Easter bunny needs a lasting home

Rabbits that are let loose to fend for themselves are a perennial problem in communities across the country, including many on Long Island.

"We get daily calls for cases of single and multiple abandoned rabbits," says Great Neck rabbit rescuer Nancy Schreiber of Rabbit Rescue & Rehab (rabbitcare.org).

Presumably, the rabbits' former owners believe that their erstwhile companions can easily transition to life on the outside. Not true, says Schreiber. Domestic rabbits are an altogether different species from their wild counterparts, and the former soon succumb to cold weather, lack of food, wily predators - and traffic.

"Setting your pet rabbit loose doesn't make her 'free,'" reads a flier by from the House Rabbit Society, whose rabbit .org site is a must-read for prospective bunny owners. "It makes her 'food.'"

Schreiber says that oftentimes, it is distraught neighbors who call in rescuers. "In all of these local cases, there was an emotional toll on the neighbors because of what they had to witness," Schreiber says - including rabbits running into the road and getting hit by cars.

With Easter approaching next month, rabbit rescuers are begging parents to make sure the only rabbits they are buying for their children are of the chocolate variety.

"What many people don't realize is that rabbits can live eight to 10 years, and they are not appropriate playmates for even the gentlest toddler," Schreiber says. Being prey animals, rabbits are hard-wired to flee, and they need slow, steady handling to ensure they are not startled or dropped. Most will never get used to being carried around. Rabbits that are not spayed or neutered may also nip or claw as a territorial response.

Pet stores, which sell juvenile rabbits without providing buyers much education about the care they will require, often do not identify the rabbits' sex correctly, and that pair of so-called sisters could very well ignite a population explosion to rival most July Fourth displays.

And rabbits redefine the term "getting busy": Bunnies can have litters every 30 days, and mere minutes after she gives birth, a doe can get impregnated anew.

Schreiber stresses that companion rabbits belong indoors, as a part of the family unit, not outside in hutches or garages. They can be trained to use a litterbox, though owners have to take the time and care to "bunny-proof" rooms to secure exposed wires and other chewable hazards.

Finally, there's the matter of veterinary care. A $20 pet-store rabbit could rack up bills in the hundreds of dollars. While some general-practice vets have sizable bunny clienteles, you might have to seek out a vet who specializes in exotics or small animals other than cats and dogs.

If, after considering all the pros and cons of a house bunny, you decide to get one, don't go the pet-store route. Instead, adopt a rescue bunny who already needs a home. And remember that the commitment you are making can't be undone - in good conscience, anyway - by a roadside drop-off.

Reference: www.newsday.com

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