Saturday, March 28, 2015

Make Mine Chocolate - Rabbits at Easter


This is the fifth anniversary of my joining in and blogging about this very important cause.


I was a rabbit owner for almost fifteen years. I would still be a rabbit owner if I were still a suitable home for one. My last rabbit Bri adored my kitty Skippy; unfortunately Skippy has a recurring case of URI and he gave it to Bri. She passed away with in 12 hours of my noticing that something was wrong. Rabbits are pretty frail animals and need specialized care. They should not be given as a cute gift simply because there is a holiday.


I know we all adore the idea of giving animals, but most of us accept the reality that it can be very very hard on the animal, so giving a pet as a gift should only be done with a lot of thought and care and concern for the animal. I do believe it can be done right, but I do believe it is a lot more work than most people want to put in during a special occasion event.


If you do want a rabbit for the holiday, there are a few things you should know. Rabbits can live for 10-12 years. They are also prey animals so they are much more skittish than a cat or a dog would be. They are not 'starter' pets as they do need a lot more than just food and water. Rabbits need as much room as a cat in order to get proper exercise. They need a constant diet of fresh hay because they need to keep their digestive track moving at all times. They also need fresh greens and vegetables and some people like to treat their bunny with fruits as well. They have a very limited need for pellets, generally only when they are young, but some people continue to feed them over their life time but they need to be cautious of not overfeeding them.


Since rabbits are constantly eating, they are also constantly pooping. Fortunately rabbit pellets are very dry, if they aren't then your bunny is ill and needs a trip to the vet, and are easy to take care of. Rabbits also like to use a litter box if you provide one, which makes cleaning fairly easy. Other forms of maintenance for your bun would be trimming of the claws and making sure their teeth are constantly worn down by chewing on various chew toys because their teeth constantly grow and if are not maintained properly can cause serious problems.

Baby Bunny
If you look at the photo above, you can see the poop pellets next to the bun, and the litter box with hay in it to encourage them to sit there and eat and pee. There is also an enrichment toy of a cardboard container for them to chew on and nose around. Buns need stimulation. A lot of bun owners provide hard teething toys for buns to explore and nose around. Some like belled balls. Untreated wicker baskets are good for jumping in, for exploring, for digging and for chewing. Old phone books are also good for buns to play with.

Rabbits are wonderful pets, but they are work. They are also funny, and adorable, and sweet, and my second favorite pet in the world. So if you are not up for it, this Easter, go for the chocolate ones instead.

11 comments:

  1. Excellent Post,thank you for sharing this,xx Rachel

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  2. Bunnies are cute, but yes, they involve LOTS of work that most humans don't realize. We aren't a bunny family, but I've noticed that my vet is one of those rare ones that actually offers rabbit care.

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  3. Thank you for sharing this. As you know, I love bunnies too, but they definitely are NOT starter pets. I lived with BJC for almost eight years, and I miss her every day.

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  4. I thank you too for sharing this important message, I adore buns and had one as a child. Although I had 6 years with Gumdrop and loved her, my parents made the naive mistake of allowing me to get her at too young of an age and with the nutty belief a rabbit would be a good substitute for a cat I really wanted and they did not. I enjoyed having a bun yet don't feel I appreciated her as much as I should because of disappointment I felt once I found she did not like to be picked up, snuggled or do things like a cat.
    I wish they had researched or had a post like yours to read back then. I wmj

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  5. You have some excellent advice for people here. I don't remember because I was so young, but I was told that my parents bought us a rabbit for Easter one year. Rabbit didn't live very long supposedly =/ Very sad. I hope more people will consider all of this before taking on a new pet rabbit!

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  6. Great post ! Mum will chose a yummy chocolate bunny, and we love to chase the plush toy bunnies she puts on shelves to decorate the house for Easter ! Purrs

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  7. Very important post for those wanting to get a rabbit. They're very cute, but not an easy pet to have. The mom says she prefers chocolate bunnies too. :)

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  8. When I was a child we would often come across baby bunnies in the yard or fields. We always wanted to try to keep them but they always died within hours. Perhaps had we left them be the mother would have returned.
    I've never though to have a rabbit, and the two wild ones that visit my back yard are enough for me to enjoy. I have put out rabbit food for them when the snow is very deep. This year, we had far less snow and they are still looking healthy.
    Great post and great advice. I'll take chocolate too!

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  9. I have never understood the connection between bunnies and Easter and have to say bunnies look cute but are a lot more work then some people think.

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  10. Great post! So important. Bunnies are a big commitment.

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  11. This is such a good post. I truly hope this message can get out there to the general masses. Rabbits make great pets for those that are committed and educated.

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