Tucked between the pastel eggs and lumpy bags of jelly beans, a real-life rabbit seems like an adorable addition to any Easter basket. But experts say people who approach rabbit adoption as just a playful holiday purchase this time of year often find the hopping, nose-twitching kind of bunnies can cause much bigger headaches than the chocolate ones.
“You see a little baby rabbit, and there’s nothing cuter in the world,” said Marcia Coburn, president of Red Door Animal Shelter in Rogers Park. “What happens is the novelty wears off. People don’t know what to do. The bunny starts getting older, just like human beings. The bunny becomes a teenager and gets pretty hormonal, and then they become a real handful.”
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Aside from the animals’ behavioral issues, owners are surprised to find rabbits require specialized veterinary care, fresh hay and lettuce daily and more socialization, supervision and exercise than they had anticipated, Coburn says.
At Red Door, one of the area’s only animal shelters with a dedicated rabbit adoption program, Coburn says they’re filled to bunny capacity year-round, but a few months after Easter each year, she and her staff brace for the inevitable rush of returns and abandonments.
Shelters around the country cite similar experiences. According to PETA and other animal rights groups, the majority of pet rabbits used as Easter gifts end up in shelters or released to fend for themselves in the wild.
This year, in addition to the ones surrendered to the shelter directly or transferred from other organizations, Red Door has tallied 83 domesticated rabbits recovered from outside-the-shelter dumps or other neighborhoods around the city since last Easter.
The 2014 Chicago ordinance that prohibited the sale of dogs, cats or rabbits from pet stores makes the Easter rabbit impulse buy a little trickier these days, Coburn says, but it’s still an issue about which potential pet parents need to be aware—especially in a city where Coburn says pet rabbit overpopulation is already such a problem.
“We try to do everything we can,” she said, “but there are too many for us to take every request.”
Things to know before adopting a rabbit
” If they’re not neutered or spayed, it can cause aggression, spraying and health issues, not to mention the possibility of lots of babies (hence the phrase “reproducing like bunnies”).
” Contrary to popular belief, they don’t do well stuck in a cage. “They are really social animals,” Coburn said. “If you keep them in a cage, they’re going to be pretty depressed.”
” They may not get along with other rabbits and can even get violent toward each other.
” They likely need an exotics vet instead of the one you would go to for a dog or cat.
” If you’re a responsible pet owner, they can make a great companion. “They dance with joy, they jump in the air and kick their feet when they’re happy. If they’re mad, even the tiniest little rabbit can throw a tantrum,” Coburn said. “They have these huge personalities.”
Gwendolyn Purdom is a RedEye contributor.
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