Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Make Mine Chocolate


Image courtesy of Ruben the Rex

As someone who used to own rabbits, I have lent my voice and my platform for six years to the "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign which hopes to put an end to impulse purchases of rabbits and chicks as easter gifts. One of this year's memes says "You wouldn't buy a reindeer for your chid at Christmas, so why would you buy a rabbit for your child at Easter"

This is so very true. Rabbits and chicks - in fact, any animal - should never be purchased without a good deal of consideration as to what that animal needs to live and if you are ready or not to provide that.

A lot of people think that rabbits are wild creatures so they can buy them for the holiday and simply release them into the wild when they are 'done' with them. This is completely inaccurate as the rabbits you are able to purchase are domesticated and have about as much chance of surviving in the wild as your child does. To simply put them outside is abandonment - a form of animal abuse.


So many posts about rabbits at this time of year can really turn you off of owning a rabbit, and that makes me sad. Rabbits make wonderful pets and I would have one now if I wasn't quite sure that my youngest cat is a carrier of an upper respiratory disease that is fatal to rabbits. They are adorable, and fun, and they can make you laugh.

However, rabbits are prey animals and as such they aren't as snuggly as cats or dogs. It isn't that they aren't snuggly, but in a different way. They are also fragile and you need to be very careful how you handle them or you risk them breaking their back attempting to get away. Rabbits need to eat continually and have a fairly specific diet of hay and greens and as a result, they poop continually. Lastly, for this article anyway, rabbits chew on everything including baseboards, books, photo albums and electrical cords. They have to because their teeth never stop growing.

If you want a rabbit for Easter, or at any time, please do your research on reputable websites like Hopperhome.com or the House Rabbit Society. Know that you are going to need to provide them a cage/hutch for a home base, a litter box, and lots and lots of hay. Understand that rabbits need to have a vet who understands rabbits and how fragile they really are and they should be neutered. My last rabbit Bri died about 12 hours after I noticed the first symptom of her illness despite my taking her to the emergency vet. My first Rabbit Tobin lived until he was 11.

And if you aren't ready for that kind of commitment, join your voice with ours and say

Make Mine Chocolate

15 comments:

  1. My human has never wanted to have a bunny as a pet, because they are too high maintenance for her. She loves them, though, and it hurts her heart to think about how cruel that the Easter season can be for them.

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  2. Excellent post. Mom thinks buns are cute - of course! - but they are not for her. We hope this year will be a good year for NON impulse bun adoptions.

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  3. Great post. People can't buy bunny for a day of fun and just release into wild when the holiday is over. Mine will be definitely chocolate!

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  4. Great post, and great awareness action ! Purrs

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  5. Great, informative post. Thank you! Bunnies sure are cute, but I don't think I'd ever want one.

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  6. Wanted to add, that there are often many rabbits up for adoption in shelters. If your family really wants a rabbit, check there first!

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  7. we love this campaign....and it is true for any animal - if you aren't ready for the commitment, don't do it!! when mom was with the previous rescue, we would take adoptable rabbits (with a skilled volunteer - of which mom is not one) and occasionally they would make friends with the cats. it was adorable!

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  8. Great post! Save the bunnies!

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  9. I had no idea when I rescued Poppy quite how much work rabbits are, and what brilliant little personalities they have - yep, sometimes I am slow on the uptake. Knowing what I know now I would never say rabbits are an easy pet, in fact I think they are as hard if not harder then dogs or cats.

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  10. Whoa! Our human always stay at the rabbit station at the annual Noah's Ark Day at church, but thankfully she hasn't brought home one yet. We don't even know what to do with it.

    Emma and Buster

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  11. I believe you were how I found out abut "Make Mine Chocolate". I'm so glad we've moved away from the tiny bunnies and the dyed chicks in the supermaket of my childhood.

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  12. We hope anyone that wants a bunny does their homework first and make sure that getting a bunny is really the right thing for them.

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  13. Excellent post. I have had many rabbits over the years and they are a lot of work. I had one that lived for 13 years.

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  14. LOVE this. Though we've never had rabbits, there are so many that end up in shelters at this time. It's just not right ....

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