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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

because my neighbour wanted to put her holiday before her pet's welfare ?

36 replies

Snowsquonk · 16/08/2009 17:41

Neighbour has good job, four teenage kids, and a rabbit..I mention the good job because whilst she's not flush with cash, she's not on the breadline either !

I've had concerns about the bunny before because one of his eyes went cloudy but they didn't bother taking him to the vet.

Got a panicked text this morning, neighbour leaving this afternoon on holiday (in this country, staying with friends) but rabbit was having fits on the garden path - none of the teenagers would touch it and neither would she.

She wanted someone to come and put it back into it's hutch so it wouldn't get eaten by foxes so she could go on holiday !

Went round with DH and a cat basket - poor thing was semi-concious, eye blown a blood vessel, one teenager said it hadn't eaten for days and couldn't walk yesterday, mum said it was fine until this morning. Every few minutes poor thing would fit. DH gently put it into cat basket and I told neighbour she MUST take it to PDSA or vet and get it put to sleep and she was NOT to hutch it and leave it to die (and rot) whilst she swanned off on holiday.

Got back this afternoon to empty basket, thankyou note and plant - checked with teenager and apparently the bunny was taken away and euthanised but I do wonder.....

Grrrr

OP posts:
SammyK · 16/08/2009 17:44

Aaw poor bunny

cheesesarnie · 16/08/2009 17:48

good for you!

poor rabbit,neighbour sounds like idiot.lets hope they dont get another

twinkletoescare · 16/08/2009 17:48

what is it you wonder about? do you think the rabbit has not been put to sleep??

I think its honourable that you care and yourself and DH helped out in a possibly very upsetting situation for your neighbour.
would you ahve expected her to cancel her holiday??
i have to be honest and say i would not cancel my holiday if my rabbit was ill either.
i would accept the note and plant and be gratefull!

StayFrostyDMisaVileRag · 16/08/2009 17:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

chocolateismyonlyweakness · 16/08/2009 18:00

I assume she visited an emergency vet and got the bunny dealt with. Sounds as if the family lost interest in the poor little thing....

bigchris · 16/08/2009 18:02

agree with twinkletoes

Hassled · 16/08/2009 18:03

You don't actually know she didn't get it put down, though - if the rabbit isn't there anymore she's obviously done something. I mean she hasn't gone on holiday and just left it.

cancantcan · 16/08/2009 18:08

That is totally shit. If one of my rabbits was ill and I was going to stay with friends in this country, then yes, actually, I would have cancelled the holiday. As it is, the poor little bugger at least had a quick and hopefully painless ending.

If what the teenager said is true, that it hadnt been eating properly, and couldnt walk the previous day, then I'm sorry, but that is a clear case of animal cruelty as the owner has failed to get vetinary attention for a sick animal. Doesnt matter if its a rabbit cat dog or goldfish, they all feel pain and shouldnt be left suffering for any longer than is absolutely necessary.

Stayfrosty - couldnt agree more, rabbits make fab pets when kept correctly, but sadly when confined to a small hutch on their own, they tend to go a bit introverted and appear to be boring or they get aggressive.

lal123 · 16/08/2009 18:08

what do you think you did that was unresaonable?

katiestar · 16/08/2009 18:36

I would have got my DH to euthanase it with a shotgun through the head

GirlsAreLoud · 16/08/2009 18:44

Yeah that's shit and I totally agree with stayfrosty. I've had rabbits twice in my life and the first had the run of the garden at least twelve hours a day and ran free in the garage the rest of the time. The second had the run of the house.

Don't think I would ever have rabbits again because they require so much freedom and either your house gets trashed with chewed wires or you have them in the garden and have to constantly make sure they aren't digging out. They are very high maintenance if you care for them properly and don't just shove them in a hutch.

Original poster
Snowsquonk · 16/08/2009 20:15

I didn't expect her to cancel her holiday - just get the bunny seen by a vet, not shove it back into it's cage and leaving it to die !

And - to be honest, why keep a pet if you can't bring yourself to pick it up when it's dying ? It wasn't bloody and mangled or anything, just semi-concious between the fits but there were 5 people over the age of 15 stood round staring at it!

OP posts:
snowybun · 16/08/2009 20:45

That is awful I too would have cancelled the holiday. I once rushed my rabbit to the vets when he was seriously ill when I should have been going to work. He had a run of illness and he was too weak and died spent £400 on treatment.

junglist1 · 16/08/2009 20:48

That's so sad. Why do people get pets when they can't be arsed? I hope she has a rubbish holiday. And you and your DH sound lovely. If only all pets were owned by people like you we wouldn't need an RSPCA

EightiesChick · 16/08/2009 21:48

Yes hope she has a rubbish holiday too. She deserves it. What a bad example to set for her kids too. Good that you at least comforted the poor rabbit.

abbierhodesHATESTHEDAILYMAIL · 16/08/2009 22:19

Nice post, katiestar

SoupDragon · 16/08/2009 22:23

How do you know she didn't take it to the vet to be put down??

fedupintheoffice · 16/08/2009 23:25

frigging hell katiestar, you really are lovely, aren't you

QuintessentialShadows · 16/08/2009 23:30

First time I find myself sort of agree with katiestar. Quick and painless. Though, most people dont own shotguns, so the best option would be to let the vet deal with it.

FatFree · 16/08/2009 23:37

Have to say i would be squeamish to pick up an ill rabbit too, i wouldnt even go near our hamsters when their time came!

You say she wanted someone to come and put it in the hutch before she went on her hols, so who was gonna be looking after it? Her teenage kids?

picmaestress · 17/08/2009 09:53

Well, if it was me, I'd report her. It's now a criminal offence to mistreat small animals.

I work at a rabbit shelter in my spare time, and am constantly angry at the way people treat rabbits, it's disgusting. Just because they make no noise people seem to think it's okay to treat them this way. They're intelligent, sensitive creatures.

As for not wanting to pick the poor little thing up when it was fitting. Jesus, dear God, are they psychopaths? If it was a child in distress, would they go 'ew, I'm not helping it?'. If my rabbit was fitting I would wrap her in a towel and RUN all the way to the vets.

I very much doubt she took it to the vet - the vet would report her.

What a horrible, horrible woman. What an example to her teenage children!

Are you planning on staying friends with her?

SoupDragon · 17/08/2009 10:15

Report her for what? Having a sick rabbit put down??

misdee · 17/08/2009 10:21

oh dear
my poor bunny isnt well atm, and i spent hours on the phone yesterday talking to the emergency vets but she said he would be ok till today.

bunny has been seen this morning, had a sex change to a she, anti biotics, and more appointments booked. and has been put on a gormet diet and pineapple juice to get her back to normal.

QuintessentialShadows · 17/08/2009 10:23

sorry to hear your rabbit is unwell misdee. Will the pineapple juice turn her back into a he?

misdee · 17/08/2009 10:25

the kids think so.

bunny hasnt been coping with the school holidays. she used to have the run of the big garden at the old house during summer days, but thios place the garden isnt secure, so she only has her very large run.