Rabbits also have a holiday dedicated to them

The International Rabbit Day is celebrated on the fourth Saturday or Sunday in September. This year, it was 22 September. This annual celebration of a cute mammal with long ears, short tail and a velvet coat is not only meant for the million of rabbits kept as pets in the Western world. It should also promote a serious matter about the life conditions of these bunnies.

On this day, we shouldn’t only remind ourselves how much joy these bunnies bring to us but also how much suffering and in what extent we, people, cause to them. We hunt them and eat them. But that’s not all. We also use them for various medical and cosmetic tests and experiments and they are also killed for their fur.

Fortunately, the fur industry is on a decline. In the Czech Republic, fur farms will become the thing of the past from the beginning of the next year and no furs will occur at the Fashion Week in London for the first time this year. When it comes to animal testing, rabbits are together with mice, guinea pigs and brown rats most frequently used for cosmetic products and for household products. And a rabbit is also depicted in the logo of Cruelty Free certificate. This is a certificate granted by PETA which ensures that the product and ingredients used for its production were created in an ethical way, without animal tests.

I had one rabbit when I was little. He was a maverick that didn’t respect anyone except my father. He was very bold. He didn’t spend much time in his cage, the whole balcony was his territory. And when we were at home, he was often with us in the living room. To this day, my mother recalls how he jumped over a barrier from the balcony and she woke up in the middle of the night with a rabbit on her back :). He was our companion for long 12 years.

How to celebrate this day with our bunnies then? Spend more time together than usual. It may seem trivial but it’s important. Save a few special moments only for your bunny. It will definitely appreciate that, a rabbit is a really sociable animal. You will definitely make its intelligent and playful nature happy if you’ll think of some new funny game. And it will be also not a bad idea to give it a particularly tasty snack or treat. But don’t forget about your rabbit’s health and rather choose quality food.

Many people think that rabbits are quiet, reserved pets. Mainly compared to cats and dogs. But I, as a rabbit owner, can tell you that these bunnies have many personalities and offer various types of friendships. Do you agree? And what are your plans for the International Rabbit Day?