# Pet shops



## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

Where do shops such as Pets at Home get rabbits to sell? Ethical or unethical to buy a pair of rabbits to keep as pets from a pet shop?

What about rehoming young rabbits from a rescue? Where would you suggest would be the best place to look?

Or what about breeders? What would be problem areas you'd be looking at?

TIA


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

pah get their animals from mills, where they are bred in mass with no care to health or genetics

with over 35,000 rabbits in rescue at any given time, it would be much better if you could adopt from a rescue rather then a breeeder

if you did decide to go to a breeder, the trick is to ask questions and more questions, you also want to make sure they are breeding for ethical reasons and have a good understanding of genetics, and their animals welfares always comes first, which means they dont keep their breeding stock in tiny 2ft, 3,ft or 4ft breeder blocks


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2011)

Lil Miss said:


> pah get their animals from mills, where they are bred in mass with no care to health or genetics
> 
> with over *35,000* rabbits in rescue at any given time, it would be much better if you could adopt from a rescue rather then a breeeder
> 
> if you did decide to go to a breeder, the trick is to ask questions and more questions, you also want to make sure they are breeding for ethical reasons and have a good understanding of genetics, and their animals welfares always comes first, which means they dont keep their breeding stock in tiny 2ft, 3,ft or 4ft breeder blocks


I couldn't agree more, except the number of rabbits in rescue is more like 55,000 now so I am told


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

35,000 is the official number at the moment, but they are working on getting a more up to date figure 
either way, its much too high


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## Rini (Jun 23, 2010)

I know that my PAH gets rabbits from local breeders. Might not be all the rabbits they get as I do not work there and don't know the behind the scenes but I bought my second rabbit from a little breeder and she was the last one as PAH had just took all of the rabbits but her.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Elles said:


> Where do shops such as Pets at Home get rabbits to sell? Ethical or unethical to buy a pair of rabbits to keep as pets from a pet shop?
> 
> What about rehoming young rabbits from a rescue? Where would you suggest would be the best place to look?
> 
> ...


Definitely unethical
I'd never get any of my animals from any pet shop, even if they got their 'stock' (god I hate that word!) from a breeder rather than a rodent farm, I'd seriously question the ethics of a breeder who cares little enough about their animals that they'd risk selling them via somewhere like [email protected]
I was lucky with my boy as we saw him advertised free to a good home, got him vaxed, neutered & we are looking for a companion for him & are going down the rescue route for her
I wouldn't hand over money to a BYB or pet shop but I'd be willing to pay for a rescue


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2011)

Rini said:


> I know that my PAH gets rabbits from local breeders. Might not be all the rabbits they get as I do not work there and don't know the behind the scenes but I bought my second rabbit from a little breeder and she was the last one as PAH had just took all of the rabbits but her.


I would seriously question her ethics if she is willing to sell to any pet shop let alone [email protected] :huh:


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

FFS why can't it just be easy. lol

It's my daughter who wants a rabbit. She saw baby lop eared dwarf rabbits in [email protected], decided she wanted one and is now setting up a home in preparation. 

Having looked into it first, she has decided she has to have two rabbits and their space needs to be more than she originally thought, but hadn't looked into the ethics of where to get them, she'd seen the ones she wanted in [email protected], so hadn't looked any further. I couldn't find much info in a general google on the 'net. Most of it relates to the US.

I was hoping to find a couple of links describing the current situation with bunnies, especially if [email protected] would be supporting the wrong kind of breeding and selling, even if it is 'just' bunny rabbits. 

My last guinea pig (of a pair I had) was put to sleep 2 weeks ago, he was 5. She could have just brought a rabbit home and used my old guinea pig housing, but piggies lived in the house most of the time, with free range downstairs, a tray to do their business in and a safe area with toys etc. for when I was out, The outside run and hutch I have were the bare minimum and wouldn't be suitable for bunnies.

Don't you just get fed up with humans and their money making, breeding, none ethics.


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

Read this...

PETS AT HOME/ DONT - Greenwich Rabbit Rescue


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Despite the traditional thinking that bunnies make good children's pets, they really don't- keeping them properly is actually quite hard work- they're a social species, many of them aren't as up for cuddles as people believe, they should be neutered/spayed as it has health benefits, they need 1 set of vaccs once a year (VHD) & 1 set of vaccs every 6 months (myxomatosis), they also live for quite a while. A child may love caring for them but will a teenager feel the same?
My daughter's 12 & has most of the resonisbilities (under supervision) but ultimately it's the grown up who is the one responsible one
Saying that they are lovely, entertaining, gentle little characters that are rewarding to share your life with


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

If you use facebook here's another bit of reading for you...
https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35481570113&v=wall


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## Rini (Jun 23, 2010)

B3rnie said:


> I would seriously question her ethics if she is willing to sell to any pet shop let alone [email protected] :huh:


A lot of people still have old school views on animals. It was probably a relief that they could guarantee a place for the rabbits and that they wouldn't be left with any that could be sold.

This was a while ago, animal care has changed so much in recent years as people learn and realise new things.


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

My daughter's 21 and my youngest. 

She resisted the temptation to buy on impulse and bung a bunny in my piggie hutch, in order to do research into what bunnies need and knows about inoculations etc., she's been brought up well. lol

It just hadn't occurred to her that there might be something not right about buying from a pet shop. Same as most people I expect. *sigh*


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

Thank you for the links, I will show them to my daughter.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Elles said:


> My daughter's 21 and my youngest.
> 
> She resisted the temptation to buy on impulse and bung a bunny in my piggie hutch, in order to do research into what bunnies need and knows about inoculations etc., she's been brought up well. lol
> 
> It just hadn't occurred to her that there might be something not right about buying from a pet shop. Same as most people I expect. *sigh*


Ooh sorry
She's definitely old enough to take responsibility, believe me, 3 years ago I wouldn't have known pet shops were one of the worst places to buy animals but we all learn, & hopefully go on to try to help other people make informed decisions


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

I do feel a bit responsible. I showed her videos on you tube a few weeks ago:

Bu Clicker Training - Salto - YouTube

Bù Clicker Training - Giravolta - YouTube

How can anyone resist.


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## Hel_79 (Jun 14, 2011)

Not that you need 'approval' but I just wanted to add that it's great to read that your daughter is doing research and preparation, rather than simply acting on impulse, and that you're endeavouring to find out more yourself so you can help and advise her.

I only acquired my bunny a couple of months' ago after 'rescuing' him from my stepdaughter. She bought him on impluse as a young teen but struggled to care for him properly and didn't have any other family support to do so.

As a newbie I found the advice on this forum invaluable, so I hope you will too


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## jo-pop (May 27, 2011)

There is nothing more rewarding than rescuing an animal and see it develop trust and a new found love for life. All my animals have been rescued in one way or another, both my rabbits are from RSPCA. It's just a lovely thing to do.

Have a little look here and see if any take her heart Rabbit Rehome - Adopt a unwanted bunny from a rescue centre

http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/rehoming/petsearch

Best of luck and keep us updated


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

I really love coming here and seeing someone actually questioning where to get an animal and doing the right research, its quite refreshing, if only everyone was like you.


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

I volunteer at an animal rescue with the the rabbits. I have seen nice baby rabbits turn into grumpy adult rabbits and odd baby rabbits turn in to lovely 
adult rabbits. 

I really would recommend visiting a rescue centre, they will let her sit and hold friendly rabbits and she'll fall for a pair of them. Give your nearest a call and book an appointment so your guaranteed some proper time with the rabbits. 

They will be neutered and spayed, vaccinated, wormed all in all saving you £100 per rabbit.


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