Rabbits Are Adding Flab to Their Fluff, Study Finds

The dark side of carrots. Or...

Pet bunnies better hop to it. A new study in the British Journal, Veterinary Record notes that, like their owners, their waistlines are expanding at an alarming rate. The review charted the weight of 41 rabbits over a two-year period and found that about 10 percent of them had packed on so many pounds, they needed to seriously consider salads.

Females were twice as likely as males to be portly, and neutered individuals of both sexes were 5.4 times more likely to be overweight compared to their virile counterparts. OK, maybe the statistics on bunny fatness aren’t quite as “hare raising” as they are for humans, but they are climbing. In general rising obesity rates in our animal friends is a well established fact. For example, an annual Association for Pet Obesity Prevention survey of more than 500 pets revealed that approximately 53 percent of cats and 55 percent of dogs are now overweight or obese.

The fact that such an organization exists speaks volumes. Vets say they are seeing increased obesity in their patients of all species.

...the dark side of bad pet owners.

The latter is more likely.