Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Rabbits Are Not People
It seems to be an obvious statement that rabbits are not people. But if it were really that obvious, we would not hear people say, "well I wouldn't like that if I were a rabbit."
Too often, I believe, people use that very logic when deciding how to care for their rabbits. They even use that logic in an authoritative tone to tell other people how they should treat their rabbits. In some cases, people are working to make laws based on the very notion that rabbits should be treated the way we would want to be treated - if we were rabbits.
But rabbits are not people. There are some very real differences besides the long ears and fur.
A rabbit's anatomy is geared toward reproduction. I would not want to have babies 120 days after the last time I had babies. But doesn't mean that it is a problem for a doe that is in good health.
I would not like to breed just three days after producing dead babies. I usually get a reaction from women who have had babies when I say it is okay to rebreed this soon. Some have told me that they would not have wanted a man near them three days after they delivered their son or daughter. Again, rabbits are not people.
To these women, I'd say that you probably weren't up and hopping just seconds after delivering either.
I like variety in my diet. I get bored with the same old things over and over again. I remember eating Fruit and Fibre cereal (apple flavor) every morning for over a year. I loved the stuff. Then one day I poured a bowl, couldn't face it, and never ate another bowl again.
A rabbit is never, ever going to approach his feed and decide that he is tired of the same ole pellets. He could, however, go off of feed if you switch his pellets too quickly.
I would not like to live in a cage, though you might take exception to my statement if you knew how many hours I voluntarily spend in my 6' x 10' computer niche! As long as rabbits have enough room to stretch up, walk, hop, sit, and and lie down at their full length, they are content in their cages. They often feel safer and more comfortable in their cage. How many times have you traveled to a show with a rabbit to have it want to spring from your hands at the sight of its own cage?
Rabbits are not people. They don't go stir-crazy if they don't have someone to talk to all day long, though they may relish your daily visit with them. They don't have all of the same needs that a human does. They do need stimulation (toys, petting, handling), security, predictability, consistency, and a relatively clean environment.
Rabbits are rabbits. They have needs. We have a responsibility to meet their needs. But we need to find out what rabbits really need and want, not just guess based on what we would want if we were a rabbit.
Laurie ¶ 11:09 AM
Too often, I believe, people use that very logic when deciding how to care for their rabbits. They even use that logic in an authoritative tone to tell other people how they should treat their rabbits. In some cases, people are working to make laws based on the very notion that rabbits should be treated the way we would want to be treated - if we were rabbits.
But rabbits are not people. There are some very real differences besides the long ears and fur.
A rabbit's anatomy is geared toward reproduction. I would not want to have babies 120 days after the last time I had babies. But doesn't mean that it is a problem for a doe that is in good health.
I would not like to breed just three days after producing dead babies. I usually get a reaction from women who have had babies when I say it is okay to rebreed this soon. Some have told me that they would not have wanted a man near them three days after they delivered their son or daughter. Again, rabbits are not people.
To these women, I'd say that you probably weren't up and hopping just seconds after delivering either.
I like variety in my diet. I get bored with the same old things over and over again. I remember eating Fruit and Fibre cereal (apple flavor) every morning for over a year. I loved the stuff. Then one day I poured a bowl, couldn't face it, and never ate another bowl again.
A rabbit is never, ever going to approach his feed and decide that he is tired of the same ole pellets. He could, however, go off of feed if you switch his pellets too quickly.
I would not like to live in a cage, though you might take exception to my statement if you knew how many hours I voluntarily spend in my 6' x 10' computer niche! As long as rabbits have enough room to stretch up, walk, hop, sit, and and lie down at their full length, they are content in their cages. They often feel safer and more comfortable in their cage. How many times have you traveled to a show with a rabbit to have it want to spring from your hands at the sight of its own cage?
Rabbits are not people. They don't go stir-crazy if they don't have someone to talk to all day long, though they may relish your daily visit with them. They don't have all of the same needs that a human does. They do need stimulation (toys, petting, handling), security, predictability, consistency, and a relatively clean environment.
Rabbits are rabbits. They have needs. We have a responsibility to meet their needs. But we need to find out what rabbits really need and want, not just guess based on what we would want if we were a rabbit.
Laurie ¶ 11:09 AM
