STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WJAC) — Long floppy ears, big fuzzy feet and bushy cottontail, the Easter Bunny arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in here in Pennsylvania.
It’s not uncommon for families to adopt an Easter bunny of their own for the holiday.
With it being Easter weekend, bunnies hop into the minds of millions across the country, but you might want to rethink purchasing one of these furry little friends.
"It's that time of year when people say, 'Oh a rabbit's cute,' and then they see it all over TV and they're like, 'Oh that would be great to have,' but we make sure that's not something that's an impulse buy and we make sure they know all the info and all the care that's required for that,” says Jeff Bailey, owner of Finatics Aquarium and Pet Center.
Pet stores and rabbitries see a rise in rabbit purchases this time of year.
The problem? That decision might be a “hare” too hasty for some. Many bunnies end up returned or abandoned almost immediately after the holiday.
"If they advertise online and someone shows up with 10 or 20 bucks, throw a rabbit in a box and there you go, without all the information that they need to care for this rabbit and all the requirements for the housing, the food, the chew products that they may need, just all the background information on this rabbit,” Bailey says. “So once they find out this rabbit is more than they thought, then off to the shelter it goes."
It hasn't been an issue for Finatics yet.
The pet store sells bunnies all year long. Over 400 bunnies have found new families in the last 2 1/2 years, thanks to them.
However, it is a problem the staff keeps in mind.
"Especially this time of year we really look a lot closer making that it's really someone who really has thought this process through, but it's really a lot of the rabbits end up in a shelter are bought from private individuals that are selling rabbits online or advertising in the newspaper, uh, so that's what really ends up in the shelters," Bailey says.
Finatics performs background checks before allowing any families to take a rabbit home with them.
They look into what other pets the family has, ages of children, as well as financial and caretaking abilities all to ensure the safety of the animal.
"We wanna make sure when people come in, um, especially if it's a family that has really young children, a rabbit is usually not the best fit for that family," Bailey says.
Rabbits require cages, food, something to chew on but there are perks to bringing one of these furry friends into your life.
"It's not something you have to do now because they're readily available. In fact, that's what you don't wanna do,” Bailey says. “Give it some time and see if that's the right animal for you. If you've been thinking about a rabbit and you've done your research and maybe you find a rabbit you've fallen in love with, that's completely different."
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