Easter is coming up! And it’s a terrible time for pet store bunnies!
Rabbits are marketed as “easy”, short-lived, starter pets, especially during the Easter holidays, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth! A healthy, well cared for bunny can live just as long as the average cat or dog- 10-12 years!
What’s more, they have more complex needs than a cat or a dog. Rabbits are prey animals and do not behave or show affection in the same way as predators like cats and dogs; they don’t deal well with being outside-only animals; they can get sad if they’re on their own and don’t receive enough attention; and if they’re bought as a male and female couple, they can start reproducing from as early as 5-6 months of age, and they can carry multiple litters at the same time!
They have a specialised diet (NOT carrots!), need a specialised living area (unless you want all your things to get chewed up!), and they need specialised vets! Caring for them costs as much as caring for a dog!
They’re a big responsibility!
I didnt realize this was a huge problem.
Boost this mates, it’s irresponsible to waste a good animal.
We need pet licenses
Bringing home a pet means assuming the responsibility for a living creature’s life, providing food, shelter, safety, exercise, affection, medical care, throughout all the stages of the animal’s life. If you want something cute, buy a stuffed animal. But if you want to model and teach caregiving, empathy, reliability, trustworthiness, the interconnectedness of life, and the importance of fulfilling obligations, then *perhaps* you should consider adopting a pet from a shelter. Unfortunately, there are lots of shelters with rabbits who stopped being cute and who became too much trouble for the people who brought them home to keep.