Why an Easter Bunny Isn’t a Cute Surprise

Baby bunnies, chicks, and ducklings are all adorable — but do they really make good gifts?

We all know the meaning behind Easter, but we also all know it’s largely become a commercialized performative holiday. I associate Easter with spring, egg hunts, flowers — and bunnies and cute little chicks. That’s part of the problem. Many parents do, too — and find that this is a great time of year to bring home a new, cute pet as a surprise for their kids to discover. While the concept is great, the execution has lots to be desired. The most commonly purchased “Easter” pets are rabbits, chicks, and ducklings. All of these animals are adorable — but all of them also have many care requirements and expenses a parent who purchased them casually as a cute surprise may not have planned out.

Most children who participate in Easter baskets and egg hunts are on the younger side — it’s common for kids to start questioning (or disprove altogether) figures like the Easter Bunny around 7 or 8 years old. Simply put, kids this age are unlikely to be able to properly care for an animal without significant assistance from an adult. So unless you’re ready for the responsibility of the pet to fall to you, they shouldn’t be bought in the first place. How long could these responsibilities last? With proper care, rabbits can live 10–12 years — and to the surprise of many, chickens also commonly exceed five years of age.

None of these pets are particularly easy, either. Rabbits can’t stay in their cage all the time — they need time to come out and explore. And with that comes bunny-proofing. Bunnies will happily destroy cords, carpet, wood, or any other chewable surface — and get sick in the process. According to the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund, a hutch or cage should allow the rabbit to make at least three hops and lie down — in practice this means a minimum of 6 feet by 2 feet. That’s considerably smaller than most pet store rabbit housing. Nutrition for rabbits is also more complicated (and expensive) than you might think. According to the House Rabbit Society, the diet of a mature rabbit should consist of unlimited amounts of timothy, grass, or oat hay; 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pelleted rabbit diet per 6 pounds of body weight; and a minimum of two cups per 6 pounds of fresh vegetables. Rabbits’ teeth also never stop growing — meaning you will constantly be needing to buy new chews to keep their teeth worn down. Many people make the mistake of assuming rabbits are easy pets based on information from pet stores — however, this information is put in place to sell rabbits quickly, not advocate for their welfare.

Chickens and ducks have a completely different set of challenges. Both animals need a safe coop to return to at night in order to be protected from predators. If left to free-range without supervision, your animals are vulnerable to hawks, outdoor cats and off leash dogs, and other threats (unfortunately, I’ve seen more than one chicken hit by a car after roaming a front yard too close to the road). Both need diets of not only fairly inexpensive chicken or duck feed, but fresh vegetables, fruits, insects, and calcium supplements such as cuttlebone or crushed eggshell to ensure proper development of eggs. And chicks aren’t easy to sex at young ages. Most feed stores sell chicks “straight run,” or unsexed; you won’t have any idea if your chick is a hen or rooster until later on. And even sexed chicks can be inaccurate at times. Keep in mind that in some areas, it’s illegal to own roosters — or chickens altogether. Even if it isn’t illegal, there are likely restrictions on how many you can have and their space requirements, so it’s something to check before you have the animals in your care.

Photo: chuttersnap via Unsplash

Ducks absolutely need to have water in their enclosures. Some people go as small as a baby pool — but bigger is always better. Are you able to provide an outdoor enclosure with a water source — and clean it regularly? Ducks are not clean creatures and will cloud their water with food, dirt, and feces. And while it may make your child happy to keep a duck as a cute house pet, they shouldn’t live their lives this way. While your duck might enjoy running around the house as a visitor, they won’t be happy living their whole life indoors. And both ducks and chickens need to forage and “graze” on grasses and herbs. So if a pristine lawn is your thing, neither of these birds will make good long-term pets.

So what can you do to compete with other parents who may bring home a new pet for Easter?

Sponsor an animal

There are many sponsorship programs that allow you to virtually “adopt” an animal. Most of these programs involve updates that allow the “adopter” to feel connected with their animals, such as photos and letters on the animal’s activities. SaveABunny.com allows you to sponsor a rabbit’s care on a monthly basis for as low as $15, and Little Oak Farm Animal Sanctuary allows you to do the same for a rescued chicken for as low as $25.

Bring home a ‘living’ stuffed animal

Many popular stuffed animal brands make plushies that move and are interactive; they may make eating sounds when they are “fed,” walk on a leash, and so on. Consider one of these before taking the jump to a real pet.

Get a pet — just with the proper research

There’s nothing saying you can’t bring home a pet — just make sure you genuinely can take care of them. Keep in mind that many will not do this — if you have the space and ability to care for a new pet, consider surprising your child with the supplies for the pet on Easter, then checking shelters and pet rehoming sites slightly later for no longer wanted Easter pets.

There’s nothing wrong with bringing home a new pet — if you can really provide the care they need. Remember that regardless of the time of year you bring home a new animal, you should be prepared to take over the responsibility of their care if your child doesn’t step up to the plate. Any pet should frequently have their care checked on by you — pets can be great learning tools, but they’re also living beings and deserve to be treated well, even if your child isn’t quite as responsible as you’d hoped.