Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

We've been turned down as adopters of rabbits (but not of children!)

143 replies

Somerville · 24/07/2018 22:35

Apparently, we don't meet the criteria for suitable adopters from our local bunny rescue. Sad
I don't know whether I'm more annoyed or amused!

DH is definitely annoyed... he wanted to do the right thing and get a suitable pair who need a new home, rather than exacerbating, in a small way, the trade for baby bunnies.

I've barely talked him down from sending a very arsey email attaching all the approvals we gained for him to adopt my older children recently. Grin

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Bunbunbunny · 24/07/2018 22:37

Did they say why? That’s odd!

TheBigFatMermaid · 24/07/2018 22:38

Ah, I see the problem here OP and it is NOT your DH!! He is the one who has been approved you adopt YOUR DC, therefore, you must be the one unsuitable to adopt bunnies! If you had given birth to bunnies, you would have been able to keep them.......................

SabineUndine · 24/07/2018 22:41

I was turned down to adopt a cat last year, by the place I’d got my previous cats from, 15 years before. I adopted elsewhere. Plenty more bunnies on the beach.

PrettyLovely · 24/07/2018 22:43

How strange, What reason did they give?

Original poster
Somerville · 24/07/2018 22:43

He wasn't told why, bun, but apparently a letter is in the post. I'm not sure I want to read it!

Yes I'm clearly the weak link here, mermaid. (Not sure whether to laugh or cry Grin)

OP posts:
ASAS · 24/07/2018 22:45

This is funny! Our Pets At Home are the same, totally made me question my ability to parent !

Original poster
Somerville · 24/07/2018 22:48

Plenty more bunnies on the beach, indeed... but I'm a bit nervous of more rejection, now!

OP posts:
Burrumpeel · 24/07/2018 22:49

Did you fail the killer question?
Q: "Well Somerville, what do you think about when you see a bunny?"
Did you say "Onion sauce!"

Polestar50 · 24/07/2018 22:50

Much respect to you and DH for going for adoption rather than buying.
Did they tell you why they wouldn’t let you adopt?
The only reasonable things I can think of is that they think you wouldn’t be able to provide either enough space or time for them?
Did they give you the opportunity to show how you could change anything to meet their criteria?

han01uk · 24/07/2018 22:50

Pets at home is stricter than strict...they won't even sell me a bloody goldfish!

Nichelette · 24/07/2018 22:51

Do you have a huge hutch and run for them? They are quite strict about the space they have now. I get both sides in that you would like to give them a loving home, and rescue want them to have adequate space (obviously that may not be the reason, but it's the most obvious one I can think of). To be honest most pet shop hutches are on the small side. We had to build a huge run to adopt from RSPCA.

dusking · 24/07/2018 22:54

Also guessing it’s due to space. The vast majority of hutches and runs are far too small, have a look at the RWAF guidelines for official sizes needed which is what all rescues would be following. I brought a shed for my buns and have done a bit of DIY to make it suitable for them x

CeridwensCottage · 24/07/2018 22:56

To be fair, rabbits are quite difficult to care for and have very specific needs. They need a lot of space and opportunities to dig and run around. They’re also quite tricky to keep healthy, particularly in regards to dental care and gut health. Guinea pigs are a lot easier.

Original poster
Somerville · 24/07/2018 23:04

We have a MAHOOSIVE rabbit palace. (Well, bungalow.) The volunteer from the charity cooed all over it.

Onion sauce Shock
My sense of humour can be a bit inappropriate but even I managed not to make bunny boiling jokes to a member of the bunny rescue briagde!

OP posts:
glueandstick · 24/07/2018 23:08

PAH didn’t want us to have any because they didn’t have a suitable hutch. Damn right they didn’t, the previous residents had a WHOLE FLOOR of a house that was entirely rabbit safe and snug.

Strawberrybelly · 24/07/2018 23:08

This has made me laugh. Sorry Somerville.

Original poster
Somerville · 24/07/2018 23:10

Did they give you the opportunity to show how you could change anything to meet their criteria?
Maybe this will be in their letter.

Ceridwens They actually rescue both rabbits and GP's so they could have offered us piggies instead.

OP posts:
AudreyBillingham · 24/07/2018 23:12

How old are the children - could the rescue have been worried about them being rough with the bunnies?

biscuitmillionaire · 24/07/2018 23:16

They actually rescue both rabbits and GP's

They rescue grandparents too? Fantastic, maybe you could adopt some extras for your kids. Or do you mean General Practitioners (family doctors)? In which case they can afford to buy their own house.

pennycarbonara · 24/07/2018 23:17

Rabbits can be nervous, fragile animals. They may be generalising that older adopted children often have traumatic backgrounds and that this wouldn't be a suitable household for rabbits at the moment (especially rescues that might have previously been mistreated themselves).

Rabbits can be bloody expensive in vet bills and equipment, if there's something not covered by the insurance for whatever reason. They hide illness because they are prey animals, and by the time it's noticeable can be really quite unwell and need to be taken to the vet ASAP. A bun with health issues doesn't fit very well around a f/t WOH job.
You might have had a lucky escape!

There are a lot of animals on rescue websites where no children are specified - I quite often browse them although I'm not in a position to get another pet at the moment.

Original poster
Somerville · 24/07/2018 23:20

I imagine our 1 yr old would be more objectionable than our teenagers. They knew that before they came out, though, and don't rule out automatically based on a child-under-5 like all the dog charities.

I am finding this quite funny, but at the same time it's a bit frustrating. Their website bangs on about how desperate they are for experienced and responsible animal-adopters, and honestly - we are! DH is animal-mad, and we have plenty of space and both work from home.

OP posts:
pennycarbonara · 24/07/2018 23:23

If you still want to get some 'second hand' ones you could look in small ads for older rabbits,. (Not babies as there are a lot of backyard breeders in those.) People who are trying to be responsible about rehoming will usually charge to make sure the new owner is serious. Downside is you don't know what the health and temperament is like and you would probably have to pay for neutering and vaccines yourself.

LeporidaeDomesticus · 24/07/2018 23:34

We looked into adopting too, but were turned off by the intense scrutiny, which we can kind of understand, but still. Didn’t get turned down, just turned off. Ended up with a lovely lad from a garden centre, of all places.

We've been turned down as adopters of rabbits (but not of children!)
We've been turned down as adopters of rabbits (but not of children!)
We've been turned down as adopters of rabbits (but not of children!)
Original poster
Somerville · 24/07/2018 23:39

Yeah, maybe we'll do that, penny. We don't want them until after the holidays anyway, which we'd said right from when we filled in the charities (12 page!) form a few weeks ago.

They may be generalising that older adopted children often have traumatic backgrounds and that this wouldn't be a suitable household for rabbits at the moment

Erm... They've lived with me - their mum - their whole lives. Anyway, the charity wouldn't know that DH adopted them recently or any of our family history, apart from any slight clues their volunteer might have picked up in our house. (Perhpas that I've been married before, if she was eagle eyed with photos.)

OP posts:
pennycarbonara · 24/07/2018 23:40

Sorry, I didn't read the last sentence in your OP properly!