Thinking of buying a rabbit/guinea pig? Please read
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Thinking of buying a rabbit/guinea pig? Please read
This will take a few mins to read, but if you are considering buying a rabbit it will give you a little info, and also open your eyes to a few things, namely the bad advice Pets at Home give out.
http://www.freewebs.com/bunnyrescue/petsathomedont.htm
http://www.freewebs.com/bunnyrescue/petsathomedont.htm
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Interesting reading. We had a rabbit from Pets at Home that sadly died within a week. We also had poor advice, saying that it should not be allowed to eat grass as it can upset their stomachs. We now have a pair of (correctly sexed) rescue bunnies, who live quite happily on the grass.
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From: Does it matter?
We were given two rabbits - in my infinite wisdom, I backed down, as I was "convinced" that the kids would love em.
Bloody things destroyed their hutches, and eventually, the one kicked the back of hutch so hard, she broke her back - and yes, it was quite distressful having it put down (not even my bloody rabbit!)
The other one followed suit soon after, when my 4yr daughter (at the time) went to feed it, adn it was stiff as a board. Again, the grief it caused was ridiculous.
NEVER again. Will stick to dogs
Dan
Bloody things destroyed their hutches, and eventually, the one kicked the back of hutch so hard, she broke her back - and yes, it was quite distressful having it put down (not even my bloody rabbit!)
The other one followed suit soon after, when my 4yr daughter (at the time) went to feed it, adn it was stiff as a board. Again, the grief it caused was ridiculous.
NEVER again. Will stick to dogs
Dan
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My mum bought a rabbit from pets at home. Its been back there several times with different illnesses. They are a joke and have ripped my mum off numerous times. Its a the stage now where the teeth have grown into its eye from the inside and blinded it in one eye. How they could not see this in X rays I do not know. They now want to charge my mum an arm and a leg to have its eye taken out. Its a disgrace!!!
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Pet's at home are at last agreeing to make changes...
Okay, just got off the phone with the Chief Exec of PAH. I'm typing this really quickly before I go to work but I won't be able to answer any questions until I get back from work tonight. Hopefully you'll all be patient with me Very Happy
I have to say that the Chief Exec seemed to be a very sincere and nice man who was very interested in all I had to say. He didn't agree with me on a couple of things but did come up with some of the answers that I wanted to hear.
Firstly, PAH are going to stop putting rabbits and guinea pigs in the same pen. (hurrah!) This is happening now in all the new stores and will be done retrospectively in all of the others over the course of the next year.
Secondly, both rabbits and guinea pigs will be separated according to sex. (again, hurrah!) He agreed that it was ludicrous to say that you can't sex the animals and proper training is going to be given for this.
Thirdly, training is going to be more in depth for staff. The main problem they have had is the huge staff turnover but they've been dealing with this over the last year and it's now down 11% ( which anyone who knows anything about business will agree is a great achievement) They're hoping that this will stop the 'bad advice' being given out at point of sale.
Fourthly, They're going to remove the bit on the receipt that says 'we cannot guarantee the sex of this animal'
Fifthly, they're looking into introducing a scheme currently underway in America whereby people are given the choice of adopting a rabbit/guinea pig from a local rescue rather than buy one from PAH. They'll still be selling their own rabbits etc but will work with local rescues to rehome animals first. They're going to be doing this with cats and dogs too, although there will only be photo's on a board, not pets in the store.
Finally, he want's to meet me. He says that PAH are determined to be far more involved with local small rescues in the future and that he wants to have as much dialogue with them as possible. They now have a team of people within PAH who's sole responsibility will be to set this up.
So...it's over to all of you. I'll go and meet him and if anyone wants to join me, I'm more than happy to take you along. Give me a list of everything you'd like to see change at PAH and ways in which it can make itself useful to local rescues and I'll see that he hears about it.
I think this is a positive development and hopefully you'll all agree. We won't be able to stop them selling live animals. He says that they'll lose far too much revenue, even though they make a loss on the individual animal itself. However, we might be able to get a much better relationship between PAH and the rescues. Hopefully we'll certainly get a better life for the bunnies Very Happy
Right, off to work now (thank goodness for flexi time!) I'll log on again tonight!
Kate.
I have to say that the Chief Exec seemed to be a very sincere and nice man who was very interested in all I had to say. He didn't agree with me on a couple of things but did come up with some of the answers that I wanted to hear.
Firstly, PAH are going to stop putting rabbits and guinea pigs in the same pen. (hurrah!) This is happening now in all the new stores and will be done retrospectively in all of the others over the course of the next year.
Secondly, both rabbits and guinea pigs will be separated according to sex. (again, hurrah!) He agreed that it was ludicrous to say that you can't sex the animals and proper training is going to be given for this.
Thirdly, training is going to be more in depth for staff. The main problem they have had is the huge staff turnover but they've been dealing with this over the last year and it's now down 11% ( which anyone who knows anything about business will agree is a great achievement) They're hoping that this will stop the 'bad advice' being given out at point of sale.
Fourthly, They're going to remove the bit on the receipt that says 'we cannot guarantee the sex of this animal'
Fifthly, they're looking into introducing a scheme currently underway in America whereby people are given the choice of adopting a rabbit/guinea pig from a local rescue rather than buy one from PAH. They'll still be selling their own rabbits etc but will work with local rescues to rehome animals first. They're going to be doing this with cats and dogs too, although there will only be photo's on a board, not pets in the store.
Finally, he want's to meet me. He says that PAH are determined to be far more involved with local small rescues in the future and that he wants to have as much dialogue with them as possible. They now have a team of people within PAH who's sole responsibility will be to set this up.
So...it's over to all of you. I'll go and meet him and if anyone wants to join me, I'm more than happy to take you along. Give me a list of everything you'd like to see change at PAH and ways in which it can make itself useful to local rescues and I'll see that he hears about it.
I think this is a positive development and hopefully you'll all agree. We won't be able to stop them selling live animals. He says that they'll lose far too much revenue, even though they make a loss on the individual animal itself. However, we might be able to get a much better relationship between PAH and the rescues. Hopefully we'll certainly get a better life for the bunnies Very Happy
Right, off to work now (thank goodness for flexi time!) I'll log on again tonight!
Kate.
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People should just quit buying bloody rabbits!
They are a crap pet and teach kids nothing but how to get their parents to clean up after them!
ADVICE FOR ANY NEW PARENT:
Rabbits, guinea pig, hamster...etc, etc - if it needs feeding and ****s but cant be taken for a walk its a crap pet for a kid. Dont buy it.
If you can walk it and you want it too its an ok pet.
If it can be walked but doesnt eat and doesnt **** its a great pet but i havent discovered it yet!
They are a crap pet and teach kids nothing but how to get their parents to clean up after them!
ADVICE FOR ANY NEW PARENT:
Rabbits, guinea pig, hamster...etc, etc - if it needs feeding and ****s but cant be taken for a walk its a crap pet for a kid. Dont buy it.
If you can walk it and you want it too its an ok pet.
If it can be walked but doesnt eat and doesnt **** its a great pet but i havent discovered it yet!
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From: Joan Crawford
I'd urge anyone looking for an animal to look into rescue centres first, and do to some research into the the species/breed they want first. It's quite easy now we've got the internet. Don't assume a pet shop is knowledgable or that they give a toss about the creature they sell you.
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From: £1.785m reasons not to be here :)
Originally Posted by paulg1979
My mum bought a rabbit from pets at home. Its been back there several times with different illnesses. They are a joke and have ripped my mum off numerous times. Its a the stage now where the teeth have grown into its eye from the inside and blinded it in one eye. How they could not see this in X rays I do not know. They now want to charge my mum an arm and a leg to have its eye taken out. Its a disgrace!!!
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Originally Posted by Tiggs
People should just quit buying bloody rabbits!
They are a crap pet and teach kids nothing but how to get their parents to clean up after them!
ADVICE FOR ANY NEW PARENT:
Rabbits, guinea pig, hamster...etc, etc - if it needs feeding and ****s but cant be taken for a walk its a crap pet for a kid. Dont buy it.
If you can walk it and you want it too its an ok pet.
If it can be walked but doesnt eat and doesnt **** its a great pet but i havent discovered it yet!
They are a crap pet and teach kids nothing but how to get their parents to clean up after them!
ADVICE FOR ANY NEW PARENT:
Rabbits, guinea pig, hamster...etc, etc - if it needs feeding and ****s but cant be taken for a walk its a crap pet for a kid. Dont buy it.
If you can walk it and you want it too its an ok pet.
If it can be walked but doesnt eat and doesnt **** its a great pet but i havent discovered it yet!
Rabbits can make great pets, if the parent knows and understands their kids, and doesn't just buy them a pet on a whim, or to stop them whingeing on about it.
Some kids are great with pets, be that hamsters, fish, rabbits, guinnea pigs whatever. Some kids are crap with pets, regardless.
Its not the animal, its the kid that matters.
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From: 0-60 in half an hour
We also had poor advice, saying that it should not be allowed to eat grass as it can upset their stomachs
Don't people research about pets before they buy them?I've known about PAH for a long time and make a point of looking at all the animals to see if they have water etc.
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From: £1.785m reasons not to be here :)
Originally Posted by Tiggs
you say that yet this thread is full of people with dead rabbits.....so maybe its not me with the "dead vermin blinkers" on?
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From: A big town with sh1t shops: Northampton
I did buy a rabbit from PAH a few years back and it was very poorly. Luckily took it to a Vet who sorted it out, said it was malnurished. Sadly it died before it was 6 months old.
I do want another rabbit, but am not allowed. I know what to feed them on and if grass was bad for them, they'd all be dead in the wild!!
I do want another rabbit, but am not allowed. I know what to feed them on and if grass was bad for them, they'd all be dead in the wild!!
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Originally Posted by Tiggs
People should just quit buying bloody rabbits!
They are a crap pet and teach kids nothing but how to get their parents to clean up after them!
ADVICE FOR ANY NEW PARENT:
Rabbits, guinea pig, hamster...etc, etc - if it needs feeding and ****s but cant be taken for a walk its a crap pet for a kid. Dont buy it.
If you can walk it and you want it too its an ok pet.
If it can be walked but doesnt eat and doesnt **** its a great pet but i havent discovered it yet!
They are a crap pet and teach kids nothing but how to get their parents to clean up after them!
ADVICE FOR ANY NEW PARENT:
Rabbits, guinea pig, hamster...etc, etc - if it needs feeding and ****s but cant be taken for a walk its a crap pet for a kid. Dont buy it.
If you can walk it and you want it too its an ok pet.
If it can be walked but doesnt eat and doesnt **** its a great pet but i havent discovered it yet!
We have 3 house rabbits and they are great pets and part of the family. Each has its own character and are a joy to have.
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Originally Posted by **************
We have 3 house rabbits and they are great pets and part of the family. Each has its own character and are a joy to have.
sorry....cant take you seriously if you use the word "house rabbit".
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Originally Posted by **************
Thats because you haven't got a clue then.
a clue about what? having a rabbit in my house?....you are right...i dont!
I also have no idea about wolves in my shed, buffalo in my garage or a skunk in my loft.
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From: Selling the scoob to buy a CTR
Originally Posted by Tiggs
sorry....cant take you seriously if you use the word "house rabbit".
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Sara all 3 of ours were litter trained within a few days of getting them. They have made great pets as we can't have a dog. 2 of them get on fine and can be let to run in the garden together and the other one comes out on his own. I had rabbits as a kid and they were a nightmare as they came from a farm shop and were a mix of domestic and wild rabbit and I didn't have a clue how to treat them properly. The Mrs got our first one when she moved in with me and after that I was hooked once I saw how to treat them properly and what good/enjoyable/entertaining pets they make
