First of all, I must thank Ms. Aisya Ridha for asking this simple yet difficult question.
“What Makes You A True Rabbit Lover?”
Frankly, I am dumbfounded by her question. It is simple but it touches the many facets of the hobby.
I must admit and to be brutally honest, I fall short of being a true rabbit lover because I have seen many true rabbit lovers throughout the years. What have I seen so far?
The definition of a true rabbit lover can vary from individual to individual and what I write here are just a few of my observation and what I believe to be the definition of a true rabbit lover.
A true rabbit lover understands the commitment and responsibilities needed to keep a rabbit (or any type of pet for the matter). He or she knows what is required of him/her taking on a pet way before bringing little furry home. Most of the time, the true rabbit lover that I know keeps only a single rabbit as companion. Both rabbit and owner are so in tuned in terms of the rhythm of lifestyle that any abnormal activity by either will trigger off a sense of worry and stress. A true rabbit lover is able to read the behavior of his/her companion rabbit.
1) Till Death Do Us Part
We hear this statement all too often during weddings and it is exactly what a true rabbit lover would vow to his or her companion rabbit. With a clear decision made before acquiring the pet, he/she has already decided and have the “end” in mind. No matter what the circumstances are, it is “till death do us part”. The true rabbit lover see to it that his/her rabbit live out its full life span that leads up to death with the least sufferings. Even upon death, the cremated ashes of bunny is kept in an urn for good memories (this is optional though).
2) The Blind
Have you ever come in contact with a blind person? The first thing that you would notice is how nonjudgmental a blind person is as far as looks is concerned. Like a blind person, a true rabbit lover sees beyond any shortcomings, disabilities, faults and disqualifications. Something definitely is hard for me to do. Over the years, I have had the pleasure to know owners of rabbits with malocclusion, blindness, splayed legs, wry neck and many other forms of disabilities. I have respect for these owner because instead of choosing the shortcut of ending the lives of these rabbits prematurely, they make the decision to care for them, for life!
3) The Everlasting Lover
A true rabbit lover tends to the needs of his/her rabbit by giving them not only the best homes but also nutrition wise. The best rabbit feed available, the best groomer and not forgetting the 5 different types of vegetables every night chopped to perfection. The rabbit live in the comfort of the home roaming freely without any supervision and comfortably sits on the couch during movie hours. I could understand how this will start to add up to the month expenses but giving the best rabbit food is really the least that we can do for our rabbits.
Honestly speaking, I can only achieve about 50% of what is stated above because it is pretty obvious that I do not only have just one companion rabbit. If I am not a “True Rabbit Lover”, what is my role as a breeder?
I am sure you would agree that to a certain extent, none of the above can be achieved without the “main actor” – the rabbit. That is where I come in. My responsibilities to name a few are as follows:-
1) To provide the true rabbit lover a healthy and beautiful rabbit to begin their lifelong journey.
2) To provide the support in terms of advice and recommendations that the true rabbit lover needs to raise his/her companion until the end of its lifespan.
3) To provide the true rabbit lover directions to seek professional help and only use DIY remedies as a last resort when all else fails.
And that is the reason behind the name…
tru – RABBIT – luv
Does it not make you wonder if I have thought about it all before embarking on this journey as a breeder and not a companion rabbit owner?
The answer is YES, and I have the unscrupulous breeders to thank. Tru-Luv Rabbitry was made to existence because I was once sold a little puppy that died 3 months after purchase to Canine Distemper (AIDS in the dog’s world), another puppy that died 3 months after purchase due to collapsed lungs which according to the vet is congenital and another puppy was killed by an unqualified vet. These are just a few heart wrenching incidents that inspired me to start Tru-Luv Rabbitry. My mission is to help the TRUE RABBIT LOVER not to have to go through the heartaches I experienced. All you have to do is trust me when I say Yes and when I say No.
Tru-Luv Rabbitry: Quality Holland Lops in Malaysia 