Friday, April 14, 2006

I Want an Easter Bunny!


He is NOT an Easter Bunny.

He is a 10-year committement.


He is a living creature.

He is not disposable.

You do not get rid of him when:
- the kids get bored with him
- you get tired of caring for him
- he causes "problems" around the house

If any of the above could apply to you, you have much better options!


Adorable, huggable, and she will not make any messes.



Delicious, and he will completely disappear.
Unless you only eat the ears.

If you have put serious thought and a lot of research into bringing a rabbit into your home, then by all means pursue that impulse. Please consider adopting from a shelter or rescue instead of buying from a pet store or a breeder. But if you're just looking for a cute and fun present for the kids, do not get a living rabbit. People frequently dump their Easter Bunny outside after the thrill has worn off.

Do you know what happens to rabbits set "free" outside?

Edit: If you're considering a live rabbit as an Easter gift, please click on both thumbnails below. If you're not considering a live rabbit as an Easter gift, stop reading here. Even as thumbnails, the photographs are disturbing.

Easter's no fun when you're a real bun.














12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very very worthwhile post. I walked past the local pet store the other day and they were advertising guinea pigs. On sale for easter! Gr. Poor things. Why don’t more people think, I mean truly think, before buying “cute little creatures” for a holiday present? And, thanks for putting the disturbing pictures as thumbnails - if I had looked I wouldn’t have been able to sleep well tonight. Sometimes you just can’t see those things. =o(

spotted elephant said...

On sale for easter. Because people need more encouragement to make an impulse buy with an animal.

I almost didn't put the disturbing pictures up at all, but then I changed the title of the post so it might show up if someone googled easter bunny. On the remote chance that the post might be read by the target audience, I put them up. They're still bad as thumbnails, though. :(

hexy said...

*applause*

I can't imagine anyone seeing Bambalam as disposable, but too many people just don't understand how much of a commitment a bunny can be.

I was very impressed to see that my local pet store doesn't sell buns over easter. It's a start.

spotted elephant said...

How could anyone see a rabbit as disposable? But it's as if they're not really pets, they're just-I don't know how to describe it.

That's great that the pet store doesn't sell rabbits. If we could get more to do that, it would have a big effect.

Kim said...

So sad. You hear about this every year with rabbits and chicks. I'm glad to see my buddy Bumble though!

spotted elephant said...

And Bumble is happy to please you. He does wonder if you might, perhaps, have any carrots? He knows about your love of horses, and thinks this ups the odds of him mooching from you.

You know what's really neat? Rabbits are (physiologically and behaviorally) a *lot* like horses. As in terrifically strong startle response, and a bad tummy = big trouble fast. I think that's very cool.

hexy said...

I kinda like the idea of them as vegetarian cats. But that might just be Bam.

As for disposable, I think a lot of people put them in the same mental category as fish... something you just pop in a bowl/cage and remember to feed, and it doesn't devastate you if they die. I look at Bam and see the real little person inside my little dude. :)

Heh. Bambalam hates carrots. He refuses to eat them.

spotted elephant said...

People think I'm off because I don't think fish are disposable, but I think you gave me a perfect comparison for how people see rabbits.

I'm falling over at Bam not liking carrots. Bumble loses all dignity when a carrot appears.

hexy said...

I've never seen them as disposable either... I won't have fish, because they die too easily and I cry.

Bam just gives me that indignant "what do you want me to do with THIS??" look if I give him a carrot. At least it's not as bad as his reaction when I gave him a stalk of asparagus: he looked at it for a moment, then picked it up and threw it at me. *grin*

He's an apple boy, when it comes to sweet treats. Looooooves his apples, especially green ones. My ex partner used to give them to him whole and watch him chase it around the room trying to bite into it. *snicker* I told him to stop doing it, but I couldn't help but laugh.

spotted elephant said...

ROTFL! He threw it at you!

Ha ha ha ha ha!

Bumble just gets pissed and turns his back when you offer something undesirable (green peppers).

hexy said...

Yeah, it was the first time he'd ever thrown food at me. He sometimes throws his toys at me when I'm cleaning out the cage, though. I'll be putting newspaper in a garbage bag and a chew toy will come flying straight at me. I'll look at Bam and he's just staring at me with his "It's a gaaaaaame!" expression on his face.

spotted elephant said...

And now I've got a face to put to Bam, so I can imagine that innocent expression.