Where every bunny knows your name

Say no to the Easter bunny

Not the one who delivers the eggs. He's OK. But a live rabbit for the family for Easter?

That's usually a bad idea, say rabbit advocates.

Rabbits and children sound like a great mix. But they're not. Kids can be rough on rabbits, which are more sensitive than the typical dog or cat.

Rabbits live an average of 14 years. Can you guarantee care for that long? If not, check out the myriad stuffed bunnies available this time of year. They're really cute and cuddly, and they require nothing more than a hug.

And even that's optional.

Can I spay or neuter safely?

Yes, you can. Used to be, veterinarians were loathe to alter rabbits. Most vets didn't know much about rabbit care, and a lot of the animals died during surgery.

That's partly because the anesthetic agents used 20 years ago were often lethal to rabbits. With the introduction of isoflurane, which anesthetizes through inhalation, surgery on rabbits became much safer, says Bunny Bunch founder Caroline Charland.

When she started rescuing rabbits, "I had to convince my cat doctor to spay a rabbit." But today, with more veterinarians experienced in rabbit care, spaying and neutering is safer and more common.

Meaning there's no reason not to alter your bunny. That ensures that he or she won't reproduce like – well, like a rabbit – and also lessens or eliminates marking. Spayed and neutered rabbits are easier to train to use a litter box than those that aren't, Charland says.

Want a bunny buddy?

If you'd like to meet, adopt, volunteer with, or just learn more about rabbits, Bunny Bunch has what you need at its two facilities.

Montclair, the Burrow

4601-1 Brooks St., Montclair


Noon-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday

Adoption Center

10534 Bechler River Ave., Fountain Valley


Noon-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Little-known bunny fact No. 1: You can't judge a rabbit by its fur. Or its eyes.

Albino rabbits “are hard to place. But they have the nicest personalities,” Caroline Charland says as we watch two of the pure-white rabbits with pink eyes munch on greenery inside their pen.

Charland, founder and president of Bunny Bunch, a Southern California-based rabbit rescue group, says she doesn't know why they're hard to place. I venture that maybe it's their eyes.

She doesn't agree or disagree, but says, “All of our volunteers have them. They spend time with them and fall in love and take them home.”

These two albino rabbits came from a lab, and “they were very shy, but they're doing better now.” The two in the pen weren't originally roommates, but volunteers at the Fountain Valley bunny “hutch” worked to get them together. When they proved amicable with each other, they became penmates.

It's not surprising the albinos were shy. Rabbits in a laboratory setting aren't exposed to much, and lack of socialization leads to shyness, fear and uncertainty.

But give them time and even the white lab rabbits come around.

Just ask the volunteers at Bunny Bunch.

  

Little-known bunny fact No. 2: Bunny dates are very important.

In a pen not too far from the albinos are two of the biggest rabbits you're likely to see. A girl with brown fur stretched out on the ground is bigger than a lot of dogs. The gray rabbit named Arctic bouncing around her is probably as big, but because he's moving it's harder to see his full size.

Amber and Arctic aren't fat - they are a breed known as Flemish giants. These larger-than-an-Easter-basket-sized bunnies are aptly named. They're the big bunnies of the bunch.

Today, they are having a “bunny date.” Such meetings are designed to allow rabbits get to know one another, Charland explains, to see if they will make good roommates on a permanent basis.

Amber belongs to Joanne Arzati of La Puente, who adopted the big, very mellow rabbit from the Bunny Bunch Burrow, the group's other location, in Montclair. She's had her for about a year and decided it's time Amber had a buddy.

Amber and Arctic spend awhile in the pen with Charland, who stands nearby, ready to intervene in case anything bad happens.

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