With Chinese New Year coming right up, there are often several things that we’d often do in hopes of bringing good luck in the new year.
However, recently, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the public not to be tempted into buying a pet rabbit as a way to bring good luck during Chinese New Year.
In a statement on social media, CAP President Mohideen Abdul Kader said, “High demand for rabbits may be inevitable in the run-up to the rabbit year with the belief that it will bring good luck“.
But, as with any other past zodiac “animal trends”, Mohideen said there was bound to be extensive exploitation by pet retailers, petting zoos and animal farms, due to the brisk demand.
“They are often bought for a demanding child as though the poor creature is some animated toy. Pet shops are also not well informed, often providing wrong or false information to first-time owners.”
“Web retailers have also jumped on the bandwagon by posting rabbits to online customers with many dead on arrival or suffocated in their cardboard confines,” he added.
“The inevitable outcome of which is neglect, abuse, mistreatment and abandonment. The rabbits will only end up in the backyard and gardens of homes, stuffed into a small cage for life and being fed an inappropriate diet,” he explained.
Mohideen also said that since rabbits live in groups, a bored rabbit can become aggressive and depressed resulting in self-harm.
“Observation revealed that rabbits are often bought from pet stores and then confined into cages. Owners have no idea that their pets need space to exercise as they are social creatures needing social stimulation. We have often seen rabbits in a tiny hutch without proper food or sometimes having no food and some dirty water,” he stated.
“As a matter of fact, many pet rabbits are badly cared for and their needs are commonly misunderstood by families looking after them.”
He also said that most rabbit owners do not know the correct diet for their pets. “Feeding them on pellets only when, according to veterinarians, rabbits should be fed with hay, grass, and fresh greens and a lack of that could lead to dental problems.”
“Despite their popularity, rabbits are among the most neglected animals that humans have domesticated and being insensitive to the suffering such domestication often entails,” said Mohideen.
“It is time for people to change their thoughts about keeping pets and tackle the ignorance that is so prevalent. Acquiring a pet requires forethought and a clear understanding of the animal’s basic needs. If there is a need for a rabbit to symbolise good fortune, elegance, and beauty, people can acquire a toy rabbit or figurine instead.”
Let’s all do our part and not encourage the exploitation of animals.
