Not so sure if I should be upset by this..but...

[CookieNCream]

My homeschool teacher is a big, big dog person.She has lots of dogs, and her daughter has lots of dogs, too...thedaughter's dogs gave birth to lots of puppies.

I was going to get one, but they were too expensive and I also had Cookie&Cream already, so I decided not to.

When I told the teacher today that I had rabbits, she was like, 'Whywould you get rabbits?' and she said something about rabbits not beingpets.

Sure, rabbits may not be as affectionate and right-out as dogs, but that doesn't mean rabbits are not pets...:X

I didn't want to offend her so I didn't say anything...she said she'shad rabbits before but I guess it didn't work out that well.

Yes, I love dogs, and I do appreciate the great happiness you get whenyou receive the right-out affection...but I think rabbits are great,too, because they are pretty smart if you ask me and ADORABLYADORABLE.

Just wanted to share that with you and hopefully someday more people will realize that rabbits can make great pets.

When Cookie&Cream grow up and get used to me more, I bet they will be a bit more affectionate, too. :bunnydance:

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I and many of us on here know exactly what you mean.

I wasn't gonna mention this but, since the topic (sorta) is up, why not? May be kinda long...

The night we got back from vacation I went to the bowling alley wherewe hang out and a few acquaintances of mine were there. Well,I started saying a bit about my vacation and then it was all about oneof their vacations and been here, and there so I just sat there anddidn't say anymore. It was all about him sowhatever. He had also been drinking which makes itworse. Then after a bit I said something to one of them aboutSnuffles. Let me just mention that two of them are marriedand one is a mutual friend, the mutual friend was the one I said thisto. Then the other one (the all about me one-the husband)asked "what, what's that"? I said "my rabbit". Thenhe started saying how he'd throw it in a pot and what not. Ididn't say anything yet. So he went on and on about how heeats rabbit, squirrel and duck. I mean on and on and on forlike 10 mins and a bit graphic on top of it. The mutualfriend said to him "She's gonna strangle you!" kinda but notreally, jokingly, thinking he's get the hint and stop-NO. Hedidn't say anything and just kept on.

After she left he asked me something or said something to me and Ididn't say anything and he was like "Why didn't you just stay in AZCrabby." I turned and said "You're an ***hole." Hejust said Thanks. Then after a few mins, he proceeded to pushme on my shoulder like 6 times and I told him to stop it. Hecalls me crabby again. I repeated that he was an ***hole,thinking he'd get that I was upset.After like 5mins he asked me who we went to see in AZ my family or my husband's andI said, very snotty by the way, "His". His wife says "WowCrystal that was bi*chy." and "that was bi*chy" Isaid snotty again "It was meant to be".

I mean when he started pushing me I was just about in tears.He and her are supposed to be my friends, sorry, but that was just verydisrespectful and it hurt my feelings. Needless to say, theywent off to play a machine and came back she finished her beer and hejust left his, they said nothing more to me. They think Iwas in the wrong. :whateverThat was just wrong on hispart. His wife should've at least hit him on the arm andmention that he should stop, but no... I mean I have a fewother friends-men-that are racers and they would eat stuff like that,but if they did, they would never, ever disrespect me like that, plusthey don't drink, maybe he would never have done it if he weren't,don't know but I was po'd! :tantrum:

Hope that all made sense.

 

[CookieNCream]

It really does...:sighsome peopledon't know how to respect others, especially when it collides withtheir own ideas of what is so called "normal".

UGH...

 

[Michaela]

Crystal, that is unbelievable:shock:, but I knowwhat you mean, people are like that at school to me, sure my dad saysthings about putting the rabbits in the pot etc. But he is joking,because he was genuinely sorry when Berri died, (no I'm sure he isn'tgoing to miss her but ya know, he was respectful)

A lot of people are not like him though, and they do mean it:X

Rabbits are affectionate as dogs, more so in my opinion, I would ratherdie than have a dog:? (no offence to anyone but I can't stand them)

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I know, no offense, I just don't care fordogs. They smell sometimes, I don't like to be licked ordrooled on by them, and the hyper ones really drive me crazy. :?

 

[ahri22]

I know just what you guys mean!!

After my bunny died, my husband was telling people at work that I wasin mourning (well, I was!! I was devastated!!) and they didn't get it.His friend, when I saw him, made cracks about having rabbit stew andstuff...

I know they just don't *get* it about bunnies, so I try to ignore it,but it really hurts me that SO MANY people have these attitudes aboutrabbits!!

Even my dad, who is a huge animal lover, didn't understand why we letLittle Hoppy Hoppy in the house, he said, "Rabbits are outsideanimals", as if they are somehow "lesser" than cats or dogs. I wouldtry to explain to him how rabbits are clever animals, how he used alitter tray (and although he would poo and wee on the floor, it wasonly EVER in the laundry, where the litter tray is!!).

I also pointed out how it took my parents MUCH longer to toilet traintheir dogs, and how their dogs still have the occasional accident...

I am not a big dog lover. We have a dog, but after he killed a bunny I've never really forgiven him... I would rather have pet bunnies thandogs any day!! (No offense to dog lovers, I don't hate dogs, just notreally that keen on them...)

I told my dad he just didn't know bunnies the way I did! (They've hadbunnies before, but always in a cage outside...so the bunnies werenever really tame, and never got the chance to show theirpersonalities). To be honest, before when I had bunnies they wereoutside bunnies too, and I never knew how wonderful bunnies could be! Ithought they were cute and cuddly, sure...but I'd never experienced ahouse bunny... Back then, I'd never even HEARD of house bunnies and Ihad no idea they could be trained!!

Anyway, I wish everyone would learn about bunnies the way I have, andwould know what gorgeous, intelligent little creatures they are!! Andhonestly, I wish people could get just a BIT of sensitivity!!! I'm sureno one would make jokes about cat stew if my cat died...

My little guy has been gone just over two weeks, and I still cry forhim. I don't think I've EVER been this devastated over the loss of apet before!! (My darling kitties all died of old age, so it never hurtso much that they were gone...I loved them and I missed them, but theyhad a good, long time on earth...my little boy never had that!!)

Fiona

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Fiona, I know. My BIL used to joke(and he was joking) about my last rabbit BunBun, he called him Haus asin Hosenfeffer or however you spell it. He would tell myhubby he would bring the carrots and potatoes.

Yeah, a lot of people are blindsided when I tell them mine are litter trained and all.

 

[ahri22]

Well, my husband used to make jokes too...OnceLHH did something silly and my husband said, "Well we could call himStu...or Stew..."

Which was sort of funny...but it's when people really think rabbits belong in stew I get upset!!

My husband didn't really mind our bunny (except he kept going for myhusband's computer cord...as my husband has a laptop his cord wasn'trabbit safe...), but he was raised on a farm, and here in Australiarabbits are huge pests for farmers, so of course, he grew up withpeople who shot rabbits as vermin...

The only time he's ever shot rabbits since he's been with me is whenthere were rabbits with Myxo on his parents' farm...and I told him thatit was better he put them out of their misery...

Many, many people's opinions here seem to be coloured by the fact that rabbits are seen as vermin...

I remember driving with my husband and his parents one day, and arabbit nearly ran on the road in front of us, and I just screamedbecause we nearly hit it, "Watch out!!" Or something, and they all gotupset with ME because I didn't want him to hit a bunny!!

Fiona

 

[Haley]

At Christmas, I was telling my aunt and uncle about pet insurance and how I have it for Basil and Max.

My cousin (who's a grown man)said something about how if hehad rabbits and they were sick he would just cook them and eat them. Icame back with, "Oh, and since your dog is sick (its dying of cancer)maybe we should fry him up as well!" I think they got the message.

I went in the other room and started crying. It really hurt me becausethey know how much my bunnies mean to me and how much Ive done for Maxwhile he's sick.

Some people have no clue.

I like this poem, I think it sums up what we're saying:http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=16182&forum_id=1&jump_to=267988#p267988

 

[CookieNCream]

Haley wrote:

Ilike this poem, I think it sums up what we're saying:http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=16182&forum_id=1&jump_to=267988#p267988

:great:

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

:zoro :thanks: :bigtears:

It really hurt my feelings! I just lost BunBun in Sept andtook another in. He is so cool and he is weird! Heblends right in I'll tell ya. He loves my hubbylike crazy.

 

[Maureen Las]

A LOT of people DO NOT understand rabbits. Iunderstand it andat this point don't get offendedbut no one has ever been really mean to me about it. I think that asmore rabbit become house pets they will be accepted but right nowtheire is a primitive mentality about them. People do not understandthem

 

[TinysMom]

I've been breeding for almost 2 years now and I tend to come across three attitudes about rabbits.

a. Rabbits are livestock...good for eating.

b. Rabbits as pets? Well...maybe but I can't picture it.

c. Rabbits? Oh - they're so cute and cuddly. Can I have one?

Even among breeders, I have noticed that some look at their rabbits as"livestock". In fact, I was recently talking to another breeder whohandles some sensitive topics nonchalantly (or so it seems to me) andshe pointed out that she grew up on a farm and they started out raisingmeat rabbits like 30 years ago.

My point?

I think we need to remember that the idea of the rabbit as a domesticanimal has only really come about in the last century (at most). Idon't remember hearing of folks having a rabbit as a pet when I wasgrowing up (and I'm almost 47) and when I had a rabbit as a pet - itwas like "why would you do that?".

There were no toys for rabbits...there were no pellets for rabbits atone time....there were no specialty cages or hay for rabbits.

To some people - the idea of having a domestic rabbit is as foreign asif I told you that I had a pet skunk (I did once) or a pet bobcat(sorry - never had one of those). Or it might be like saying you have apig or a cow in your house.

Art's best friend here loves to eat rabbit...and I know it. He's grewup hunting rabbit and he frequently teases me about Tiny and calls him"Roast" or "Stew". HOWEVER...he's also sensitive enough to watch myfacial expressions and know when to back off. Meanwhile, I know he'sArt's friend and I don't want to hinder their friendship - so I've toldhim that if he ever tries to steal Tiny - I'll make sure his 'stew'gets poisoned. (He would never do that). But I do it in a kidding way -just as he does it in a kidding way.

You see - I could get angry...but that would hurt my husband and he hasvery few close friends. I could get defensive (and have done that attimes)...but that just puts a wall up. But I've found that by jokingback and leaving the doors of communication open - he now is startingto talk about rabbits as more than just "meat"....

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we need to remember that somefolks just don't get it yet - about rabbits. It isn't like rabbits havebeen domesticated as long as cats and dogs...they've probably nevergrown up around them. I think sometimes they might say something aboutcooking them because they have no other way to wrap their minds aroundthe idea of having a rabbit as a pet.

For instance, people are shocked when I tell them that many of myrabbits are litter-box trained. They find it hard to believe that Tinycan free-roam areas of the house. To them - this is a totally foreignconcept...

I'm sorry you got hurt by the comments that were made. I am findingthough that one by one, I'm able to educate some people about rabbitsand I'm hoping that in a few years - we'll see the tide turning towhere more people accept them as pets.

Peg

 

[CookieNCream]

I didn't know that so many people ate rabbits in the U.S. until recently. I was actually thinking that it was illegal...

When I was living in Korea, I remember going on a ski trip and having asip of this stew. I later found out that it was rabbit.:shock:I didn't eat any meat, though.

I think more people here eat more rabbits than in Korea now...0-0;;Because when I was in Korea and said I've eaten a rabbit (which isn'treally true..hehe), everyone was like 'whoa!', though Koreans eat somereally wilder things :eats:

Now you'd know my amazement and horror when I randomly typed inwww.rabbits.comand found"Cooking Rabbits" when I scrolled down. :faint:

 

[Maureen Las]

I think that rabbits were domesticated to someextent in England but once the settlers hit the eastern shores of theUS all of that went out the window.

When I look up rabbit rescues and sanctuaries etc. I find the mostsites and most sophisticated sites on the east coast and particularlyin California on the west.

In some parts of the country I think that it is trendy to have a houserabbit.So we can think of ourselves as trendy people surrounded by theclueless ones.

Here in Wisconsin ,Peg, they do things like have a deer hunt for the disabled...duh!
Can you imagine being disabled and having the desire to disable and kill something living
Last weekend this town had some sort of rabbit hunt for seniors or someother idiotic thing like that. People are clueless on how tocatergorize rabbits. They read a child a story book about the mommarabbit and her three babies and yet the family ate rabbit for dinner.
In the Midwest its going to take people a long time to catch up to the East and West coasts.

 

[CookieNCream]

angieluv wrote:

They read a child a story book about the mommarabbit and her three babies and yet the family ate rabbit for dinner.

Wow..ironic...0-0;;

No wonder we don't have a lot of stories about cows and pigs.

But I did hear that after the movie Babe was released bacon/other pork type sales went down for few months.

 

[Maureen Las]

there should be more movies like Babe

 

[CookieNCream]

Yeah, like Bunny the Bunnylike Bunny. =)

Or it might just give innocent kids the thought that some people eat rabbits...lol

 

[Butterfinger]

Seriously!
I remember when I was a kid, before I watched Babe, I was like"Whatever.....pigs are nasty and dirty", but after I watched it, I waslike "Aww!Don'tkill thepiggy!"
A rabbit version of that would definitely be good. Eventhough Thumper from Bambi has made a little impact....a movie justabout bunnies would be better. (I havea cute hoodiewith Thumper on it Spread the bunny cuteness, all.)

 

[Maureen Las]

Is their a Disney bunny movie like Bambi or Dumbo etc. I would sure get that one ina hurry as I buy anything rabbity.