One of our whiskerDocs team members has quite the little pet menagerie at home, including 2 dogs, 3 cats, and a house rabbit. The rabbit, however, inspired this post, because even though we focus on dogs and cats here, we have a love of all animals.

I asked her today how old her rabbit was, and she said he would be 8 on Sunday. My response was, "Isn't that funny that your rabbit was born on Easter!" and was surprised to learn the backstory. Her bunny wasn't born on Easter, but she celebrates his birthday on Easter because she rescued him from a local park two weeks after the holiday 8 years ago. The most likely scenario, according to park rangers, was that her handsome bunny was a rejected Easter gift.

See, many people make the mistake of giving pets as gifts, and Easter is one of the worst holidays for that. Common gifts on Easter include kittens, baby bunnies, and baby chicks. The problem is, while kids love them, the novelty wears off in just a short period of time, and parents often don't want to deal with the unanticipated responsibilities (and messes) associated with your "cute gift for the kids."

Instead of giving a real, live animal as a gift on Easter, give the little ones plush toys. Or, as I like to say, "Make my bunny a chocolate one!"