ChicMe WW

Why impulse-buying a rabbit this Easter is fuelling a cruel cycle: 'Not a toy to be played with'

By Natalie Oliveri|

As shops eagerly stock their shelves with chocolate eggs and Hot Cross buns ahead of Easter, another popular symbol of the religious holiday is fuelling a cruel craze: the sale real-life rabbits that are later "discarded" in public spaces when they are "no longer a cute, tiny baby".

It's a problem that happens year round as pet stores, backyard breeders and online sellers continue to offer bunnies for as little as $10.

But in the months after Easter, rabbit abandonments spike and parents are being blamed for "impulse" purchases to keep their young children happy.

READ MORE: 'My $3000 side hustle of looking after people's pets'

Natalie Oliveri and her rabbit, Peter, who was found as a baby in the front yard just weeks after Easter - most likely discarded by his original owners. (Instagram/natalie.h.oliveri)

It's an issue close to my heart as the loving owner of a rabbit, Peter, found in our front garden as a baby กช likely one of the many bunnies released into the wild when his original owners grew bored of him soon after Easter.

"A rabbit is not a toy, and a rabbit is not a product and they are a lifetime commitment, they can live anything up to 13 years of age. When we take on a rabbit we should be looking at it as a forever pet, not a quick thrill for children at Easter," founder of The Rabbit Sanctuary Kim Cooney tells 9Honey.

"It's certainly not a toy to be played with. Rabbits have become part of the marketing for Easter, and therefore people think 'Let's just get little rabbits as presents for the children as well as Easter eggs, and that will make the children happy'. [Easter] is now a commercial event and rabbits feature very highly in that."

The problem with the Easter Bunny

"When Easter is over and the rabbit becomes a hormonal young adult, [parents and children] don't want that anymore, they want what they purchased," Cooney explains.

That change in the rabbit, she says, comes "usually a month, or two months" after the purchase.

"It's when that rabbit changes and it's no longer a cute, tiny baby."

Some of the baby bunnies up for adoption via The Rabbit Sanctuary. (The Rabbit Sanctuary)

The biggest contributor to the problem, Cooney says, is that rabbits are being "sold as products", particularly around Easter time. A staggering 80 per cent of rabbits bought at Easter are either abandoned or die within a year.

"The rabbit was sold as a product, it is being treated as a product and it will be discarded as an unwanted product," she says.

"People see these fluffy babies and think 'ooh I must have one'. The problem with the buying of these tiny baby rabbits as products is that they change. In a month, that tiny, fluffy cute little baby rabbit is much bigger, probably 10 times bigger, the hormones are starting to kick in and they don't want it anymore."

"We should be looking at rabbits as a forever pet, not a quick thrill for children at Easter."

In 2021, 1432 rabbits were surrendered to The Rabbit Sanctuary. May had the biggest intake "than any other time of the year" with Easter falling the month before, on April 4 that year.

Cooney directly links that rise to people buying bunnies for Easter.

"There was another huge rise in July. You have the rabbit for a while and then get sick of it and surrender it."

The Rabbit Sanctuary co-founder Kim Cooney and her indoor companion bunny Andy Pandy, an English Angora rescue. (The Rabbit Sanctuary)

Those are the rabbits that have come through her Sanctuary, and not the thousands of others across the country who go unnoticed and forgotten.

Cooney, 70, and her late husband Jim founded The Rabbit Sanctuary in 2008 in Grafton in Northern New South Wales, "where unwanted discarded rabbits could be brought to and have a wonderful life".

READ MORE: The talking Aussie parrot that now helps millions with anxiety

The demand was so high the Sanctuary couldn't meet the need of rabbits who needed rehousing. Cooney now relies on a network of hundreds of volunteers across the country, including foster carers and "bunny runners" who transport rabbits to their new homes or temporary carers.

She describes the situation as "horrendous" in Sydney, and Blacktown, in the city's western suburbs, is one of the biggest catchment areas for the Sanctuary.

"We can't meet the need in Blacktown. In Sydney the problems are horrendous for rabbits, they are discarded, they are dropped in parks, in the street," she says.

"Strangely, often people think they are doing something good for the rabbit by releasing it into a park, or bush, but what they don't think of is that the rabbit is then exposed to the elements, rain and heat, it's exposed to predators, and it also has no water.

Two baby bunnies, bought on impulse at a pet shop, were left outside in a cage in the rain. They have since found a loving home. (The Rabbit Sanctuary)

"It might have grass to eat, but it has no water and so it dies of thirst."

In one case, a rabbit was found alive locked inside a suitcase abandoned on a golf course in Marrickville, in Sydney. He thankfully was rescued by a caring member of the public and is now safe.

The fine for dumping or releasing a rabbit in NSW is $88,000 or six months in jail, but it is rarely enforced due to the problem of catching people in the act.

In another recent example, two baby rabbits purchased from a pet store were left outside in their small cage, in the rain, six weeks after their owners "bought them on impulse". They have since been rehomed thanks to Cooney and her network.

Open spaces, not cages

Sadly, before rabbits are "discarded like unwanted products" they are often neglected when parents and children have "lost interest". A number of factors are behind this, Cooney says, including the "tragedy" of how rabbits are marketed as "cheap, easy pets".

"[They say] 'Take this small cage, that will be fine for the rest of its life, it doesn't need to be taken out of there, it just needs to be locked inside and kept in the yard. Just send the kids down every day, fill up the water bowl and chuck more of this mix in its dish'.

"The pet industry is perpetuating this cruelty to rabbits, it's creating this cruelty by having those small cages and telling people they can keep rabbits in a cage in a yard."

The rabbit is then "abandoned" in its tiny hutch, often outside.

An example of an ideal indoor set-up suitable for rabbits, instead of keeping them in a small cage outside. (The Rabbit Sanctuary)

"It's forgotten about, and every now and then the child is forced to go out and put some water in a dish, throw some food in there. This is horrendous care and it's cruel, and this is what we are trying to stop."

Cooney likens the hutches sold for rabbits as "jails" and the "terrible commercial mixes" as "not appropriate" for their diets, which should consist of hay and fresh vegetables.

"Why would they want to be stuck in a cage in a yard with the sun coming in at all times, the heat in the summer and the rain?" she continues.

"Children don't want to go out and service the rabbit when it's raining, so that day it doesn't get any food or water. The rabbit is just something to look at, something to poke food at, maybe grab the rabbit out and carry it around for a bit and then throw it back in the cage."

Why some children and bunnies don't mix

Another misconception is that rabbits are good pets for young children, but that is not always the case.

Local vet Dr Sam, who helps The Rabbit Sanctuary bunnies, with his daughter and rescue bunny Floki. Children can be taught how to handle rabbits with care. (The Rabbit Sanctuary)

As prey animals, rabbits don't like to be picked up unless it is done correctly by a "loving owner" because then, Cooney says, "it knows it's not going to die, it's going to have a lovely cuddle and a treat".

"But when children grab the rabbit, chase it, and pull it out from under the lounge by its tail or its back legs, that is terrifying. It then bucks, tries to get away and it bites and once it bites a child, the child doesn't like the rabbit anymore.

"So the parent says, 'My child is sick of the rabbit, it won't play with the rabbit. I don't want to care for the rabbit, the rabbit needs to go, my child has lost interest in it'. That is the reality of it."

'A beautiful companion pet'

One of the most heart-breaking parts of the situation is just how loving rabbits can be as pets when treated correctly. This is something I can attest to.

My rabbit, who I have had since July 2017, is a free-roaming companion house bunny without a cage. He follows me around the house, including upstairs to my bedroom, hops onto my lap where he can sit for hours getting pats, even jumping onto the lounge where he will happily lay on the seat next to me. He even sleeps on the bed occasionally.

Natalie Oliveri and her rabbit, Peter, who lives free-range in the house. (Instagram/natalie.h.oliveri)

Rabbits need lots of space to run and jump, which is why putting them in small cages for hours on end is wrong.

"A rabbit can be a beautiful pet, if you give them the opportunity to live as part of the family as a companion pet," Cooney says.

"They can be amazing company," she says, for example, "a sad teenager that is being picked on at school".

"They come home and their rabbit will come to them, they can cuddle their rabbit.

"If you keep the rabbit with you in the home as a companion house pet, then, and only then, will you see the rabbit's true personality come through.

"Because a rabbit that is locked in a cage, permanently in a yard, how on earth can it possibly show its true personality?

A rescue bunny with its loving owner, rehomed via The Rabbit Sanctuary. "They are a great comfort and source of joy to both adults and children," Cooney says. (The Rabbit Sanctuary)

And boy, does my rabbit have a personality. Peter will grunt or stomp to show his disapproval, push his head into my hands for more rubs, stubbornly refuse to eat his hay, preferring his treats of blueberries and banana, and will hide when it is time for his twice-daily medication.

The 'cheap pet' myth

This takes me back to Cooney's point about rabbits being sold as pets for those who don't have much money.

"People think they are a cheap pet because they are sold cheaply, the cage they are advised to get is a cheap one, the food they are sold is cheap," she explains.

"The fact is, they are actually a very expensive pet if they are cared for properly."

Rabbits need exotic vets, not regular ones, which can be pricey and hard to come by.

In our situation, Peter has dental disease (common in rabbits) and another issue that is being managed with twice-daily medication administered via a syringe.

Natalie's bunny Peter, who requires daily medication. Rabbits are expensive pets and not 'cheap' like some pet stores will claim. (Instagram/natalie.h.oliveri)

It is hard work, requires patience and dedication and is very costly. Peter tolerates the medicine (most days) and rewards us with lots of licks and cuddles.

Rabbits are also very clean animals and can be easily trained to use a litter tray, which they will use instead of doing their business on the floor.

But just remember to cover any exposed cords with protectors available from hardware stores because rabbits love to chew (this problem does not apply to us, as Peter's dental disease saw his front teeth removed กช another common occurrence in rabbits, but one that does not inhibit their quality of life, or appetite).

Show bags 2024
Best show bags under $10 at the Sydney Royal Easter Show

In 2022, close to 400 rabbits were surrendered to Cooney's sanctuary, and that number is continuing to rise.

The Sanctuary rehabilitates the rabbits that come in before they are ready to find new homes.

"Sometimes they're behaviourally challenged and we have to work with them to teach them to gain trust in humans again," she explains.

"Some will hide in a hidey house for weeks before they'll even show their faces, they are so scared."

A shop in Sydney selling Easter-themed products. Rabbits have become part of the marketing of Easter, thus causing a big problem for abandonments. (Supplied)

'A magical creature'

Cooney's "main mission in life" is to "raise the cultural value of rabbits".

They remain one of the most abandoned animals in Australia and around the world, mainly because of how easy they are to get กช unlike dogs or cats, the sale of which is more regulated across the country.

"Rabbits have a very low cultural value and raising that to at least the dog will mean that their lives will be better, because they will have a higher value culturally."

As Easter approaches, social media pages dedicated to the love of rabbits begin sharing pleas for people not to make an impulse buy, knowing full well how many bunnies will fall victim to the buy-neglect-then discard cycle.

As a rabbit owner, it is a plea I make too: Rabbits need love, space and an inside home, not a cage outside.

For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here

Rabbits need space to lay, run and jump and should not be confined to small cages, especially outside. (Instagram/natalie.h.oliveri)

Get a toy or one of the hundreds of rabbit-themed items currently in shops for Easter, unless you're 100 per cent committed to caring for a real-life rabbit.

Like Cooney, I am appealing to people to think carefully before they choose a bunny as a pet, so this gut-wrenching cruelty will not be repeated.

"A bunny is a magical creature," Cooney says.

"If you take the time to allow the bunny to express its true nature, enjoy the company of the bunny in your own home, you will be totally and utterly delighted and endlessly entertained by its antics, its little habits, the way that it tries to get around every rule you've got in the book.

"They are just such a comfort for people if they are allowed to live with the person in the home, it's such a comfort and such a joy."

To learn more about adopting a rabbit, visit The Rabbit Sanctuary online or on Instagram.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.

Auto news: 'Just please no': Ferrari limousine in Melbourne enrages car lovers.