Easter Rabbits – The Tragic Truth
Rabbits are often synonymous with Easter, however, they are often given as Christmas or birthday gifts. What ever the reason you may not be familiar with the tragic trend that also occurs each year as a result of giving a rabbit as a gift, especially around Easter. In the days leading up to Easter the sale of cute baby bunnies dramatically increases and in the months following Easter the shelters and Rabbit Rescues experience higher than usual numbers of unwanted pet rabbits that have outgrown their cuteness.
Although it may seem like a good idea at the time, giving a rabbit as a gift is never a good idea. More times than not, a pet purchased as a gift has not been given enough thought as to just what is involved in housing, feeding, training and caring for it. Cute baby bunnies grow into rabbits with some breeds weighing in excess of 20lbs. Rabbits are also a lifetime commitment living as long as 15 years, with the average ages of 8-10 years. Children often loose interest in a rabbit once it is grown and the responsibility it creates, leaving the parents as primary care givers. The end result is that many rabbits end up in the shelters, alone and unwanted.
Many of the rabbits in the shelters will spend weeks if not years traveling from one shelter to another looking for a permanent home. Several shelters have now adopted a “no kill” policy however, there are still a few that will kill an animal if they cannot be found homes within a reasonable time period as defined by the shelter itself.
The rabbits in the shelter are the lucky ones. Some people believe that pet rabbits will do better if they are abandoned in the local parks. Pet rabbits, do not have the skills required to live in the wild and if they are lucky enough to survive the first year (many do not) their life expectancy has been dramatically reduced to 2-5 years versus 8-10 for a family’s pet rabbit. Feral rabbits (as they are called) quickly become easy targets to coyotes, cougars, eagles, dogs, and cats just to name a few of the predatory animals that will kill and/or eat them. In places were the predator to prey ratio is lower feral rabbits may look like they are thriving when in fact they are not. These rabbits are often plagued with malnutrition, diseases, injuries and infections and many will die during the coming winter months. The younger and stronger ones that survive to breed in the spring will perpetuate the spread of disease, thus creating a vicious cycle.
So this year instead of rushing out to buy that cute furry bundle as a gift or Easter Bunny why don’t you donate to your local SPCA, Community Animal Shelter or Rabbit Rescue to help a rabbit in need. Or, if you must give out rabbits at Easter, make them chocolate or stuffed rabbits instead.
After the holiday season, if you are still seriously thinking you want a pet rabbit I recommend you do your homework first in order to find out just what is involved with taking care of a pet rabbit. There are several good articles throughout this site to help you make the right decision. Never rush into adopting any pet, because if it doesn’t work out, the animal will pay the price in the end.
