We raised rabbits when I was a child and my sister gave a rabbit a bath (she was 5) and it died..so heed this instruction.
I wasn’t going to reblog this, but then I realized I might save a rabbit.
This is important guys. If your rabbit gets into something gnarly and you HAVE to bathe them: 1. Fill a bowl with warm water. 2. Get a washcloth. Put it in the water. Squeeze it out until it is just damp. 3. Lightly scrub the dirty area on your bun. 4. That is it. DO NOT get your bun wet. Only slightly damp on the part that was dirty. (source)
VERY IMPORTANT! SAVE A BUNS LIFE!
Do not bathe your bun!!!!
IM HAPPY TO SAY IVE NEVER GIVEN MY BUN A BATH SHE DOES A GREAT JOB ALL ON HER OWN LIL HUN BUN
As most of you know, PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) produces lots of sexist, racist, fatphobic, and even ableist ads. Their ideologies match, unfortunately. They are incredibly unreasonable, too, and they effectively want to remove companion animals from human contact entirely.
Members of PETA have done the following to me.
Attempted to take my service dog’s leash
Threatened to take him away
Sent me death threats
Threatened to euthanize him out of “mercy”
Claimed that I am a “slavedriver” and “active participant in the speciesist h*l*caust” (Ah yes, please tell the romani-german-native girl that she’s basically a Nazi. Good idea.)
Left threatening voicemails on my phone.
Scared me so badly that I had to move house at one point
Grabbed my service dog
Tried to pry my hand off of my service dog’s harness
Threw paint on a faux fur-lined coat I was wearing (the paint got matted in my hair to the point where I had to shave my head)
Speaks openly on their hatred for service dog handlers.
Adding:
Their “Adoption” services are a complete lie. Do not bring an animal to a PETA facility or allow PETA volunteers or employees to take an animal. THEY WILL KILL IT.
Their own documentation shows that they euthanize approximately 90 – 97% of all animals they take in, on a yearly basis. This includes everything from seriously injured/ill animals, to healthy puppies and kittens.
They support Breed Specific Legislation, and call for the mass extermination of all “Pit Bull-type dogs”.
if there is anyone out there who doesn’t know this – this is really important. PETA kills and terrorizes animals. They do so for their own propaganda and in turn, profit. There is nothing ethical about their treatment of animals let alone other human beings.
Their position is, supposedly, that animals are equal to humans and as such use really ableist, racist, and wildly inappropriate metaphors that undermine real human oppression and suffering. Often just for shock value. If they applied their principle, then they are basically saying that mentally ill or struggling and homeless humans should be put to death on mass.
In addition to all of the above, they also promote the idea that dairy products cause autism.
Plus, they harassed Steve Irwin’s family while they were grieving his death.
They’re pretty terrible.
The Humane Society of the United States and the SPCA are where it’s at, if you want broad, effective, and ethical animal rights organizations on a national scale, though you can be really effective seeking out your local no-kill shelter or wildlife refuge.
If animals could talk or tell us what they think in plain language, they would say not to support PETA. I’m dead serious here, they would tell you not to.
god my neighbor just called me and she’s like… is this your chicken in our driveway… like who else has a chicken in this neighborhood yes it’s my chicken… so i get over there and kylo hen is chilling in their driveway eating some specs and stuff and there’s this actual crowd of people around her and i’m like… hi sorry mb let me get her… and oh my god… they’re like do you need us to call someone?? should we get help?? how should we do this?? do you need a net? like bitch it’s a chicken not a fucking komodo dragon. so i just… i was kind of joking around so i crouched down and patted my thighs and all the chickens are trained to come to me on sight because me = food… so i got down there and went “here girl!! come here!!” and the chicken comes running over and this group of actual adult ass individuals were staring at me like i was the fucking pied piper… and i didn’t know what to say…. so i just kind of walked back to my yard with the chicken following me and none of them moved or said a damn word and i think i literally just convinced them this chicken is trained like a dog…
Listen, friends, I have to get serious for a second here.
This is Asriel. You may have seen me post about her. Like all good pet owners, I love her. She’s my little baby girl.
And yes, she loves walks! She also loves cuddles and flowers and pets! People have fully stopped their cars on the streets to tell me how cute she is. They stop and ask if they can pet her or hold her. They ask if they can feed her a blade of grass or a clover. And I usually say yes (provided the lawn in question doesn’t use pesticides) because Asriel loves attention and she loves getting a little sun and a little exercise.
But then I always hear it. Every single time I walk her, it’s inevitable. Someone will say, “What a great idea! We should look into getting a bunny!”
STOP
Or at least pause. I’m here to tell you a few things about bunny ownership that are less glamorous than when I walk her in the park.
Rabbits poop. I know what you’re
thinking, you’re thinking, “lol my dog is a poop machine!” but you don’t
get it. If you dismiss this then you have no idea how much a bunny
poops.
This is Asriels litter box after one day. I
came home from work to this. Doesn’t look like a lot? Imagine if I forgot to clean it one day. Picture this doubled. Picture it tripled. I clean her litter box twice a day, three times if you count the one in her sleeping pen. It is required that I do this, or else she will get sick, and so will people who come into my apartment. And on that note
Just because MY bunny is trained, doesn’t mean YOUR bunny can be trained. Not
all rabbits will poop or pee in the litter box. Not all rabbits walk on
a leash. Not all rabbits want to cuddle. Not all rabbits want to be
picked up. You didn’t raise Asriel, and you didn’t see me train her. So you don’t know that I got her at a mere month old (the older a rabbit is, the harder they are to train). You didn’t see me follow her around the apartment for weeks with rubber gloves on. You didn’t see me spray her with a water bottle for trying to eat the carpet. You didn’t see me observe her behavior as carefully as possible so as to conform to her behavior, rather than expecting to train her in the same manner as a cat or a dog.
Rabbits have very specific diets. This isn’t like most pets where you can buy a specific brand of food and leave it at that. Asriel requires a harmonious mix of hay, pellets, vegetables, and fresh greens to keep her healthy and strong. The diets will vary depending on the individual rabbit and breed. ALL rabbits require CONSTANT access to hay for fiber and dental health. Pellets and vegetables (especially carrots, because they are high in sugar) should be given in limited amounts. Going against this diet is DANGEROUS. Digestion problems are very real in rabbits. Fun fact – did you know a rabbit can’t vomit? They have no way of expelling toxic substances aside from allowing their body to (at least attempt to) digest it.
Rabbits eat and chew on everything. This is not a habit you will break them of. It is in their nature. They see a cord hanging from the wall and it looks just like a delicious blade of grass to them. I have heard of rabbits eating entire textbooks, clothes, toys, cords, plastic, chewing on metal. They do not know how to differentiate between your favorite necklace and a tasty piece of celery.
Rabbits are EXPENSIVE. Asriel has to go to a specialized vet who has his office set up out of town. We have to take a cab to get there because no bus lines run there. That’s a $50 cab ride in addition to the $300 vet bill. Having her spayed alone was $350.
Vet visits are NOT optional Just because America doesn’t have any laws requiring rabbits be vaccinated or spayed/neutered, doesn’t mean you can neglect the healthcare of your rabbit. Regular veterinary visits are necessary to detect small issues before they become big ones. You need to seek out a vet who specializes in rabbit care and rabbit surgery. Spaying or neutering your rabbit will prevent hormone-driven behaviors and uterine cancer in female rabbits.
Rabbits need lots of space Bunnies have powerful hind legs that need to stretch, hop, jump, and run. A bunny trapped in a cage all day not only risks stress (which reduces your rabbit’s lifespan), but also depression and even muscular dystrophy. They need exercise and lots of freedom.
Rabbits bite and scratch Even Asriel does. As used as she is to being handled, when she wants down, she’ll let you know quick. They have sharp teeth and will nip if you do something they don’t like. Hell, some rabbits are cranky and will nip for no reason. Not all rabbits like to be handled. Just because Asriel cuddles under your chin doesn’t mean every rabbit will.
“But Typhon!” You may be saying, “Why even keep a rabbit if it’s so much work? Don’t you love your rabbit?”
YES! Asriel is the sweetest bunny and I am the luckiest bunny owner to have her. Dogs and cats are lots of work too, and nobody would argue that it isn’t worth keeping one.
But here’s the thing …
Every year, thousands of rabbits are adopted or purchased as Easter presents.
Every year, thousands of rabbits are abandoned, set free (a death sentence for domestic rabbits), or die because the people who receive them as presents do not know how to care for them.
It breaks my little bunny-loving heart. These are not bad people. I’m sure they wanted the best for their bunny. I’m sure they tried their best and just didn’t expect the commitment, or didn’t know any better.
Adopting a bunny means a commitment of 10 or more years. It is a financial and emotional commitment, and one that you should not take on without some SERIOUS research and preparation. I have sunk thousands of dollars into the care of my bunny, and while I cannot say enough that it is worth every penny, I bought her knowing what I was getting myself into.
So please, please, please say it with me …
Bunnies are not good Easter presents
Bunnies are not good Easter presents
BUNNIES ARE NOT GOOD EASTER PRESENTS
BUNNIES ARE NOT GOOD EATER PRESENTS
DO NOT BUY A CHILD A BUNNY FOR EASTER
DO NOT BUY ANYONE A BUNNY FOR EASTER UNLESS THEY ARE FULLY PREPARED TO CARE FOR IT
If you’ve read all of this and you still think you’d like a bunny – great! Goodness knows the shelters will be full of them a few weeks after Easter. I recommend giving https://rabbit.org/ a visit, and perhaps picking up a copy of The Rabbit Handbook by Karen Gendron. You should also do some research on veterinary care in your area, as well as calling up local pet stores to make sure they carry the supplies you’ll need to care for your rabbit. Make sure to get the supplies BEFORE you get the rabbit. No bunny should come home and not have a pen to sleep in.
Bunnies are great pets. They have a wide range of personalities just like cats and dogs. They can be shy, friendly, playful, skittish, cuddly, or nippy. All rabbits are good rabbits. I just beg of you, this Easter season, to remember that they are living creatures. They need constant care and attention, and while it’s well worth the effort, it’s not something to take lightly.
Asriel and I thank you for listening.
Living animals are not “lessons” for your children. It’s not their job to teach your child responsibility. They deserve a happy, fulfilled life with the best of care.
A BUNNY IS NOT JUST FOR EASTER!
What a great post!
When I was younger, my family took in an Easter bunny from friends who didn’t want to deal with it anymore. He had essentially been locked in a too small cage for his whole life, he was a long-haired rabbit so his entire body was a solid mat (and removing mats from a bunny is not easy… they have very thin skin), and he was completely unmanageable. He was over a year old at that point, was huge and very strong, was barely litter trained, was aggressive, humped everything, chewed and destroyed anything he could, etc. My family kept him for a year or so before he was rehomed to the local humane society. Who knows if he was able to be placed in a home or not or what ultimately happened to him… don’t get Easter bunnies lol
So my cousin’s family almost got taken in by the Pocket Pets sugar glider mill in the past couple days, and I’m still livid. Not at them, but the fucking company. Cousin had the handout they got from the stand & the fucking info….
– Sugar gliders make great pets! No they don’t.
– They get along great with dogs & cats! Sure, if you want a dead sugar glider.
– They’re not considered exotic pets! Are you fucking kidding me, even RABBITS are considered exotic pets you absolute shitstains.
– They’re so easy & cheap to feed with this ~vet-approved~ glider chow! Sure, if you want them to look & feel like shit because kibble is actually completely inappropriate for an animal that mostly eats insects, nectar, sap, fruit, and pollen. They need handmade diets that need a variety of unusual ingredients.
– They’re nocturnal so they won’t miss you while you’re at work! True….and they’ll probably keep you up all night while they jump around their cage & bark at each other. Hope you’re a deep sleeper!
– They can be seen by any vet that sees small animals! Okay, even if that were true, it’s harder than you’d think to find a vet that will see small animals & does so often enough to know more than bare basics. They’re an exotic marsupial from Australia, why the hell do you think any random vet is gonna be well informed on them??
– And the one thing they got right, they need a buddy because they will usually die of depression without a companion. Don’t worry about mentioning that, god forbid you scare customers off from sales.
DON’T TRUST POCKET PETS COMPANY. Sugar gliders do NOT make good pets for most people. They need large cages, glider-proofed environments to explore out of the cage, special diets, and they are loud & messy. They can live 12+ years & are a huge commitment. Never trust stands that sell animals in the mall & make them sound like the perfect pet. They are always ONLY concerned with making money.
Pugs are not cute. Pugs are malformed, inbred, sick animals that should never have existed.
(Above: pug and wolf skulls. Note the shallow eye sockets, crowded, protruding teeth, and short snout in the pug.)
Dogs pant to cool themselves. As pugs have practically no snouts, they have trouble cooling their bodies and they can suffer from organ failure as a result.
Pugs are often unable to breathe properly due to their short snouts and compact breathing passages. This inhibits their ability to do things that dogs like best – running, chasing things, playing.
Pugs suffer from a mangled jaw from which their teeth grow in all directions.
Because of the distorted shape of their skulls, their eyes commonly pop out of their heads. 60% of prolapsed eyes become blind. Eyes put back in the skull are prone to infection and the dog may need treatment for the rest of their life.
Their eyes are also prone to swelling painfully, becoming scratched, and being irritated by their eyelashes.
When excited, pugs are prone to getting fluid stuck in their throats, making them choke or gasp for breath. This is given the cutesy nick name “reverse sneezing”. [video]
As it can be difficult for pugs to exercise, they are prone to obesity.
Some pugs are born with their nostrils pinched almost shut, making it impossible for them to live without an operation.
The wrinkles on their faces will become infected without constant, careful cleaning by their caretaker.
About 64% of pugs suffer from hip dysplasia (malformed hip sockets) which causes crippling lameness and painful arthritis.
Pugs have a genetic weakness to demodectic mange (a pretty nasty skin condition caused by mites).
Their curled tail makes them susceptible to hemivertibrae – misshapen backbones which cause spine bending and instability, neurological disorders, back leg paralysis, incontinence, and pain.
Pugs are so inbred that a study of ten thousand pugs in the UK had the genetic makeup of only 50 individuals. Inbreeding means that defective genes are more likely to be expressed and passed on to offspring.
Necrotizing meningoencephalitis (brain swelling) is common among pugs. Dogs with this condition usually die within a few weeks.
I am so sick of seeing pugs being celebrated. Their small, squashed skulls, facial wrinkles, curled tails, and protruding eyes are actually valued when these characteristics are a cruelty in themselves.
Pugs are charming, sweet, funny little souls and they don’t deserve the bodies humanity has designed for them.
Stop celebrating pugs. Stop buying pugs.
let’s celebrate retro pugs instead
responsible breeders decided they liked the temperament but the health issues were a nightmare, so they fixed them, they bred them out
it’s retro as in before the muzzle was bred out
and look at them
the one on the left is a retromop and the one on the right is a (elderly) pug
they’re healthier, live longer and have all the pug benefits with none of the usual health issues because of the deformed skull
they have longer legs
making exercise easier, and yet maintained most of the pug looks, and yes, they have the pug grin
want a pug – get a retropug or retromop, a healther, happier, and possibly cheaper option
even though I love pugs, it’s important that people know this
Retromops are where it’s at friend. Keep 100% of the pug charm with 0%of the terrible unhealthy inbred deformity.
I fucking hate how the lives of small pets are totally devalued. Like, it’s a totally normal thing for someone to talk about how their fish keep dying or how they dropped their hamster and it’s played off as “Haha silly me,” as if you didn’t just snuff out the life of an intelligent being you promised to take care of. If someone leaves a dog in a hot car, though, they’re publicly shamed all over the news and may even face actual charges.
Make small pet abuse socially unacceptable 2k17.
This this this this this THIS THIIIIIIISSSS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
And reptiles too please. I’ve endured too many dead snake and lizard stories it’s horrible……
Seriously. Pets are lifetime commitments, not just some funny little anecdote. When my bird died, the entire family was devastated, because he was important to us. Laughing about how you mistreat or neglect your small pets is a shitty thing to do. Treat your animals with some fucking respect. Their lives are LITERALLY in your hands.
Bonus addition: Having to listen to people ask why you’re “wasting money on an animal that cost under $20?” or something similarly shitty.
Years ago, when we still had budgies, one of ours developed an RI so we took her to the vet (obviously) and had around a $90 bill for the exam, tests, and meds and my mom’s reaction when I mentioned it was, “It’s cheaper just to snap its neck, why did you waste money on an animal you got for free?”
That is disgusting.
I sent a pic of my receipt from a pet store after I got my fish a ton of new stuff to make a joke about how I spend more money on my aquatic friends than I do on myself and a new high quality filter and my friend was like “lol that thing is gonna be dead in a week anyway”
well jokes on them bc that was 4 years ago but either way, it’s a living thing, why wouldn’t I give them the same amount of care that I give my cats? like one time I was doing a water change and I called people to tell them I was gonna be late to meet them and someone said “just do it another day” and I got so mad bc would you live in a room filled with old food and shit? I literally sobbed when two of my fish died, they’re actual pets not decorations like ppl seem to think they are
ifesbob 