4 replies to this topic

[WillowWonders]

Hello!

I just got a pet sitting job and I have to watch a rabbit. The rabbit is living in a small-ish cage OUTSIDE, I didn't see any hay, the bottom of the cage is mesh (with a few pieces of cloth here and there) and a small litter box. I really want to help this rabbit, but I don't want to loose this job if I don't tell them nicely. How should I tell them?

Thank you guys!

[ChloesCritters]

Hello!

I just got a pet sitting job and I have to watch a rabbit. The rabbit is living in a small-ish cage OUTSIDE, I didn't see any hay, the bottom of the cage is mesh (with a few pieces of cloth here and there) and a small litter box. I really want to help this rabbit, but I don't want to loose this job if I don't tell them nicely. How should I tell them?

Thank you guys!

oh my ok so first what i would do is to reccomend them a bunny youtuber  (101 rabbits,lennon the bunny,sincerely cinnabun etc.) and you shouldn't say that "oh your care  is wrong your abusing your bunny".They may get very deffensive.I would try saying "this person seems knowlegable and they have adorable bunnies.You should go watch them".

[Alessia]

Like mentioned above make a good approach about the situation and don’t straight of the bat call them an abuser. Your more likely to succeed when you give a positive approach rather then a negative one. Recommend a pettuber who helped you or you found some interesting information from for example: Lennon the Bunny, If you don’t make a conversation about Lennon the bunny it will sound less pushy, I’d slide it into the conversation rather than force it upon the person. Like mentioned above You can use things like “Oh their bunny’s are so cute!” And “Wow this person knows what there talking about.” To interest the person and not just sound like boring rabbit research (a lot of bunny youtubers do make their videos engaging and make you want to learn more, so this shouldn’t be much of a problem.) You can also recommend some forums to them like this one: https://binkybunny.com/forums/ BUT make it sound fun and engaging and talk about the fun sections like the lounge and the rabbit Q & A on the forum.

Edited by Alessia, 08 September 2021 - 07:11 PM.

[ajuniceu~]

I agree with the above responses- try dropping it in casually during the conversation, such as “oh my friend has bunnies, and they have free range of the house” or perhaps watch 101rabbits when they are nearby, or talk kinda loud to someone else’s about proper bunny care while they’re in hearing range.

I don’t really recommend binkybunny forum much anymore as it isn’t very active and questions aren’t answered that quickly. I personally prefer rabbitsonline.net which is a lot more active.

[daisy~]

I would be more specific with what the issues are rather than referring them to a Youtube channel which they probably won't watch. Not everyone has the time or inclination to watch a lot of Youtube. Also, many adults associate Youtube with young people and children, and many pet Youtubers are also relatively young, so if your argument is based on Youtube, it may come across not very trustworthy (especially if you yourself happen to be under 18). Youtube and social media in general has a well-deserved reputation for not being a good source of information.

 

If you are able to point something out about the rabbit that supports what you're saying, that can really help. So check the rabbit's feet first. If you see any signs of soreness or any cuts, you can point them out to the owner and suggest that putting a solid floor in the cage instead the wire will help. People will often notice and appreciate your thoroughness and attention to detail, as it proves that you have been caring for the rabbit and looking out for its welfare, not just putting food in every day.

 

Personally, about the hay, I would be tempted to say something along the lines of "does your rabbit eat hay? I couldn't find any with the supplies you left and rabbits need to eat hay as the majority of their diet". If they come back and say "he doesn't eat hay" I might say "rabbits can get GI stasis if they don't eat enough hay, which is really serious". If he's just eating pellets he might be overweight (or will become overweight) and because excess weight makes it harder for them to clean themselves, he might have a sticky or dirty bottom, which attracts flies and increases the chance of fly-strike (even more so as he's outside, and summer has just finished) which is a horrible and often fatal disease. That's another thing you could point out to them. You could also link to a reliable-looking non-social-media website such as this, to back up your point.

 

I know it's hard to be direct (you don't have to be super direct, as others have said, don't just say "your care is bad", "there are issues with your care" etc, in fact just avoid using a negative adjective and "you" or "your" in the same sentence) but many people are able to recognise when someone is well-meaning and appreciate it. It's often easier to do it over email (if you're sending regular updates and photos, you could do it then) rather than in person.

 

Now there's always the possibility they will pretend to listen to your advice and then do nothing, or genuinely intend to do something, but then forget. But that isn't your fault as long as you've tried.