Daughter doesn't look after her rabbit. Best way to rehome?

[TheodoraLily]

Hi my daughter is 12 and doesn't look after her rabbit. She has even got to the point of lying and saying she has changed water/fed when she hasn't. The poor rabbit never comes out of his hutch.

Best way to rehome?

you are neglecting the rabbit more than your daughter is because your daughter is a child and would not have been allowed to buy a rabbit by herself. You are the one that made the purchase. Its your responsibility. Stop blaming your kid

They don't, sadly, MrsPob, hence charities being so stretched. There is not enough money to go around for many. All the animal fosterers I know have ran out of room to take on any more and it becomes a full time job when they already have full time jobs. I have three rescues myself and not in a position to take on more due to work, or I would. Most of the cases are not outright blatant cruelty ones but more neglect and 'I don't want my dog/ cat/ rabbit/ reptile' etc any more... This then means less money is around for the severe cases ie the hurt and sick pets..Irresponsibility and a throw away society unfortunately

What do you mean? It's a rabbit hutch, for rabbits, he's quite a small rabbit and we were also never told he needs a friend and is happy alone I really hope this is a wind up. You have Google dont you? The RSPCA minimum requirement for a rabbit is a 6ft hutch with free access to an 8ft run. Rabbits are the third most common pet in the UK and the most neglected.

www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/centres.asp

Fucking hell. It ought to be illegal to sell rabbits and hutches like that to people as ill informed as the OP.

oh my god @ this thread

they should do lifetime bans on pet ownership just for dimwittedness

OP did you know rabbits can live up to 10 years? Were you really expecting your DD to still be looking after him when she was 22? Rabbits are not low maintenance pets and I do think expecting a 12 year old to take full responsibility is just bonkers.

As much as everyone is horrified on here about this poor Bun Bun, it's common knowledge that PetsAtHome are fucking awful at advising people when it comes to animals and that people constantly buy rabbits thinking a hutch will do and that the kids will step up with the care. Makes me so bloody angry!

I think the OP is getting a hard time here. Yes, the rabbit is living a boring and dull life, it's awful and shouldn't happen. However, clearly there are many people like the OP who believe that a hutch like that is all a rabbit needs. We keep rabbits and know differently, but this is a common thing.

There should be a lot more education when people are buying animals from pet shops, maybe pet shops shouldn't be allowed to sell pets along with tiny hutches at all, but ones that meet the RSPCA requirements at least.

pets at home are awful

Rabbits are not horrible pets for 12 year old children. They are a LOT of hard work but it's also so rewarding. Can you maybe buy the rabbit a run and some toys and get your daughter to bond with him again.

If he's locked in a cage constantly, he is going to be quite boring for her.

Then again... lying about feeding him is a bit....sick? Is that normal?

Pets at home are known for being utterly shite. They want your money.

Rabbits are easily house trained and need company. Why not bring him indoors

If you'd done your research before buying a rabbit you would know that (1) rabbits need to live in pairs and (2) rabbits need to be let out of there hutch for several hours each day, minimum. If you got the hutch from a pet shop it will also very likely be too small (should be at least 6' x 2' x 2'). In answer to your question, please take the rabbit to a local rescue centre ASAP.

You can tell what everyone is saying here is going in one ear and out the other, none of it is registering with the OP. Disgraceful keeping a rabbit in those conditions and you are the adult, you decided to get the rabbit, you are responsible for it’s welfare, sick to death of people like you keeping pets in those conditions.Never ever get another pet.

Hello, ex P@H employee here, and I don't believe for one second that you weren't at least advised to get a companion for your rabbit (preferably a neutered one of the opposite sex) and that you would most likely need a bigger hutch at some point. I also know that people buying pets will talk all sorts of bullshit and make all the right noises when buying a pet but their eyes are totally glazed over when the colleague is talking to them. Although this is irrelevant, because you should have done your own bloody research before buying the damn rabbit in the first place, and frankly you're a complete fucking idiot if you really believe a 12 year old would bother their arse looking after the poor thing.

Pets at home is a big business. It wants to sell you hutches and animals, it's not going to tell you that it's hutches are too small. Taking advice from petsathome is like going to Tescos for human nutritional advice, it will give you a bit, but it's there to get your money primarily. That advise, it's really not difficult nowadays to do a little bit of Internet research. Even if you'd simply put "how to look after a rabbit" into Google you'd have found out how to look after a rabbit, but because small pets don't cost much people don't seem to put any effort in. How can you possibly criticise your daughter when you've not set her an example..

Manufactured cages for rabbits are an atrocity. This is an animal that will run several football fields of a night naturally. I feel so sorry for any rabbit kept in that, It's tiny :( Pets at Home are a business, they are absolutely shite regarding animal care. It is your rabbit, your daughter is a child. Find a local sanctuary where it can at least have some other rabbits and some space.

• should say that aside, not that advise

It seems quite extreme but this may help: lifetimeadoption.com/birthmothers/placing-older-child-adoption/

We bought our boy from a good breeder but we buy lots of toys and things for stimulation for him and our cat from pets at home. There a posters where the rabbits are kept that clearly say they like to live in pairs. You can't miss it.

(As soon as our boy is old enough he will be getting neutered and we will be looking for a suitable friend for him. )

BumDisease It sounds like you come from one of the very rare stores where people actually care. I have only been in to buy pets as an experienced pet owner twice, to be told some awful lies about the animal I was buying (Rabbits first and rats after. Why I went back I don't know). And it's clear, given the many negative posts on this thread, that my own experience isn't isolated!

Great idea Jetson, then the bunny can move into the daughter's room and have space to hop more than once before hitting the side of the hutch.

@Belletower I know that I and all the people I worked with really cared about the animals we had and tried to make sure they all went to good homes, but it feels like fighting a losing battle thanks to stupid company policies and people who don't actually want to listen to advice.

I don’t think you should take up the slack, I think your dd should do it. At 12 my dd cleaned out, fed and exercised her guinea pigs. She knew that if she didn’t she wouldn’t get her pocket money.