No Bunnies for Easter

**CarolsCritterCare** · 03-18-2008, 01:34 PM

People who love rabbits dread Easter more than any other holiday. Easter means that baby rabbits--along with baby chicks--will show up in pet stores in large numbers only to be sold for a few dollars to people who will buy them on impulse. Many of those people will later abandon those rabbits and chicks. The ones who feel guilty about it will surrender them to rescue organizations and volunteers or to animal shelters (where they will most likely be euthanized). The irresponsible people will simply put the rabbits outside and leave them to fend for themselves. Those unlucky animals will likely be killed by predators or suffer an even worse fate.

Easter is one of the causes of the rabbit overpopulation problem. That's because Easter is when the bunny mills really swing into production, turning out those thousands of baby rabbits you see in the cage next to that doggy in the window. Just as there are puppy and cat mills, the notorious breeding places where animals live in filth, illness and misery, so are there rabbit mills. And then, just as with cats and dogs, there are the backyard breeders.

catwhisperer3000 · 03-26-2008, 10:36 PM

Hello,
I Dont totally Agree with ya. We Our A small Family Runned Hobby Farm & Rabbit Breeder WE are A Registered Rabbitry threw the ARBA. We work hard to improve the breeds of Rabbits we carry . We strive for Healthy Rabbits, Standards of each breed, We sell Both Pet & Show Rabbits. But we always will take Back any bunny we sell As long as it is not sick,sick bunnies will kill your Whole Herd thats why. We care about our Bunnies and yes not every breeder is The same. There's Bad Breeders and Good Breeders as is with any animal that people will come up with to sell. I spend all my extra money on my Animals on Our Hobby Farm Because We Love Having and caring for Animals.All Profits go right back to them All We get out of them Is their Love and company which is all we want,and we love sharing our Great little pets with anyone that wants one as long as their going to treat them good but there's no Guarantee that we pick a safe home for that animal their are bad people out there that lie but not ever person is bad .The Bunny buisness is not a money making Buisness trust me ! we spend about $ 1,200.00 just in food for a whole year.$15.00 in salt licks,$35.00 in Hay for them.this year we spent $ 500.00 in 18 new cages,we got new Blood in Our Lines to improve Our Herds we spent about $ 800.00 on rabbits this Year .This year we added a new Breed Standard Rexs Too thow. and we are A small rabbitry of about 10 to 20 Bunnies All which are handled daily , Nails Trimed , cages Cleaned weekly, Well Vented, Cooled in Summer , Warmed in Winter, water bottles & food dishes Cleaned weekly ,feed and watered twice a day,Plus Looked over and groomed every other day. like I said we take Good care of our Animals . And I dont think its right to put everyone down for a few bad eggs out there. I do believe people should be aware And Look out for bad Breeders and dont buy from them. Really Buying a bunny from A Bunny breeder is a little better than buying from a pet store1. you get to see how they are kept2.they will tell you things about the bunny and good breeders will give you a care sheet & some Bunny food too(like we do) 3. Good Bunny Breeders Try to improve the bunnies that they have ,trying to make the best not the most! Sorry ,But Thats Just what I think & not every one is the same. Please dont be so Quick to Judge !
Thank you Take care,
Amanda From Mandy's Pets & E - Z Goin Rabbitry
P.S.
We had 3 Baby LionHead Bunnies Born on Easter Sunday !

**Kris10** · 03-27-2008, 11:38 AM

Amanda, it sounds like you are a very responsible breeder. I absolutely agree with you that you should visit the breeder of any pet you're looking at and see the conditions they are kept in.

What Carol is referring to is the potential pitfalls of giving any pet as a gift. The House Rabbit Society has a good article about this. The gift giver may think a bunny is a wonderful present, but the gift's recipient may think otherwise. Can the recipient care for the rabbit financially? Do they understand the specifics of caring for a bunny? Do they even have room in their home for a bunny?

If you know an animal lover, a better gift may be a donation on their behalf to a rescue. You could also search online for t-shirts, figurines and other gifts related to the animals they love. If you know they have a rabbit, why not get some feed a giftcard to a pet supply store?

**CarolsCritterCare** · 03-29-2008, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris10

What Carol is referring to is the potential pitfalls of giving any pet as a gift. The House Rabbit Society has a good article about this. The gift giver may think a bunny is a wonderful present, but the gift's recipient may think otherwise. Can the recipient care for the rabbit financially? Do they understand the specifics of caring for a bunny? Do they even have room in their home for a bunny?

Exactly Correct Kris10......On March 17 I took in 4 bunnies from the Marathon Humane Society. Too many bunnies and they dont adopt out during Easter. They'd rather rescue take them in. So here they are, and maybe I'll be lucky enough to find them homes. It's never a good idea to give a pet as a gift.
Carol

**CarolsCritterCare** · 03-29-2008, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catwhisperer3000

Hello,
I Dont totally Agree with ya. We Our A small Family Runned Hobby Farm & Rabbit Breeder WE are A Registered Rabbitry threw the ARBA. We work hard to improve the breeds of Rabbits we carry . We strive for Healthy Rabbits, Standards of each breed, We sell Both Pet & Show Rabbits. But we always will take Back any bunny we sell As long as it is not sick,sick bunnies will kill your Whole Herd thats why. Amanda From Mandy's Pets & E - Z Goin Rabbitry
P.S.
We had 3 Baby LionHead Bunnies Born on Easter Sunday !

That's wonderful Amanda! However I was talking about giving bunnies as gifts to others who may or may not really want a pet bunny. Many people go out and buy that cute bunny for Easter and give it as a gift only for it to end up in rescue a few months later.

I have someone in Hartland call yesterday, has 2 bunnies, got them for easter, kids allergic and needs to get rid of them. Not willing to surrender the cage and supplies with the bunnies. My caging is full due to helping the Marathon Humane Society so I can't help him. Easter was how many days ago???? and already he wants to get rid of the bunnies.

Carol

catwhisperer3000 · 03-29-2008, 02:02 PM

Hello,
Sorry, I took your message wrong.
We Don't Breed Just Because it's Eatser or for any other Holidays & We Never Sell Bunnies on Easter Weekend Either. We dont see Easter as A Bunnies,Candy and Chicks Holiday, To us Easter is A Religious Holiday which we Rejoice in. We Totally Agree with you People should not Give Animals As Gifts !

Amanda

**AJE** · 04-10-2008, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris10

If you know an animal lover, a better gift may be a donation on their behalf to a rescue. You could also search online for t-shirts, figurines and other gifts related to the animals they love. If you know they have a rabbit, why not get some feed a giftcard to a pet supply store?

DID YOU SAY A GIFT: I'd be impressed to have a gift card to help with the expenses of my bunny from a pet store or beter yet a vet visit. Your right, just one pet bunny is not cheap.

**CarolsCritterCare** · 04-12-2008, 01:51 PM

The last bunny that came in a few weeks ago did finally go to a good home.
One of my clients adopted it. She felt so bad it was a Easter Gift and dumped shortly after Easter. She says the bunny is very sweet and is happy to have her.
This bunny has a happy ending!! I still a few other buns looking for homes.