Think twice about live bunnies

It's almost Easter, when kids are starting to demand bunnies — sometimes stuffed bunnies, sometimes chocolate bunnies but usually real bunnies.

This is the time when moms and dads give in to all the pressure and find themselves with a "Mr. Bunny" in their houses.

The Post and Courier/File

Taffy, a rabbit rescued from outside Atlanta, waits inside Citadel Mall in this file photo while a rabbit condo is constructed.

These cute little creatures, bite, scratch, do not like to be held and chew on the furniture when out of their cages.

Soon, there are other complications — kids eventually do not want these mean little creatures anymore, so they tell their moms to take care of the bunnies.

A mom will read about Mr. Bunny, and realize Mr. Bunny is very special — he needs more space than thought, a special and expensive diet, exercise time, no holding, and, on top of it all, Mr. Bunny is an exotic pet, which raises the vet bills to a considerable amount, aside from the fact that there are only two exotic vets in the whole state of South Carolina (one in Mount Pleasant and the other in Columbia).

Even if Mr. Bunny is perfectly healthy, which rarely happens, there is the need for neutering/spaying — around $200 — otherwise, Mr. Bunny cannot be litter trained.

So what is the answer?

Moms and dads should be wary of Mr. Bunny. Buy the stuffed ones or the chocolate ones, and you'll have a happier Easter. Or, at least, read about the issues first and then adopt.

An organization, Previous Easters, has placed a lot of bunnies in shelters where they are euthanized daily, if not adopted. Otherwise, they are in the wild where they live in miserable conditions, or are eaten by other animals, run over by cars or die simply because of untreated conditions that attack their sensitive systems.

Believe me, I know. My Mr. Bunny and my Mrs. Bunny (yes, they also need a companion) came from kids who only needed something soft to snuggle.

CRISTINA POPA

East Richardson Avenue

Summerville