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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my friend is cruel to breed her rabbits again?

23 replies

SlumberingDormouse · 05/04/2013 01:54

My friend's rabbit gave birth a month ago and all the babies died. Some froze due to the cold weather, and the rest were trampled by their mother (quite common with first litters, apparently).

My friend was upset the babies died so she immediately put the male and female back together in the hope that they'd have another litter. People pointed out on FB that her local RSPCA would neuter her rabbits for just £20 but she said that she wanted more babies. She hasn't given any thought as to what she'd do with the babies but she doesn't have the space to keep them herself.

Now I see on FB that her rabbit has just given birth again, poor thing. I think my friend is being selfish especially when there are so many needy animals in rescue centres - a problem that has been made worse in recent years by more people giving up animals for financial reasons. If she is insistent that she wants more baby rabbits she could at least have waited a bit!

Does anyone agree?

OP posts:
Ullena · 05/04/2013 02:05

Chances are the doe will kill them all anyway. And possibly eat them too. If your friend keeps this up, she will just end up with a very poorly/dead doe and no kittens anyway.

Although there is very good eating on a rabbit, according to Runtypuppy...

Madratlady · 05/04/2013 02:24

As there are tens of thousands of rabbits in animal rescues needing homes then she is simply contributing to that problem. Most of those rabbits were owned for less than a year before ending up in rescues.

Where is she planning on keeping the babies? How will she afford vaccinations and neutering so they don't fight? What about potential vets bills?

If she plans to sell them she is likely to be very disappointed at how little she will get.

She is being cruel and irresponsible.

b4bunnies · 05/04/2013 03:38

kingrat?

blueballoon79 · 05/04/2013 07:16

I'm surprised the second birth hasn't killed the doe due to how soon they've been allowed to breed again.

What is your friend planning on doing if she can't find homes for them all?

I also second what Madratlady says, I think she'll be extremely disappointed that what she gets from selling them probably will only just cover the cost of feeding and caring for them until they are rehomed-IF she manages to rehome them.

Altinkum · 05/04/2013 07:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mmmuffins · 05/04/2013 09:28

Rabbits have a post-partum oestrus, meaning they have a brief fertile period immediately after giving birth.

Your friend is being very irresponsible to breed animals there are no demand for. I am also having doubts she knows how to care for them correctly.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 05/04/2013 09:34

No you anbu. Your friend is an idiot. Babies r cute yes but if you don't separate them soon enough dads will be breeding with daughters etc. unless she wants entire litters of sick in bred rabbits she should take up the sodding fab deal of £20 neutering. She will not get that cheaper anywhere else and shed be an idiot not to take it up.

You can't breed animals with no thought to caring for them , re homing them or having anywhere to separate the sexes and the boys from
Eachother to stop fighting. Shame ful selfish behaviour!!!

ratspeaker · 05/04/2013 10:34

Your friend is obviously not capable of looking after the rabbits she has got let alone breeding them.
If the mother was stressed and the previous babies died of cold then the poor buns are not adequately housed.
www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm

Our local gumtree site is full of unwanted rabbits looking for home, many being given away free,and still they cant get rehomed.
Recently there have been a spate of domestic rabbits being abandoned, our local rabbit rescue has a waiting list to accept rabbits.

Uneutered does have a higher risk of uterine cancer

The happiest rabbits are kept in pairs, or groups, in well sheltered hutches with access to runs, even indoors ( ours has a litter tray which he uses )
They need as much care as a cat or dog, regular vet checks,vaccinations and aren't always happy at being picked up and cuddled.
Having said that they can be wonderful pets as long as you understand them

HoHoHoNoYouDont · 05/04/2013 11:07

She is irresponsible.

Original poster
SlumberingDormouse · 05/04/2013 11:10

Thanks everyone for validating my feelings about this! Her rabbits are huge (the size of cats really) so yes, they probably don't have enough space. I don't think my friend plans to sell them but just wants the babies - it's sad. And this article (and others) on the subject of unwanted animals is disturbing: m.voices.yahoo.com/legal-animal-cruelty-free-good-home-9050303.html

I'm now wondering if there's any way I can link my friend anonymously to this thread... Blush

OP posts:
countrykitten · 05/04/2013 11:26

Your friend is an idiot,cruel and stupid. I rescue rabbits and am appalled daily by the selfish stupidity of people like her. She should sort herself out and look after the animals she has by neutering them. Depressing.

And as for the babies freezing to death....Angry

MsBella · 05/04/2013 11:59

She's not cruel for this, she obviously just doesn't feel the same way as all of you do... Hmm let's just hope the weather is better for these next ones. I agree its not responsible but if she doesnt KNOW the things that you lot know then I really wouldn't say she's cruel etc.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 05/04/2013 12:06

I don't think you need to be a genius to work out that male +female =babies. Lots of babies means babies breeding with babies. The term- breeding like rabbits is used and recognized by everyone.

She may not know about the reproductive cancers or that unnuetered boys fight but she must know that animals need space and that it will cost to feed these buns.

She wants to sell them for money. She clearly has profit over anything else!

Remotecontrolduck · 05/04/2013 12:08

FFS, she sounds so ignorant. The poor doe will be suffering, as well as any babies that survive

I've had a go at someone else on here before about not caring for their rabbit. Rabbits are the most mistreaded pets in the UK as people just don't understand their needs.

Tell her to get them neutered as soon as she possibly can. There are thousands of unwanted rabbits already in shelters.

ratspeaker · 05/04/2013 13:28

I disagree with you MsBella she is cruel.
It is cruel to keep an animal, any animal, without knowing how to look after it, how to prevent it's offspring dying. DYING
If the owner is ignorant that is their choice, not the animals.
It's not like it's hard to google, or talk to a vet, or go to the library, or buy a book.

ratspeaker · 05/04/2013 13:42

Ignorant irresponsible owners lead to rabbits being abandoned
www.scottishspca.org/news/1226_eight-rabbits-dumped-at-quarry
news.stv.tv/north/215309-rabbit-killed-by-vehicle-after-being-abandoned-in-moray-layby/
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-20933144

Our own rabbit had been an "easter bunny" that the owners had tired of, he was kept in a totally inappropriate cage. Whe my daughter maved back home bringing him with her I took time to look uphow to care for him
The RSPCA/SSPCA have pages on their sites, lots of good info
even pets at home have webpages full of info
and masses to learn from www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

Original poster
SlumberingDormouse · 05/04/2013 14:11

Whatever the rights and wrongs of breeding (and I personally think it's wrong when there are so many unwanted animals), letting the doe get pregnant again immediately is just horrible IMHO. Now she could easily be pregnant AGAIN (third time in 6 weeks!) as she still hasn't been separated from the buck. There's a good article here about rabbits being a prey species that are designed to breed 'like rabbits' (appropriate simile!) in the wild:

OP posts:
countrykitten · 05/04/2013 21:05

OP - you say that these buns are large - are they French lops? If so a pair of rabbits of this size need a small garden shed to live in or a cage at the very least 6 by 2 feet - does she have the facilities?

Original poster
SlumberingDormouse · 05/04/2013 23:28

I don't think my friend's rabbits are French lops but they're about that size - very large bunnies. The cage is certainly not large enough in that case - I'd say 3 by 2 feet at the very most. The babies are still in the outdoor cage, in this weather! I'm more and more appalled. Angry

OP posts:
countrykitten · 05/04/2013 23:44

That size cage is not even big enough for two guinea pigs. Sad

Have her look at the RSPCA guidelines as others have suggested - she really is being cruel to these animals if that is how they are living.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 05/04/2013 23:52

It makes me wonder WHY she wants to breed the rabbits.
Her doe will be very protective and secretive when she's got young .Not what I would want from a pet at all.

And does she really think she'll get money for them. Unless she's a reputable, recognised breeder (I'm guessing not) with a waiting list for rabbit babies, she'll have a short time window to rehome the babies.

I'm not a rabbit keeper- or even a rabbit fan TBH but I've never kept them. I've got two male guinea-pigs from a rescue.
I chose to adopt these two piggies and I paid the equivelant of what I would pay in a Petshop to the rescue.

But in the (unlikely) event of me looking for an animal from an advert, I would pay not one single penny.
I would be doing THEM a favour. They want to rehome. I can give a very good home.
I don't want to buy their cage, I've got wonderful accomodation for my pets.
And if someone refused to 'sell' me a pet because obviously I'm going to use it for snakefood or dog-fight bait: their loss.

She sounds selfish.Thoughtless.Greedy.Naive. Not a true animal lover.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 05/04/2013 23:55

3'x2' Shock Angry

My guineas indoor winter night cage is 4'x2' . They only sleep in that (their outdoor heated house is much bigger)

I think my guineas would eat each other in a 3'x2'

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 06/04/2013 07:11

That's not a hutch that's a traveling cage :( far to small those poor rabbits

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