You love your children, I get it. You want to make them happy. You want to see them jumping with joy and squealing with excitement. And you’ve just had a great idea …
Or you want to be the best granny in the world, and surprise your little darlings with something special for Easter. You want to outdo the other grannies who buy chocolate Easter bunnies and sensible things like books.
So you walk into a pet shop and you pick a little bunny – the cutest little thing, white and fluffy and tiny. The kids are going to freak out. You can’t wait to see their faces. Maybe you even splurge on a tiny wooden hutch; it’s going to look so cute in the garden. You’re very chuffed with yourself. This is going to be an Easter to remember.
Hold it right there! Put down that bunny and read this first. A bunny is not a toy! It is a living, thinking, feeling animal and it is at least a 10-year commitment.
If you are not ready for this, go to the toy shop and buy a stuffed bunny instead. A toy bunny can be hugged, dropped, neglected, forgotten about and discarded. Sadly, that is often the fate of a pet shop bunny.
Bunnies are not suitable for young children who want something fluffy to carry around. Bunnies do not like to be picked up, and can seriously scratch you. This often causes them to be dropped and get badly hurt.
Bunnies can be expensive pets. You will need to have them sterilised and vaccinated against RHDV annually.
Bunnies need specialist vets. There are not many exotic and bunny-savvy vets around, and they are more expensive than “normal” vets. Bunnies need lots of space. They cannot live in a hutch and need a large, safe space in which to live.
Bunnies need buddies. They are happiest with a friend or two. A single bunny is a lonely bunny. Bunnies need the right food. They need lots of hay, and some fresh greens and the occasional healthy snack. If they are fed the wrong diet, they will develop teeth problems which are very painful and can be life-threatening.
Bunnies from pet shops often have health problems which can be difficult and expensive to treat. Bunnies can be messy and destructive. You need to be prepared for the work involved – cleaning litter trays, washing bedding, bunny-proofing your house and garden, and so forth.
If you have read all of this, and you still want a bunny (not for your small children), please get in touch with one of the many bunny rescue organisations overflowing with bunnies of all shapes and sizes. These bunnies have already been sterilised and vaccinated. Plus, the rescue organisation will guide you through every step of new pet ownership, making sure you and the bunnies are happy.
Instead of contributing to the bunny overpopulation problem, you will be giving a home to some bunnies in need. And, you will be setting an excellent example for your children. Happy Easter!
For more information, visit www.adoptdontshop.org.za.
