Spring Creek Gems®
Netherland Dwarf Rabbits
"The Gem of the Fancy"
East Tennessee
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BREEDER vs HRS
There are two factions in the rabbit world. Breeders who are dedicated to improving the breed, and the pet owners who subscribe to the HRS (House Rabbit Society) and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) school of thought. While HRS and PETA have noble intents to some extent, there's a broad line between helpful and extremist. HRS and PETA are extremist organizations that refuse to acknowledge views other than their own. PETA is well known for using terrorist tactics to make their point.
Breeders are well aware of how misinformed these "humane" factions are in regards to rabbits. Pet owners are sadly often misled.
A recent discussion on a rabbit forum (mostly made up of breeders) brought up a pet rabbit forum that is so close-minded so as to exclude anyone who breeds rabbits. Internet "stalking" is employed to find out if a new member is in fact a breeder, and apparently they are quite accomplished at it. Anyone suspected to be a breeder or have pro-breeder views is promptly banned. They refuse to acknowledge that a breeder might know more than they do about rabbits. At the same time, they profess a liberal attitude toward personal opinion. An ironic fact was noted in regards to this pet forum. Its initials are "BS"!
What follows are the myths generated by the anti-breeder factions, and the facts as breeders know them.
Myth: Breeders are responsible for the high numbers of rabbits surrendered to shelters.
Fact: Pet owners are responsible for shelter rabbits. Breeders have other outlets for their excess rabbits, and yes, not all are for the pet market. Rabbits were originally domesticated for their value as food and fur animals. Many breeds are still used for those purposes. Love your angora sweater? It probably came from a rabbit. And no, an angora rabbit is not slaughtered to harvest its wool. It's sheared without any pain or distress just like sheep. Actually less stress as wool breeders love their rabbits and treat them as pets. They are used to being groomed often and have sweet personalities due to the frequent handling. Not so much with sheep. Breeders do not surrender animals to shelters, but we have no control over what happens to the ones we released to what we thought would be responsible pet owners.
Myth: Rabbit is not viable source for meat.
Fact: Rabbit meat is a healthy and fat-free source of protein. Remember the canned cat and dog food fiasco? Many dog owners turned to rabbits to supply their pets with safe fresh meat. Dogs and cats are carnivores, they need meat. It has to come from somewhere. Do you support wildlife conservation? Rabbits are the natural prey of carnivorous birds and mammals. Raptor rescue centers often rely in part on donated rabbit meat. Zoos and reserves may accept donations as well. Breeders supply these needs.
Myth: Breeders are in it for the money.
Fact: Yeah right. Any show rabbit breeder will tell you more money goes into the rabbitry than into the bank account. We're lucky to break even. We are in it for the love of our breed, and the enjoyment we get from socializing with other rabbit breeders. It's a hobby, and hobbies rarely generate income. That's not to say there aren't "bunny mills" out there. There certainly are, and they are the ones giving responsible breeders the bad name. If you run across a site with insane numbers of different breeds, and high numbers of animals for sale at all times, with no mention of their showing results, it's probably a mill. You won't see that on a show breeder's site. We breed to improve the show rabbit, and not indiscriminately. We sell some here and there to keep our head count managable. If necessary, we give them away. And yes, there are those other outlets.
Myth: Get a pet rabbit from a rescue or shelter, not a breeder.
Fact: Animals in shelters were surrendered for a reason. In most cases, they were bought on impulse from a pet shop or mill. They weren't socialized, possibly abused or neglected, and became unmanagable for the inexperienced owner. They were often sold too young, and the buyer thought they were getting a purebred dwarf rabbit, when in fact, they bought a 4 week old that grew into a huge 10 lb rabbit they couldn't handle. Pet shop owners rarely know what breed they are selling because they bought them too young from a mill or backyard pet breeder. Or they lie. Small and cute sells, but these poor babies were too young to even leave their mother. Often pet shops sell these mixed breed bunnies for the same price or more than you'd pay to a breeder. Rescue rabbits may have been abused or neglected, and kind-hearted souls may be taking on a special-needs rabbit they aren't really equipped to handle.
Myth: Breeder rabbits are unsocialized or bad tempered.
Fact: Show breeders handle their rabbits a lot. They are groomed often. They're trained to behave and pose for a judge. Most of us handle the babies from the day they are born. They grow up comfortable with and even craving human contact. They've been bred to have strong immune systems. Rabbits from a mill, pet shop, or shelter probably didn't get this same loving care. Most breeders are doing so to improve the breed for show, and as a result, breed sweet-tempered rabbits. Bad tempers don't go far on the judging table. The bunnies sold as pets come from this same stock and responsible breeding. Bad tempers are not tolerated, and no responsible breeder would ever knowingly sell or even give a nasty rabbit to anyone. If you want a healthy, socialized, purebred rabbit, see a breeder.
Myth: The HRS knows what's best for the health and well-being of rabbits.
Fact: It was noticed on the "BS" forum that there was a high number of "Rainbow Bridge" memorials. Many of these bunnies died at a young age from complications due to the diet endorsed by HRS. In some cases from required spay/neuter contracts. How sad. Many breeders can claim rabbits living out their rather long lives as pampered "Social Security" pets after they've become too old for breeding. Which brings up the next few myths.
Myth: A pellet diet is inadequate. Rabbits need a fresh food diet.
Fact: Pellet feeds are formulated to meet a rabbit's nutritional needs. Feed manufacturers couldn't stay in business if their feed wasn't of good quality. Rabbit breeders know this, and the health and quality of their rabbits is proof. Feeding only fresh food is a recipe for disaster. You can't compare domestic rabbits to wild rabbits. Wild rabbits are the product of natural selection and they adjust to what's available to them or not. Domestic rabbits don't have these natural immunities or the constitution to live on a fresh diet only. They need what the feed companies have researched as best. The above mentioned deaths were due to a strict fresh fruit and veggie diet (and other unnecessary and dangerous things) that caused severe diarrhea or intestinal impaction. This is even more dangerous for young bunnies. Quality pellet and fiber in the form of good grass hay are what domestic rabbits need. Save the fresh things for treats.
Myth: Spay / neuter.
Fact: This is a very dangerous operation for rabbits. There aren't that many vets who are knowledgable enough about rabbits to safely perform the surgery. The anesthesia alone can kill a rabbit, and the smaller the rabbit, the higher the risk of miscalculated dosage. While it can be recommended for male rabbits in controlling some nasty buck behaviour, it's not really necessary for females. It's also more invasive for the does, increasing the risk. It's said that virgin does will develop uterine cancer, but there haven't been enough studies to support it. Is it worth the risk to your pet?
Myth: Single rabbits will get lonely. They need a buddy.
Fact: Rabbits are not social animals. In fact, they are aggressively territorial loners. In nature, they only come together to mate. The doe raises the litter alone and will fight other rabbits off. Yes, a pair can bond if raised together, but often hormones take over when they come of breeding age. If a pet rabbit receives plenty of attention from its people, it will be quite happy as the only rabbit in the house. It will also eliminate the need for spay/neuter risk if they never come in contact with the opposite sex. Even intact bucks can be pleasant pets if there are no other rabbits to trigger territorial or mating instincts.
Myth: Solid floor cage is better than wire floor.
Fact: This is more a matter of personal preference than what is better. It's much easier to clean a wire floor cage, and the rabbit won't be in confined contact with its own waste. A resting board can be provided to give the bunny's feet relief from the wire, and many breeders use these. A solid floor cage is rarely large enough to allow the rabbit to get away from its toilet, and it's usually scattered around the cage anyways. They have no choice but to sit in it.
Myth: Run to the vet for every little thing and spend insane amounts of money on health care.
Fact: As mentioned above, few vets are rabbit-savvy. Breeders consider themselves very lucky if they have a knowledgable vet at their disposal. Vets often fall back on cats for whatever treatments they try. While some broad spectrum treatments may be suitable for rabbits, many are dangerous. Breeders have been employing home remedies from the beginning, and are mostly in agreement on what works and what doesn't. They've spent as much time on trial and error as animal researchers. You might ask a breeder before you pay out big money to a vet. If your pet bunny has a healthy diet and environment, chances are good you'll never need a vet.
In conclusion. Before you decide the HRS is the only true source of information, see what breeders have to say. They have years of experience behind their knowledge, and a wide network of fellow breeders to help.
Related Info: Feeding; Pet Care; Problems; Glossary; Links
* DISCLAIMER * This article was written from personal experience and opinion, and some input from other breeders. It is intended as a guide only. Other breeders may disagree or have other methods.
This article or any part of this site may not be reproduced without permission.
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