I bought a baby rabbit from a store yesterday because I felt bad for it. When I questioned if it was sick the guy didn\'t care and just tried to sell me another one. The bunny is skin and bones so I bought it the best pellet food I could find and I tried to wash off as much of the cedar shavings and potty stuck to its bottom. Its face and chest were soaking wet and a little crusty, which I thought was from trying to stay cool. And it has a small cut by its eye which I think might be irratating it because it gets a little goobery. This is my first bunny so I don\'t know what the best thing to do is and how do I make it gain some weight? It is eating and going to the bathroom. Thanks
Amy
Amy--Good for you for grabbing the bunny! Was this a pet store that you bought this rabbit from? Cleaning the bunny up was a great start. Let her clean herself up now, and keep an eye on her cut. A good rabbit food with atleast 16% protein will help her fur alot and should put weight on her. I recommend that you do not feed her any greens like grass, lettuce, ect. This may cause diarrhea. Carrots is fine along with a slice of an apple. Be sure that she gets plent of clean water. Water is the #1 most important nutrient in a rabbits diet. I will try to watch the message board for her improvements. Oh and one more thing, How do you know it is a female? Did someone check for you? Good luck with your bunny.
I\'m sorry to tell you all but the bunny passed away yesterday. It is great to see so many who care about this incident and it shows just how important it is to have responsible breeders and dealers. The owner of the pet store refuses to take responsibilty so I am still looking for a way to make him realize what he is doing is wrong. Thanks again for all those who care.
As hard as it is to walk on by an animal that is obviously ill and needs help, the only thing you accomplished by buying this bunny was to put money in the hands of the owner of the store. While others may pat people on the backs for rescuing something and trying to save it, I say NO! Do not buy your animals from a pet store. No matter how pathetic they may look to you, the store will get your money and you will get the shaft, and the bunny is going to die on your property instead of theirs. They will never admit fault - they don\'t have to and they have your money. You can complain about them all you want and they don\'t care - they have your money. As sad as it is, the money needs to stay in your pocket and the animal needs to die on their premisis so that they loose the money - not you. As long as people keep buying, they will keep selling. While I know you were trying to do a good thing, in the end, you just made a place for the next sick rabbit to occupy. Someone will buy that rabbit making a place for the next. Stop buying from pet stores!!!! If you want a good, healthy pet rabbit, find a good breeder who has a healthy herd. Never take a sick animal home unless you are independantly wealthy. Sick rabbits rarely get well and stay well. They will forever cost you. Start with a happy healthy bunny from a responsible breeder that knows what they are doing. Go to one that is not in it for the money. Good breeders rarely break even raising rabbits. They do it because the love doing what they do. It is a hobby, not a buisness. Their pride rests on the vital, healthy animals they provide to the people that want them. Do Not Buy From The Pet Stores!!!
I 100% agree with not buying from a pet store and I didn\'t go in there wanted to buy one of their rabbits. I volunteer for an animal welfare organization and I know that many loving animals need homes. I don\'t feel it is right for any animal to die and never have a chance to live a life with just a little bit of love in it. And atleast I can say I gave this little bunny the only love he ever knew. Sure I lost a little money and the owner gained it but I am spreading the word and many more people will someday realize that these places have to be shut down because of experiences like the one I had. As he said please do not support pet stores, there are too many out there that really need homes. But if you can make a difference in a suffering animals life than you have done more than money can buy.
I fully understand how hard it is to go to a store, see something that definately needs help, and then walk away. I know it is not the animal\'s fault that it was brought into the world and then suffered from beginning to end. The botton line really is though - everytime you give in and hand over money to these places, the more things will remain the same. If an animal\'s suffering was not in vain but helped to put an end to these places, then it\'s life did have purpose, however sad it may have been. If a pet store owner looses money to the people who sell them these poor bunnies, then he is more than likely going to either look for a healthier place to aquire his animals or he is going to quit selling them all together. I totally understand the pain that goes through a giving and caring person everytime they see the suffering of an animal. That is why I just quit going into these places all together. I will patronize the places that sell pet supplies but I will not walk into a place that actually sells the pets. I too, have against my better judgment, taken home animals that looked to be at death\'s door. At least that animal knew a few moments of peace before passing away, and some have actually gone on to live long happy lives. Now if I happen to be in a pet store because my husband or children wanted to go into one, and I see an animal in need, I cause a huge scene and make sure every customer in that store knows there is a big problem (much to the embarressment of my family). I am not shy and I can be very loud and I can mow right over an ignorant person, which most of these pet shop people are. Most of the time, I can shame them into turning over the animal to me for free just to get me to leave. No money in their pocket and what I would have spent for it can now go to my vet to try and make it well. But I try to avoid these places all together and I will never hand over money for a sick animal.
Well, I\'m glad we agree with each other and hopefully one day our words can get out and be united to end the suffering of these animals. I went about it the only way I knew how and I am glad you try to do the same. I do truly feel $12 was nothing compaired to what I have gained and the message I have sent. I will continue to spread the word of my experience and hopefully many will learn from my situation that they should not support these places. I am grateful that you are doing the same. Though we go about things a little different I know out fight is for the same thing. I plan on talking to this owner again espcially if I find another one that is just as sick but then I will have more people on my side because of this experience. So sure, he is getting away with this for right now but I know he will get whats coming to him. I am glad you are brave enough to spread the word and I hope you will continue to have luck.
If you have animal control or a humane society in your area, call them the next time you find a sick animal in their store put up for sale. Call the media and get someone to come do an article about what is found on their premises. Do whatever you have to do to draw attention to them. You have to get loud and get your voice heard. One person can cause a scene but that one voice needs to be loud enough to get others aware of the situation. You can\'t do it yourself. You need others on your side. If nothing else, get the word out that animals sold in that store are sick and die soon after purchase. Put a big enough spot light on these places and they either have to clean up their act or stop selling animals. Alot of times I get the animals handed over to me just because I can draw a crowd and when you ask for possession of the animal vs them keeping it and trying to sell it in it\'s condition, the power of the numbers will cause them to give in. Alone, I\'d probably be kicked off the premises but get a bunch of other potential customers standing there listening and you can get the world handed to you. If not, at least everyone else knows that the store people there really don\'t care about you or your pet after you buy it and the smart ones will go elsewhere.