Easter is just around the corner and the search begins for a gift for the kids or loved ones. You can stick with the classic Easter-themed chocolates and yummy treats.
Maybe even release your creativity with baskets, plushies or fun (wink) gifts for adults.
But we definitely do not recommend gifting a live rabbit as a gift. And we’re not the only ones on this.
The Durbanville Bunny Rescue says that this time of year – after the Easter festivities – they see a spike in rabbits being dumped. The organisation’s Jocelyn Marais told EWN:
We have found that around the Easter time, due to the marketing of bunnies, that people do buy live bunnies as gifts. It is concerning, as the responsibility of owning a rabbit is very high. They are not just a pet you can have in the background… they need specific diets and a daily routine that needs to be kept
When someone abandons a pet, like an Easter rabbit, they contribute to animal shelter overcrowding.
And when shelters can’t adopt out all those rabbits into forever homes, they are euthanised.
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But do not think that releasing a pet into the wild is the next solution. Domesticated animals fall prey to other wildlife, and will not be able to fend for themselves.
Or, their presence disrupts an eco-system.
Why gifting a live “Easter” rabbit is wrong
Rabbits are not toys
These small animals, especially their young, are fragile. They can easily be hurt by an excited child who grabs them for a cuddle. They have bones that can break easily, and this often occurs by being dropped or pulled around.
Not ‘practice pets’
While rabbits are smaller than other animals, they are not ‘starter-pack’ pets. They need lots of attention and care. The Erie Area Rabbit Society & Rescue reveals that 4 out of 5 given as Easter gifts will die within a year. Mostly from neglect. Rabbits need daily environment interaction just like a dog or cat.
Before getting any pet, educate yourself and your family on the needs of the animal, and what it takes to be a good pet guardian.
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Rabbits don’t eat carrots
The orange root vegetable is actually not rabbit’s preferred food. In fact, it can cause digestive issues for the animal. Rabbits have very sensitive digestive tracts. They require a balanced diet of hay, fresh fruit and veggies, and occasional pellets. Any new foods need to be introduced slowly to allow the rabbit’s system to adjust.
But why does Bugs Bunny eat carrots? This was a parody of a scene where Clark Gable eats a carrot in It Happened One Night (1934).
They chew on (every)things
If you are ready to welcome a live Easter bunny, rabbit-proofing your home is a must. They chew on things from shoes and books, to wooden furniture and electrical chords. They are also likely to hop up your stars, so invest in a chew-proof pet gate or rabbit-proof the upstairs too.
But rabbits also need more space than what most homes can provide.
Marais says rabbits live between eight and ten years. And a lot of work goes into looking after them, reports EWN:
After the Easter madness has calmed down, people realise that these pets are not an easy animal to have, and so there’s a major influx when it comes to the dumping of bunnies. It is quite a large issue… On a regular every second day, we are seeing two to three bunnies being dumped. Owners are not doing research on how to keep a bunny and the maintenance that goes on around them.
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