Seil Chat

Anybody been there? If so, what did you think of it?

OK, if you want to see an example of poor animal keeping, go down to the fishery.

Pet's corner: 2 rabbits and 2 guinea pigs kept together in a run with an earth floor - disgusting hutches which haven't been cleaned out for weeks probably, a dirty soil-filled dish on the floor, a few half-chewed apples lying about, no hay, no straw, though they did have water which looked recently filled.

I asked the man if I could buy some food for them (he sells it for the fish down there), and was told he just pulls grass for them whenever he goes past. I gave them some grass and they fell on it like they hadn't eaten very recently - which is probably why they followed me round the pen while I took photos.

Yes, I contacted the SSPCA, and he says he's had other complaints and had tackled the man before. Hopefully the animals will now be confiscated.

You be careful that you don't end up in one of that bad man's enclosures!

canu - nobody wants to end up in bad man's enclosure or a shed for example.

Nonny

Have you had any feedback from the SSPCA? If not, is it possible for you to find out what's happened?

I'll ring in the morning before he starts his visits. Keep meaning to then forget until it's too late.

Thanks Nonny - and please keep us posted. It is my view that people who treat animals with direspect and cruelty often have the same attitude towards their own species.

These are some of the photos I took on the day.
Just phoned John MacAvoy. He's been up there and found the conditions remain the same as when I went. No food except apples, filthy conditions, no bedding, no hay.

The man refused to sign the animals over at the time, and John agreed that he can keep them providing conditions improve. They will be moved into a polytunnel soon for the winter, and John will give him booklets on the care of guinea pigs and rabbits (which you'd have thought would have been his first port of call after acquiring the animals).

I'm not sure about all this - is this man just ignorant or uncaring? The only thing I can think is that people continue to visit, take note of conditions, and report back to the SSPCA if things don't change.

I need to leave it a while until he forgets what I look like, and I also have to get a lift from someone else as my car is well known in this area.

Thanks for the update, Nonny

I'm surprised that "the man" has the right to refuse to give up the animals. Surely, if he has already been reported and warned he should have lost any right to keep them.

Quite frankly I'm sickened.

That's how I feel too.

I'm hoping the SSPCA will keep a better eye on things, though knowing the huge area he has to cover I very much doubt if he'll have the time to do that.

The only way around this is to keep checking and then badger John if things don't improve. Apparently he's had loads of complaints, and if the animals are being moved into a polytunnel they'll be difficult to be watched by those who care about animal welfare.

I had thought of doing a 'scoop and run' during the night, but he has a very noisy dog (looks like a dobe cross, but is friendly if you ignore the barking) and I don't think I'd get very far!

I'd thought of the "scoop and run" idea too but I'm too old for that sort of thing now! - (and this forum is not the place to plot such activities!)

Seems like it's just me 'n' you interested in this topic - catch you in the PM section.

Minimum wrote:I'd thought of the "scoop and run" idea too but I'm too old for that sort of thing now! - (and this forum is not the place to plot such activities!).

I'd probably be the first person they'd think of, so I'd probably give it a miss too!

Why not take them out with an air rifle or slip them a Mickey Mouse when the bad man’s not looking? I know a man who did the latter to a tiger in Kathmandu zoo...

mmmm not sure what you're saying here, canu. I don't want to kill the bloody animals - the man, probably, the animals, no.

Sometimes needs must, Nonny!

Errr........how does the 'man' treat his fishies? #
Doesn't look like much room there in his wee tanks or (ha ha) 'lochans'?

..............or perhaps it's only the small, cute and furry creatures you 'animal lovers' are interested in?

I don't know much about fish, Eric, but they looked OK, or what I could see of them anyway as the tanks are too high for me to see much. At least they had proper food (which you could buy for them if you wanted). The fish are his livelihood, the 'small, cute and furry creatures' are just a sideline that he obviously knows nothing about.

By your sneer about you 'animal lovers' I take it your not.

I can only judge by the photos. But to me the animals look clean, well fed, and healthy. The run is of a generous size, the soil base is relatively dry (and very 'natural'), there are plenty hutches, and you say there is food and water available. The fact there are only a few apples as food visible is not proof they are not fed well. Their body size and condition of fur is one good indicator of health.

We do not eat or graze all day long because food is provided at meal times. And if the owner regularly gives a good clump of fresh grass at "meal times" that is the way it should be, to prevent them getting over fat.

Many pets are over pampered in hot, unventilated environments, overfed and unhealthy as a result of it. I agree that it looks like they could do with a bit of bedding in the hutches if there is none there but otherwise these rabbits are living a relative life of luxury compared to most.

PP, you have no idea...

The floor of the enclosure was one mass of rabbit and guinea pig poo.

The only food they had was apples, and a handful of grass ocassionally. I asked to buy food, and he said grass was adequate - they had no other food except for the apples and grass. This is not a proper diet for captive animals. Yes, there are hutches but absolutely filthy and devoid of bedding or hay. Only the hutch on the ground was accessible to any of the animals, you can't see inside on any of my photos but it was caked deep in poo, there was some kind of water/food container inside but that was also caked.

The rabbits were not in good condition at all, their fur was loose, there wasn't a lot of flesh on their bones. I know, I picked them up.

Rabbits and guinea pigs shouldn't be kept together anyway, many injuries are caused to g pigs by rabbits kicking out at them.

If you really think these are suitable conditions for animals to live in I suggest you go and look for yourself because even a non-animal lover would see that it isn't. Hopefully he'll have cleaned his act up by now, though it'll take him a bit of time I should imagine.

Don't know about Guinea pigs but rabbits are coccophagus meaning that they eat their own poo. Tis the only way they can get all the nutrients they need out of grass.