BLACK RABBIT WITH ATTITUDE.

Why does Easter make me feel sad? Many adults buy bunnies for their children for Easter without realizing what they're getting into.  Most likely, many once-loved bunnies will be surrendered to animal shelters or cruelly dumped outdoors to fend for themselves. Some will be "loved" to death while others will end up exiled to a lonely cage in the back yard.

With resources such as The House Rabbit Society website, people lack the excuse that they couldn't find information on house rabbits. In fact, many folks believe they don't need to learn anything about how to care for these mentally-complex creatures.

As I found out, bunnies are like other pets. They get into mischief and some have attitudes. In When a Man Loves a Rabbit (Learning and Living With Bunnies), I wrote about one little Netherland Dwarf with a big ego.

Because he was small and black, I named him Neutrino. It was partly because he was so hard to see in semi-darkness but also because of my favourite Klaatu song, The Little Neutrino

My little fur friend had a stubborn streak. One of his bad habits was to pee in front of places he thought needed marking. Though Neutrino had been neutered, he still defied the usual bunny stereotype of being perfectly litter trained. When I placed litter boxes where he wet, he nosed them aside and peed on the same spot. No amount of cleaning and spraying with strong-smelling cologne detered him.

I should add that most rabbits are better behaved than Neutrino was. Even so, some are strong-willed and, as a result, are surrendered to shelters or dumped outside. Many otherwise-loveable bunnies die or are euthanized as a result of feckless humans who should have done their homework.

When a Man Loves a Rabbit is filled with many more fascinating stories of life with house bunnies. These vignettes range from the tragic to the hilarious. Please click on the link to my books for details about both of my paperbacks. You're also welcome to contact me directly for more information.