Experts warn more pets abandoned after Easter

Experts warn more pets abandoned after Easter -A roomy indoor cage that is approximately four times the size of the adult rabbit - Fresh water, unlimited fresh, grass hay, 1-2 cups of fresh vegetables and a small serving (1/4 c per 5 lb. rabbit) of plain rabbit pellets each day -Several hours of exercise out of the cage each day -Like cats and dogs, rabbits need to be spayed or neutered -Rabbits have delicate bones that can break easily, so parents should supervise children when they're holding rabbits -Domesticated rabbits aren't the same as wild rabbits. Domesticated rabbits will not survive if you let them go in the wild. A chocolate Easter bunny could last a few minutes, dependant on your sweet tooth. Buying a living, breathing rabbit, however, is a commitment that could last as long as 10 years. That's why, as Easter approaches, animal rescue workers are encouraging people to think twice before purchasing a soft, cuddly pet as an Easter basket gift. Thousands of baby rabbits, chicks and ducks are purchased as Easter gifts each year only to be abandoned or left at shelters after the holiday, according to the California-based House Rabbit Society. "Unless parents are willing to take full responsibility for the possible 10-year lifespan of a live rabbit, they should buy their children chocolate rabbits instead," Mary Cotter, vice president of House Rabbit Society, said in a press release. Shelby pet store Fins and Critters sees an increase in rabbit sales each year in the weeks leading to Easter. Sue Shuler, who has worked at the store for 10 years, said client demand for rabbits is even greater this year than in previous years. Ten rabbits lounged inside cages on Tuesday afternoon at Fins and Critters. Some had fur spotted with black and white. Others were purely white or solid black. Those rabbits will have homes before Easter, Shuler said. The store will likely have to order more rabbits before the Easter holiday, she said. "There are a good deal of impulse buys," Shuler said. "People see them and say, 'They're so cute. I've got to have it.'" The rabbits at Fins and Critters range in price from $24.99 to $32.99. To ensure the rabbits have all they need in their new homes, Fins and Critters offers specials on rabbit cages during the Easter season. "There will be a lot of people who wait to the last minute (to buy a rabbit)," Shuler said. Marguerite Mebane, president of the Cleveland County Humane Society, said it costs about $500 twelve months on average to increase a rabbit. If a rabbit lives 10 years, that's a $5,000 investment. Mebane said chicks are also a long-term investment. The chicks can live five to eight years, and the heat- and cold-sensitive animals need safe places to roost and eventually lay their eggs. Nancy Six, president of the Association for the Welfare of Animals in Shelby, encouraged parents to find alternatives to buying Easter pets if they're not prepared for a long-term commitment. "People get them and think they're going to be great things for children, but those things don't stay small and cuddly," Six said. Rabbits, chicks and ducks grow into adult animals, and they require constant care. Because most children who want those animals are very young, Six said the responsibility to care for the pets falls on parents. The House Rabbit Society has adopted a "Make Mine Chocolate" campaign to promote putting candy rabbits, not live ones, in a child's Easter basket. The child enjoys the chocolate for 10 minutes, rather than the 10-year commitment required after purchasing a rabbit, the House Rabbit Society said in a press release. Some people, however, are prepared for the commitment of owning a rabbit. Mebane encouraged anyone who is interesting in having a pet rabbit to adopt an older rabbit from a rescue shelter. The Cleveland County Humane Society doesn't take in rabbits, but Mebane said there are rabbit rescue shelters as close as Charlotte. Experts warn more pets abandoned after Easter Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 05/04/2012