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Escambia Animal Shelter: Chocolate Bunnies A Better Gift Than Live Ones
April 23, 2011
The bunny in the Easter season movie Hop may grab your kid’s heart, but a live bunny as a house pet may not be a good idea. Animal caregivers say people seem to have gotten the message that baby chicks are not good house pets, but some still want to give kids a cuddly little bunny at Easter.
Dusty Clements, who manages the Escambia County Animal Shelter, urges restraint.
“These people bring these cute little bunnies home – they grow up, they are very powerful. They can, with their claws, cause deep punctures and lacerations,” Clements said.
And when the cuddly little critter reaches puberty, it can get really cranky. Adam Goldfarb, who directs the Humane Society’s “Pets at Risk” program, says most families are unprepared for the changes.
“They might have a very ‘cute’ Easter – but unfortunately, the novelty of having a rabbit and the reality of caring for them long-term, kind-of wears off.”
Rabbits live as long as ten or 12 years, so it may still be hopping around the house when the kids go off to college. Unless your family is ready for that kind of responsibility, the best kind of bunny to give at Easter may be a chocolate one.
Comments
2 Responses to “Escambia Animal Shelter: Chocolate Bunnies A Better Gift Than Live Ones”
Before you take home a bunny, read, read, read about them! Talk to people who have them. Go to ARBA (american Rabbit Breeder’s Association) and look for links for care. Look at the House Rabbit Assoc. for tips on care. Cages have to be adequate, use a bunny potty to reduce scent/cage cleaning. ALways change their water every day and feed them. They are God’s creatures…not just Easter bunnies! Smaller rabbits live 5-7 years, larger ones live 10-15 years. Lops are larger, more gentle. Read about the breed of rabbit you get before you get it! It is a long term commitment for a child and parents!
All cuddly critters turn cranky @ puberty.
Not just bunnies