Have a Good Hare Day

This is T.J. below. It's assumed he was dumped by owners when he and his companion began to fight.

  And this bunny, Melissa was found caked in feces.

And Crystal, here, was given up by her owner when she couldn't take of both her and a new baby.

These are the stories of just a few recently abandoned rabbits I encountered while doing my What's Bugging You report on Tuesday. The majority of bunnies found in and around Norwalk appear to have been released into the wild. The problem with dumping is that domestic rabbits are estimated to live only up to three days once set free. The recently rescued are staying at either the PAWS shelter on Main Avenue, or being kept temporarily at foster homes.

Catrin Frolich rescues animals and runs Rabbit Allies Connecticut. She also volunteers with PAWS. You can also contact her at 203-838-2483. She'll help you make a match with the bunny that's right for you. Frolich has been rescuing rabbits for about eight years. She believes the problem has gotten worse here southwestern Connecticut recently because of the increased popularity of bunnies as pets. She says pets stores are marketing them as the perfect low-cost low-maintenance starter pet for children. But Frolich says the opposite is true.  One example- children can usually hold a bunny when it is small and young, but since rabbits don't usually like to be held, as one grows up and refuses to be held, a child may wonder what went wrong. Also, you can't tell what sex rabbits are until they reach three or four months of age. But, since rabbits often do better by bonding in pairs, stores often will sell you two. You'll know in that four months what you have; if its a boy and a girl, you'll probably have more bunnies! If they are the same sex, they will probably fight. However, once rabbits are spayed or neutered, the aggressiveness usually subsides.

Actually, a viewer wrote in to tell me what a great pet his rabbit is. He doesn't have his in a cage, rather he says he has built more of a rabbit run area in his home. He says he even leaves the radio on for his pet.  He says his spoiled bunny likes WICC's Johnny LaBarca, especially on Sundays. Plus, he says his bunny loves it when he sings to him: "He runs up to the fence, ears pointed high
and listens (probably thinking... is this dude kiddin me... stop, just stop!"

Send me pictures of your pet bunny! I'll post them here!