Pet Rabbits: Not Cute Easter Presents
It is currently the time of year where children are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Easter Bunny and the yummy treats that he will leave in their basket full of brightly colored plastic grass for them to enjoy on Easter Sunday. This holiday, however, does not just spike the sales of chocolate eggs and marshmallow chicks, but it also stimulates the sales of pet rabbits because of how cute it is to give them as gifts along with a basket full of candy. Unfortunately, these rabbits are usually bought on a whim, and the new owners are not prepared to properly provide the care that their new pet requires.
Rabbits are small, cute animals that have become a fluffy symbol of the spring, and like small animals are thought to be good “starter” pets for children who may not be ready for the responsibility of taking care of a dog or cat. Since rabbits come with this assumed ease of care, some parents seem to think that these animals would make a great present for a child on the major spring holiday that also happens to feature rabbits in its societal lore. The problem with this is that the parents rarely do the research into what caring for a rabbit truly entails, and end up surrendering their new pet to a shelter when their child loses interest and the new pet novelty fades.
Adoptable rabbits on petfinder.
In the United States, rabbits are thought to be the third most surrendered pet to shelters and rescue groups, which would correlate with them also being the third most popular pet in the country. This claim is difficult to back up with raw data because rabbits are usually grouped into the “small animal” category when they are surrendered. But, a 2012 study did track the intake numbers of animals in Massachusetts and Rhode Island shelters that came up with numbers that supported the claims that rabbits are a massively popular pet animal and another study in the UK came up with similar results in 2017. The rate at which rabbits are surrendered increases in the weeks that directly follow Easter according to the House Rabbit Society, a global rabbit rescue based out of California, and settles back down to a “normal” rate by the end of summer.
The House Rabbit Society says that most of the rabbits bought during the Easter season are babies that have just been weaned so that they are essentially at peak cuteness levels. The problem with this is that rabbits age rapidly, and by summer they enter puberty where they begin to engage in the more destructive rabbit behaviors. They begin to chew, rub, dig, and become mildly destructive, which inexperienced owners who assume rabbits are an easy pet to take care of are just not prepared to handle. Sometimes, however, prior to hitting bunny puberty, the children who had woken up to find the baby rabbits in their morning basket lose interest in their new pet.
Rabbits in the wild are a prey species with a heightened flight response, meaning they are cautious by nature and very easy to scare, this trait has been carried over to the domestic pet rabbits found in homes across the globe. This trait makes rabbits more difficult to bond with than dogs, and young children often do not have the patience to form that bond (which is not their fault), so rabbits are better suited for families with older children. Rabbits can form wonderful bonds with their pet parents, and the one I owned growing up would spend a lot of time sitting on the couch with me, but it just takes time for a small, fearful animal to learn that a big scary human is not going to hurt them. Once this bond is formed, however, rabbits are charismatic and playful pets that can be trained and provide just as many laughs and fond memories as a dog or a cat, it just takes a bit of specialized care.
Bringing a pet rabbit home is a commitment of ten or more years that requires the proper care for them to thrive and live a healthy life. A proper enclosure for a rabbit should be at least four feet (1.2 M) in length and have a wire bottom with a litter pan if it is a cage, however, puppy pens are a popular alternative to cages. While enclosures are the most common way to house a rabbit, they can be kept as a free-ranging pet within the house (or apartment) if there are no other pets and the proper safety precautions are taken to ensure they cannot chew on anything dangerous. Regardless of how they are housed, rabbits can and should be trained to use a litter box of some sort so in the very least they have somewhere to go during their at least 30 hours of exercise throughout the week.
Exercise is important to keep rabbits healthy by stimulating their minds while allowing them to use their muscles. During this exercise time, they should be provided with toys that they can safely play with and chew on, my rabbit used to like small balls with bells in them and small animal chews available at any pet store.
In addition to exercise, rabbits have specific dietary requirements that need to be met to stay healthy and keep them out of the veterinarian’s office. While there are numerous commercial rabbit foods sold at pet stores, they should not make up the bulk of a rabbit’s diet. A healthy rabbit diet should include an abundance of fresh produce, constant access to grass hay, and plenty of clean water. Comercial foods lack the benefits that come with fresh produce and do not always include the proper vitamins that a rabbit needs to thrive but are useful in limited quantities as a supplemental dietary base.
Petfinder search results
If you do decide to bring a rabbit home after completing the necessary research, it is important to ensure that they are either spayed or neutered and you have a reputable veterinarian to take them to for check-ups. A responsible breeder will be happy to provide you a comprehensive care guide for your new friend and the number of a veterinarian that is able to care for small animals like rabbits (they are considered exotics) and assist you on your journey to rabbit ownership.
I would also like to suggest that you consider adopting a rabbit from a shelter or rescue if you do not plan to enter the show world, a simple search on petfinder.com yielded 700 results within 100 miles of my house, and that does not include the listings for rabbits being adopted out as bonded pairs. Rabbits can and do make great pets, but like any animal, they should be not be brought home on a whim as a holiday gift.
References:
https://rabbit.org/rabbits-in-shelters-findings/
https://www.petfinder.com/pet-adoption/other-pet-adoption/are-rabbits-good-pets/
