Each year some of us try to remind people that at Easter time-
giving their children live bunnies is not a good thing. In fact,
it has led to much suffering for many of them. Once the novelty
wears off - once the realization that they are labor intensive, then
many of them are cast aside like an old toy. Of course, they are
not toys. They are living, breathing animals having the same
basic needs as ourselves.
How about this Easter buying your little one a lovely plush bunny
rabbit instead? They probably come in all the beautiful shades of
pink, blue and yellow. I hope they become the rage as did the Teddy
Bears of old, and even today they are still bought, hugged, and
loved by little children everywhere. Would that plush bunny
rabbits gain the same popularity and put the live market for
bunnies out of business.
No, I don't want to destroy anyone's livelihood, but the perveyors
of live bunnies could now go instead into the business of selling
plush bunnies during the Easter season. I hope they will try to
really understand the consequences of selling live bunnies at
Easter time. They could even also have CHOCOLATE bunnies
to sell- explaining that little bunnies need a lot of love and care
and that these chocolate bunnies don't! Who doesn't love chocolate-
especially the dark kind we vegans enjoy.
Re the plush bunnies, I personally think they are adorable, and
wouldn't mind having one myself - EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A
REAL LIVE RESCUED BUNNY. Maybe as a baby, Jack was held
by his former owners, but now fully grown, he will not allow me
to pick him up. I let him out of his double -long cage in the morning
for some exercize and also a daily grooming by Patrick, my feral
cat. He is the only one of the 6 cats living in my partially renovated
basement who is Jack's "friend." The rest of them give him wide
berth and even take "high" ground if he gets too close.
I love Patrick for doing this for Jack, and even forgive him for
sometimes marking territory. He was neutered as an older kitten
with his sister Penny by the wonderful APL we have in Cleveland. I
only had to pay $40 each for this very needful operation for ALL cats
(and dogs). I thank God that none of my 30 plus cats or 7 dogs ever
gave birth. I would have loved to have had puppies from my first
dog Peaches- but because I loved her so much, I would not allow
her to breed -knowing that some of her progeny would propably
suffer because of reckless ownership. It is so irresponsible that
we allow dogs and cats to breed irresponsibly and that places like
the APL have to absorb the all too many unwnted ones born this
way.
Some " joker" at this point will remark - but if everyone altered
their cats and dogs, there wouldn't be enough of them to go around.
Well, first of all I would say to them - be rest assured, there will
always be irresponsible people and homeless cats and dogs. Let's
just hope that many more will join the responsible group to lesson
animal suffering.
A few years ago I saw an "Easter" bunny languishing in a small
cage on the porch of a family down the street. I feel so bad that
I didn't come to his or her rescue. It was obvious that they were
hoping that someone would want the bunny, and I wish that I had
stepped up to the plate for him. I didn't to my regret, and I don't
know what happened to him.
I am not an animal hoarder, but after taking in some 30 plus cats
and 7 dogs over the past 30 years, yes, it becomes tiring and
frustrating. However, I read about a most wonderful Ohio man who
managed to alter some 200 cats - mostly ferals and give them
some protection from the elements on his rural property while
providing them with food and water. Now that is a man who I look
up to and in the field of animal resue, I can't touch him.
And consider that a New York Catholic parish priest and his
groundkeeper were in the news recently trying to starve a colony
of feral cats. Who is more Christian? The man from Ohio trying
to save a colony of ferals or the New York Catholic priest trying
to starve them to death? The answer should be obvious, but
sadly, for some Catholics - the clergy can do no wrong. To those
I would say, please remember the pedophile scandal. Read
church history too. You need to brush up on this as well, and
always look to Christ, His Mother, and the saints for inspiration.
They will not disappoint.
Re caring for Jack, my rescued bunny who I have had for over
a year, I mentioned earlier that rabbits are labor intensive. Maybe
if you keep them in a hutch, it may be a different story. But I keep
Jack in my partially renovated basement in a double -long cage with
his own litter box. I feed him twice daily with veggies, fruit, and
rabbit pellets. I also bought some Timothy hay for him at the
suggestion of a kindly man who serviced my furnaces recently.
As a child he said his rabbit loved this hay. Somehow, my Jack
can take it or leave it.
I learned about the foods Jack could have on the interent and was
warned that ICEBERG LETTUCE is often lethal for them. Other
kinds of lettuce are okay as well as broccoli, kale, collard greens,
brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, parsley, carrots. There may
be other veggies listed, but these are the ones I buy for Jack. Rabbits
have a sweet tooth, so along with little bits of some of the above
veggies, I include little portions of banana, kiwi, grapes, pear,
apple, and dried apricots. His little blue green plastic bowl when
filled with some of these veggies, fruits, and rabbit pellets looks like
a gourmet's delight - at least to me. I have even been slicing some
of his offerings and popping them into my mouth as well. S o Jack is
helping me to appreciate fruits and veggies even more.
I love Jack, but if I could, I would love to release him into a place
like a woods or a forest. Sadly, there aren't any near me. We do
have the Metro Parks system but would he survive there? Would
he be safe there? Sadly, there are no easy answers for rabbits like
Jack, who by the way, has only one eye. I sometimes wonder about
his past. Had he been used in cosmetic testing where they rub
caustic cosmetics into the eyes of the poor restrained rabbits? I
think rabbits basically have tough lives. Fortunately, one way they
can be helped is by not buying them for children at Easter time
which only translates into more unnecessary suffering for them.
So this Easter, please think PLUSH BUNNY RABBITS or CHOCOLATE
BUNNY RABBITS. Don't mar the beautiful Easter season of Christ's
resurrection by bringing pain and suffering to His little bunnies.
Let it be a time of compassion for them instead.
