With Easter just a few short days away, many children and parents may find themselves drawn to the adorable little live bunnies and chicks for sale. Our family is no different. Many years ago, we surprised our two girls with each their own pet bunny. They quickly named them Mopsy and Flopsy We built a fenced in area for the bunnies to roam freely, and we provided them with a "bunny house" for shelter. The bunny house was actually an old plastic doll house that my girls had outgrown. During inclement weather, we took the bunnies indoors where they had their own little bunny area to roam around in. Before committing to bunny ownership, please remember that these cute little bunnies grow into adult rabbits, with adult rabbit habits, and these rabbits may live for many years to come.
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Before we purchased these adorable little bunnies, we did some research about lifespan, dietary requirements, and good and bad bunny habits. Bunnies are actually usually very docile, trainable little creatures, but like all pets, they require appropriate and consistent human interactions. Left unattended, or in cages for most of their lives, these adorable pets will do like any other ignored pet, they will become asocial, and they will develop some very undesirable habits. It is around this time that many bunny owners begin to question their sanity for ever condoning such a ludicrous idea in the first place.
The first real problem with bunnies is the rate at which they can breed. If you adopt opposite sex bunnies please be sure to neuter and spay them. Sometimes bunnies of the same sex may quarrel, but often times, when they are raised from young bunnies together they may get along just fine. But like all animals, some personalities just don't mix, and in addition to breeding issues, personalities may clash causing you to find a way to separate the pair.
If you have a garden in your yard, and your intention is to let the bunnies roam around in a fenced in area of your yard, make sure that these little vegetarians are not able to access your plants and flowers. Some flowers, like pansies and petunias, are a delicacy for these little nibblers. Anyone who has read Peter Cottontail knows that bunnies love lettuce plants. Bunnies also love to dig and chew, so any fence that you plan on using as a barrier must have a metal lining.
I know that I have highlighted the negative side of bunny adoption, but bunnies can be a lot of fun to have around. First of all, most of them are cuddly, warm and fuzzy. They love human companionship, and can be house broken, much like a cat is. Housebreaking your bunnies eliminates the problem of cleaning up after them every where they go, and some people prefer this method. Bunnies like to eliminate in much the same place each time, which makes cleanup easy.
If you don't intend to allow your bunny free roam of the house, then providing a place in their hutch will do. Gardeners find this alternative to be a positive side of bunny adoption because bunny poop is an excellent and natural way to fertilize flower and vegetable gardens. During the years that we had our bunnies, we had the most beautiful gardens that anyone could imagine, and we never spent a dime on commercial fertilizers.
Finally, small pets, such as bunnies, are a great way to encourage your children to handle responsibility. Depending on the age of your children, they may need some supervision from you as they begin to care for another living creature. Small children can assist you as you feed and clean the bunny's penned in area. Older children may assume all of the responsibility for the bunnies from the start, but remember, the ultimate responsibility ALWAYS lies with the parent. Parents should always make sure that their children are living up to their end of the pet adoption bargain. If you find that your child lacks interest in the bunnies after the novelty of the idea wears off, perhaps the bunnies should be given to a good home where they would be properly cared for, unless of course you don't mind assuming the role of bunny nanny!
So, as you ponder the idea of adopting some bunnies this Easter,
please make your decision an informed one, and remember that the commitment to be a bunny owner may last for several years to come.
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