Animal advocates are asking people to reconsider any plans they might have to buy a rabbit, duck or baby chick for Easter.

“It’s not wise to give these animals as pets at Easter,” said Courtney Thomas, executive director of the Great Plains SPCA, which runs the Regional Animal Shelter in Independence.

Animal advocates point out that rabbits can live seven to 10 years and ducks can live 10 to 20 years. These animals are small and cute at Easter but grow up quickly and often end up abandoned in the wild – where they typically become prey for a wild animal in a short time – or sometimes they end up in a shelter.

“We get everything,” Thomas said.

The organization rabbit.org says buying a rabbit is a 10-year commitment. They need to be housebroken, and unless they are spayed or neutered they will soil the house by marking various spots, the group says. They also nibble on cords, so in a variety of ways the owner’s home needs to rabbit-proofed.

“Rabbits are not designed to live in cages. ... They’re very smart animals. They like human interaction,” Thomas said.

It’s similar with chicks and ducks. For one thing, chickens are flock animals, and one alone has a hard time of it, advocates say. Ducks can peck aggressively. And they poop a lot.

“While the thought of giving your child a cute little baby animal in an Easter basket may sound like a good idea, it’s not,” says petsitusa.com. “These are living, breathing, animals we’re talking about.”