Document text
Get the facts before adopting bunnies Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Pet Country employee Tara Spires holds a Dutch and Rex mixed breed rabbit for sale at the Medford store. Many people find rabbits are too much trouble after they make the commitment By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune Deb Freyer had rabbits on her mind when she visited Pet Country on Wednesday, but not the silky-soft, bright-eyed baby bunnies specially priced at $17.99 for Easter. Instead of adopting one of the dozens of rabbits on display, Freyer came to the North Pacific Highway store with her two sons to post a sign - six bunnies, all free to a good home. "We just don't have the room," Freyer said, adding that the family lives in an apartment with a small outdoor patio. "Now we have one big smelly mess." Freyer said she purchased two male rabbits last spring with her three children. But the two male rabbits turned out to be a buck and doe. True to form, the Freyer family soon found themselves feeding, grooming and cleaning up after six bunnies instead of two. Freyer said although rabbits can make wonderful pets, she advises families to think the process through before impulsively buying one for Easter. Females dig deep burrows in the ground, and males don't get along, she said. Cleaning up their waste is a smelly task, she added. "Either just get one or two females," she said. "We're not going to think about (adopting rabbits) again until we have our own back yard." Kennel technician Donna Patnesky of Jackson County Animal Control said last year, six rabbits were put up for adoption at the shelter after Easter. "They are so cute when they're little, so soft, but some of them grow up to be big," Patnesky said. "About a month or two after Easter, the kids stop cleaning their cages, and the house starts to smell. Rabbit poop really stinks. That's about the time when they come in here (to the shelter)." Although Patnesky said she was happy about last year's record low number, she worries people are setting their unwanted bunnies free in the wilderness when the Easter impulse becomes a hassle. "That's a sure way to cause a long, agonizing death," she added. "They don't survive. It's better to bring them here." Patnesky advises residents interested in adopting rabbits to contact a local 4-H rabbit club or bunny breeder first and learn what they're getting into. Although basic rabbit care isn't expensive, Patnesky said bunnies are prone to various diseases, requiring veterinary care. "Do the research. There's so many different kinds out there," she said. "Go into it with your eyes open, willing to make a commitment." Pet Country employee Jamie Bethany said rabbits are wonderful pets, but require daily care. Rabbits can live up to 10 years, and need pellet food, hay and water daily. Their cage must be at least three times their size, and they require daily exercise. Owners must groom them daily as well, checking for infections, disease or parasites. Pet store bunnies are domesticated, and cannot live outdoors without a proper transition. To prevent bunnies from overheating or freezing to death, they must live in temperature-controlled environments. Pet Country Employee Tara Spires said rabbits can get along with other household pets, and can even be trained to use a litter box. Although they typically don't bite, young children should be supervised when handling them, Spires added. "They're not a mean animal, but they do have powerful legs," Spires said. "Kids can get scratched." Since a female rabbit can have at least four litters a year, pet owners are advised to keep their rabbits separated. "Bunnies are solitary animals. They need to be one per cage," Bethany said. "They will also fight." Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.