimental to someone else.

never said it was my way or the highway... think you need to chill out

 

[FortCluck]

It sounds like you need to find a better brand of rabbit feed. It’s mostly ground up hay like alfalfa, timothy, etc. I always read the labels, on our food and the animals’ feed.

I don’t feed my rabbits those types of pellets. Mine eat an all natural diet. Pellets aren’t helping a rabbits teeth either. So many reasons why diets should not be only pellets.

I’m not an idiot or a jerk like y’all are making me out to be. I have an animal science background I’m not just backyard farmer. I come from a farming family... also have worked in a vets office all through high school and was getting my degree until I got severely ill.

Think everyone needs to stop reading more into what I’m saying and stop reading between lines that aren’t even there.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

never said it was my way or the highway... think you need to chill out

Regardless of how you meant it to come most of us did not read it in a positive or helpful way and your facts were wrong. Nobody is making you out to be anything. Hence my suggestion that you reconsider how you were making your statements. If you can't accept that, well, nothing I can do about it.

Frankly, I've met several vets with passive-aggressive attitudes similar to this. Most of them have given me advice that would have or did put my animals in hot water. I do not work with those vets anymore and I see vets much less often because of them.
More than a decade in rabbits and I'm still learning that "best" is really only "best for you". And not even a vet can advise you better sometimes.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I don’t think that people are being childish or rude on this chat, I think that this may be an issue with a chat that is 2k comments long. Some people yeaterday were talking about a rabbit who was ill, while others were chatting about nutrition. When people can’t read the entire thread you end up with multiple conversations going on at once and it may begin to sound insensitive.

 

[EverythingDucks]

I don’t think that people are being childish or rude on this chat, I think that this may be an issue with a chat that is 2k comments long. Some people yeaterday were talking about a rabbit who was ill, while others were chatting about nutrition. When people can’t read the entire thread you end up with multiple conversations going on at once and it may begin to sound insensitive.

X2

And also, we're all here to learn from each other and share information.
I think we all care about each other's rabbits and just want the best for them. It's hard to communicate emotions via text, which is why I think its important to understand that we are all just trying to help.

At the end if the day, we're all just learning from each other. It's good to talk about these things, even when you don't agree.

 

[LizzzyJo]

X2

And also, we're all here to learn from each other and share information.
I think we all care about each other's rabbits and just want the best for them. It's hard to communicate emotions via text, which is why I think its important to understand that we are all just trying to help.

At the end if the day, we're all just learning from each other. It's good to talk about these things, even when you don't agree.

Yes!

 

[My Pretty Pekins]

Hey... can't believe I only JUST found this thread LOL...
Would anyone please be so kind as to check out my bunny blog? Thoughts and opinions much appreciated as I've recently redesigned... still in process but it was a super clunky site before... here's a link!
https://kiara020.wixsite.com/tillbridge-rabbits