5 Ways to Be Kind to Bunnies This Easter

Want to wake up Easter morning to a basket filled with goodies? Here are five ways to be sweet to rabbits this spring—and make sure the Easter Bunny's trail runs right up to your house.

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• Stuff children's baskets with a fluffy plush bunny. The stuffed variety won't chew through the basket as a real rabbit likely would. Rabbits are complex animals who require specialized care. They get nervous when they're lifted off the ground, and because of their delicate spines, they can break their backs if they struggle or are dropped. But stuffed bunnies can withstand all the holding, squeezing, and playing that kids can dish out.

• Be a bunny's buddy. If your family is ready to invest the eight to 12 years and average of $7,600 that rabbits require over the course of a lifetime, adopt a bunny from an animal shelter—you can often find spayed or neutered and even housetrained rabbits waiting for a family. Rabbits need care from veterinarians who are familiar with the species as well as plenty of fresh grass, timothy or oat hay, vegetables, and some fruits. They also need toys of different textures to chew on, regular grooming, and lots of attention from their guardians.

• Take care with wild hares. If the rabbits in your yard are beautiful to look at but making your spring flower garden less so, deter the nibbling with a couple of easy tricks. Erecting a short, inexpensive wire fence or planting lavender, catnip, or marigolds around the perimeter of the garden or flowerbed will keep hungry rabbits at bay.

• Make your spring makeover bunny-friendly. When you're choosing your new makeup or fragrance, go for ones that weren't dripped into rabbits' eyes. See PETA's online guide for a complete list of cruelty-free cosmetics companies. 

• Show your anti-fur pride to save a bunny's hide. Sure, you might don a bunny suit for Easter festivities, but never don a coat made of real rabbits. Sign PETA's Pledge to Be Fur-Free, and show Peter Cottontail that your house is a safe place by sporting an anti-fur tee.

Hoppy Easter!