The head of the Windsor Humane Society says adopting live rabbits as Easter gifts might not be a wise decision.
The Humane Society says the creatures are a lot of work to take care of.
Executive Director Melanie Coulter says it is not uncommon for families to rush in to buy a bunny as part of Easter celebrations.
She says it is important to think about the long term commitments associated with adopting any pet.
She says owning a rabbit is different from owning other animals.
"People tend not to see them as high maintenance but they are," says Coulter. "It can be difficult to find a vet that treats them. So getting them spayed or neutered can be a lot more expensive than a dog or a cat."
She says rabbits need a lot of love and attention.
"A lot of people see them as large hamsters that you can put in a cage, give them food and water and a wheel and they are fine but rabbits are not like that," says Coulter. "Rabbits need interaction, they need hay and they require a lot of cleaning."
She says the Humane Society does its best to make sure its rabbits are adopted out to the right households.
"Certainly, our adopting councillors will make sure this is not a short term Easter purchase but a long term commitment," says Coulter. "We want to get rabbits into good homes because they do tend to be challenging to adopt out and we do have a lot of them come in."
Coulter says rabbits are the most common animal brought to the Humane Society.