Pet Corner: The origins of the Easter bunny and why rabbits make great pets

Ireland's third most popular pet, rabbits do best when homed in pairs

Rabbits are great pets, not just at Easter Bunny standing guard over woven baskets of coloured Easter eggs.

Chances are you’re tucking into your third Easter egg of the day or treating yourself to another chocolate rabbit and wondering, why do we associate Easter with rabbits? What does the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus have in common with a floppy-eared pet? To be honest: nothing at all.

The Easter Bunny’s emergence as an Easter symbol is actually down to German emigrants who moved to America and brought stories of an egg-laying hare to their new country.

The story is understood to have arrived in America in the 1700s, The German people who settled in Pennsylvania told tales of the “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws” and their children made nests for the creature to lay coloured eggs in, sparking the beginning of an Easter bunny delivering chocolate eggs to children centuries later.

As we know, once something becomes big in America, it often goes global. However, in some parts of the world, the bunny doesn’t get a look in. For example, Easter eggs are delivered by a cuckoo in Sweden and, despite the Easter Bunny’s origins there, in parts of Germany eggs are brought by a fox.

In addition, rabbits are known for their tendency to procreate frequently and became ancient symbols of fertility and new life - appropriate for spring when the fields are filled with lambs and new blooms appear in our gardens.

Unsurprisingly considering how good they are at bringing us chocolate once a year, rabbits are the third most popular pet in Ireland after cats and dogs. They are playful and intelligent animals and are ideal pets for older children or teenagers. On average a pet rabbit lives between 8 to 12 years, but they can live for longer. While hutches have traditionally been kept outdoors in homes, keeping your rabbit indoors has been known to extend their lifespan.

If you’re considering bringing a rabbit into your family. Make sure it has plenty of space. Although they are small, rabbits are very active and they enjoy having somewhere to hop, run, jump and dig in. Letting it chase around a good-sized area keeps them fit, healthy and happy.

If you’re thinking of bringing one rabbit into your home, it is worth contemplating a pair instead. Pet rabbits can get lonely if they spend their hutch by themselves for long periods of time. If you don’t have the time to give them lots of attention, for example, if you return to a workspace after the pandemic ends, a companion will keep them happy. The best combination is to have a neutered male and a spayed female as same-sex pairs tend to fight with each other.