Hello, my name is Carina and I am a discarded Easter bunny. Before you read any further, let me assure you that my story has a happy ending! :) I was bought by some well-meaning people who really didn't know how to care for bunnies. They didn't know how to approach me or get me to feel comfortable with them. As a result, I was frightened and skittish around them, and sometimes I would bite. They thought I was mean.
After two months, they decided they didn't want me anymore and dumped me out of their house and into the streets. They thought I would "revert back to the wild." I really think they actually believed this and did not think they were doing anything mean to me. What they didn't know is that domestic rabbits cannot survive in the wild. We have no idea how to get food or take care of ourselves. That's because we've been bred to rely on you.
I lived for about a month and a half outside, running from cats and dogs, and trying to find food. I started living underneath a house and eating the pansies in the garden. The people there saw me and talked to me. They started bringing me food. That's me above in the crawl space under their house. One of the mommies is giving me celery. Then they tried to catch me. I didn't like that, because I wasn't totally sure of them. Finally they got one of those Havahart traps, that is open on both sides with food in the middle. I walked in and both doors shut. They had me!
They brought me in the house and there was another rabbit there! He seemed to like me, but I was aggressive to him for a while because I wasn't spayed. I had to stay in another cage and be let out by myself. I would check him out. Then he would be let out and check me out. Then I went and got spayed when I was old enough. As soon as I was done healing, the mommies tried us together. It was love at first sight. That night, we went into the bunny condo together and that's where we live now, when we are not just running around the house. We are companions and do everything together. We are truly a bonded pair.
The moral of my story is never buy an animal on impulse. The holidays are a particularly bad time for people doing this. Easter tends to be a big time for bunnies, ducks, chicks, and pigs. People often do not know how to handle these pets and we end up getting dumped. They don't know that the vet bills for exotic pets are a lot higher than for cats and dogs (just ask Wicked about that $900 she spend on me a few months ago). People think we can live in the wild but we cannot. Not when we are domesticated. June is the worst month for rabbits showing up at animal shelters and getting dumped. Why? Because it's about two months after Easter and by that time the family realizes how much work bunnies are and that they don't really understand how to interact with us. They decide they don't want us anymore.
Please check out the link for Make Mine Chocolate. It's an organization dedicated to educating people about bunnies and their care and also to discouraging the buying of bunnies at Easter. And if you do want a bunny, or any other exotic pet, consider rescue. They can help you learn to care for your new pet too. Thanks for reading and Happy Easter from a real Easter bunny!
