06/16/2026
It's 2026 and The Internet is mansplaining that I'm not being feminine enough because I raise, show, and process meat rabbits. Oh dear! Let me run put on my petticoats and I will go wring my hands and ask the menfolks to do it for me!
Apparently, my post about plans to humanely cull a problematic doe made it to the "Animal Rights" Reddit (I did not visit myself but someone told me about it). And the original poster had some very delightful and incorrect things to say about me personally and some very entertaining claims about my "toxic masculinity!"
There really is no response to most of this. I will say that it's extremely misguided to presume I "don't feel compassion for animals." Yes - I "have no compassion," and yet I choose to take responsibility for my own food supply by being able to look it in the eye and earnestly thank it for its life before I cull, instead of eating a diet only of store-bought meat while pretending it didn't come from animals raised in large-scale and inhumane CAFO operations.
I love them all regardless of their final destination. I bring them enrichment in the form of fresh forage daily, and I might even cry when they're injured or sick. I feel grateful every day to take responsibility for these rabbits, and proud that I get to see them become amazing mothers, great show rabbits, and sweet, friendly bunnies who demand to be petted on a daily basis. And when I am able to help another like-minded individual set up their own sustainable rabbit-raising system, I feel happy.
As for the role of women, well...historically women would have been just as likely to care for and dispatch rabbits as men. Rabbits were considered small livestock just like chickens. Stories through the ages are rife with tales of the woman of the house going out to catch a chicken to feed a special guest; that could just as easily have been a rabbit!
And as for my decision to cull the doe instead of re-homing her as a pet...who's to say life as a pet would be a better choice for her? About a dozen people have messaged me wanting to take her. Every single one of these conversations has fizzled out as they failed to reply when pressed for details about how they planned to care for her in a species-appropriate manner, or how they planned to transport her. One clearly wanted to use her as a breeder himself. Another wanted to let her free-roam in their garage, stating "my dogs will protect her."
As a final note for anyone who hates seeing these kinds of posts on their feed: the best way to avoid seeing them is to keep scrolling. The more you interact with them, the more this platform will push them, and you're accomplishing the exact opposite of your goal!
