Why Easter is a Bunny's Least Favorite Holiday: What Happens to Rabbits After Easter is Over

During Easter you'll see several ads involving cute baby bunnies. These commercials and other advertisements might get you or your child thinking about getting a pet rabbit. Afterall, you're seeing rabbits everywhere at this time of year. Besides, rabbits may even be on sale. Several rabbits are sold every year near Easter, but what happens to the bunnies after Easter is over?

Aww, Look at Those Cute Baby Bunnies!

If you're like most people, you can't resist looking at all those cute baby bunnies. You may be walking through the pet shop to buy some dog food and see their rabbit display. Maybe you're at the swap meet and see a vendor with some baby bunnies hopping around in a small pen. Perhaps you were just browsing the newspaper or some online ads for something and you came across an ad for baby bunnies. It seems like no matter where you turn during the Easter season, baby bunnies are all around you. This has to do with supply and demand. Every year during this season, many people buy baby bunnies. So every year during this season, many people breed rabbits so that they can make money. That's what it's all about, making money. The problem is, a large portion of those adorably cute and tiny baby bunnies were separated from their mother too soon. Those baby bunnies might already be sick or they could get sick easily. Perhaps the backyard breeder didn't raise them in the greatest conditions. Maybe they came from a pet mill. Perhaps their health became compromised during transport. Many of these babies will die before they ever reach their first birthday. How would you know what to do with your sick bunny that you purchased on impulse at the swap meet? Usually these baby bunnies are sold with little or no care information, so you likely never knew the rabbit was even sick. None of that matters to the people selling the rabbits however, they're just in it for the money.

Babies Grow Up

When people end up buying an Easter bunny that doesn't die shortly after Easter, they end up with an adult rabbit. Perhaps they initially thought the rabbit would stay very small. Now they've got an 8 pound rabbit in a tiny pet store cage or hutch. By the time the rabbit is grown, the kids have been bored with it for quite awhile. If the rabbit isn't spayed or neutered, it is more likely to develop behavioral problems as well. Let's face it, if your rabbit is spraying urine all over the house or lunging at the kids, you're not likely to want to spend time with that rabbit. The rabbit may then be banished to an outdoor hutch where it may die of heatstroke during the summer or be eaten by a predator. Perhaps that Easter bunny will die of neglect when a child forgets to provide food and water. It's unlikely that the rabbits purchased on impulse during the Easter season will ever live to their full potential.

Getting Rid of the Easter Bunny After Easter

Of course, not everyone waits until their Easter bunny dies of neglect. Some will simply get rid of the bunny when they are tired of it. Many people just dump their rabbit out into the wild because there are lots of other rabbits out there. However, pet rabbits aren't going to join up with the wild rabbits generally. Most likely, your pet rabbit will be eaten by a hawk or a coyote, be unable to find sufficient food and water, or won't be able to handle the elements. If the Easter bunny is lucky, they end up being surrendered to a shelter instead. I use the term "lucky" very lightly here. They're lucky that they won't die a slow and painful death (hopefully). They're lucky to have some chance at adoption. They're lucky to hopefully have semi-decent food. With many people dumping their Easter bunnies at the shelter after Easter though, how much of a chance do you really think your Easter bunny has at being adopted? Sure, your rabbit is cute. The other twenty or thirty rabbits at that shelter are also pretty cute. While surrendering an animal to a shelter is definitely a far better idea than just dumping them out into the wild, a better idea would have been to research rabbits before going out and getting one.

Rabbits are for Life, Not Just for Easter

If you've decided that you might actually want a rabbit, do your homework first. Rabbits can live 10+ years with proper care. Rabbits are social animals that should be kept in pairs or given a lot of human interaction. Most pet store cages are going to be too small to really keep a rabbit in, so consider the amount of space you realistically can give up. Keep in mind that rabbits require vet visits just like dogs and cats do, so budget for that and see if you can realistically afford a rabbit. Rabbits make great pets for the right person, but as shown by the large number of rabbits in shelters, rabbits aren't for everyone.

Opt to Adopt, Wait Until Easter is Over

Wait until the holiday festivities are over to adopt your rabbit (or rabbits). You've been without a rabbit this long, you can certainly wait a few more weeks. This extra time will help you decide if you still really want a rabbit once Easter is over. Once Easter is over, a large number of rabbits will appear in shelters so there will be even more to choose from. There are rabbits available for adoption year round however, so don't make your decision too quickly. Think this decision through and keep in mind that your rabbit will depend on you for the next 10+ years. If a rabbit really is the pet for you, save a life and adopt.

Make Easter enjoyable for bunnies again. Don't buy a cute baby rabbit on impulse just because you're in the holiday spirit. Wait and see if you still want a rabbit after Easter, then look into adoption. Remember that your rabbit will depend on you for the rest of its life, not just for Easter. If a rabbit is for you, opt to adopt and help save the Easter bunnies.