# Not wanting to sell to a particular person?



## vkalvacev (Aug 16, 2011)

Is there something I can say/lie? Someone wanted a rabbit from me but I did a quick check and it doesn't seem like a home I want to send my rabbit to, especially because I have a strong feeling it will be used for breeding/hunting which I don't want. Is there anything I can say or should I just not respond to the emails?


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## elevan (Aug 16, 2011)

Not responding to their emails would be bad for your business.

Come up with an adoption contract and have them sign it...chances are if they don't want to sign it then you're right.  Otherwise be straight and tell them you have some concerns and ask them to answer your questions honestly.  You can, of course, refuse to sell...but do you really ever know for sure what fate your animal has after you sell or do you really even have the right to dictate that?

You could always say that you've decided to retain the rabbit for your use too (if you wanna fib).


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## vkalvacev (Aug 16, 2011)

No, I'm right for sure. I checked again and dug a little deeper, they def. shoot rabbits sooo definitely a no. I dont want to sell at all, I dont believe in contracts/anyone can break them including by not staying in contact. I also dont have a business so thats not what I'm worried about. I want to prevent anything to happen to my little babies and I've been blessed that they have gone to great homes before (my last litter). 

I was thinking of saying that my friend decided to take in the last few to keep on her farm maybe?


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## elevan (Aug 16, 2011)

Fib, any way that you want to in order to ease your mind but since you never know where your rabbit hobby might take you (could be a business later) then I would answer the email.  I can certainly understand how you feel, but please understand that rabbits while they can be pets are a livestock animal....and as long as this person "shooting" the rabbits is making use of the animal for food and by products then they simply have a preferred method of dispatch imo and that doesn't make them a bad person.


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2011)

You certainly have the right to refuse to sell to anyone you get a bad vibe from.  Just tell them honestly you want the rabbit to go to a good pet home, and are not comfortable selling rabbits to them.


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## Sommrluv (Aug 16, 2011)

Can I ask a question?

Please understand this is no way a judgement or attack, I am honestly curious and my intent is not to insult you in any way.

My husband and I were talking about exactly this subject last evening. The reason we were discussing it, is that there are a lot of people selling rabbits in our area posting on craigslist, on ebay, even discussion boards much like this one where this is a mix of people raising for meat and raising for pets. 9 times out of 10 there is a note that says something like "for pets only, not to be eaten, not for pet food, " etc.  And not just rabbits...cows, sheep, goats, chickens...tons of people in my area breeding but also wanting to be in charge of how the unwanted offspring are used. 


I guess my confusion lies in the motive...and again, I'm not judging, I just am curious. Why breed an animal for profit that is often used as a livestock/food/bait animal if one doesn't like the idea of it being used for that? Why have babies that you don't intend to keep/can't afford to? There are hundreds of thousands of unwanted pet rabbits all over the country...you can get them at shelters easily.  So I guess I just don't understand the mindset of "adoption only" when you're making a profit, and contributing to a "pet rabbit" problem. 

And please understand, I'm not looking to argue in any way, I'm honestly looking for an answer, because I just don't "get it".


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## vkalvacev (Aug 16, 2011)

I highly doubt my hobby will become anything more, or at least not anytime soon for sure. I do understand that they are livestock but I think I can decide whether I want them to be treated like livestock or pets, and in this case, they are only pets. I dont think they are making use of the rabbits, but even if they are, mine weren't created for that reason, although I have nothing against it (I just dont like it and thats not where I'm selling to). 

I just dont feel right mentioning that I looked them up beforehand, henceforth why I feel like I should fib in this case. meh. :/


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## vkalvacev (Aug 16, 2011)

No, I agree with the fact that offspring are no longer yours once theyre sold.. especially why I would never put a contract on any animal unless it happened to be something valuable, such as a show horse, that if anything, I would want returned to myself. But in this case, In my opinion, I think that it comes down to if the rabbits are bred to be pets and companions or to be meat, which in this case, mine are not meant for meat. I personally am not breeding for profit in any way, but I would prefer mine to go to pet homes. Eh, I think its just a really complicated situation with animals nowadays, for example, why people say shelters are the only way to go - well without breeding, there wouldn't be shelters, but then theres a million other questions to go with that. So no, I'm not angry with you or offended or anything of the sort  That's just my opinion - for example, if someone wants a cheap rabbit for $10, well it sure isn't coming with any history, probably not from a good home, and probably unhandled, so I dont get why people contact me wanting to lower my price when they are worth more than those $10. If someone wants a meat rabbit, they can specifically go and contact the person selling for $8 with no info who don't really care about the homes they go to.


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## Sommrluv (Aug 16, 2011)

Thank you for answering my question. 


So hard to not offend anyone on the internet sometimes. It's nice to find people that understand that we can all have different opinions and actually STILL get along. 


I always answer honestly if someone asks me what I intend to do with any animal I purchase. I've only ever been asked with chickens if I plan to keep them 'forever'. I've been told no by sellers who don't like that I won't if they stop producing eggs. I don't get mad or have a confrontation, just say thank you and move on. Maybe your prospective buyer would be honest if you asked?


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## vkalvacev (Aug 16, 2011)

yeah i love having conversations with people so we can discuss views, I mean with x amount of people on this earth - no ones going to have the same opinion!

Im not really sure what I would do but I just have a bad vibe and I dont want to sell - quite simple. Im pretty good at figuring out who I would sell to and who I wont. I've have many people contact me but once I told them x amount of information on taking care of them (including the fact that unless the parents help out, kids under 10 should not be responsible for them) and they stopped emailing me back!


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## Hillsvale (Aug 16, 2011)

vkalvacev said:
			
		

> That's just my opinion - for example, if someone wants a cheap rabbit for $10, well it sure isn't coming with any history, probably not from a good home, and probably unhandled, so I dont get why people contact me wanting to lower my price when they are worth more than those $10. If someone wants a meat rabbit, they can specifically go and contact the person selling for $8 with no info who don't really care about the homes they go to.


I sell my animals for the freezer...whether sheep, goats, pigs, turkeys, ducks or chickens. Just because my babies are destined for the freezer does not mean that I don't care how they live their life before they get there... I have refused to sell to lots of people because I felt the animal wasn't going to get the care or concern I would give it. The whole reason I raise my animals is so they live a happy, carefree, well fed free roam life, that happy life translated to exceptional food! I don't really think the sale price of the animal translates into a bad or a good birth home...

If you don't want to sell to them tell them you have sold out they are your animals and who you sell to is your choice.


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## savingdogs (Aug 16, 2011)

I'd just e-mail back something polite like "Thank you for your interest but the animal is already spoken for" I raise rabbits for meat, but when I sell one I want to have a good vibe about who is buying. I would NOT want to sell to someone killing for sport only. You have the right to only sell to people who you wish to. You don't have to be honest that you checked them out. I'd just say "they are not available." 

Because they are not available to THEM. It is your decision.


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## manybirds (Aug 16, 2011)

vkalvacev said:
			
		

> Is there something I can say/lie? Someone wanted a rabbit from me but I did a quick check and it doesn't seem like a home I want to send my rabbit to, especially because I have a strong feeling it will be used for breeding/hunting which I don't want. Is there anything I can say or should I just not respond to the emails?


jst say u r attached to this particular animal and u would like to see it go as a pet. i've done it before.


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## M.R. Lops (Aug 16, 2011)

Sommrluv said:
			
		

> Can I ask a question?
> 
> Please understand this is no way a judgement or attack, I am honestly curious and my intent is not to insult you in any way.
> 
> ...


i breed my rabbits for show for 4-H and also sell quite a few of my rabbits to pet homes.  I have found that right now there is a big demand for pet rabbits.  My lop bunnies sell like crazy to pet homes.  Sometimes breeders need to get rid of nice quality animals because of cage space, but they do not want them to end up as meat.


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## Beekissed (Aug 16, 2011)

I had the same problem this past year and the person who wanted my animals was my sister.  She bugged me and bugged me, wanted to give me a good price for them.  I am very picky about how my animals live....and die.  I expect them to die because that is what they are here for...but the manner of their death is a matter of great importance to me.  

I *gave away *my whole flock of chickens and my sheep to someone to try and insure they got good, humane homes.  No amount of money from my sis could have induced me to sell them to her....I've seen how her animals live, but more importantly, how they die.  She is one that "just can't kill an animal", so her animals lay and suffer horrible deaths because of her "love" for her pets.  Oh, she feeds them-too much, drowns them in chemicals to try and make them live-instead of preventative care, and vets-but the vet doesn't come out and she can't seem to do any good home treatment...so the animals die a long, suffering death~all in the name of love.  No thanks.  

I just told her that I had promised the animals to someone else, which I had, and that was that.  She didn't let it go and still brings it up, but I would never condemn any animal to her care.


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## Ms. Research (Aug 16, 2011)

How I view this is that they are my rabbits until full payment passes as well as the passing of the rabbit.  I am allowed up to that time of final payment and the passing of the rabbit to politely say "No" at any time.  I would answer the e-mail and a lot of questions would have to be asked before agreeing to sell, because as I stated, I know they are My rabbits and I have the last word.   Just be polite.


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## crazyturkeydesigns (Aug 17, 2011)

I agree with all who've said that they're your rabbits and you decide who to sell to. I, like many others, have refused to sell because of the exact thing you're talking about. Fact of the matter is this: if you aren't comfortable selling it to them, don't. You can tell them that (in a civil way of course lol) or you can say you've decided to keep it/already sold it, etc. 
The rabbits we sell (the mini rexes) are generally pet/breeding animals. MRs aren't that good for meat/pelts because of their size, so anyone who's interested in that gets a "meat" sable. There's been a few times when we've had extras we couldn't find homes for (a string of big litters, awesome but makes for little cage space), so we took them to a livestock auction. We've been going to this auction for years and I was fortunate enough to know the person who bought them, so I knew they were in good hands. 
Selling buns can be hard sometimes and there's lots of things to consider. I believe you should almost always follow your gut and if it says don't, don't. You'll feel much better knowing that your buns are going into caring homes.


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## doubled (Aug 18, 2011)

Sommrluv said:
			
		

> Can I ask a question?
> 
> Please understand this is no way a judgement or attack, I am honestly curious and my intent is not to insult you in any way.
> 
> ...


     Amen & Amen


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## hoodat (Aug 19, 2011)

Go with your gut. I had someone who came to me for a "pet" and I got a creepy feeling around him so I didn't sell to him. I later found out he liked to feed rabbits alive to his python. Now I have nothing against feeding rabbits to snakes. They have to eat also but any zoo will tell you that snakes and other reptiles will accept fresh kills. They don't have to be fed live and that isn't a good way for the animal to go. I am more than happy to fresh kill a rabbit for that use but I don't sell them live as reptile food. This creep just enjoyed watching his snake squeeze them slowly to death.


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