What has RO taught you?

[Flashy]

This may be in the wrong section so mods feel free to move it.

I was just responding to what Randy wrote in my Head Tilt thread and was thinking about people with knowledge and people without knowledge.

Which then led me to think about what RO has taught me and what it has done for me and my buns.

I came here having lost just a bun to horrific ignorant neglect (that was down to us and the vets), I thought I knew a lot (although really I knew basics and in some cases not even that).

After being here for nearly two years (on and off) things are completely different. I would now consider myself to be knowledgaable, but equally still know there is so much to learn. Before, I didn't realise there was a lot to learn, I didn't realise bunnies were complex, I didn't realise there was so many things that needed to be learnt about. Now I know there is so much and no matter what I learn, I can never learn it all.

My buns are in bigger and better accommodation, and out of 17, only 2 are not fixed. They have better and healthier diets. Most of them have friends.

I have an amazing vet that I found through this forum, so I didn't have to stick with the vet that contributed to the deaths of at least 5 of my buns in the 15 months before I came here.

More than that, my knowledge now helps others, and without RO the RSPCA in my area would be lacking any sort of rabbit knowledge at all.

I feel like I am a good rabbit owner. I have both knowledge and understanding and it is pretty uptodate, not just some scrappy, old 'knowledge'. I know there is a long way to go to get my buns to the place where I want them to be, but they are definitely a darn site happier, healthier and living far better than every before.

I think the best thing it's taught me is that whilst I have a lot of knowledge, there is always more to learn, and I just think that is so important.

So.

Tell me.

[align=center]What has RO taught you? What has RO done for your buns?
[/align]

 

[mouse_chalk]

That's a great question! I was just thinking about that the other day actually.

I guess I could kinda put what RO has taught me into 2 categories- the bunny side and the people side.

On the bunny side, I have learnt tons. My bunnies are in large multi-level cages, they get free toys as well as great shop-bought ones (would never have thought of stuffing toilet rolls with hay before), etc. I found this site whilst searching for NIC grids so I knew about them, but wouldn't have known how to build and set one up if it weren't for here.

I've learnt quite a bit about illnesses, although I realise I've only scraped the surface. If it wasn't for this site, I know we still would have rushed straight to the vets with Chalk, but I'm not sure if she would still be here. I don't know that I would have picked up on the symptoms as much and been quite so pushy with our vets to get to the bottom of it. Had we delayed the investigative operation any longer, she wouldn't have made it :tears2:

Thanks to this forum I bonded a 4-some, and even though they later split, I wouldn't have been able to do that before.

My buns all have healthy diets and good quality hay, as opposed to the terrible bagged pet shop stuff I was giving them before. I've found a great hay supplier and online toy store thanks to this place too.


The people side? Well, I've learnt about different cultures, different countries, etc through our members all over the world. I couldn't tell you exactly what I've learnt, but I have. I pay more attention to world news now I think, because I likely know a member, even a friend that lives in that area of Texas/Louisiana that could be hit by a hurricane, that part of Illinois that has lost power, etc etc. I have friends on the other side of the world now, that I never could have imagined I would do a year ago. I find it fascinating when people say how things are in their town/etc.

Even the big debates, disagreements etc have taught me something! That there's always more than one side to every story, that everybody has different opinions/beliefs but that doesn't necessarily make them bad, and to be more understanding and patient with people. LOL. Nobody in particular, just to think and try and see it from other people's points of view before judging. I don't think I was a big meanie who thought 'I'm always right and everyone else is wrong' before I joined lol, but I'd say I'm definitely more understanding now.

Not being able to do anything much during the day can be a very lonely existence, and it still is to a great extent, but RO has definitely lessened that a lot for me. It's so nice to be able to come on here, and see/talk to 'friendly faces'. I've had tons of support through various things that have happened to me/the buns, which has really been a comfort at times, and I never expected to get that from an internet forum about bunnies when I joined I love reading other people's stories, bunny and otherwise too

It's also taught me that. given an empty space, I can and will type on and on and on and ON! :shock:


In short, I basically couldn't live without this place

 

[NZminilops]

On the bunny side:

• How to tell gender
• What to feed
• That bunnies need to eat a lot of hay
• Genetics
• Breeding and the different breeds
• How to cut toenails
• How to recognise basic illnesses
• Bonding
• Getting a shy bunny used to you
• aaaand the most important one, for me, that bunnies make excellent house pets .

On the personal side, don't spill your heart out to every Tom Dick and Harry, if you don't want your secrets to be told to every other, Tom Dick and Harry, lol .

I learnt about a lot of things I do wrong with people and communication (still learning).

I learnt that a lot of people take belonging to a forum incredibly seriously, to the point where they exclude any other forum and feel like they're having an affair if they join another.

Like Jen I learnt about other cultures, which is my favourite part of belonging to large forums.

I got rats! Thanks to Amy. She made me want them really badly .

I got a kitten (my cat Brewster) because RO made me feel confident to want a cat again.

I learnt that I'm a terrible mod .

I learnt that even if you have a totally different personality to someone else, they can still care about you and you about them.

 

[missyscove]

Almost everything I know about rabbits I learned from this website or from a link from this website. Thanks to you folks, not only can I take good care of my own rabbits, I have been able to pass on my knowledge to others. This starts with my mom, who is taking care of our rabbits while I'm away at school, but also includes a number of families at my elementary school/ the school where my mom works as well as a large number of people that I was able to talk to while I was volunteering at the animal shelter. I was also able to care for and socialize those rabbits.

My love of rabbits which was augmented by this site was definitely a big part in my deciding to major in Animal Science. In other words, it's in part thanks to you guys that I'm in what's considered the best program in the country doing something I absolutely love. I'm prevet for now, but we'll see how things go (just because I love it doesn't mean I'm going to get the grades I need).

I'm currently going through the paperwork to volunteer to socialize and groom the research dogs, cats and rabbits here at the Cornell vet school. (I realize that people have different views on research animals, but this is probably not the place to discuss them.) If not for my past experiences with rabbits, I probably wouldn't consider working with the research rabbits.

In short, through educating me about rabbits, you guys have allowed me to educate others and inspired me to further my education of myself so that I can (hopefully) spend the rest of my life doing something I absolutely love.

 

[missyscove]

Sorry, double post.

 

[Zee]

Being a veteran member, RO has taught me alot about my rabbits.

I have read so many interesting facts and figures about rabbits that I didnt even know before.

Ive picked up tips in bundles. I am having to start my 2nd bunny binder (and great tip from Buck)where I have got so much information over the years.

I have met some great people since being a member eg Carolyn, Buck (RIP), PGG, Dajeti2, the list goes on.

With the things that people are able to achieve here and the power the forum has, it amazes me to this day.

For newbies that are reading this, and are wondering what I am talking about, when our dear beloved Buck went to watch over our rabbits at the bridge, we arranged global candle ceremony a particular date and time and wrote a messages to Buck and for his family on a special thread.

Still to this day, Buck is not forgotten. With each and every one of us, and his wisdom still lives on in this forum.

To this day, I still do not know of a forum that is able to achieve something on such a large scale.

Here is not just a forum. Here is such a special place, with special people, that you would not normally meet in everyday lives.

It doesnt matter how long you are away from the forum, you can be guaranteed that when you come back, its like coming back home.

That is what the forum means to me.

 

[irishlops]

it has taught me how to trust, be friendly, make friends, make up.

and really the list is to long. i cant tell you how much a short stay in RO has taught me about rabbits.

thanks RO and its members and bunnies

 

[Saffy]

Rabbits Only has taught me, quite simply,that there ARE nice people out there.

 

[irishbunny]

I've only been here three months but I have learned alot about people and rabbits, with rabbits I have learned alot about rabbit breeding and how it's done in other countries, compared to what is done here, I've learned about and seen pictures of rabbit breeds I've never seen before and that aren't around here. I have learned alot more about rabbit care and health, and all the different things that different rabbits like.

I am also on another rabbit forum, which I joined about 5-6 months before RO so I wasn't a beginner coming in here, the other forum I'm on doesn't have many members and we all know eachother, but it's great to have such a busy forum like this, there is lot's more to learn and lot's more stories to read.

I learned about rabbit agility!

I have learned, from both here and the other forum, that bunnies are more complicated and intelligient then they get credit for, and require alot more care then people say. I've also learn they are stubborn little mules and will stand their ground, but I also learned that they are the biggest snuggle butts ever, and good listeners!

I have learned there are some excellent and passionate rabbit owners out there, who I can only admire for their love for rabbits, especially those who will travel miles to rescue a rabbit in need or nurse a sickly rabbit back to health, even if it does nearly put them in debt.

I've learned lot's more but it's hard to think of it on the spot!

 

[PixieStixxxx]

Everything I know now, I've learned from RO. I look back at myself prior to joining RO, and can't believe I didn't know about stasis, oxbow, myxi, molar spurs..

I learned about different breeds, and breeding. I used to be against breeding, but than I learned from Peg and Zin about responsible breeding. And how passionate and careful they were with each litter. My views changed completely.

Two weeks after joining RO, I was building NIC cages, driving to farms to buy quality hay, driving to Seattle to get Oxbow. My life became my bunnies and I learned that there were passionate people on RO who strived to ensure that rabbit were not an overlooked pet store animal. They were more complex than that.

When Savannah unexpectedly had babies at 1 am, Sorelle was on the phone with me calming me down. Talking me though the steps to ensure that they were alright. She even offered to watch them the next day while I was at work. Aurora369 came over with a nest box and she checked each baby. Complete strangers were helping me out with my unexpected litter, and I just couldn't believe the amount of support from this board.

Even when I brought home a sick rat, I received help on the board from Amy. I wasn't fond of rats until my foster won my heart. Now my rat is one of the most wonderful things I could have ever gotten.

 

[FallingStar]

Well things that have to with rabbits is...

1. How to watch for sicknesses
2. Correct ways to clip toe-nails
3. The different breeds and colors
4. I learned more about sore hocks
5. Healthy food choices
6. Sickness cures/treatments

Those are jus some of the facts I've learned and also, to love your rabbit as you would love your friends. Or even more! Hah. RO has helped out my rabbits by I have learned more about correct treats/veggies/fruits that are good for them. RO has also helped my rabbits by the people on here helped my figure out how to survive the cold winter months here! I will always remember the advice I'vebeen giving on here.And I knowI can come to RO with any rabbit question, and someone will know the answer.

In life wise, RO has taught me that there are all different kinds of people from different places that share a passion for one thing. It has also taught me to learn to respect and learn from other people opinions. I used to just ignore and forget other people opinions that I didnt agree with. But I realized from being on RO, that if you read someone's opinion and take something from it, and learn from it, it will help you out to understand them more and where other people are thinking from.I think that's the biggest thing I've learned. The other thing I've learned is, age doesnt matter! Everyone can learn from everyone, not matter how old you are.

:heartsI LOVE RO!:hearts

Karlee