Bunnies are for life, not just for Easter

It's Easter on Sunday.

And you know what that means. Chocolate, chocolate, roast dinner, Jesus Christ rising from the dead, and more chocolate. Easter also means an influx of bunnies being bought from pet shops or adopted from animal rescues across the country. Generally, adopting an animal and taking it into your care would be a great thing for all involved - and usually it is - but when animals are adopted purely because the time of year makes it #ontrend to do so, then we've got a problem. Similar to the way that people think puppies are the ideal Christmas present, families, parents, and well-meaning boyfriends everywhere will be picking up bunnies this week in the lead up to Easter. Because rabbits are cute and sweet and require minimal care so it'll all be grand, right? Nah it won't be though, not if you can't look after them. Here's a comprehensive list of things you're going to have to have to do if you decide to bring a rabbit into your life. 1. Clean their cage at least once a day  Rabbits go to the bathroom a lot. Like, a lot. And if you think that they only expel those adorable little round pellets when they're going to the toilet, think again. 2. Feed them a decent mix of hay, rabbit pellets, and lots and lots of water Contrary to popular belief and the Bugs Bunny cartoon, rabbits can't just survive on carrots alone. For a rabbit to have a balanced and healthy diet, they'll need to be eating a load of hay and some rabbit pellets. The pellets give them the fibre they need and the hay will help make sure their teeth stay in good shape too. 3. Be prepared to have everything you've ever loved chewed to death  Rabbits need to be constantly chewing for their health, but they'll also be chewing just because they love chewing... and they are absolutely not picky about what kind of things they chew. Think iPhone chargers, bedposts, shoes, clothes, carpets, bedside tables. Literally anything. 4. Give them lots of petting  Rabbits f*cking love being petted. 5. Add another member to your fam  And a new best friend, obviously. https://www.instagram.com/p/BaAGFyvl_S4/?taken-by=jadehayden If you're thinking about picking up a bunny this week, consider whether you have the means to look after one. Ask yourself whether you've got the time to clean, feed, and care for a rabbit - and then ask yourself whether you actually want one or whether the idea of a bunny running around the place and being adorable is only adorable because it's Easter. When dogs are given as presents during the Christmas season, so many of them are returned to animal shelters, neglected in their homes, and even abandoned. A lot of rabbits, however, are set free. Families who decided they don't want them anymore let them loose because it's easier than the alternative of taking them back to where they came from or, God forbid, looking after them. But domesticated rabbits can't look after themselves in the wild at all - if they're set free they'll die. Bunnies may be small animals and to many, they may seem inconsequential, easy to look after, and really not that much work at all. But they're a lot of work - they're absolutely worth it obviously (look at that face) but if you're going to get one, you're going to have to look after it. And if you're going to get one, maybe wait until after this week.