Why does a rabbit make a difference?

Yesterday when we were cooking out a friend stopped by with some rabbit to add to our grill. I don't eat meat, except fish, but I cook meat often for my fiancee and our friends. I know I am benig hippocritical, but I just couldn't let him use our grill to cook the rabbit. I don't believe that his life was any more important than a cow or a chicken, so why was I so adamant about it? I just kept getting an image in my head of the smoke smell from a cut up rabbit following me around the yard.

poor bunnies. I have a friend who's big on eating rabbits, and to tell you the truth, I think I would eat one too. But just not go out of my way do so. How did your friend take it when you refused? It used to be really common to eat rabbit, and you see them more and more in the supermarket. I guess it's hard because they're so darn fluffy and cute, it's harder to justify eating them.

Too funny that you posted this...I just posted a thread about a new bunny that we added to the household. Lol...

That's so funny you wrote, maherwoman! I read this thread then yours, and thought "oh, I hope she doesn't read about the bbq rabbit"!

Originally Posted by pushylady

That's so funny you wrote, maherwoman! I read this thread then yours, and thought "oh, I hope she doesn't read about the bbq rabbit"!

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LOL!! Funny thing is by your title, I thought you might have the same question I do...LOL!!

Originally Posted by pushylady

poor bunnies. I have a friend who's big on eating rabbits, and to tell you the truth, I think I would eat one too. But just not go out of my way do so. How did your friend take it when you refused? It used to be really common to eat rabbit, and you see them more and more in the supermarket. I guess it's hard because they're so darn fluffy and cute, it's harder to justify eating them.

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He was understanding. I told him that I know I was being an idiot, but it just bothered me. My DF said I was being "militant." I think I did overreact...ugh, kind of flipped out and apoligized for that.
Theres a bunny that we named Roger who has been hanging around our backyard. I don't know if thats why it bugged me so much.

Originally Posted by maherwoman

Too funny that you posted this...I just posted a thread about a new bunny that we added to the household. Lol...

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(Foot in mouth) I didn't know about your post, but I'll look for it now.

Originally Posted by Rockcat

He was understanding. I told him that I know I was being an idiot, but it just bothered me. My DF said I was being "militant." I think I did overreact...ugh, kind of flipped out and apoligized for that.

Theres a bunny that we named Roger who has been hanging around our backyard. I don't know if thats why it bugged me so much.

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I would say that's definitely why you were so bothered...poor Roger...LOL!!

I, for one, am glad you were militant about it...I've never had a pet bunny before, but even before I brought her (I think Bunny's a girl...not sure yet...lol) home, I didn't have the heart!!

When my sis and I where little Dad used to get three or four rabbits every yr. We would play with them and feed them all summer. Come fall..............you guessed it they would appear on the dinner table. Never ate them we made mom cook hot dogs for us. I don't know why people it them...

I couldn't eat any animal I've had as a pet!

I had pet rabbits as a kid. I would never eat a rabbit. Maybe it is hypocritical, because I eat other meat, and no rabbits aren't any more special than chickens. But to me, rabbits are pets.

When my bunnies got too populous, my Dad wanted to sell them. I would only sell them to people who promised to keep them as pets.

And no way would I want rabbits cooked on my grill or in my kitchen. No offense to the hunters or however they got them...no need for them to understand me either...but no bunnies are getting cooked or eaten here, either! Good for you to speak up and stand your ground, since it felt important to you!

I remember soon after I got my pet rabbit, I was visiting my parents and they served rabbit stew and joked that it was in honor of my new pet rabbit

The reason it felt weird to you, I bet, is that most people have encountered rabbits more as pets than as dinner. It just feels weird to cook an animal that in other circumstances you would pet and cuddle. It's similar to the feeling most people get when thinking about dogs or cats being cooked, except rabbits are more on the "fringe" because they've been used as food in Western societies for a long time.

I'm the same way. I'll eat fish, seafood, any red meat, some chicken and pork and whatnot, but I will not eat rabbit, lamb, veal, froglegs, duck, turtle, that's all I can think of for now, but I do the same thing.

My FIL keeps rabbits on his farm for food. When I first moved to Canada, we stayed there for a while and I used to pat the cute fluffy rabbit. One day we were eating dinner and Dave said something about rabbits. I said : "oh speaking of rabbits, I haven't seen that fluffy white one lately". He just looked at me funny, looked at my plate, then looked back at me. I lost my appetite real quick.

My boyfriend loves rabbits. He had one rabbit, named Midnight that he would show off to everyone. The 2nd day I ate lunch with him he showed me a picture of his rabbits.

When he had to give away his rabbits, he gave them to a family friend who owns a farm. We were up there visiting for the weekend and of course, there was one of Midnight's babies on the table. I pretty much refused but JosÃ[emoji]169[/emoji] ate it because he likes the taste of rabbit.

I never knew you could love rabbits and love the taste of them.

WOW, You guys are great! Thanks for all the support!

Originally Posted by StacieJ

My boyfriend loves rabbits. He had one rabbit, named Midnight that he would show off to everyone. The 2nd day I ate lunch with him he showed me a picture of his rabbits.

When he had to give away his rabbits, he gave them to a family friend who owns a farm. We were up there visiting for the weekend and of course, there was one of Midnight's babies on the table. I pretty much refused but JosÃ[emoji]169[/emoji] ate it because he likes the taste of rabbit.

I never knew you could love rabbits and love the taste of them.

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Farmers are different. The rest of us have the priviledge (?) of eating animals we never had to meet. DH grew up very poor, and they raised their own beef and hogs. He even helped his Dad butcher them. Without that, the family would have starved.

But personally, I grew up on the sanitized version...where you don't think about it. But a century ago, many people raised their own meat. I had a friend growing up who's Dad raised a calf every year, and none of the kids ate beef, unless it was a hotdog! LOL!

I've had pet rabbits and I don't think I could eat rabbit.

I couldn't knowingly eat rabbit. It's the pet thing. I could never really articulate the difference between a rabbit and, say, a lamb (also cute and wooly) until a few years ago, when it came to me in the middle of a conversation with someone, that what it really comes down to for me is: would the animal be welcome on my bed? Bunny, yes; lamb, no; cat, yes; cow, no; etc.