Hi All,
I posted one time a few weeks ago introducing myself & my 2 kitties and I haven't been back to this forum until now. (Due to a combo of being ill and busy!) Anyway, on another forum I belong to someone was wondering about getting a rabbit from a pet store and was questioning whether bunnies get fleas and what to do with the bunny if it gets ill after purchasing it.
Well...I responded to her post and I'm afraid I might've been a bit harsh, but I just had to get it off my chest as to how I felt about some people when they look to get a pet. I'm going to copy my response here. I guess I'm just looking for some validation and I'm hoping that others feel the same way I do. (I spoke with a coworker of mine today and she & I feel the exact same way about animals!!)
Here's my post:
First of all, I am not putting anyone down in this post, so please don't take anything I say as mean-spirited. I simply want to address some topics that I feel everyone should think about before getting a pet.
A bunny can definitely get fleas. However, you won't have to worry about fleas if you don't let the rabbit outside. Same with dogs & cats. If you're going to use a flea powder on the bunny (or any other animal for that matter), DON'T buy one over the counter. Some are dangerous and even deadly. Get flea medication from your veterinarian.
Regarding if the bunny gets sick shortly after purchasing it: my opinion is that when you get a pet, you're in it for the long haul and that means not returning it if it's ill. Instead, you take care of it and love it. That's why we have pets. (At least that's why people SHOULD have pets.) Think of it in another way: if it did get sick and you returned it, what would the pet store owner do? Put it to sleep? You never know. That's not very humane---and neither are pet stores for that matter.
I think pet stores should not be allowed to sell animals for the most part. (Fish, hamsters & gerbils are probably okay, but definitely not cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, chicks,...) Pet stores should only sell pet foods, toys, accessories, etc. If people want a pet, they should visit their local humane society or pet adoption service. There's plenty of homeless animals waiting for someone to love them (including rabbits), and if nobody comes for them, most of the time they're put to sleep. So sad and such a shame. The human race isn't always very human or humane.
As you can tell, I'm very passionate about animals. When I think of a potential war with Iraq, I don't think of the human losses...I think of the millions of innocent animals that would suffer because of the stupidness and thoughtlessness of people. We have no regard sometimes for animals' habitats!
I posted one time a few weeks ago introducing myself & my 2 kitties and I haven't been back to this forum until now. (Due to a combo of being ill and busy!) Anyway, on another forum I belong to someone was wondering about getting a rabbit from a pet store and was questioning whether bunnies get fleas and what to do with the bunny if it gets ill after purchasing it.
Well...I responded to her post and I'm afraid I might've been a bit harsh, but I just had to get it off my chest as to how I felt about some people when they look to get a pet. I'm going to copy my response here. I guess I'm just looking for some validation and I'm hoping that others feel the same way I do. (I spoke with a coworker of mine today and she & I feel the exact same way about animals!!)
Here's my post:
First of all, I am not putting anyone down in this post, so please don't take anything I say as mean-spirited. I simply want to address some topics that I feel everyone should think about before getting a pet.
A bunny can definitely get fleas. However, you won't have to worry about fleas if you don't let the rabbit outside. Same with dogs & cats. If you're going to use a flea powder on the bunny (or any other animal for that matter), DON'T buy one over the counter. Some are dangerous and even deadly. Get flea medication from your veterinarian.
Regarding if the bunny gets sick shortly after purchasing it: my opinion is that when you get a pet, you're in it for the long haul and that means not returning it if it's ill. Instead, you take care of it and love it. That's why we have pets. (At least that's why people SHOULD have pets.) Think of it in another way: if it did get sick and you returned it, what would the pet store owner do? Put it to sleep? You never know. That's not very humane---and neither are pet stores for that matter.
I think pet stores should not be allowed to sell animals for the most part. (Fish, hamsters & gerbils are probably okay, but definitely not cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, chicks,...) Pet stores should only sell pet foods, toys, accessories, etc. If people want a pet, they should visit their local humane society or pet adoption service. There's plenty of homeless animals waiting for someone to love them (including rabbits), and if nobody comes for them, most of the time they're put to sleep. So sad and such a shame. The human race isn't always very human or humane.
As you can tell, I'm very passionate about animals. When I think of a potential war with Iraq, I don't think of the human losses...I think of the millions of innocent animals that would suffer because of the stupidness and thoughtlessness of people. We have no regard sometimes for animals' habitats!
