Thailand's Bunnies Face Uncertain Future After Year Of Rabbit

[Lite Beer]

Bunnies face uncertain future after Year of Rabbit

By Jirapa Boonpasuk.

The surge in the number of people adopting rabbits as pets in the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, due to the belief that it will bring good luck and prosperity and get rid of bad luck, has also spawned concerns that the pets might be abandoned when this fad fades away.

As sales of rabbits in Asia soared, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a campaign on rabbit rights in China.

Thailand saw a similar trend as in China. Many rabbit farms revealed that the number of people buying them as pets since January had gone up 2-3 times.

Most customers were students and young people living in apartments. Holland Lop and Netherland Dwarf were the most popular, selling for Bt1,500-Bt20,000 per head, while Thai rabbits went at Bt150-Bt200 per head.

Wasawat "Aom" Wannathong, owner of Royal Bunny Farm, said that many farm owners knew there could be an issue of abandonment once people grew tired of the rabbits, partly because these pets required a lot of caring. He said his farm always provided information to customers about rabbit care and regularly provide post-sale advice. The farm also has a policy not to sell rabbits less than a month and a half old.

Contrary to the widely held belief that rabbits have a very short life, Aom said they actually could live for 8-10 years. He said the belief was mainly because most people bought them from markets where vendors sold three-week-old rabbits, whose digestive system was very vulnerable. These rabbits, when fed with fresh vegetables that were not clean, suffered from diarrhoea and died, he added.

Besides dealing with the issue of rabbits' early death, the issue of abandonment was also dealt with by the rabbit lovers' club via the Web board http://www.rabbitcafe.net about "temple rabbits" (rabbits left by owners at temples) for over two years now. The group also backs a project "rabbits of Wat Uthaitha-ram" in Bangkok's Huai Kwang area and another project "rabbits of Nakhon Pathom" to help find new homes for the abandoned pets and raise funds for their care.

The project coordinator, Chaiyasit Julkitsuwan, expressed concern about possible rabbit abandonment after the high sales this year. He urged people to study information about raising rabbits before actually taking them home.

Bangkok's Dusit Zoo is reportedly another popular site to abandon the pets as many lovers who raised the rabbit together, dumped the pet when their relationship broke up.

The zoo's animal hospital official, Pannarai Rattarom, said the rabbits at the zoo were donated by owners to the zoo's rabbit adoption project, to help them find new homes. In January alone, 30 rabbits were "donated" to the zoo. "Those leaving them in the hospital's care often just walked in carrying the rabbit cage and all the tools to hand over to us. They cite various reasons like an allergy, grew tired of and could no longer raise the pet, or moving abroad. Some rabbits were also sick so the hospital treated them before moving them to the adoption project," she said.

So, before you buy that cute rabbit as a gift for a loved one or as a new pet for good luck, you should also keep in mind all the information about caring for this pet and your intention to have them. Or, this gesture to woo good luck or love could turn into a sin.

-- The Nation 2011-02-06

[londonthai]

in china they will be eaten by people, in thailand they would became pray for dogs and snakes.

unlike cats (or dogs) rabbits can't survive by themselves in town, they have a chance to fend for themselves in the countryside

[kuffki]

"has also spawned concerns that the pets might be abandoned when this fad fades away."

MIGHT BE? I guess the author is living in some kind of denial.

It is not "might be" it is 100% will be for a large number of pets, or simply die, because once the year is up, they will forget to feed them for weeks if not more.

How many take puppy or kitten, because they all so cute and once they grow up-nice new home on the street.

Edited February 6, 2011 by kuffki

[gotlost]

in china they will be eaten by people, in thailand they would became pray for dogs and snakes.

unlike cats (or dogs) rabbits can't survive by themselves in town, they have a chance to fend for themselves in the countryside

NZ rabbits sell for 1200 baht per kilo at Rimping in Chiang Mai and domestic rabbits sell for 450 baht per kilo. Raising rabbits for meat has become a very very big business in Thailand. Hip Hop Hip Hop.

[PoorSucker]

Rabbit Recipes How to Cook Rabbit

[animatic]

Rabbit Recipes How to Cook Rabbit

They are just another market produce in much of Europe, particularly France.

I have 3-4 of my own recipes for Rabbit.

[mca]

The surge in the number of people adopting rabbits as pets in the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, due to the belief that it will bring good luck and prosperity and get rid of bad luck, has also spawned concerns that the pets might be abandoned when this fad fades away.

I suppose we have to be thankful for small mercies and be glad there isn't a Year Of The Rhino. Although I reckon every year should be Year Of The Tiger. Sit back in a deckchair with a bowl of popcorn and watch a bit of natural selection at work.

Edited February 6, 2011 by mca

[dumball]

In Englands post war years , I reared and sold rabbits as a food source , very healthy almost fat free meat if properly fed , the most I could contain was 100 as they are a lot of work to keep healthy and cleaned . I never saw any for sell in the markets of Thailand nor here in Cambodia , maybe I should start a small farm in the village .

[Bagwan]

In Englands post war years , I reared and sold rabbits as a food source , very healthy almost fat free meat if properly fed , the most I could contain was 100 as they are a lot of work to keep healthy and cleaned . I never saw any for sell in the markets of Thailand nor here in Cambodia , maybe I should start a small farm in the village .

After skinning them you could sell the coats to all those Thais dying of cold. This is Thailand so I'd call it ermine, a sure seller to the well heeled.

[surayu]

Yes in Italy we eat lots of rabbits too, the taste is unique, i never seen it for sale here in LOS, also horse meat is never found which is often suggested from GP's to patients suffering of anemia, but i see instead crocodile meat, wild boar, ostrich......also lamb meat can be difficult to find, in VillaMarket i have seen lots of imported lamb from NZ but it doesn't come "cheap"...

[kuffki]

i hope people realize you are talking about eating your own pet rabbit who people have raised and hand fed, played with and petted on daily basis.

These are not rabbits from the rabbit farm, its like if you have a dog or kitten and you raise it while its a cute puppy and then eat it.

Even thinking along those lines is simply barbaric.

[surayu]

Yes Kuffki, i agree that killing anything that was once alive just to eating it, doesn't suppose to be the way to survive on, life is a cruel circle. Back home we lived once in a property where we had rabbits, hens, chickens and once even a lamb, all of which i hand feeded sometimes and played with too (i was a kid), then all of a sudden you see them disappearing and you realize that they become the tasty dinner of the evening....you just have to dissociate the image you had of them from the food they become, because if you start thinking that every single piece of meat was once an happy living creature with feelings etc... i don't think you could eat anymore, some scientific research claimed even plants are capable of having human like feelings, like the pleasure of listening music, even by breathing air we are killing something which is alive....

[HeavyDrinker]

My missus refuses to believe that we eat rabbit in the UK.

For years I've been after some rabbit meat here in BKK! If anyone sees any give me a shout!

As sales of rabbits in Asia soared, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a campaign on rabbit rights in China.

I laughed for an hour when I read this and I'm chuckling again now. Don't some people have better things to do?

Rabbit Rights.....the very idea! Pshaw!

[bangon04]

in china they will be eaten by people, in thailand they would became pray for dogs and snakes.

unlike cats (or dogs) rabbits can't survive by themselves in town, they have a chance to fend for themselves in the countryside

As long as the zodiac is arranged so the year of the dog follows the year of the rabbit, so the abandoned dogs can eat the abandoned rabbits.

Similarly the year of the tiger and the year of the ox could be cleverly arranged.

And boy am I looking forward to the year of the dragon next time around.....

[mca]

And boy am I looking forward to the year of the dragon next time around.....

It would be quite disconcerting seeing all these abandoned dragons wandering around a few weeks after new year. Bet the fire brigade would have to be on their toes.

[Macmundi]

Wish there were hares here in Thailand. They're better eating.

[Payboy]

I still dont know what to do with my pet dragon. Any good recipes anyone?

[PoorSucker]

I still dont know what to do with my pet dragon. Any good recipes anyone?

Feed it to your bunny.

[simon43]

can't beat a tasty bunny...

[animatic]

My mother in law raises, feeds, and pets pigs, then butchers them and eats them. Pigs are smarter than rabbits, dogs and likely cats. It's called the food chain. People eat food, most all was living at some point, some more sentient than others.

Sure there are vegetarians and those that don't eat meat for moral reasons. I have known one who stopped eating vegetables too, because she saw a video about their 'auras dying when the roots are cut'. She ended up in a Anorexia Ward until the figured out it was because she was 'too compassionate to eat anything that was alive', and couldn't find enough things that had died naturally to sustain her own life. She changed wards after 3 months and 3 months later was let out, and now actually eats food without guilt.

So don't eat your pets, but also don't take things to extremes.

I am sure Op Ed page writer Eric Bahrt is about to sign in and rant at me...