By Connie Gerow, 4-H Tribal Mentoring Site Coordinator

Typically, as children grow there is a desire for having a pet. Sometimes the pet may be a kitten, puppy, bunny or whatever. Oftentimes, a pet is selected, purchased, brought home only to find out that owning any type of pet can be more work than desired by the child and family. Sometimes families think that having a pet will provide the youth a sense of ownership and responsibility. Hence, the title – Look Before You Leap into Rabbits!

Do rabbits enjoy being held? Should rabbits only eat pellets? Do rabbits need to have a bath? The above questions and more were examples of some of the questions that the 4-H Mentoring youth at Salmon River and the St. Regis Mohawk Schools asked when "Hank" and "Timothy," domesticated rabbits owned by Sarah Craig from Bangor, NY, visited each of the programs.

Mrs. Sarah Craig shares with 4-H Youth at Salmon River.

An alumnus of 4-H and currently an Instructional Support Educator for Salmon River Central School, Sarah Craig shared with the youth the three reasons why a rabbit breeder might own a rabbit. First was to develop a specific breed of rabbits by reproduction; second to show a rabbit or third to either eat the rabbit for meat and/or to have the rabbit fur. Mrs. Craig said she owned rabbits only to have as pets. Her desire for having pets stemmed from having rabbits when she was younger. She cautioned the youth that owning a rabbit can be more work than people think. Like other pets, rabbits require adequate housing – a sizeable cage to move about, a watering device that would allow fresh water, the right kind of food, which is not necessarily only pellets that is purchased at a store, and bedding (shavings) for the cage. In addition, she shared that it was important that rabbits chew on safe objects for proper teeth development.

Throughout the sessions, Sarah debunked several of the myths and answered the youth's questions. Typically, a domesticated (tame) rabbit does enjoy a human as a friend, but only on their own terms. She shared that some rabbits can be house trained and she demonstrated the correct way to pick up and hold a rabbit. In addition, she shared that rabbits do not necessarily need a bath, that rabbits typically groom themselves like a cat. She shared that quality grass hay should be the mainstay diet for rabbits. Treats like carrots should be limited. Likewise, she noted that rabbits are preyed upon by other animals (wild and domesticated) and care should be given to prevent this from happening. Mrs. Craig shared that the majority of her rabbits come from the Potsdam Humane Society. At the end of each session, the youth were able to feel the fur and a have a photo opportunity. One thing's for sure, the 4-H Mentoring youth learned to "Look Before You Leap into Rabbits."

In addition to 4-H Youth programs, the Franklin County Cornell Cooperative Extension programs offer many educational researched opportunities for area individuals. For more information, one may visit the website at http://franklin.cce.cornell.edu or call the office at 518.483-7403.