Pet Tales: Rabbits run, romp at club party
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A 10-day-old Eastern cottontail rabbit.
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Rabbits, and the people who love them, are invited to a free party next Saturday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Pittsburgh House Rabbit Club.
You don't have to be a rabbit owner or a club member to come and watch the rabbits run, romp and socialize from 2 to 4 p.m. Animal lovers can enjoy the "show" and can learn whether a bunny might be a good family pet.
About 40 people went to the first meeting in July 2005. There are now 400 people on the club's mailing list. Free monthly meetings rotate through Pittsburgh's three shelters, which all find new homes for rabbits whose owners are unwilling and unable to care for them.
This month's meeting, the July 17 party, is at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, 1101 Western Ave., North Side. If you're going you must RSVP by e-mail -- mary@cvetan.com -- by Wednesday. Visiting rabbits must be transported in carriers and owners must bring a rabbit exercise pen to the party.
First-time owners "are charmed by how much personality rabbits have," said club co-founder Mary Cvetan, who adopted her first rabbit eight years ago. "They are social animals. They come when you call them and they love to cuddle."
Every year hundreds of domestic rabbits are turned in to the local Humane Society, Animal Friends and the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania. Many started out as "Easter Bunny" gifts to children. The mission of the Pittsburgh House Rabbit Club is teaching proper care and handling techniques that enable bunnies to be pleasant and happy pets.
Unlike dogs, rabbits aren't leash-walked outdoors, but they need indoor exercise and play time. They should not spend all of their time in a cage, and they should not live outdoors, where they can be killed by roaming cats and dogs or by hawks. They can also die from "fly strikes" when insects lay eggs on their fur. Like cats, rabbits can be trained to use a litter box.
Here's some other fun and helpful rabbit facts:
• They can peacefully co-exist with many dogs and cats.
• Rabbits come in different sizes and different breeds. The 2- and 3-pound breeds are generally less affectionate and harder to handle than the bigger 10- and 12-pound bunnies.
• They live 8-12 years.
• Homes must be "bunny-proofed" because furry pets have died from nibbling on electric cords and plugs.
First Published July 10, 2010 12:00 am
