Friday, March 30, 2018

Should you get a rabbit for Easter? #MakeMineChocolate



With Easter right around the corner, I thought I would take a moment to talk about a campaign that is near and dear to my heart, the Make Mine Chocolate campaign.


Domestic rabbits have an 8-12 year lifespan, to know these rabbits don't make it a year is heartbreaking. To see rabbits turned into shelters in droves or to find bunnies abandoned to the wild, or worse.

Rabbits are not "easy" pets. They definitely fall under the 'exotic' category. Finding a vet comfortable in a rabbit's unique physiology is not easy. Rabbits make much better pets when they are neutered so that needs to be a high priority - and it is not cheap. They need to have a constant supply of hay because if they stop eating their gut can go into stasis and they can die. They also need fresh greens. Rabbits love items that are less than healthy for them, like high sugar fruit and toast and it is fine to feed them in limited amounts but they can cause health issues if you give too much of it.

They are prey animals and as such, they have a high flight reflex. They can thump their back feet and make noise to warn others and if you pick them up improperly you risk them being so afraid they try to get away and break their own backs.

Nails and teeth never stop growing so they will need to be maintained. Giving rabbits appropriate things to chew on will help them wear down their teeth so they don't become an issue. Sometimes they do anyway and you will need to take them to the vet on a regular basis for teeth trims - or learn to do it yourself. Nails can be trimmed at home but again you run into an unwilling participant and the quick is hard to see and it can grow quite long if you don't trim them often. The quick can also bleed a lot if you cut it.

Rabbits are wonderful pets, but you need to be educated in their care and be willing to commit to a decade of ownership if you want one. Otherwise..


Go for the chocolate, or stuffed, kind.


Read some of my other posts for Make Mine Chocolate a mission of the Columbus House Rabbit Society - here  or individual posts:


12 comments:

  1. My human loves bunnies - and our vet even treats them! - but they are way too high maintenance for her to ever have as a pet. I wish more humans realized what they were getting into by bringing a bun into their lives. They are great pets if you know what you are doing - we have a couple of knowledgable friends who have bunnies, and they adore them.

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  2. Mom could not imagine having a real one. The chocolate kind is good enough for her.

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  3. we are lucky here that there is a great local rabbit rescue - but we also know they are overwhelmed this time of year. ANY impulse purchase of a pet is a bad idea

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  4. Leave the bunnies and chicks alone, peoples!

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  5. We agree about the bunnies, though the mom has a couple of friends that have bunnies and take good care of them.

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  6. Great post. I feel bad for all the bunnies given for Easter.

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  7. I had many rabbits growing up, and yes, they are work! That's where I learned to trim nails as a child. They grow just like cat's nails do.

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  8. I’m passionate about this too! I always cringe when I hear about a puppy or kitten for Christmas – but I understand that the problem is more pronounced with Easter. We had a rabbit growing up and it wasn’t a good pet for my brother or I. We wanted something to cuddle and play with. Even worse, my parents hadn’t done the research about how best to care for one. My father raised rabbits on the farm growing up – so he thought he knew. He most certainly DID NOT.

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  9. Great info. Baby anything is cute, but most animals take a lot more care than people realize.

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  10. Only if it's a chocolate rabbit!
    Happy Easter...

    Noodle and crew

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  11. Great post ! Yes, bunnies are not so easy to have as pet, and mostly indoor pet. Purrs

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  12. Thank you for this important post. It breaks our hearts that so many bunnies, chicks and ducklings are given as "Easter gifts." :(

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