OP, your animal was not a toy. You were responsible for making a much more careful choice. You probably should;t adopt another.

Why isn't anyone blaming the bunny here? It seems highly reckless to hop off like that. Talk about lack of loyalty too. Sheesh. Millennial bunnies are so ungrateful. It's like they have no sense of family and just hop off on their merry way without a second thought.

Anonymous wrote:People. It's a rabbit. Say it with me. Rabbit. You're not 3.

You are one sick individual.

Anonymous wrote:People. It's a rabbit. Say it with me. Rabbit. You're not 3.

It may just be a rabbit, but it was a family pet that my children really loved and had grown quite attached to in the 4 years we've had him.

And *I* might not be 3, but my kids are 10 and 6. This isn't about me - it's about the kids.

I would be telling that friend to get lost too.

How did the family break the news to you? Has the mom been cavalier about it, or is she taking responsibility? They should get you a new bunny when and if you are ready. If it were me, I'd also be sending your family a sincere and heartfelt apology letter with a big box of treats as a gesture of kindness.

It sucks. I am sorry this happened.

Anonymous wrote:People seem so ambivalent. What if it was the family dog? Would your viewpoint change?

It requires a lot more negligence to lose a dog. Many people forget that rabbits can squeeze through very small spaces. Rabbits look bigger but can easily squeeze through the pickets in a picket fence for example. We have a picket fence that no dog is going to get out of. The pickets are about 2 inches apart. But each spring we have rabbits that squeeze into our yard and nest under some pine trees. Our yard is attractive because we do not have any pets, so the fence effectively keep predators and other animals like dogs away from the rabbits. Our kids only go out infrequently (usually only weekends), so they have our yard largely undisturbed. It's easy to think that a rabbit will stay in your fenced in yard for a quick trip to the bathroom and then find out when you get back that it squeezed through the pickets and got free.

10 year olds are stupid. I would put up fliers and ask the friend's mom to post on the neighborhood listserv. And I would contact vets and animal shelters in the area.

People. It's a rabbit. Say it with me. Rabbit. You're not 3.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old are the children who were bunny-sitting?

DD's friend is 10. They also have a 14 year old.

Yeah. 10 is not old enough to be solely responsible for another living being. You chose your bunny caregiver poorly. I'm sure the kid feels horrible though

The understanding was that the entire family would do it. All communication/directions were done via mom.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People seem so ambivalent. What if it was the family dog? Would your viewpoint change?

+1

+2

Some parents are too lazy to care care of an animal, for their own children - never mind someone else's children.

Anonymous wrote:People seem so ambivalent. What if it was the family dog? Would your viewpoint change?

+1

Kids aren't that bright about animals, if they don't own animals of their own, OP. I am so sorry this happened. Don't tell your DC, but it is possible that a bird or another animal got the bunny. You can maybe tell her it just hopped away - that is what bunnies do (not a total lie). Bunnies have also been known to get through fences.

But yeah, I'd be mad too. It does seem like common sense to me. If the parent took on the responsibility, the parent should have ben taking part in the petsitting, especially if the primary caregiver, however temporary, is age ten. That is just stupid. They should at least offer to help pay for a new bunny.

Did you try contacting animal control, or putting a message on the neighborhood list serve, just in case? It could have hid under a bush, or been picked up by a neighbor, anything is possible.

So sorry this happened.

A 10 year old is not old enough to pet sit.

People seem so ambivalent. What if it was the family dog? Would your viewpoint change?