Case in point. I had someone call me the other day, asking if the rabbit was still available. Yes. So then they asked, what is the price?
Let's stop right there. That's in EVERY ad. So about the only reason people EVER ask what the price is, after they've called about an ad, is because they don't like the price. So I told him, the rabbit is $75 and she comes with her cage, litter pan, etc etc etc, everything except her x-pen, so that's all you'll need to buy, if you don't already have one (again, all this is in the ad).
So his reply is that well, he doesn't need all that stuff, so what will she be just by herself? I suppose, if I was just an individual re-homing a rabbit, this could be a fair question, but it specifically says she WILL come with her stuff, so I tell the guy, she has to come with her stuff. "Why?" I refrained from being an ass and just being like, "because I say so," which I really wanted to say, but rather, I replied that she comes with her stuff so she feels at home and doesn't have any issues transitioning and whatnot.
So then he tells me, oh don't worry, she'll feel right at home. Oh, that eases ALL my worries, let me tell you. He goes on to tell me that he has another rabbit, a really big cage for the both of them.
Again, let's stop right there. If you read the ad (which you may not have, I know, but I will paste it at the bottom of this post), it says right on the ad that she needs to go to a home that will be keeping her in an x-pen. This is NOT anything all that unusual, especially for a larger rabbit. The ad ALSO says that, to verify this, we will require pictures to prove there really is an x-pen, as proof of cage. So, for someone who really reads this ad, thoroughly... you know I'm not kidding.
So I ask him, did he see in the ad where it says she has to stay in an x-pen, rather than a cage? His answer, "why? that's stupid." Again... it's in the ad. If he had read it, it says she's mildly cage aggressive, but she's not so bad in her x-pen, and of course, it gives her more room to roam, as well.
I explained, due to her behavior (per the ad), she needs to go to a home with the x-pen. He wished me good luck and hung up.
This entire phone call could have been avoided... had he read the ad. Heck, I even have, ON THE AD, something like, please read this entire ad before replying. Because I KNOW it's long but I ALSO know that there's vital info, info that people will LIKELY MISS, if they skip it. I mean, it's always important to read the entire ads... but if I actually take the time to put "please read this entire ad"... you can bet it's even moreso important.
Now, you may be asking why we have so much info in the ads. The reason for that is this: while I understand, of course, that people look at the pretty pictures, and often respond based off that... I also want to limit wasting people's time. If I just put, "Siamese Mini Satin doe up for adoption, contact for more info"... well, then, a lot of people are going to email and want to know the adoption fee. For some, it will be too high. Then others will email wanting to know what she's like. For some, she won't be what they're looking for. For others, they will ask what she weighs. Again, for some, she won't be the right weight. If everything is covered right off the bat, people have the opportunity to read the ad, and determine while reading the ad, that the pet is not for them. Then, they don't have to waste time contacting me, or me waste time responding to them. Hopefully, then, the ones that contact me are homes that are more likely to adopt. Hopefully.
Since I want this blog post to make sense, long after this rabbit has been re-homed (not yet, but she will be eventually!), I am pasting the ad below, so it doesn't disappear:
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We have a female rabbit looking for her new home. Her name is Ellie.
Please read this ENTIRE ad before responding.
Please note: Ellie is currently being fostered in South Elgin, IL. Due to the fact that rabbits are illegal to own in Hammond, IN, we cannot bring her back to the rescue for adoption, and so, she will need to be adopted out directly from her foster home. If you are unable to travel to South Elgin to adopt, please look elsewhere.
Ellie’s foster home / mom has this all to say about her:
“Ellie is an unspayed Siamese mini Satin rabbit, a little over 2 years old (birthdate March 2017). She weighs about 4-5 pounds. She is a creamy white color with the "points" of her body (nose, ears, paws) being a chocolately brown color much like a siamese cat. Ellie is not spayed. She has never had any health issues, only visited the vet once when she was young for a checkup. She does well when taken for nail trims.
Ellie has an exercise pen available to her at all times. This is a must for her new home! She loves to run around in her x-pen. She enjoys rolling around jingly cat bells, flipping around plastic yogurt cups, tossing around metal jar lids, and playing with wooden sticks. Ellie also has a handmade fleece dig mat that we hide treats in for her to sniff and find. She has a plastic tub we fill with newspaper strips that she likes digging in and carrying the strips around her exercise pen. She has a fleece "forest" she loves to hide in and a crinkly cat tunnel she runs in and out of. She explores new toys quickly and loves an enriching environment. Ellie also has an enclosed cage available to her in her pen. Her cage houses her metal litter pan, food bowl, hay bowl and water bottle.
Ellie eats Oxbow Essentials rabbit food, timothy hay, and a handful of "spring mix" lettuce mix every day. She LOVES spring mix. She has also tried spinach, parsley, cilantro, romaine with not as much enthusiasm. She is not a fan of fruit.
Ellie is defensive about her cage. We have learned to only clean the cage when she is not in it. (It's easy to tempt her out of the cage with treats or lettuce.) She has bitten once due to not following this rule. She is a bit nibbley of people in her exercise pen, I think this is due to our cats invading her space. I think that particular behavior may stop in a cat-free home. She does very much enjoy to be petted (often "melts" into a bunny puddle when we pet her). She squirms a smidge when physically picked up, but once she is held and secure in your arms, she absolutely looooves snuggles.
Ellie comes with: large cage, metal litter pans, food bowl, hay bowl, water bottle, toys (cat balls, keys, yogurt cups), homemade fleece "dig mat", plastic dig tub (for shredded newspaper), fleece forest, cat crinkle tunnel, any/all remaining food, treats, bedding.”
Please note that she DOES NOT come with an exercise pen, so you will be required to have a decent sized one of your own, and show pictures of your x-pen as proof of cage.
Ellie has always been housed by herself, so we are unsure how she does with other rabbits.
Regardless of past rabbit experience, all potential homes will be asked to read our rabbit care packet and fill out our adoption form. If you are unwilling to do this, please do not waste our time or yours. No rabbit will go to a new home without an adoption application being filled out - no exceptions.
Ellie is being fostered in South Elgin, Illinois. She will need to be picked up directly from her foster home, after all paperwork is completed.
Please note: if you live in Hammond, Indiana, you will be unable to adopt, as rabbits are illegal to own in Hammond. Please note also that this rabbit is NOT at our location in Hammond, but is being fostered in South Elgin, IL.
The adoption fee for Ellie and all her stuff is $75. All you’ll need to provide is an x-pen!
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