“Rabbits are the third most popular pet in the USA”

I was wondering where you found that citation? Here is a breakdown from the most recent annual Pet Owners’ Survey published by American Pet Products Manufacturers Association:

Breakdown of pet ownership in the U.S. according to the 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey
Number of U.S. Households that Own a Pet (millions)
Bird 6.4
Cat 38.4
Dog 44.8
Equine 4.3
Freshwater Fish 14.2
Saltwater Fish .8
Reptile 4.8
Small Animal 6.0

Total Number of Pets Owned in the U.S. (millions)
Bird 16
Cat 88.3
Dog 74.8
Equine 13.8
Freshwater Fish 142.0
Saltwater Fish 9.6
Reptile 13.4
Small Animal 24.3

(Taken from http://www.appma.org/press_industrytrends.asp)

Have you got another citation that places them higher than 4th or 5th place rankings (lumped in with all the other Small Animals, that is) as shown above?

“Rabbit people want the same consideration given to their rabbits that are given to cats and dogs.”

So how about cow people? Or chicken people? Or pig people? I know folks who keep all of those as pets.

Then there are horses, which ARE killed for meat in this country as well, despite the controversy over doing so.

I don’t dispute your statement that there is a “cultural relevancy” as to which animals are “more okay” to kill for meat than others. But I do point out that precisely BECAUSE it is an issue of cultural relevancy that there are far more shades of grey than the black-and-white issue that you seem to be trying to make it.

“Just for the record, I am vegan.”

Ah - okay. Now your position makes more sense. You’d prefer that NO animals be killed for meat at all (which takes it out of “cultural relevancy” and into an entirely different topic altogether). Thanks for clearing that up.

Just for the record, I am vegan. Many rabbit folks are vegetarians if not vegan and/or working on it. That any of us who claim to be humane should deprive another sentient being of his/her life for a mouthful of flesh is morally reprehensible and unacceptable in the 21st century. To drag our pets into the same moral morass is utterly disgusting.

Getting into some sort of “one kind of animal’s life is okay to take for this purpose but another is not” debate does not make sense to me at all. There are people who have cows as pets. As Gina points out, there are people who have chickens as pets. And so on. Which kinds of animal life are universally “okay” to take for this purpose? Which kinds are not? Those are questions with no answers.

As an *individual*, I might elect to eat or feed some kinds of meat, and refrain from choosing others. but but lovers of whatever species I choose to feed/eat could come along and offer the same arguments against my choice as RabbitWise offers against the choice of rabbit. Who’s to say whose arguments in that vein are any more “valid” than any others?

“Betrayal” is a human construct not shared by animals. Unless you’re living a purely vegan lifestyle, animals somewhere are going to die by our choice. As long as they were raised in humane conditions and killed by humane methods, that’s okay, and is integrally a part of the choice.

I would just ask that someone like RabbitWise be honest with us (and with his/herself) and if they are pushing a purely vegan viewpoint, then just say so. Otherwise, the argument is riddled with logical inconsistencies.

http://www.rawdogranch.com/rabbit_butchering1.htm

As someone who came off as very rabbit friendly and had rabbits that you “adore,” I am stunned that you are able to feed your cats ground up rabbits. “Humanely raised” does not justify it. There is no such thing as “humane meat.” Rabbits, like every other sentient being want to live out their lives and fear death. If you haven’t visited Hare Today, you are taking the word of Tracy Murphy that the rabbits who have the misfortune to fall into her profit grubbing hands are humanely raised. From what I have seen and read, we can know only what she herself portrays about her business. We happened to check. No USDA inspector has ever set foot in her place. Further, I can’t imagine a worse betrayal than raising an animal humanely and then one day deciding to slit its throat.

Your dismissive comment that dogs and cats are carnivores and have to eat meat is incredibly insensitive to the millions of us rabbit parents. Rabbits are the third most popular pet in the USA and with that status should not have to endure being fed to every one else’s pets as Tracy Murphy would have it. You have other options. Dogs BTW, are not obligate carnivores and can be fed a vegan diet. Cats are obligate carnivores but do not have to eat rabbit just because their owners now find it trendy or whatever. It is just as appropriate to feed kittens and small cats to Bull Pythons and cook up dogs for dinner as the Koreans and Chinese do as it is to serve up rabbits as pet or human “cuisine.” One could hope that you reconsider and do what is truly humane, not something that is masquerading as such.

Ick.

I don’t talk about my rabbits much, but I do have them. And have had them for awhile. Before dogs even! In fact, Phillip, will be NINE in November. My other bunny, Bounce, is an adopted stray from the local HS, so I have no idea how old she is, but I’ve had her for about 3 years. I adopted her after Phillip’s sister died in 2004. Sadly they don’t get along, so I have to keep them separated. And trust me I tried all the tricks. It was just a no go (even though their bunny date at the HS went well, go figure!)

Sorry if my posts were confusing. PetSmart is testing the sale of spayed/neutered dwarf bunnies. Where these bunnies will come from is another question — they will NOT come from rescue groups. (There are some webpages that suggest the bunnies will come from a large commercial breeder that also sells to labs — I don’t know if that is true or not.) Some PetSmart stores do already provide space to bunny rescue groups, and they say they will continue to do that. My point is that selling rabbits from a breeder (or possibly from a rabbit-mill) is counter-productive to helping find homes for the rescue rabbits. It seems they want the credit for helping rescue groups AND they also want the dollars from the customers — I doubt there is room for both. PetSmart will start making money from baby bunny sales, and the rescue groups will show fewer adoptions.