Thinking of getting a bunny to usher in the Year of the Rabbit? Get a toy, not the real one, says CAP
GEORGE TOWN, Jan 3 — The Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) today called on Malaysians not to give in to the trend of buying real bunnies to mark the Year of the Rabbit this Chinese lunar new year.
CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader suggested a toy rabbit as an alternative to the real animal instead.
“If there is a need for a rabbit to symbolise good fortune, elegance, and beauty, people can acquire a toy rabbit or figurine instead,” he said in a statement.
He noted a tendency for retailers to offer the year’s zodiac animal for sale as pets that frequently led to the animal’s neglect, abuse, mistreatment and abandonment once the novelty died off.
“High demand for rabbits may be inevitable in the run-up to the rabbit year with the belief that it will bring good luck,” he said.
He added that pet shops are also not well informed on the welfare of rabbits even as they exploit the trend to achieve more sales.
“A high sales pitch is very worrisome to CAP because of the misconception that rabbits are low maintenance pets,” he said.
He claimed there were also online retailers who sold rabbits online and posted them to customers where the rabbits ended up dead on arrival due to suffocation in the cardboard boxes.
He said in many instances rabbits were bought from pet stores and then spent the rest of their life being confined in cages.
“The wire flooring of metal cages is also very hard on delicate rabbit feet which can develop pressure sores commonly called ‘sore hocks’,” he said.
He said most rabbit owners do not know the correct diet for their pets, feeding them pellets the whole year round when, according to veterinarians, rabbits should be fed with hay, grass, and fresh greens and a lack of that can lead to dental problems.
“Rabbit owners have no idea that their pets need space to exercise as they are social creatures needing social stimulation,” he said.
He said despite their popularity, rabbits were among the most neglected animals that humans have domesticated.
“It is time for people to change their thoughts about keeping pets and tackle the ignorance that is so prevalent,” he said.
The Chinese lunar new year falls on January 22 this year.
