EVERY lunar new year is associated with one of the 12 zodiac animals, each bringing its own good fortune and strengths. With just weeks to go before the Year of the Rabbit is ushered, the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) urges the public not to be tempted into buying a pet rabbit on impulse. People have been known to purchase some of the zodiac animals, of which the outcome has mostly led to neglect, mistreatment and abandonment.
As with other zodiac “animal trends”, there is bound to be exploitation by pet retailers, petting zoos and animal farms, due to the brisk demand for the furry creature.
The high sales pitch is worrisome to CAP because of the misconception that rabbits are low-maintenance pets. They are often bought for children as an “animated” toy.
Pet shops are also not well informed, while often providing false information to first-time owners. Web retailers have also jumped on the bandwagon, posting rabbits to online customers with many dead on arrival, suffocated in their cardboard confines.
It is not known how many rabbits are being purchased because of the coming New Year, only to end up in the backyard and gardens of homes, stuffed into a small cage while being fed an inappropriate diet.
Animal welfare groups have also voiced concern over the wire bottom metal cages used to keep rabbits. They can be hard on the delicate rabbit feet and can cause sores, commonly known as “sore hocks”.
Most rabbit owners do not know the correct diet for their pets, feeding them pellets the whole year round, which can lead to dental problems. According to veterinarians, rabbits should be fed hay, grass and fresh greens.
Rabbits live in groups. A lone rabbit can become bored and depressed, and make it aggressive, resulting in self-harm. In most homes, these gentle animals are subjected to filthy living conditions, cramped in small cages for life.
Rabbit owners have no idea that their pet needs space to exercise as it is a social creature, needing social stimulation. It is often seen in a tiny hutch without proper food, or sometimes having no food, and dirty water. Many pet rabbits are badly cared for.
People are unaware that rabbits are gregarious animals, living in the wild, with a need to run and dig. Depriving them of exercise is inhumane, and this will subject them to poor health. Despite their popularity, rabbits are among the most neglected animals that humans have domesticated. People are insensitive to their sufferings.
It is time people stopped keeping them as pets. Acquiring a pet requires forethought and a clear understanding of the animal’s basic needs. Demand for rabbits may be inevitable in the run-up to the rabbit year. However, as with other past zodiacal hype, many rabbits will be left to their fate once the novelty dies off. Therefore, CAP implores consumers not to follow the hype of buying rabbits as pets.
Mohideen Abdul Kader
President
CAP
