The International Day of the Rabbit
From the perspective of Gut Aiderbichl
(written by Gisela Pschenitschnig)
On the International Rabbit Day, we pamper our bunnies in the Rabbit House with special treats and extra love and attention. Rabbits are mammals and there are around 55 species. The best-known representatives are probably the domestic field hare and the wild rabbit or its breeding form, the domestic rabbit.
"Rabbits, like all the other animals, are not children's toys and you should never give them away!"
Michael Aufhauser
Cats, dogs, guinea pigs or even rabbits are often children's favourites. People cannot learn early enough how to approach animals, how to stroke and caress them and how to respect living creatures.
Giving animals to children seems funny at first and may be a well-intentioned gesture. In most cases, the children are also very happy about their new friend or "playmate". But, unfortunately, it is often the case that love fades and the bunny is brought to Gut Aiderbichl in a box.
Why do the rabbits live on our sanctuary?
The reasons are many: Often the initial fascination for the new pet quickly wears off. The children don't want to play with them much anymore, cleaning the cage isn't fun either, and the trips to the vet, because of the long teeth, are not only time-consuming but also cost-intensive. Soon, no one in the family really wants to take care of the little bunny in an adequate and species-appropriate way.
Many rabbits that are loved dearly at first are still small and fuzzy when they are abandoned. Often, they have little chance of survival and die somewhere, left alone. This is what happened this spring. Five tiny black rabbits were abandoned in a cardboard box in front of the entrance of Gut Aiderbichl. Completely hypothermic, the little long ears waited for a rescuing hand. Our animal keepers did everything they could to get them back on their feet. They weighed the baby rabbits and fed them every hour. A lamp warmed the little ones as they snuggled together in the thick hay. They were given names like D'Artagnon, Aramis, Athos, Porthos and MyLady de Winter. Very often the little bunnies had to go to the vet and unfortunately two of them did not make it through the fight for survival.
Rabbits suffer in the experimental laboratories
Skin creams, mascara etc. are tested on rabbits. More and more progress in medicine and the beauty industry goes hand in hand with more and more animal suffering in various test laboratories around the globe. Do you think about this when you buy a cream? Do you even want to think about it at that moment?
In the said experiments, rabbits are taken out of the cages and strapped down. Then, for example, various liquids are dripped into their eyes and it is observed whether their conjunctivas turn red, whether their corneas are cauterised or not. The rabbits suffer in agony. That's because they produce no tear fluid, so they cannot flush out the foreign bodies. Humans can then confidently apply mascara and other cosmetics.
Don't follow every fashion trend
It is just getting cooler and soon you will find jumpers, jackets and hats with fur trim on the shelves again. We should keep in mind the terrible living conditions for farmed animals in the fur industry with every fur that goes over the counter.
Think of rabbits, cats, dogs, foxes. When we hold a rabbit to our chest, we feel the soothing, comforting warmth of the animal. How it looks at us lovingly and enjoys our caresses. I wish we could all leave fur behind in the shop just by thinking about the animal.
"The lives of all living beings, be they human, animal or other, are precious and all have the same right to be happy. They are part of our world."
Dalei Lama
Sincerely, your Gisela
