Easter and Rabbits Don't Mix
It's nearing Easter time, and a lot of kids all over the nation are pestering their parents for a pet bunny. The rabbits one sees in pet shops around this time of year are small, soft, and cute, and they seem easy enough to care for. What could go wrong? What's the harm in getting one's son or daughter a bunny for Easter? The answer: much more than you think.
Simply put, a rabbit is a very poor choice of pet for a child, but parents and guardians usually only discover this after they purchase one. Rabbits do not like to be picked up or cuddled, and and sudden loud noises and running feet frighten them. They are very social and enjoy the company of quiet humans and other rabbits. They require time outside their cages to run. They have specific dietary needs. In short, they are not easy to care for. When a child sees this, interest in the rabbit wanes.
After a child loses interest in his or her pet, Flopsy usually gets shoved into an outdoor hutch or confined to her cage. She is forgotten and neglected, punished for the guardian's failure to educate himself. The lucky ones end up in the care of shelters and rabbit rescue organisations, but most unwanted bunnies end up spending the rest of their lives in confinement, or "released" into the wild, where they have no hope of survival. It's not fair, it's not right, and it's not okay.
Please pass this information on to your friends, family, co-workers, and anyone who will listen. A pet is not an impulse buy. A pet is not disposable. If you're not willing to love and care for your animal friend for the rest of its life, then you don't deserve to have one. Plain and simple.
(Find more information at The House Rabbit Society and Make Mine Chocolate. )
Simply put, a rabbit is a very poor choice of pet for a child, but parents and guardians usually only discover this after they purchase one. Rabbits do not like to be picked up or cuddled, and and sudden loud noises and running feet frighten them. They are very social and enjoy the company of quiet humans and other rabbits. They require time outside their cages to run. They have specific dietary needs. In short, they are not easy to care for. When a child sees this, interest in the rabbit wanes.
After a child loses interest in his or her pet, Flopsy usually gets shoved into an outdoor hutch or confined to her cage. She is forgotten and neglected, punished for the guardian's failure to educate himself. The lucky ones end up in the care of shelters and rabbit rescue organisations, but most unwanted bunnies end up spending the rest of their lives in confinement, or "released" into the wild, where they have no hope of survival. It's not fair, it's not right, and it's not okay.
Please pass this information on to your friends, family, co-workers, and anyone who will listen. A pet is not an impulse buy. A pet is not disposable. If you're not willing to love and care for your animal friend for the rest of its life, then you don't deserve to have one. Plain and simple.
(Find more information at The House Rabbit Society and Make Mine Chocolate. )