In China, Bunny Frenzy Breeds Trouble

Buyers scramble for lucky but troublesome pets for Year of the Rabbit
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 2, 2011 3:59 AM CST
Bunny Frenzy Keeps Chinese Hopping
Vendors sell Chinese New Year decoration ahead of the Year of the Rabbit in Hong Kong Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011.   (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The Year of the Rabbit begins tomorrow, and China is facing something that wasn't an issue for the Year of the Tiger: a surplus of New Year pets. Rabbits represent beauty and wealth in Chinese tradition, and the country has seen a frenzy of rabbit-buying in recent weeks. But many people are struggling to deal with their new bunnies, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Animal welfare groups say they're seeing plenty of abandoned bunnies, and are fielding calls from struggling owners, some of whom were ill-prepared when their pets started breeding like rabbits. "This is the opposite of fortune, since I've had to spend more of my money than I did before I had her," says one despairing Beijing rabbit owner, whose pet has scratched her and chewed up shoes and electrical cables.
(More rabbits stories.)

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