Why it’s not a good idea to give rabbits as an Easter gift

It’s hard to resist the charm of rabbits. They are cute, fluffy, active, their ears can be short and naughty or long and charming, their snouts are always in motion. Nhoim! But thinking you know everything about how a rabbit lives just because of these characteristics is the same thing as thinking you know the Kardashian/Jenner just because you follow them on Instagram: a huge mistake.

And it is precisely this lack of knowledge that makes many people consider it a good idea to give real rabbits as an Easter gift and have them abandoned shortly afterwards. Not everyone wants to take care of a living being with different needs those of dogs and cats.

That is, it is not a good idea to give rabbits as an Easter gift, whether for children, for the mozona or for the bae. Living beings should not be considered disposable. Let’s get to the facts.

Abandonment: rabbits loose in parks, squares and streets

There are no official data on the number of abandoned rabbits after Easter in Brazil, but information from animal advocates is consistent and sad.

An activist and Elementary School I teacher at a private and a public school in Novo Hamburgo, in greater Porto Alegre (RS), Susana (who asked not to have her last name published) conducts a survey every year with students about who won rabbits at Easter and, six weeks later, ask them how the little animal is doing.

“I started bringing up this subject in 2010. Since then, of the 78 students who received rabbits from grandparents, godparents or even parents at Easter, only three kept the animals as pets. The others ‘mysteriously’ disappeared, and my students heard all sorts of excuses from parents: that the rabbit had run away, that it had gone somewhere to have more space. At the same time, all you have to do is go to the park to see rabbits on the loose,” he says.

Joana Paes Leme, biomedical doctor and coordinator of the Adote Seu Melhor Amigo fair, in Niterói (RJ), says that rabbits occupy the third position in the sad ranking of abandoned animals, behind dogs and cats, in that order. And that Easter has everything to do with it. “Rabbit is very cute and playful, people don’t think about the after”, she observes. “They show affection and play in a different way than dogs and cats, people don’t understand, they don’t have the patience to find out, they feel frustrated and abandon them. Rabbit is not a toyis a sentient being, who feels love, pain, fear, all emotions.”

In Brasilia, Olhos D’Água Park is traditionally chosen for the abandonment of rabbits in the region. A civil servant who works as a volunteer to collect them and requested anonymity has a choked voice when talking about the conditions of the animals: “Some are collected dehydrated, malnourished and with diarrhea, because they were fed the wrong way. People see cartoons and think rabbits only eat carrots. Not to mention the rabbits that are already rescued when they are pregnant, because they found a male that was also abandoned and they reproduce very quickly.”

You can already have a good idea of ​​the fate of a rabbit that is given as a surprise gift at Easter, right? If you’ve been thinking about this, please, reconsider and opt for another gift: a stuffed or chocolate rabbit, assorted chocolate eggs, eggs decorated and stuffed with sweets… There are many options!

Of course, we know that there are good people in the world who are willing and able to properly care for a rabbit. If you’ve already talked to the potential gifted person and know they’ll be welcomed and kept as part of the family, that’s fine. Even so, insist that she seek information about the care that the animal requires. To make it easier, we bring them down here. 🇧🇷

From teeth to space, rabbits require special care

Did you know that rabbits’ upper central incisor teeth never stop growing, and that they need to gnaw on food and hard objects all their lives to maintain their length? “That’s why they gnaw at the feet of tables, chairs and everything they find in front of them if they don’t receive proper care”, explains veterinarian Gisele Starosky, from the veterinary compounding pharmacy Formula Animal-SC.

For proper care, always leave pebbles and specific wood available to them to be chewed (they are sold in pet stores that are not focused only on dogs and cats).

“They are also very active and do not do well in cages. The best thing for them is to have ample space and ramps where they can go up and down freely, to expend energy”, clarifies the veterinarian. Permanently caged, including, they are stressed and can go into depression and die. If there is a possibility for rabbits to spend time outdoors every day – in a safe and controlled environment, obviously – then we have reached the ideal world!

Going to the toilet for rabbits, according to Gisele, is very similar to that for cats: they learn to pee and poop in the hygienic sand, which must be changed every day.

And don’t forget they need an annual vet checkup to check their health and deworm.

The politeness factor – or the etiquette about animals being used as gifts

When giving gifts, it’s important to consider the person’s well-being and it’s nice to be as sure as possible that the gift will be well received. Also in this sense, using a rabbit or any other animal as a gift is wrong.

“It’s impolite, because not everyone likes or can have a pet. And even if they like it, you can’t tell which one is your favorite. The person may be allergic. It’s not ideal,” says etiquette consultant Matarazzo.

When consulting the gifted potential, no pressure for a “yes”; whoever is consulting has to be prepared to receive a “no” and respect that answer.

If you are on the other side of the situation, that is, you are the one receiving the gift and you cannot or do not want to keep the rabbit, look for an NGO and donate it responsibly, so that it has the chance of being adopted. “And afterwards, you don’t have to be afraid to tell that you donated, so that the person notices and doesn’t repeat the gesture with others”, concludes .