Update:
Alright I’m A. I get it. Please give me advice to how to make it right aside from stepping back and apologize. I also wanna make a few clarifications, here’s what [Rabbit Rescue Inc.](https://rabbitrescue.ca) said about the cage when they thought I was caging him:
>at his size, a cage that small will unfortunately cause both health and behavioural issues. Even with free roaming time every day and cleaning the cage daily, it is not the best scenario for him long term. You will want to swap the cage in favour of an x-pen or NIC panel housing. At minimum, their housing space should be about 4 feet by 3 feet, and at least 2 feet tall. If he is an active bunny, he will need at minimum 3 hours of free roaming time, though the more the
I get it. My fault. I should’ve throw away the cage. This rabbit was given to me because shelter has waitlist, no one else is taking him, and I have space at home. Before taking him in, I’ve never had a rabbit before, so I learned rabbit care last minute. It was lot of work and I got lazy, so I kept the same setup as previous owner – using the cage as a place to put water bowl and litter box.
About asking to get my stuff back. I love gifting people. Since its gift, it never occurred to me that I can get it back. The police explicitly ask if I want my stuff back, listing the items provided by the current owner. When the police asked if I want it back, honestly I don’t need rabbit supply, I got desperate at the moment and chose to use it as leverage to get her to throw away the cage.
Below is what I originally wrote:
I recently fostered a rabbit (English Lop) when his previous owner couldn’t care for him. Then I found him a new owner from posting him up for adoption online. Last week I texted the current owner asking about how the rabbit is doing, She said the rabbit pees outside, so she keeps him in a cage when she sleeps and when she’s out. I was concerned. The total hours of caging estimated would be more than 10 hours. The cage is from the rabbit’s previous owner: it’s doorless and intended to be used for placing the rabbit’s litter box, water bowl, pellet bowl. The rabbit had never been caged inside. The rabbit can go in and out freely because it’s doorless. When I start fostering him, I contacted Rabbit Rescue for help. From the photo, they thought I cage the rabbit, and warned me about health risk. After I clarify that I let the rabbit free roam, they advise me to get rid of the cage entirely for better litter habits. I was lazy so I kept using it. And I gave the cage to the new owner. I tried to persuade her to not cage the rabbit. Despite advice from professionals, she insisted on caging. I gifted her a large metal playpen (157.5L x 157.5W x 61H cm), but she said the rabbit can still escape by jumping over it, pushing it, and he bites it and makes big noises, and she switched back to caging. Then I offered to buy her a new playpen, X-pen as a gift. She said she didn’t find anything she liked. Yesterday I visited the rabbit with tools to enhance the playpen I gifted her. Here’s what I saw about the cage: the doorless side was faced to the wall. She said when she sleeps or goes outside, she places the rabbit inside the cage with the top lid on. When she’s home, she takes the lid off and the rabbit goes into the cage to access water, litter box by jumping into it. Seeing the caging situation in person, I impulsively took the rabbit home without her consent. This morning, the rabbit was taken back to her by the police.
I must emphasize that since day one I started fostering this rabbit, I never intend to keep him since I have two cats. When I took away the rabbit, it was an extreme approach to stop the caging. It’s really not for taking away someone’s rabbit: Before adoption, I invited her to my apartment multiple times, and offered her to spend time with the rabbit while I left the apartment to offer them alone time. So she knew where to find me and the rabbit. I apologized to her after the police left with the rabbit. I explained to her that even though I took the extreme route, my goal is for her to stop caging. I asked her again about her decision on the cage, and she still insisted on keeping the cage. I explained again about the harm, quoting professional advice that I’ve been showing her throughout the week. Not reaching an agreement on the cage situation, I said unless I receive a photo of the cage in the trash area, I need to take back all the rabbit supplies I’ve gifted her. Then she finally agrees to throw away the cage. AITA?
You stole her pet. YTA.
YTA
Don’t “rehome” animals to people online. Let an actual qualified shelter do this.
Yikes. YTA. There’s plenty of people that I don’t agree with how they raise their children, but I can’t go and steal them when they’re not doing something that I think is appropriate . BUTTTTT… I get the concern and that it was coming from a place of good intentions.
YTA, and you know it whole heartedly. Pets are property and you are a thief.
Oh wow, if I was her, I would probably block you and never talk to you again. I don’t think you legally can take the rabbit back, right?
This is no longer your pet. You can give suggestions and try to help, but outside of making sure she’s following the law and offering to help, there’s nothing you can do.
All of this vetting should’ve been done before you rehomed the rabbit.
YTA. Calm down before you end up in jail.
YTA…there is no reason for you to be in such a tizzy about the rabbit being in a cage while the owner is not available to monitor it.
You have no right or authority to either dictate, to the new owner, how she should manage **her** rabbit’s cage access or time or to confiscate the rabbit just because **you** didn’t like how she does it.
If the rabbit is in good health, has access to what it needs and isn’t being mistreated, you need to take a dozen steps back and mind your business.
YTA
It’s not your rabbit anymore. Stop trying to control the situation.
It can be unsafe for rabbits to roam around the house unsupervised, if she’s only caging the rabbit when she’s out of the house and it has an adequate size cage, there is no issue
You weren’t wrong to care, but you crossed a line the moment you took the rabbit without permission.
What do you think?? Yes, YTA, you’re taking a pet without someone’s consent
YTA, and honestly it’s not much of a debate
YTA this rabbit is no longer your business and it’s literally theft to take the rabbit. Even demanding back the supplies you gifted is wrong. If she’s actually harming the rabbit report her to the police but otherwise, you have to get over the fact you now regret who you let take the rabbit from you.
Good intentions or not, YTA, you admitted to stealing the rabbit back and the police had to get involved. That was not the way to handle it.
YTA
My very healthy rabbit sleeps in his cage every night and roams the upstairs during the day. Nighttime caging is fine as long as they get daily roaming time. Mine actually voluntarily cages himself around 4 every day and just waits until I shut the cage around bedtime.
You stole her rabbit. WTAF?
So wait… you literally gifted her the cage which you were advised to throw away, then when she (in your estimation) misused it, you escalated to harassment and theft? Wow. YTA. If it’s so important to you then report her to whatever animal welfare services are in your area and lose her number, your behavior is getting stalker-ish. Oh and lastly, maybe don’t foster if you can’t observe basic boundaries (like not illegally stealing back the pet) with the new owner.