Choose Chocolate, Not Fur: A Rabbit Reality Check

As Easter approaches, hearts and minds naturally turn toward springtime and all that it entails. During this enchanting season, many of us feel the impulse to give colorful Easter baskets brimming with surprises for children. Too often, one such “surprise” is a velvet-eared, live baby bunny, adorably nestled among green plastic grass and pastel chocolate eggs. While it is often tempting to give those cuddly little creatures as pets at Easter, Marie Mead cautions that people must educate themselves about the nature and needs of rabbits before taking the bunny plunge. “Rabbits are very misunderstood animals,” says Marie Mead, creator of celebratingrabbits.com and author of the upcoming book Rabbits: Gentle Hearts, Valiant Spirits—Inspirational Stories of Rescue, Triumph, and Joy (Nova Maris Press, Spring 2007, $18.95). “They are extremely sensitive, intuitive, and gentle creatures who require extensive attention and mature guardianship—something many people don’t realize when they purchase a baby bunny. It’s a very sad fact that most rabbits don’t even enjoy a year of happiness with their new caretakers. Instead of living out their normal lifespan¬¬––eight to 12 years––they often die within the first year of life. “Many rabbits are injured or become ill due to improper handling and care and, as a result, either die painful deaths or are euthanized,” says Mead. “Discarded bunnies overrun the animal shelters after Easter, resulting in many rabbits being euthanized due to space constraints and other factors.