New Rabbit Café In KL Responds To Allegations Of Letting Customers Treat Animals Badly
The café has since set house rules that customers must follow.
By Tamara Jayne — 10 Oct 2023, 10:37 AM
A newly opened rabbit café in KL is facing criticism for allegedly allowing customers to mistreat the rabbits
A TikTok video shared by @__that.artgirl is gaining attention online. In the video, she claims to have visited the café recently and was shocked to see how badly the rabbits were being treated by customers.
She described a chaotic scene with shrieking children darting about, chasing the "scared rabbits" that were freely roaming as customers enjoyed their meals. Shockingly, some of the children were even seen dragging the animals across the floor.
According to her, the rabbits were being forced into "little" holes by the kids and made to dance on tables like puppets, while the parents of these children just sat and watched unbothered or were on their phones.
The TikTok user went on to claim that the staff appeared to be more concerned about making sure customers ordered food and drinks rather than caring for the animals.
Furthermore, she shared that kids were carrying young bunnies upside down and "terrorising the animals".
Despite her efforts to alert the staff, she claimed they took no action.
Taking matters into her own hands, the woman said she tried to stop some of the kids from doing these things three times within the span of just 20 minutes.
"The parents just pretended I didn't say anything to their child. It was heartbreaking to watch. As I was leaving, they had more and more people coming in, the staff didn't think to tell them that they [were] full," she added.
She also pointed out that neither they nor the subsequent customers received any guidance regarding the proper care or handling of the rabbits.
"They [the café] were swamped but it clearly seemed more important for them to keep letting people in rather than control the situation inside. No doubt if the bunnies died, all they'll do is just buy new ones," she added.
The woman said that negative reviews she and others had posted on the café's Google page were allegedly removed
Speaking to SAYS, the customer shared that she has since contacted Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (SPCA) but has yet to receive any response.
"So far, I've only seen other people comment their own experiences. There were a couple of people who were at the table next to mine who agreed that this is getting out of hand, but I've not seen other videos or anything, so I'm not sure if they made changes or not," she reiterated to SAYS, adding that she had visited on a Sunday and hordes of customers were still trying to enter as she was leaving at 1pm.
The café has spoken to SAYS to explain their side of the story
According to them, they were "fighting with many customers on Sunday" as these customers were not complying with the café's house rules. The café explained that they tried to tell children to stop running around and for parents to stop treating the café like their own house.
They confirmed that parents disregarded what they were saying and were on their phones instead. When staff tried to take the rabbits away because of "inappropriate handling", the parents would just scold the staff instead.
The café spokesperson went on to say that they opened the rabbit café to educate people on rabbits, and that these animals are not for eating.
They shared that they had a meeting following that incident and were not going to allow customers to carry the rabbits anymore. Customers who disregard the house rules will not be allowed in the restaurant.
This morning, 10 October, the café posted an update on their Google page outlining their house rules
These rules emphasis the importance of parents monitoring their children and specify that visitors are only permitted to pet the rabbits' foreheads and backs.
"No chasing, no grabbing, and no catching or lifting the rabbits," they explained, adding that no running is allowed as well.
SAYS was also sent a list of the rules that the café said has been put up in the premises.
In case you didn't know, rabbits have delicate skeletons and can be easily injured if they are handled incorrectly
Compared to cats and dogs, rabbits are fragile animals that require gentle handling. Keeping them in small cages is not advisable, as it can lead to depression and various health issues due to lack of exercise.
According to veterinarians quoted by Business Insider, rabbits should not be carried by their armpits or chest. If their hind legs are left to dangle, their backbones can fracture.
Rabbits' teeth grow continuously, requiring a diet of hay and greens to keep their teeth worn down and healthy. If the teeth overgrow, this can cause dental problems.
Rabbits can also get extremely stressed if they are not provided with the right environment, or if they experience threats to their safety. A sudden loud sound or scary situation could end up scaring a rabbit so much that their body begins to shut down.
