Bunnies need a lifetime of
love and attention!
by: Antonio Bunderos

Dear Editor,  

   My name is Antonio Bunderos.  I am writing you because Easter is coming very soon and, as a pet bunny I am concerned for my fellow rabbits.

  You see, this means that the pet stores fill up with us. We're small and cute and people just can't seem to resist us! What they don't understand is that we grow up and while we remain cute, sometimes the people who just had to have us grow tired and bored with us and we're left lonely and forgotten in our cages - or worse.

  This happened to me. The people who got me thought that I could survive in the desert. After all, I'M A RABBIT! This isn't true! Domestic rabbits do not fare well in the wild. I mean, it's hard enough for our wild cousins, but we're used to people. Some of us are even used to other animals like dogs and cats, so we don't know we're supposed to run. We never imagined we'd be FOOD!

   I would like to ask your readers to consider the responsibility of owning a bunny before giving in. We require quite a bit of care (although, if you're willing to do it we promise to love you and entertain you with our antics and multitude of personalities!). We need a home indoors. (Indoor bunnies live longer.) We need to be spayed and neutered (this helps us to live longer and healthier,....and makes us EASIER to live with since we are territorial and can spray just like a cat.)

   We need a special diet including timothy or oat hay and veggies to keep our intestinal tracts running smoothly. We can get hairballs but we can't get rid of them, so if we don't get fed right we can end up in surgery, or worse....we die.

   Most of all, we need a LOT of love. I, personally, love it when Cathy rubs my chin. I greet her every morning at the front of my cage. The other bunnies who live with us even give her kisses, although I have to admit...I still have a ways to go before I can get that close. I know I can trust her, but my last owners really hurt me and sometimes it takes awhile before we can love again.

   So, please think twice about getting a pet bunny for Easter. If your child wants a bunny, get them a stuffed one. If, however, you think you're ready for that 'bunny leap' of faith and you're ready for an honest-to-goodness commitment (that can last up to 10 years!), please consider adopting a bunny.

   We rabbits are rapidly gaining popularity as househould pets, and (unfortunately) like dogs and cats, many of us are being abandoned at shelters. My human, Cathy, may even know of a bunny or two who needs a home in the community. I don't think she'd mind if you called her.

Thank you for your time,
Antonio Bunderos