Please, please don't buy your children a rabbit for Easter, unless you yourself are willing to look after the rabbit and attend to it's needs daily, for the next 8 years or more.
Every year just after the Easter break and after the summer holidays, my local Rabbit Rescue is innundated with unwanted bunnies. Children change their minds and lose interest all too easily, then the bunnies are either handed in, or released into the wild (they can't look after themselves), or just left to rot in a hutch at the bottom of the garden.
I personally don't think Rabbits make ideal pets for small children anyway, as they tend to scratch, wriggle and even bite if handled incorrectly.
Rabbits should if possible be kept in pairs too, they get very lonely on their own. Plus rabbits need a large run to exercise in, which they do tend to dig holes in and generally landscape it to their own needs.
So if any of your children really want a bunny for Easter, perhaps it would be best to get them a fluffy toy one, or a chocolate one....And if after Easter they still want one and you are ready for the years of responsibility, then take a visit to your local Rabbit Rescue centre and rehome an unwanted one from there.
Its awful how many buns are bought at easter for children as they are not great pets for children as they can be very moody and once they hit the teenage hormonal stage they can intimidate many adults. They are also difficult to handle!
Furthermore, they are not a cheap pet- Vaccinations, neutering and vet bills are costly, especially if your bun is one of those prone to molar spurs! Good quality hay and lots of veggies also add to the weekly shopping bill!
Rabbitrehome is a great site, if you want rabbits, please only rescue, buying petshop babies only supports rabbit farms, backyard breeders and irresponsible ones who sell the buns to an uncertain life, plus add to the already severe over population crisis. Besides, good rescues should neuter, vaccinate, bond their rabbits as well as having the buns ready for new homes. Buying from a petshop can be dodgey as you never really know what bun you are going to end up with as shops don't do health checks.
I cannot urge you enough to boycott shops enough and giving a bun a second chance at a rescue, if of course you have the time, money, space and knowledge.
Posted:
Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:04 pm
littlelab Moderator
Joined: Jan 07, 2006 Posts: 2490 Age: 36 No.Of Pets: 5 Pet Types: 2 Dogslets and 3 Kittys
here here, i find that looking after a rabbit is more time consuming and sometimes more expensive than a cat, and even a dog, cuz u have to buy hay and woodshavings weekly on top of food and gnaws to wear their teeth down... save buying a rabbit till u really know whats involved lookin after them..
there are some cute bunny teddies out there anyway, think i might get one myself lol... ____________
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