Singaporean questions pet shop practices after spotting caged rabbit for two months

SINGAPORE: On the r/askSingapore subreddit, a post about a caged rabbit sparked an outpouring of emotion and introspection. The user shared discomfort about a rabbit they’d seen at a Pet Lovers Centre, sitting alone in a small enclosure for what they observed had been two months and questioned whether it was harassment.

“It’s almost akin to leashing a dog without any freedom,” the user wrote. “It looks healthy and is well-fed, but I was told it will stay in that cage until someone buys it — and at S$330, that might take a while.”

The post wasn’t just about one rabbit but about the uncomfortable reality of how animals — particularly those for sale — are treated not as living beings with needs, instincts, and emotions, but as merchandise waiting for a transaction.

When normal becomes numb

The rabbit in question was reportedly AVS-approved (Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore), and from the outside, it met all basic welfare standards — clean fur, access to food and water, and a visibly healthy appearance.

However, the deeper question the post posed was more difficult: Is this enough?

For animals like rabbits — naturally curious, social, and energetic — life in a confined glass enclosure, with minimal stimulation or space to move, isn’t a life but more like a waiting room.

In Singapore’s tightly regulated pet trade, this practice is technically compliant, but compliance doesn’t always equal compassion, and when we become used to seeing animals in cages, we risk becoming desensitised to their quiet suffering.

Numerous commenters chimed in, sharing stories of similar discomfort, of rabbits and hamsters and birds kept in enclosures either barely large enough for the animals to turn around or overcrowded. Some netizens mentioned that animals can develop depression, anxiety, or physical problems due to prolonged confinement. As many animals sold in pet shops are prey animals, they also often mask their distress, making it easy for their suffering to be overlooked by the untrained eye.

While AVS regulations require pet shops to meet certain health and hygiene standards, animal-rights activists have said ethical animal care is more than just a checklist. It’s about understanding the natural behaviours of the animals being sold and ensuring they have the space, stimulation, and care they deserve.

A small hope

What began as a quiet observation in a pet shop evolved into a conversation of shared concern that behind every glass enclosure is a living creature with instincts and needs, and that, sometimes, change starts not with grand legislation — but with someone pausing in front of a cage and asking a simple, human question: “Is this okay?”