Rabbits in Malaysia

This post is to share specific little bits of bunny things and where we got them in Malaysia. No more googling for items and seeing everything quoted in US dollars. (Aw, I do feel a little like a left-out foreigner sometimes.) 

To the fellow Malaysians out there who also have beloved rabbit(s) as a part of the family: I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that, when it comes to rabbits, there is just so much lacking compared to other countries. For one, there aren't many good choices if you need a rabbit vet. Another, whenever the term "Adopt, don't shop" phrase pops up, you think: "I want to. But where? There are no organisations or anything rescuing rabbits here ... "

On a lighter note, you're usually the only one having a herbivorous furry among your relatives while the rest of them have dogs and cats. When your friends see photos of your rabbit, more often than not the reaction you get is: "Wah! You don't keep in cage meh? Just walk around the house like that ah?"

The Sea Dog

Introducing a new member of the family: Wegan (from the term "Vegan". Though being a dog, Wegan is not a vegan.)

Wegan was an abandoned puppy. It was unlikely that she was born a stray, because my mother found her in a cardboard box, which was discarded on the edge of a small nearby forest. It was lucky she didn't venture out from the box, otherwise she would have tumbled down a slope and who knows how deep into the bushes.

Wegan in a cage

One-Month-Old Rabbit

"I just bought a rabbit. He's a baby, only a month old. What should I do?"

The dilemma of handling an animal looking so small, helpless and fragile.

On the blog, I have voiced that I am against the purchase of animals from pet shops - here is the article listing the reasons why a pet shop isn't the "furry wonderland" it is often seen as.

But all of my rabbits were bought from pet shops, and I love and care for them dearly. This may make me sound like a hypocrite, but the truth is, during that time, I wasn't aware of the big picture at all. I simply saw pet shops as a place where people could get animals.

There have been occasions where I see rabbit owners being shamed for knowing the truth, yet still buying another rabbit from the commercial pet store. Is that wrong? Think of it this way: the commercial pet industry isn't going to crumple within a day, and in cases where the animal in that cage really need helps ...

Regarding Pet Shops: Reasons Against the Commercial Purchase of Animals

Behind the image of the furry ball of cuteness … a reality not all fluffy and wonderful.

Those little rabbits people see sitting in a pet shop's cage? Often times, they are frightened of the human fingers prodding in between the metal bars. Have you ever noticed the small, startled “jump” a bunny would make when someone touches him/her?

And those other rabbits hunched up with their front paws tucked underneath? They are probably in distress and discomfort, due to a severe stomach upset from the inadequate diet they have to eat every single day.

Facts regarding pet shops:

• From their point of view, animals are products; items which can be sold to yield profit. Even if several rabbits fall ill and die, “so what”?
• Given the reproductive abilities of rabbits (1 female can give birth to 6-12 kits monthly), the pet store can easily get new ones to “replenish stock”.
• Most of the times, pet shops also sell rabbits who are too young. These young rabbits aren't even completely weaned – yet having the appearance of adorable miniature plushes, they attract many, many buy-on-impulse sales.