One thing that responsible rabbit breeding and raising children have in common is that it is often the case that very difficult decisions must be made.

Sometimes there are no good choices and one must choose the lesser of the two evils.

Sometimes the right decision is apparent but it would be a real sacrifice to make it.

And then there are times when a moral or ethical decision must be made; of course, the right choice is apparent, it is just so hard to make it.

Especially when doing so opens one up to persecution, abuse, and ostracisation. You also know, that by making it, you will likely anger someone- even if you don't mean to.

I am writing this post because I recently had to make such a decision. It was one of those times when I was caught between opening my mouth to, perhaps, prevent irresponsible breeding/ rabbit misery and doing nothing and being none the worse for it.

I have always said that my desire to make friends must never supercede my love for angoras. Over the past few days, I have had to put action to my words- and it has been tough.

When in doubt, I always tell myself, ask questions. Investigate. Do everything possible to do what is right.

I have also learned that, when it comes to angora breeding, my deepest fears always usually come to fruition and my concerns are almost always justified. In any case, I have learned to be as blunt as possible.

Maybe I am paranoid. Maybe I take responsible breeding and husbandry too seriously. After all, I’m the only person in my area who seems to give a s***.

In short, I confronted- via email- someone in my area that appeared to be opening a rabbit mill. I had my reasons to suspect it, and, the more I learned, the stronger my suspicion. I also contacted the breeder from whom the breeding pair was procured.

At the very least the person in question appeared clueless about a good many things pertaining to angora care.

I tried to choose my words well; I used words like “appeared” because I didn’t want to outright accuse.

I also used words like “present” when speaking about my feelings for her and the situation- leaving room open for change in the future.

I also attempted to give advice.

I won’t lie, the email said what I believed needed to be said. I didn’t mince words but I also tried to be as gentle as possible; I even apologized should I come off as being harsh. I explained where I was coming from and what my fears were…

I didn’t expect a happy response but I certainly didn’t expect the response I got.

I have never- in my entire life- been treated so terribly. I have never been called such terrible names and spoken to in such a disrespectful way.

I am still in shock.
"Nosy?" You betcha! I am nosy when it comes to the way rabbits are treated. I look out for my fellow responsible breeders and expect them to be nosy when it comes to the welfare of any rabbits from my rabbitry.
"Know it all?" Not quite; in fact, I am sad about how little I know. I simply believe that, if you are an angora breeder, there are some things that you should know.
"Idiot?" Not according to my last IQ test.
"Trouble maker?" Nope; it's more like I'm a "trouble spotter."
"Self- absorbed?" Hm. My level of self- confidence and esteem is as low as my IQ is high. Moreover, I don't have time to be self- absorbed.
"Money hungry?" Yes; that's exactly why I am looking for a job in order to keep my rabbit hobby afloat! No, I just know what my rabbits are worth an I won't insult them, my customers, or myself for selling them for less. I'd rather keep a rabbit than sell it for less than he's worth- that's how money hungry I am.
What really perplexed me was the accusation that I "always want something." I don't get this one. I suppose it's true. I want a Kromski Minstrel; that's something. I also want a Leclerc Dorothy table loom; that's something, too. I want my kids to be able to afford college, does that count?
The best part was the threat of filing a police report for "harassment" after she sent me FOUR emails in the span of a few hours and I sent... drum role... NONE! LOL to the tenth power!

I am very concerned that she will soon ruin my reputation (and thus business) as a result of this. I have never felt more disenchanted with rabbit breeding in my life and feel ready to hand in the towel. I can’t win.

The punchline: after expressing anger at being “accused” of running a rabbit mill and insistence that she wasn’t… a line from her website reads “we always have kits available.”