PHOTOS BY RAMIDI SUBARI
KUCHING: According to the Chinese calendar, people will usher in the new year of the Water Rabbit on Jan 22.
Rabbit is the fourth animal sign out of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac cycle.
Based on Chinese astrology, it is said that the Rabbit year symbolises patience and good luck, hence it suggests that the year of the Rabbit will bring more peace and success.
With their floppy ears, wiggly nose, fluffy tails, and marble-like eyes, rabbits are considered a symbol of prosperity, abundance and fertility in most Asian countries.
Not only in Chinese culture is it believed that rabbits bring good luck, but according to an old English superstition by saying ‘Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit’ on the first day of the month, one will have good luck throughout the month.
As such, to attract good fortune, it makes one wonder whether people will rush to buy rabbits and keep them as pets this year.
Owner of Kho Animal Enterprise Johnny Kho said in connection with the year of the rabbit, he has been receiving quite a number of queries from customers wanting to buy rabbits at his pet shop.
“Yes, as this year falls under the year of the rabbit, and according to Chinese beliefs a long time ago and Feng Shui masters, the rabbit brings ‘Ong’ (prosperity).
“Hence, many people are starting to look for rabbits to buy as pets this year,” he told New Sarawak Tribune.
Just at the start of this month, he said nearly eight rabbits had been sold and the customers did not only consist of the Chinese but other races as well.
“The customers who bought the rabbit range from young to old including parents buying for their children,” he said.
At Kho’s shop, among others, he sells different breeds of rabbits from local to Fuzzy lop, Angora, Lionhead, Holland lop and the Netherland dwarf rabbit breed.
Its prices range from RM50 to RM800 depending on the rabbit breed.
Kho has been selling rabbits for about six years and in those years, he could sell up to 80 to 100 rabbits.
“Because it is the rabbit year this year, I think 200 or more rabbits could be adopted,” he said.
Kho encouraged people to buy rabbits to be kept as a pet as it is adorable, harmless and would make great companions, but he reminded that adopting one comes with responsibility.
“Looking after the well-being and happiness of a rabbit is very crucial. This includes providing the rabbit with proper housing, food, grooming, exercise and entertainment,” he said.
Keeping a rabbit in a tiny cage for a long period, he said, is not good for the overall health of the rabbit too.
“If rabbit owners do not have a large cage to keep their rabbit, they must at least let the rabbit out and run and play around in an open space daily. It is sort of an exercise for them.
If rabbits are only confined in the cage, he said, the rabbit would get bored and eventually would pull out its own fur due to stress and boredom.
“For a rabbit’s diet, those that are younger than six months, they must be fed with proper food such as Alfalfa hay and pellets.
“Only when the rabbits are above six months old can its daily diet include hay, fresh vegetables like carrots,” he said.
On a serious note, he stressed that pet ownership must not be taken lightly, or else more animals will be abandoned or dumped irresponsibly.
Fun facts about rabbit:
- Rabbits are not rodents
- Rabbits can live up to more than 10 years old
- Rabbit’s teeth never stop growing
- A rabbit can have up to 800 offspring a year
- Rabbits have a blind spot in front of their nose
- Just like cats, rabbit purr when they are happy
- Rabbit acrobatics are called binkies
- Rabbits are most active at dusk and dawn
