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Why Easter Bunnies Should be Made of Chocolate!
If you are involved with animal rescue then rather chocolate and bank holidays, Easter is more likely to mean the prospect of more unwanted rabbits.
By Rowan Flindall from Burns Pet Nutrition
The tradition of the Easter Bunny has ancient roots which may go back to the pagan goddess “Eostre”. The idea of a rabbit bringing a gift can certainly be traced back to 16th century Germany but, as with many things, it became really popular two centuries later when it reached America. Unfortunately for some people a chocolate egg or candy rabbit is not enough and they want the real thing instead so, just as Christmas produces a flood of unwanted dogs and cats, Easter creates the same problem with rabbits.
There are many popular misconceptions regarding rabbits. Tradition would have us believe that a rabbit is perfectly happy being kept on its own in a small outdoor hutch, is easy to care for and will make an ideal children’s pet.We need to remember that we started keeping rabbits in hutches during the Victorian era so they were close to hand when we were ready to eat them!
The current minimum recommended size for hutch for a single rabbit is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft which is meant to give it room for three hops. Imagine how you would feel if you were kept in a room only just large enough for you to stand upright and take three strides? A hutch should be thought of purely as a shelter or bedroom with separate space provided for exercise. Ideally the rabbit should be able to move freely between hutch and run when it wants to. This need not be difficult as rabbits are perfectly capable of learning to use cat flaps! If your rabbit is to be kept outside you can add on a wire covered run or, even better, provide a system or tunnels and pens which the animal can explore. The Rabbit Welfare Association has lots of inexpensive ides as to how you can improve your pet’s housing on their website.
Rabbits are social animals and research has shown that companionship is as Rowan’s Ramblings Why Easter Bunnies Should be Made of Chocolate! important to them as food. Rabbits can, and should, be neutered so keeping two together should not raise any ‘multiplication’ problems. They are, however, very selective as to who they will share their personal space with so seek advice before trying to introduce a new companion. Just putting one bunny in a hutch with another may result in stress and fighting for them and vets bills for you. The tradition of keeping a Guinea Pig with a rabbit is another fallacy. Just like cats and dogs they can get on but have different needs which can conflict.With all social animals there is nothing that can replace a companion of the same species. Remember, if you only want one rabbit then you will have to work twice as hard to keep it happy.
When you ask children what you should feed rabbits the usual response will be “carrots and lettuce”.We have Beatrix Potter to thank for this fallacy and, unfortunately most of the complete rabbit diets which are readily available were originally formulated for bunnies destined for the pot rather than pets. Rabbits were designed to eat grass, grass and more grass and this should be the major part of a pet rabbit’s diet. Good quality hay which contains lots of different plants and has been produced and dried naturally is the best fodder but it should be supplemented with fresh greens and a small amount of a good quality rabbit pellets. Mixes are not particularly beneficial as the rabbit will eat only the bits it likes and therefore not get the full benefit.
The rather cute image of a child cuddling a rabbit is also far from reality. Rabbits do not particularly like being handled. They scare very easily and will use their teeth and claws to defend themselves if they feel threatened. It is important that you patiently teach your pet to accept handling so you can check it over every day but if you want to make friends get down to its level – don’t expect it to come up to yours.
Don’t get me wrong – rabbits are wonderful pets but they are not an easy option and that is why, this Easter,my bunny will be made of chocolate!
