Each year whenever Easter hops around, bunnies are gifted as pets in Easter baskets. You’d think that the gesture is nice; getting a new pet is groundbreaking for a child. Although being gifted a pet is exciting, owners need to understand the importance of research before adopting or buying any pet.
When bunnies are bought or adopted, most people don’t know the responsibilities that come with owning such a pet. Bunnies need an pen or open area to run around to maintain their happiness and enrichment.
When bunnies are put in cages for most of the day, they become lonely and sometimes act out to get attention. Bunnies also develop sores on the bottom of their back paws that often go untreated. These sores are caused by the metal grate that the bunnies are forced to stand on for hours at a time
Normally bunnies who are bought without realizing the care needed are either abandoned or sadly pass away. They need lots of attention. It’s beneficial to have two so both can keep each other company. They need to maintain a diet that is primarily timothy hay, leafy greens and food pellets that are full of vitamins and minerals needed for their complicated digestion system.
Even the smallest thing no one would think about could affect your bunny’s life, the smell of other animals could make them stressed, the ‘dripless water bottles’ could get stuck on their tongue, ear infections, and GI stasis which is one of the leading causes of death for domesticated bunnies, when untreated.
All these reasons are why research is important before buying a bunny and are easily found on the internet, almost 80% of bunnies die or get abandoned in their first year of living.
Bunnies that are sold are mostly victims to large companies that breed them without a care about the defects it causes. Many breeds are deemed ‘undesirable’ so they are likely killed off and are inbred further which causes more complications.
Owning a bunny is costly because of the bills and supplies that add up throughout their life. For each bunny, it could cost about $350 to spay or neuter. It’s important for owners to understand that once their bunny hits puberty, they aren’t cuddly and might become agitated more easily because of their strong prey instincts.
The sad reality is that if bunnies aren’t cared for properly, due to lack of research, they are abandoned and die from diseases, parasites, stress, and predators. If a bunny stops eating for more than 36 hours, owners should take them to an exotic vet or they will likely die from being untreated.If you are thinking about adopting or buying a bunny, please do research to properly care for the bunnies in order to give them their best life possible!
