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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.
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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
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