Year of Rabbit: Petsstar.com.my owner Chiew Yih Han (left) with his cousin Koa Jue Yue holding the rabbits imported from the Czech Republic at Bandar Puteri in Klang.— KK SHAM/The Star
KLANG: To commemorate the Year of the Rabbit, a pet store here has imported two varieties of show rabbits which have mostly been bought up by hobbyists and breeders.
Petstar Exotic Pets brought in five each of the Checkered Giant and German Lop breeds as there was a lot of demand for show rabbits in conjunction with Lunar New Year which falls on Sunday (Jan 22).
“We ordered the rabbits from a breeder in the Czech Republic two months ago and received them about two weeks ago," said store owner Chiew Yih Shin.
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According to Chiew, eight of the 10 rabbits had been sold and the store would keep the remaining two.
“The rabbits were bought by hobbyist rabbit lovers as well as breeders," he said.
A Checkered Giant costs between RM6,000 and RM10,000 while the German Lop sells for RM5,000 to RM9,000.
“It depends on the size and the coat," he said, adding that the rabbits need a cool habitat, preferably in an air-conditioned room.
The Checkered Giant, which originated from France where it is known as the Géant Papillon, can reach almost 5kg (11lb) in weight.
The German Lop, a native of Germany, is a muscular breed which can reach up to 3.6kg (8lb).
Meanwhile, animal sanctuary Furry Friends Farm (FFF) president Myza Nordin said it was upsetting that people were buying rabbits to commemorate the new year.
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“Sometimes people who buy animals on impulse end up dumping them," she said, adding that local rabbit breeds were also selling like hotcakes.
She said rabbits were not easy to look after and not many veterinary clinics are available to treat them.
Those who make impulse purchases without knowing much about the animals often find themselves in a difficult situation after the novelty wears off, she added.
According to Myza, rabbits are fragile and can even die of stress.
As for the imported species, Myza said they usually came with multi-layered fur and this made it difficult for them to adapt to the Malaysian climate.
