Easter bunnies

Hey everyone, Logan here!  Bailey is off digging her way to China, so I'm taking over the blog.

Today, our human was telling us how some people like to buy rabbits at Easter time.  She said that the shelters are always overflowing with abandoned bunnies after Easter.  Why?  Here's a few reasons why you should carefully reconsider buying a live rabbit for an Easter gift.

-Most bunnies don't make good pets for children.  Bunnies require a high level of care- feeding, vet visits, litterbox cleaning, several hours of exercise time, etc.  Most bunnies hate to be held (think of it this way- in the wild, a bunny who was suddenly picked up and carried up high meant that he was going to be someone's dinner!  That's very scary for us!).  

-Domesticated pet rabbits don't belong outside.  Why?  In the winter, we're freezing.  In the summer, we're at risk of dying from heatstroke.  Being outside also puts us near predators like birds and raccoons, and if someone gets too close to our cage, we can die of a heart attack.  Plus, people tend to forget about us when we're outside pets.  

-Bunnies live a loooong time when properly cared for.  Your Easter present of a live rabbit is actually a 7-10 year commitment!  That's 10 years of buying hay, 10 years of paying for vet bills, you get the picture.  

-Baby bunnies are cute, but they're often hard to care for.  Babies require a special diet.  They're difficult to litter train at first.  Once they get a little older, they go through puberty.  That means we're obnoxious until we get spayed or neutered.  

This is just a short list of why bunnies don't usually make good Easter presents.  Please do your research before bringing a bunny into your home!  I was abandoned by bunny parents who didn't realize how big of a commitment I was going to be.  Luckily, I was adopted by our human, but many bunnies after Easter are not so lucky.  Please, think twice before buying an Easter bunny.  Don't you think a chocolate or plush bunny is a safer choice?

We look cute, but wait 'till you check out our price tag!

Vet visits: $500 per year, $100-$400 for spay/neuter surgery

Food costs: $100-$300 per year

Space requirements: at least 4' by 6', plus a safe area to run around in

Time requirements: Our human spends at least 4 hours per day with us

Supplies: $200 initial cost, plus a good $50 per year for toys and such

Does the $20 petstore bunny still sound like a good deal?  Didn't think so!