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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be worried about the school rabbits? WWYD?

451 replies

lottieandmia · 13/05/2017 00:17

Dd's school acquired two very cute little rabbits recently. She has been very keen to sign up to take them home to look after for the weekend so today we collected them for the weekend.

I'm really shocked to see that they spend pretty much their entire lives in a tiny living space which does not allow them to move around or stretch out. My guinea pigs have a much bigger cage than they do. The rabbits cage allows them to only do one hop from length to length (if that)

We're animal lovers and I'm very worried about them. So much so that I'm willing to buy them a bigger hutch to donate to the school.

In my situation what would you do about this? We have never had rabbits but I do know they are intelligent, complex and are often rehomed due to a lack of understanding about their care needs. What would you do?

OP posts:
kali110 · 13/05/2017 23:40

I wouldn't give them back, i can honestly say that.
Not a chance would i be sending them back.
I'd be raising merry hell also.
I'd report them to every animal place i could.
If nothing worked i'd do the thing i'd never think of doing and go to the papers.
Thhat school should be ashamed.
What happens when those rabbits bites a child? Can you really blame them after the absolute shithole they're kept in and crap they're fed?

MidniteScribbler · 14/05/2017 00:02

@midnight ...Can I ask what would happen if a child was phobic of dogs...My DS was and has now had CBT and is much better. However in early years I would not of got him into school if there was a dog in the classroom.

Every year there are always a few who are scared or unsure around the dogs at the start of the year, although generally they have been through a few years at the school already by the time they get to me, and have seen the dogs around and know how much the other students enjoy their company. I introduce the dogs to the class slowly - they start off sitting in their crate next to my desk, then end up sitting on top of it. It is a couple of weeks before the children even get near them, and it's not until the expectations have been set and the children are used to the dog being in the room.

If I had a child with a severe diagnosed phobia that we didn't know about until they ended up in my class, then the dogs wouldn't go into school that year, but there are six classes across my year level, and the only time in the last twenty years we have had a child with a phobia as severe as your son's, we knew about it in advance and he went into a different class and my dogs stayed in their crate if we mixed the classes up.

No child is forced to interact with the dogs, they make the choice to do so at a level which is comfortable for them. Generally, in fifteen years of taking my dogs to school, we find that those who are fearful or unsure at the start of the year are the ones rolling around on the floor with them by the end of the year. Some are just not animal people and remain indifferent.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 14/05/2017 00:16

lottie can you email some rabbit rescues tomorrow and ask for some back up? Send them photos of the hutch and the rabbits . I agree they most likely bought the hutch for baby rabbits.

Once you have ammunition, tell the School to buy a new hutch - even eBay or Gumtree There are loads of people getting rid of hutches , they might need cleaned and patched up. But they'll get a decent , liveable size.

Shed would be better though.

Then- they can have them back. So you're not 'stealing' them. Its for their safety and well being.

VerySadInside · 14/05/2017 05:20

What is the head like? Could you show this thread so they could see there is a lot of genuine concern about the rabbits welfare, not just from you?

Original poster
lottieandmia · 14/05/2017 08:11

Yes I will do that 70is. It's a shame it's a Sunday. This hutch is not even new- I expect it's been donated by someone because the botttom of it is all chewed and it doesn't look 2 months old.

I've been giving the rabbits some fresh stuff which I've read is allowed and they have been fine with that so far. They look reasonably happy actually and they've been eating lots of hay. They enjoy a stroke. I've really fallen in love with them. It's so interesting to watch what they do.

I'll try to get some help now and will update.

OP posts:
Original poster
lottieandmia · 14/05/2017 08:12

The head seems perfectly nice from what I've seen of him. I'm sure I would be able to approach him about this.

OP posts:
WellThisIsShit · 14/05/2017 09:54

Good luck with trying to get the school to change the way these poor little bunnies are treated.

I agree you can't just take them as it would be seen as stealing, by kids and staff, and really antagonizing the school will have exactly the opposite effect from the one needed to get staff on side. People need to be receptive to learning new things and changing their own behaviour. That doesnt tend to happen if there's anger and defensiveness clouding people's minds.

Original poster
lottieandmia · 14/05/2017 10:12

Thank you WellThis - you've articulated my thoughts exactly.

OP posts:
lolalola19 · 14/05/2017 17:33

You are a lovely person to be so concerned - I have large double hutches for each of my rabbits. Each one has an upstairs and a downstairs. I have a pair of average sized together which come out most days to run around the entire garden as they get so bored in their hutch. They must be young as rabbits will argue if they're girls and will eventually need separating completely if they're boys. Such a shame.

Fatjilly · 14/05/2017 17:40

We had a similar situation with the class hamster. We were first to take him home for the weekend and I was horrified. His cage was more like a bird cage, he was being fed Guinea pig food due to the schools no-nut policy and it quickly became apparent that he was blind. He would be shoved in one of the evil plastic balls in class where some of the kids would roll him around! I immediately confiscated him! I refused to return him and told the teacher why. She knew nothing about hamsters and was lovely about it (relieved I think). He lived out his days in luxury with us and sent regular newsletters to the class.

gemma19846 · 14/05/2017 17:46

rabbits need to have room to hop (a distance) the cage should also be tall enough for them to stand up on their back legs. As an animal lover id be worried too and also the possible stress of them being taken to different houses all the time. Rabbits dont cope well with stress

TotoToe · 14/05/2017 17:55

There is a rabbit at my dc's school - it is well cared for though. It has a hutch and run (donated by a parent)!that it plays in during school hours.

pollymere · 14/05/2017 17:56

I'm shocked that the school think this is a good way to teach kids animal welfare. I'd be showing them that laboratory bunnies live longer and happier lives (sadly true) than ones kept like that. I think that might help put the point across. You can also ring RSPCA anonymously who'll then send someone to have a chat with them. They won't necessarily rehome them but advise on their care.

MycatsaPirate · 14/05/2017 18:06

Bloody hell I had no idea schools still did this. We had rabbits at our school back in the 70's/80's and we were allowed to go and look after them at lunchtimes. They had a large courtyard area where they could run about and we'd brush them and clean out their hutches.

I would keep them at home on Monday and speak to the school. Explain that their living conditions are not good enough, that the rabbits going back and forwards all the time is not ideal and they are presumably not even home checking where the rabbits are going! What if they are going to a house with dogs which bark all the time? or cats which won't leave them alone?

My DD wanted a rabbit. I took her to Pets at home and she did one off the rabbit care courses. I made sure to get the woman to specify the amount of care they need, the amount of space they need and that it's not a case of dumping it in a hutch and just lobbing some food in daily. DD was quite taken aback when she realised how much work is needed to care for them and it put her off.

I hate it when anyone takes on an animal without researching it. Even fish. We have a pond and have so far taken on about 10 goldfish that various people have given us as 'it's grown so big, the tank is too small! No one said they would grow this big!'. Well fucking research stuff before you buy it!!!

AnnieAnoniMouse · 14/05/2017 18:12

The priority here are the rabbits surely?

Email the Head today & say that you've noticed some issues with the rabbits over the weekend and you've been advised not to move them for now. Tell him you're happy to go in to discuss the details & make arrangements for them as soon as he's available to meet with you.

That's not stealing, that's doing what's best for the rabbits.

38cody · 14/05/2017 18:20

If you are SURE that they stay in that hutch all week and its not just a transporting home hutch then you have no choice but to act - but then you know that already.
Well done you for caring.

Goingtobeawesome · 14/05/2017 18:26

This thread has been a real education. I have thought I might look into getting rabbits in a few years as we currently have guinea pigs but I am having a rethink now as I'm not sure we could give them all they need. We have a very big garden but we also have two cats and a dog and I'm thinking they are more of a deal breaker. The GP and dog love each other but it seems rabbits wouldn't like the dog and cats.

missdebaroo · 14/05/2017 18:27

Oh those poor rabbits! I can't believe how little their hutch is. Speak to the school about how you feel about it.

Original poster
lottieandmia · 14/05/2017 18:39

I'm going to order a hutch for them which has been recommended by the rabbit welfare association. I will also send an email to school. If it's not in writing then it didn't happen!

OP posts:
raviolidreaming · 14/05/2017 19:14

I would wait and speak to the school first, before you order anything. I suspect that if the rabbits are going to various places at the weekends that they will inevitably end up in a smaller hutch again for that, and potentially during the week if teachers don't have the time / inclination to move them over on their return.

DagenhamRoundhouse · 14/05/2017 19:54

When I first read the title of this thread I thought it said 'school rabbis'!

Seriously, I hope you can get the poor rabbits rehoused. That hutch looked awful. And being handed around like a parcel. Tell the school you'll call in the RSPCA if nothing is done.

jayne1976 · 14/05/2017 20:25

Wow an advancement in the school teddy bear! I think for a lot of parents a great big inconvenience. We have two rabbits with a great big 2.5 m long three storey hutch, and they get to go out in the garden for at least a few hours every day. Very happy bunnies. I didn't know when I was little what was needed and my own rabbits had a small cage and got very angry despite being able to run in the garden, this happens when their bones start to suffer from the cramped space! Rabbits with behavioural issues around kids just means the rabbit is going to suffer more. Our rabbits chew every bit of wood in the garden, so most parents aren't going to let them out. They also grow to recognise and trust, so shouldn't be passed from pillar to post! Plus what if the host family has other rabbits / cats / dogs? No thought into the rabbits well being has gone into this!

Deidre21 · 14/05/2017 20:28

That's not a good sized living space. The school should be better educated on the space these rabbits have, at least you can start off the correct way to home them by bringing up this concern to them. Also, a bigger hutch for them would be better as most other parents who end up with the rabbits might not have the proper run for them. It doesn't look like very good space for them.

jayne1976 · 14/05/2017 20:34

More I read the more mind bogglingly thoughtless for the poor things this is -on top of each other/ no veg/ room to hop / chew grass/ passed from pillar to post and subject to the loud noises of children all day! Please do update that something has been done.

Sara107 · 14/05/2017 20:48

They need to be able to stand on their hind legs without their ears touching the roof, and do 3 full hops. They also need a larger run for exercising. People imagine rabbits care easy pets but actually keeping them healthy and alive can be quite tricky. Apart from space, they are readily stressed so I would say sending them to a different home every week is not ideal. They also need annual vaccinations, and regular teeth and nail clipping, as well as a well thought out diet, who is paying for all this? They won't engage the children if they are poorly and die after a few months. The school need to either care for them properly or rehome them ASAP.

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