Live Bunnies for Easter Is a Bad Idea

Buying bunnies to give to children on Easter is a bad idea unless a promise is made to care for the bunny through thick and thin, until its dying day.  In addition to being high maintenance, these furry creatures are prone to claw, chew, and spray everything around them if they are not spayed or neutered.  Although they appear cute and cuddly when they are small, their sharp claws need constant maintenance to prevent them from ripping through clothing, furniture, and their owner"s skin.  Individuals who are unable to keep up with their new pets often abandon them after a short time.

The House Rabbit Society works hard to place these animals in loving, nurturing homes.  It also provides detailed information about caring for your new pet.  If you are not willing to make the same kind of commitment that you would to other pets, you might reconsider adopting a rabbit.  Although the animals can be litterbox trained, it does not mean that they can roam around a home freely without supervision.  It also does not mean that they will adapt easily to their environment or be able to control their bowels the way that trained dogs and cats do. The kindest environment, although not the only environment, is one with a garden or patio for a bunny to hop around and roam in.

Rabbits are lovely, sentient creatures that are dependent on you for their care.  Not everyone is cut out to take care of one, however, and the House Rabbit Society warns that, "They have a lifespan of 10 years and require as much work as a dog or cat."  If you want your child to have an Easter bunny, consider buying a hollowed chocolate one. 

The Easter Bunny poem written Mary Brandolino illustrates the treatment many bunnies receive once they grow up to be rabbits:

"Once a cute and cuddly bunny
Like a little ball of cotton
Now I'm grown up and forgotten
In my cage.

I don't know what went wrong
At the home I did inhabit
I just grew to be a rabbit
In my cage."

Please do your part and conduct thorough research before bringing a bunny home.  You must have the space, the time, the patience, the commitment and the love to properly care for one of these precious creatures.