Many people are unaware of how bad the rabbit rescue situation actually is in the UK. To date there are currently 67,000+ rabbits in rescues alone across the UK, this number was 37,000 only a few years ago. The number has increased dramatically and Easter is one of the main times of year that we see even more of an impact on Rescue numbers.
Many pet shops who sell live stock (something I am against) advertise baby bunnies as the perfect easter gift, special offers include a tiny prison of a hutch, incorrect care information. These bunnies are destined a life forgotten, neglected in a coffin at the bottom of the garden. Typically bought as a children's pet, rabbits are far from that.
Please what ever you do this year support the plight of these thousands of bunnies in rescues, who have ended up there through no fault of their own. Make mine chocolate is a campaign specifically for this time of year. A dog is for life not just for Christmas , the same applies for a bunny. A bunny is for life, not just for Easter. A bunny is a life commitment, which can cost into the thousands in a very short life time.
Rabbits need space, love, attention, vaccinations, neutering, a friend, hay, the correct diet and veterinary care when they are ill.
Rabbits are very vulnerable, delicate little creatures. Don't under estimate them.
This information is taken direct from
Make Mine Chocolate
Beware of the Easter Bunny!
Around this time of year it’s impossible to open a magazine or turn
on the TV without seeing a cute fluffy rabbit. They’re everywhere
- on billboards, in magazines, and on packaging up and down the
aisles of supermarkets.
It’s no wonder that sales of pet rabbits explode at Easter, and pet
shops up and down the country have already ‘stocked up’ with
baby bunnies to maximise opportunity; it’s at this time of year that
‘pester power’ comes into its own, with children begging their
parents for a lovely fluffy Easter bunny.
But new rabbit owners often realise they have made a mistake in
the weeks and months after Easter when the reality of how much
time and money is required to care for their new rabbit hits home.
Rabbit welfare group Make Mine Chocolate! is once again
campaigning hard to put a stop to the Easter rabbit impulse buy. “By asking people to consider a
chocolate or toy rabbit instead of a real rabbit at Easter, potential new owners have time to think
about the commitment they need to make before it is too late” reports campaign manager Lisa Whitty.
The current rabbit welfare statistics are worsening year on year, with now an estimated 67,000 rabbits
passing through rescue each year (RWAF data). A Make Mine Chocolate! rescue survey revealed that
60% of rabbits entering rescue do so within a year of purchase and it is no surprise to those involved
in rescue the main reason being given is the ‘child has lost interest in the pet’.
Make Mine Chocolate! has produced a short list of things to consider before getting a rabbit:
• Accommodation needs to be big and predator proof, with space to exercise and also to
stay warm and dry.
• Rabbits need annual vaccinations against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease
(VHD)
• A rabbit can cost over £1000 a year to look after correctly – and that’s if they stay well!
• Rabbits should live in neutered pairs for companionship and other species are not suitable
companions
• Rabbits can live for 10 years or more
• Rabbits must eat a diet of mostly hay – a pile at least the same size as the rabbit every day
• Contrary to belief, rabbits don’t like being handled and are not suitable pets for young
children
In addition, good rabbit rescues are a great place to learn about caring for rabbits correctly, and can
often offer advice on care and holiday boarding.
So beware of the Easter Bunny and think carefully before taking on a rabbit as a pet, and if you are
going to buy one, then think about going to your local rescue shelter first.
Other useful websites for bunny research
Rabbits deserve better, help that to happen.
