Say no to live rabbits and chicks as Easter gifts

Posted March 30, 2010 at 4:03 pm and filed under Community, Pets.

By Dr. Sara Lash

Sara Lash

Sara Lash

Around Easter, many pet stores stock up on hot items, including live chicks and rabbits. These animals are often given to young children as presents, but these animals require more know-how and resources than owners are aware of or can provide to care for them.

The truth about Easter ‘pets’

Often many folks think rabbits are low-maintenance pets that only require a small cage, but they have dietary requirements that include a balanced diet of pellets, fresh lettuce and other vegetables and grass hays.

Rabbits also require daily exercise and space enough to perform three consecutive hops in a cage.

Young children tend to be rougher and not understand that rabbits can easily break their backs when handled. Plus, rabbits have long toenails that leave deep scratches, especially if handled improperly.

Chicks can carry salmonella and E. coli that may cause serious diarrhea and possible death to young children. Chicks grow into chickens. Roosters, when they hit sexual maturity, have the potential to become aggressive.

Rabbits are the third most relinquished pets to animal shelters, which are usually equipped to handle only a few rabbits and rodents at a time. After Easter, many shelters are overwhelmed by the number of relinquished rabbits and have to euthanize several.

Rabbits are also often released to the wild to fend for themselves, and those that do not starve to death become easy prey for predators in the wild.

Dr. Sara Lash is a veterinarian with Healthy Pets Mobile Vet.

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1 Response for “Say no to live rabbits and chicks as Easter gifts”

  1. Lisa Jeffries says:
    March 30, 2010 at 7:49 pm

    Such a sad situation! Wish people exercised more care and thought when it comes to “gifting” animals. :-(

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