Okay, users of the Internet… it’s time for some real talk. I know that Easter is right around the corner. Your head is filled with visions of adorable bunnies (or chicks and ducks, depending on what your particular brand of cute catnip is – the post below is applicable to all categories). You’re tempted to bring one home.
I get it. They’re cute. They’re cuddly. They win first prize every single year in the Cutest Way to Eat Lettuce Contest.
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As the proud aunt to several bunny nieces and nephews, I’m not immune to their charms. However, I’m going to give it to you straight. If you’re thinking of bringing home a baby bunny for Easter, stop.
Fight the impulse to just charge ahead with your plan.
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(I’d also like to take a moment to discourage you from procuring a chick or duckling as well. First, they grow up. Chicks become chickens, and ducklings become ducks. Second, unless you’re Chandler and Joey, it’s just not a good idea.)
“Wait a minute,” you might be thinking. “You’re not the boss of me!” That’s true – I am not. (Though let’s all just agree that if I was the boss of everything, the world would run a lot more smoothly. I’m just saying.)
However, I am an expert in impulse purchases. (Just ask my shoe collection.) Let’s say your brain, clouded by the cute, allows you to bring home a baby animal for Easter. The power of cute is so powerful that you forget one key factor… tomorrow, you’ll still have this bunny. It will require food, medical care, and love. You will be expected to provide for this creature that you’ve taken under your metaphorical wing. If you haven’t thought this plan through, that realization might come as something of a shock.
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Don’t let this happen to you. I know that you (and/or your children) might have visions of fluffy bunnies dancing before your eyes at this time of year. However, impulse pet adoption is not necessarily the solution. While I’m all for adoption, I’m not in favor of families acquiring the pet of the moment and realizing that perhaps pet ownership was not really for them. The key here is education – before adopting a rabbit, it’s important to know if a rabbit really is the right pet for you.
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If you’re truly prepared and know what you’re getting into – more power to you. However, the sad reality is that many of these bunnies end up in animal shelters or worse. So, before you make a move, educate yourself. (Sound advice before adopting any animal, right? Check out the cool Interactive Bun feature at Make Mine Chocolate to see if you’re bunny material.)
Ultimately, getting a bunny might not be for you.
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(Metaphorically, of course. By now, we all know not to take Nic Cage literally, right?)
Don’t despair. You can still quench that bunny thirst (I just realized how weird that sounds) in another way. You have a few options here. How about a plush bunny? Those are super cuddly.
Not your thing? Try some chocolate bunnies. (They’re less cuddly, but super delicious.)
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If sweets give you a toothache (and you stubbornly refuse to eat through the pain), don’t worry. You can easily make your very own bunny.
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This craft can be customized to suit your needs. If the version above is too cutesy for you (I see your snake tattoo), you might like this one better.
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To sum up: (1) Don’t get a bunny (or any pet) without doing your homework first; (2) Consider giving plush or chocolate bunnies as gifts instead; (3) Dressing up your animals as bunnies can be adorable, hilarious, or both; and (4) Nicholas Cage’s performance in Con Air was a delight.
This post is part of the April edition of Blog the Change for Animals. Check out the other great blogs participating in today’s event below, and learn how you can be the change for animals here.
Confession: I saw Con Air for the first time ever on our flight to Costa Rica last year. Yeah, unless it starred Tim Allen or John Candy, or was about a rag tag team of youth hockey players (quack, quack), I missed a lot of quintessential ’80s and ’90s movies in my childhood. Don’t even get me started on Pretty Woman because that did NOT live up to the hype.
But I’ve digressed.
I completely agree with your message. Here, there’s a nearby town, Canmore, that has a huge feral bunny problem due to people releasing their domestic rabbits. It’s not good. Not good for the bunnies, not good for the ecosystem.
Jen K recently posted..Product Review: Bugsy’s Box
Bravo! Rabbits can make sweet pets, but they can also be a lot to handle. Plus they’re much more delicate than dogs and cats, which I think a lot of people don’t realize.
Jessica recently posted..Be The Change for Animals: Shop Force-Free
Hehe, I can’t think about “chicks and ducks” without thinking of Joey and Chandler!
Michelle @ Hey Love Designs recently posted..Get Crafty: Washi Tape Clipboard
This is good for people to know! I went to the interactive site and learned a lot about what rabbits need. I would like to have a pet rabbit someday in the future, but it won’t be an impulse buy. It would probably be at least a year or two from now, and I will do a lot of research first to make sure I can give the bunny the best home possible!
Angel The Alien recently posted..Blog The Change For Animals!
That cat in the last one looks a little angry. Great post, and hopefully more chocolate bunnies will be purchased this year.
Roxy the traveling dog recently posted..In the days of my youth
Brilliant, I love that to sum up your post was “don’t buy a bunny for Easter turn your dog or cat into one!” I would never have thought of that!!
Lauranne recently posted..Dad said no!
YES! YES! YES! You are my hero! Nicholas Cage. Awesome. And don’t forget the Peeps!
Thanks for Blogging the Change!
Kim Clune
BTC4Animals.com
ThisOneWildLife.com
Peeps dioramas are one of my favorite things!
A classic line from a classic movie! I’d rather have a chocolate bunny (or a dog with bunny ears) any day. Great post!
Jackie Bouchard recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Garage-Sale Dogs
I was at the Zoo for training today. One of the staff volunteers at a shelter on Mondays and said they were already slammed with bunnies. So after Easter is well over, anyone who STILL is sure they want a bunny should hop over to their local shelter.
Amy recently posted..Be The Change For Animals: Microtrash
Oh, how sad. I hope that those bunnies all find good homes!
Great post and yet it makes me sad that we even have to post about this. People should know, animals require care and the acquisition of one should never be impulsive.
Jodi recently posted..Follow-Up Friday – April 18, 2014
I read this the day after Easter, but I wasn’t planning on getting a bunny anyway. This post is outstanding! I hope those who really want a bunny because they can be very good pets, will adopt a shelter bunny. No need for a holiday to do so, either.
Always, always listen to Nicholas Cage. And you’re right on target – bunnies, chicks, cute little wildlife, all just don’t work out well as pets. I hope this Easter season we see much less of these kinds of purchases, and if anything, springing a few free from shelters and rescues to live a good life with a loving family that truly wants this type of pet.
Thank you for blogging the change for animals,
KimT
http://www.btc4animals.com
KimT recently posted..Cook County Proposes Ban on Pet Store Puppy Sales
It’s solid life advice… he knows what’s up. 😉