March 4, 2002
                                     Release:  At Will
                                     
									
         Young Kids and Pet Bunnies Don't Work Well Together
         
         
		
Which of the following pairs  doesn't belong on this list :

          a. peanut butter and jelly
          
          b. love and marriage
          
          c. moms and apple pie
          
          d. kids and bunnies 
	
     If you picked "d," share that information with  friends who might be 
     
thinking  about buying their six-year olds a bunny for Easter.

     Most rabbits purchased as Easter pets won't live to see their first 
     
birthday, according to Margo DeMello, education coordinator for the House 

Rabbit Society.  Many will die of neglect and  others will be abandoned in 

parks or left at animal shelters.

     The House Rabbit Society 's 7000 members offer the following suggestions 
     
for people who insist on buying rabbits as house pets:

          . Don't allow the rabbits outside unattended. They can go into shock 

and die when approached by dogs, cats, raccoons and owls.

          . Provide housing that's at least four times the size of the adult 

rabbit.
          . Plan for 30 hours of running time a week for the rabbit.
          
          . Feed the rabbit one to two cups of vegetables daily as well as 

fresh pellets, water and hay. Keep fresh oat or timothy hay available at all 

times.
          . Use a flea comb to brush away excess hair. Rabbits shed their coat 

four times a year. 

          . Place a litter box in one corner of the cage. Use dust-free litter; 
          
avoid softwood shavings. 

DeMello adds that rabbits will spray urine on walls until they are neutered or 

spayed (at four to nine months.) 

     If you think you're up to the challenge of caring for a rabbit, contact a 

local animal shelter, humane society or rabbit rescue group for information, 

DeMello suggests.  "If not," she adds, "Buy a stuffed animal instead."

     For more information about rabbits and caring for them, visit the 

organization's web site at www.rabbit.org.

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