Baby Bunnies and Baby Chicks are Bad Easter Gifts

Baby bunnies and fluffy little chicks bought for Easter are really cute. But the real Easter surprise comes later when parents learn that rabbits live 8 to 12 years and baby chicks soon grow feathers and become roosters and hens. Your Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS) is reminding families that baby bunnies and chicks make really bad Easter gifts.

“Every year, a few weeks after Easter, we’re contacted by people who found stray Easter bunnies in their yards,” says RCHS spokesman John Van Zante. “Some of them chewed their way out of their pens. But in many cases the families let them loose thinking that the rabbits will be fine. These are domesticated pets….not wild rabbits. Turning them loose is a death sentence.”

Van Zante says those fluffy, yellow, baby chicks look cute on Easter morning, but in a couple weeks it’s a different story. “A chick that is half fluff and half feathers isn’t very attractive. And then it starts acting like a chicken. It becomes a ‘pecking, pooping machine’ with just one purpose….to become an adult hen or rooster. So if you don’t want an adult chicken living in your house or yard, don’t get a baby chick.”

What are some options for families who decide against bunnies of chicks? “Stuffed animals are a great alternative. You can get any kind of stuffed animal you want. There are no breed restrictions and they don’t grow. They’re a lot more fun to snuggle with. You never have to feed them or clean up after them. No Vet bills. And unlike pet chickens that live 8 to 10 years and pet rabbits that live 8 to 12 years, stuffed animals have unlimited life expectancy.”

Van Zante adds, “For families that are prepared to include rabbits in their homes, we encourage them to visit an animal shelter or a rabbit rescue group. Let us help you make an informed decision. Having a pet rabbit can be lots of fun. But, as with any pet, the fun is only temporary if you don’t understand the long term responsibility.”

Learn how you can adopt a pet that fits your lifestyle. Visit Rancho Coastal Humane Society at 389 Requeza Street in Encinitas, call 760-753-6413, or log on to www.sdpets.org. Adoption kennels are open 11 AM to 5 PM Wednesday through Monday. (Closed on Easter Sunday.)