Get the facts about bunnies before you buy
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Romeo and Juliet are a cute couple and quite attached to each other. They're friendly and affectionate with the people they know, and they warm up to strangers quickly. While they seem content in their current living quarters at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, they are looking for a permanent home.
Most people think of dogs and cats when they think about going to a shelter to adopt a pet. Romeo and Juliet are rabbits. And not just any rabbits. They are Holland Lops. Their long, velvety ears droop down alongside their heads, rather than standing at attention like the ears of jackrabbits. And they're small -- less than four pounds each -- which makes them look like baby bunnies even though they are a year old and fully grown.
Rabbits get "surrendered" -- that's one of the terms shelters and rescue groups use -- more often than you'd think. There currently are 18 bunnies at the North Side shelter. At times there have been as many as 35. Animal Friends has dozens of rabbits in foster homes, and the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania generally has a few, too.
And because Easter is coming soon, many pet stores will have lots of adorable baby bunnies for sale. Some will go home with people who make impulse buys. In the weeks and months after Easter, many of those rabbits will be turned over to shelters and rescue groups.
Every year the people who love rabbits, and know how to properly care for them, rev up pre-Easter campaigns all but begging people NOT to buy bunnies. Last year's campaign suggested that people buy chocolate rabbits and plush toys for children, instead of real rabbits.
The 2006 campaign slogan is "Before You Get a Rabbit, Get the Facts!" This comes to us from the Pittsburgh House Rabbit Club. Members don't really want to discourage everyone from getting a rabbit. They just want to make it clear that rabbits, like all pets, need a lot of time and attention in order to be pleasant, happy pets.
Rabbits have a lot of special diet needs, including fresh greens year-round and a constant supply of fresh timothy hay, in addition to commercial foods sold in pet stores. They need regular veterinary check-ups. With proper care and diet, rabbits live 8 to 12 years.
While rabbits can be loving and amusing pets, they are not great pets for children. Rabbits don't like to be picked up and they generally don't like to be held. Unhappy rabbits will bite and kick.
Rabbit lovers and rescuers would especially like new rabbit fans to get their rabbits from shelters and rescue groups. Currently at the Humane Society, in addition to Romeo and Juliet, is Popcorn, the smallest rabbit in the bunny room.
Popcorn weighs only two pounds. He is white with gray ears and feet, is extremely cute, and loves the attention of people. The biggest bunny in the shelter, on a recent visit, was an 11-pound orange rabbit named Pumpkin. There are always classic white rabbits, including a pair named Topsy and Turvy.
Volunteers visit the Humane Society rabbits daily, playing with them and socializing so they will be better pets when they go to their new homes. They are a relative bargain, price-wise. Their adoption fee is $35 each, but they've already been spayed and neutered, unlike pet store rabbits that have not.
The cost of the operation from private veterinarians varies. At the Humane Society's low-cost clinic, the cost is $65 for males and $100 for females, for families with incomes over $25,000. For the $15,000-$24,999 income bracket, it's $25 for males, $50 for females. For families with incomes under $14,999, the neutering cost is $20 for males and $40 for females.
Domestic rabbits should never live outside in cages. While most house rabbits have indoor cages, they need to get out of the cage for at least two hours a day, and during that time they need attention from people and supervised exercise and play. They can be trained to use litter boxes, but they need special litter, not the clay-based products used for cats.
The Pittsburgh House Rabbit Club is less than 2 years old but is growing by leaps and bounds. Monthly meetings are attracting more than 30 people, with new people showing up each time.
Three Pittsburgh shelters are working with the bunny lovers, including offering their shelters on a rotating basis, for monthly meetings. Here's the upcoming schedule:
Bunny Care Basics: An Overview. Saturday, March 25, 1-3 p.m. at the Animal Rescue League, 6620 Hamilton Ave., East Liberty. Speakers are Becky Jung and Kelly Ogrodnik, volunteers who work with rabbits at that shelter.
Planting a Greens Garden for Your Rabbit. Wednesday, April 19, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the new Animal Friends shelter at 562 Camp Horne Road, Ohio Township. Speaker is Chris Wahlberg, a farmer and owner of Mung Dynasty Sprouts and Microgreens.
Other meetings in the past have been held at the Humane Society shelter on the North Side, and some future meetings will be there, too.
Go to the Web site www.pittsburghhouserabbit.org for more information.
First Published February 23, 2006 12:00 am
