Lops, longhairs and miniatures -- rabbits come in a gorgeous variety of body types, fur lengths and coat markings, all united by their potential to be wonderful pets. At this time of year, baby bunnies are everywhere, with many pet stores stocking up on what has been a traditional child's gift for Easter.

But before you pick up one of these baby beauties for your child, those in the business of caring for yesterday's impulsive pet purchases would like you to consider the varieties of rabbit that sadly seem most common of all: Homeless. Unwanted. Abandoned.

Which is why shelter and rescue groups implore you: If you're considering giving a child a pet for Easter, please think and think again.

To be sure, things have improved. Not long ago, it was easy to find baby chicks and ducks dyed in the pastel colors of the season, bought and sold without the slightest regard for their care or their suitability to a city environment. The babies grew up and died in short order, either from improper care or abandonment. Thank heavens people have more sense and compassion these days, so far fewer chicks and ducks are sold as pets.

But the problem of rabbits remains. The biggest concern? Contrary to popular belief, rabbits really aren't suitable as a pets for young children. Rabbits are delicate and can be fatally injured if improperly held. If not handled gently and with respect, they can become nippy in self-defense or fear.

For older children, though, and especially for adults, these quiet, gentle animals are excellent pets. But they do require more than a little cage outside, a water bottle and some food. You'll get a lot more out of a pet rabbit if you bring the animal into your house and your life.

As with any companion animal, the amount of proper care and time you give is paid back many times over. Here are some care tips.

-- Equipment. Your rabbit needs a cage that's at least big enough to stretch out and hop around, and tall enough so he can stand on his hind legs without his ears touching the top. Bigger is better yet! If the floor is wire, at least a portion of the cage should be solid, something that will give the rabbit relief from standing on the wire all the time.

For a food dish, choose a ceramic crock that cannot be chewed or tipped over. A hanging bottle is best for water; make sure the water stays fresh by changing it daily. Rabbits need and love to chew, so be sure there's a chew block available.

-- Health and nutrition. Commercial rabbit pellets are the basis of a proper rabbit diet, but they're not enough to keep a pet happy and healthy. Feed no more than one-quarter cup of pellets per 5 pounds of body weight daily. Fiber is the key to a healthy diet, which is why grass hays such as timothy and oat are important, along with fresh leafy green vegetables such as kale, collard greens, carrot tops and broccoli leaves. Rabbit-lovers learn to pick through the vegetable bins at the grocery store, or ask the produce manager for leafy pieces removed while trimming vegetables for human consumption.

Don't forget to see your veterinarian: Rabbits make better pets if spayed or neutered, and their teeth need regular veterinary attention.

-- Exercise and play. Rabbits were meant to run, which is why the life of a caged pet can be both sad and short. Indoor rabbits can roam around the house under your supervision. Outdoor pets need a half-hour of activity daily in a protected area. Supervision is a must, since rabbits can be scared literally to death by cats, dogs and even jays and crows.

Cat toys, dog toys and even the cardboard tubes inside toilet paper rolls are fun for rabbits, who like to play.

Are you ready for a rabbit? If the answer's yes, forget the Easter sales push and adopt one from a rescue group or humane society. You'll find lots of great pets to choose from, and you'll be saving a life.

PETS ON THE WEB

The House Rabbit Society (www.rabbit.org) is the best site on the Web for anyone looking for information on these sweet-natured pets. Before the HRS, much of the information that was out there was of the 4-H variety -- from people who were raising rabbits for meat.

Thanks are due to the House Rabbit Society's members for helping others to realize the pet potential in these long-overlooked animals. The society's Web site offers information on everything from housing to nutrition to finding a bun-friendly veterinarian. The organization last year marked a world's first: the opening of a shelter exclusively for rabbits in Richmond, Calif.

THE SCOOP

Rabbit rescue groups and shelters are so overwhelmed that the House Rabbit Society has called on industry giant Petco to stop selling rabbits in its stores. The chain is one of those good corporate citizens that doesn't sell kittens and puppies, and instead offers in-store space to nonprofit rescue groups looking to find families for homeless dogs and cats.

The arrangement could not be better for either side, with the charitable groups gaining access to the store's traffic, and the store basking in the goodwill generated by its good deed. Best of all, the policy truly helps to fight the overpopulation of dogs and cats.

What's good for dogs and cats is good for rabbits, too. Let's hope that Petco extends its commendable pro-adoption policies by encouraging rabbit adoptions and ending rabbit sales.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: We gave our kids a puppy for Christmas. Cinders is 4 months old now -- destructive, nippy and still not housebroken. We realize now that the advice on not getting a puppy for Christmas is right on. We don't have much time now to work with the dog, and taking a puppy out when it's cold is no fun. Despite the problems, she is a sweet puppy. We've decided as a family to do what it takes to keep her.

We've started working with a trainer, and things are getting better. She has us crating the puppy, and that seems to be helping with the house-breaking. My question: The trainer says it's OK to leave the puppy in the crate all night. Can Cinders really "hold it" that long? -- S.R., via e-mail

A: Some puppies sleep through the night pretty soon after they come home, while others are considerably more fidgety. The younger the puppy, the more likely it is that you'll have to get up at least once to take your little darling outside. Your puppy's crate should be right next to your bed, helping with bonding and making it easier for you to hear your puppy rustling when he needs to go out.

Make sure you're helping your pup to make it through the night by conducting the nighttime ritual properly. Offer your pup her last water no soon than an hour before bedtime, and take her out for one last squat just before you settle her into the crate for the night. If you're letting your pup tank up before bed, she won't make it until morning.

In the daytime, use this rule of thumb: Puppies can "hold it" in a crate for about as long as their age in months: two hours for 2-month-olds, three hours for 3-month-olds, and so on. About five or six hours is the most any dog should be crated, no matter the age.

Kudos to you for recognizing that you need to work to make Cinders the pet you dreamed of when she came to your home. Your puppy's "problems" aren't problems at all -- they're just normal behavior. Keep working with your trainer, and you'll all get through this difficult period.

Q: I've moved with my cat from a house in a quiet neighborhood to one that's very close to a very busy six-lane boulevard. I never worried about Jake being outside before, but with this deadly street just two blocks away, I decided he needed to stay inside for good. He has other ideas, however, and his crying, rushing the door and other behaviors are driving me crazy. How long before he knocks it off and settles down? -- W.G., via e-mail

A: That's going to depend on Jake, but you have made it easier on you both by converting him to an indoor cat at the time of your move. That's because you haven't suddenly cut off your cat from established territory, but have offered him a whole new indoor area to claim as his own.

If you don't give in to his demands by letting him out, he should settle down within a matter of weeks. If you let him out, however, you're rewarding him for putting up a fuss, which means his insistent behavior will get worse. Don't give in!

Be patient but firm, and keep him occupied with games and attention. If he likes catnip, get a fresh supply to rub on his toys and scratching post. If possible, give him safe access to the outdoors with a screened-in porch, or a screened window with a cat perch on the inside.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to writetogina(at)spadafori.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Two weeks passed before I could say the words "Andy died" without choking up, much less discuss the details, much less write about losing him. But as difficult as it was to let go of the dog who'd shared my life for almost 16 years, if you'd asked me a month ago -- when the grief was knife-sharp -- if I'd choose to have him cloned, my answer would have been unequivocal.

I'd have said, "absolutely not."

To me, the idea that animals can be replicated like fashion accessories is an insult to the uniqueness of every pet ever loved.

A clone wouldn't really be Andy. I don't care if his DNA could have been used to create a dog who looks just like he did, a genetic copy along the lines of the adorable calico kitten named "cc" (for copy cat, we were told) that was recently heralded as a major step forward in the effort to produce clones of people's pets.

I understand the desire of scientists to accomplish those things that have never been done before, to expand our knowledge and our possibilities. I don't understand why anyone who has ever loved a pet would want a genetic copy of that animal. Which means I surely don't understand why an animal-lover with more money than most of us will ever see is driving this research, right down to its cute name -- The Missyplicity Project, after a dog named Missy, very much loved and one day, to be cloned.

You could hand me a puppy tomorrow marked just like Andy, right down to the stripe of china blue that ran down the edge of one of his hazel-brown eyes. But it wouldn't be the same animal I first held a few hours after he was born in the late spring of 1986.

That puppy squirmed in protest when I took him away from his mother's side. For all of his life, Andy hated to miss meals -- and then sighed and settled down in my hands when I massaged his jawline with the tip of my thumb.

I did the same thing in the moments before he died and got the same reaction. As his good little heart was quickly giving out and the veterinarian prepared the last injection, I rubbed his jawline and felt him relax trustingly in my arms. A few minutes later, he was gone. He had been a vital, opinionated, sometimes sweet and sometimes bratty presence in my life for all those years between the first time I touched him and the last, but I knew it was time to respect the dog he was and let him go.

A clone of Andy wouldn't be the same because little in the Repeat Andy's life would be the same. My life is different, as are many of my opinions, some of my friends, all of my other pets, and certainly my views of dog training and canine nutrition.

Instead of cloning Andy, I'd rather honor his memory by following the example of those who give to help other animals. Like Cheryl and Dave Duffield, who put millions into the funding of the Alameda, Calif.-based Maddie's Fund, an organization that's reducing the number of unwanted pets. While I don't have millions to contribute, I am working on a project in Andy's memory that will help other pets and the people who love them. For me, that's the best way to keep what's important about him alive, always.

Andy died. More than a month later it's still achingly difficult to say, but it's getting a little easier every day. Goodbyes are oh-so-hard, but I know I never want to say hello to a dog who looks like Andy, but isn't.

PETS ON THE WEB

Everyone is entitled to choose how to honor a pet and how to spend money. You can see for yourself how two very rich families decided to honor two much-loved dogs by visiting the Web sites of the organizations they founded. The Missyplicity Project (www.missyplicity.com) give details on pet cloning, including links to a company that will allow you to store your pet's genetic material for future cloning. Maddie's Fund (www.maddiesfund.org) offers information on the projects it has funded in the quest to create a "no-kill nation."

THE SCOOP

Trying to keep your cats from bothering your houseplants? Start by offering them their own plants to nibble on -- such as tender shoots of rye grass -- and then work to make the other plants less appealing. Hang up those plants you can, and cover the soil of those you can't with sharp decorative rocks to discourage digging. You can make the leaves icky-tasting by coating them with something your cat finds disagreeable. Cat-discouragers include Bitter Apple, available at any pet-supply store, or Tabasco sauce.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PACK

Q: We have a 6-month-old soft-coated wheaten terrier and we use a crate to house him in the kitchen. At night he sleeps upstairs in my son's room. Bringing this crate up and down all the time is a hassle. Can we get another crate and leave one upstairs and one down? Or will this confuse the dog? -- R.O., via e-mail

A: Sure, you can add a second crate upstairs. For ease of use, you might make the upstairs crate one of the new mesh varieties. These are not made for containing an unsupervised dog or one who's hell-bent on escaping. But for a half-grown pup who knows that the nighttime crate is for sleeping, a fabric-covered crate might be a lightweight solution. One such brand is Cabana Crates, and you can check them out on the Internet at www.doggonegood.com.

Before you invest further, however, think about the long-term goals for this pup. Crates are one of the best-ever innovations in training when it comes to house-training puppies and dogs and working through destructive behavior. They're also essential safety equipment for travel and for providing a pet with temporary housing during an emergency. But as good as crates can be, they can also be overused.

Ask yourself if you're relying on the crate more to contain your pup rather than train him. A 6-month-old puppy should be pretty well house-trained; he ought to be capable of handling some supervised free time in the home. If your pup is constantly being crated, ask your veterinarian for a referral to a trainer or behaviorist who can help wean you off over-reliance on the crate. The result will be a dog who can be trusted to be a well-mannered member of the family -- without restraint.

Q: I have a problem with my shepherd mix's nails. They are very long and sharp, and I've gotten some bad scratches from her habit of jumping up on me. The "trim a little each month" system doesn't take care of it quickly enough, nor does walking or running her on hard surfaces. Can dogs have their claws removed like cats can? Or could a vet cut her nails drastically after giving her a tranquilizer? -- K.S., via e-mail

A: While a dog's claws could in theory be surgically removed, it's not commonly done, and you'd have a difficult time finding a veterinarian who'd agree to such a thing.

Instead, get a trainer's help in teaching your dog to keep her feet on the ground, and a veterinarian's in getting her nails to a reasonable length that you can then maintain. You're on track with the idea of getting your veterinarian to cut the nails all the way back while your dog is sedated. This will give you a fresh start to the problem, so trimming a little off each week thereafter will keep the nails short.

Don't make nail-trim time a battle. Have your veterinarian demonstrate proper technique so you don't hurt your dog. Start slowly and build up your pet's tolerance through treats and praise. You may be able to do little more initially than tap the trimmers on your dog's nail, and that's fine. It took me months to get my dog Benjamin to tolerate nail-trims without fuss, but now he takes it in stride because he knows he gets praise and treats when we're done.

Some dogs do better having their nails ground down, rather than cut. You can buy an appliance designed to grind dog nails, or use a rotary tool such as the Dremel to do the same thing. The advantage to grinding is that you won't go too far -- as soon as you see the quick, you stop. As with using a nail-trimming, make sure you introduce a grinder slowly and gradually, with lots of praise and treats along the way.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to writetogina(at)spadafori.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600

Reports that Americans are getting fatter doesn't come as a surprise to the many of us who get on a scale regularly. And it certainly isn't news to veterinarians, who've been watching an ever-larger flow of fatter people bring fatter pets into their hospitals and clinics.

Although there's not always a connection -- the dog-show world is full of large people with lean, well-conditioned animals -- most dogs, cats and even birds are getting larger for the same reason people are: too much food and not enough exercise.

Obesity in pets causes a lot of the same problems it does in people. An overweight pet is prone to a host of related problems, including: diabetes, joint, ligament and tendon difficulties, breathing and heart challenges. Overweight cats can even develop skin problems from not being able to groom themselves properly. The overall impact on comfort and longevity can be dire.

The good news is that it's not as difficult to trim down pets as it might be to fight your own battles with the bulge. After all, pets can't open the refrigerator on their own, nor can they grab the car keys for a fast-food

run or phone out for pizza. What pets eat is wholly dependent on what we give them. And although we might shudder at the idea of exercise, our pets are always up for a brisk walk, a game of fetch, or some play with a toy on a

string. They love to move, especially if we're moving with them.

Is your pet overweight? Healthy pets have some padding on them, but a little is plenty. Rub your hands over the ribs of your dog or cat. The skin should move easily back and forth, and you should be able to feel the ribs. Your pet should have a definable "waist" at the bottom of the rib cage, a small tuck-in at the stomach. Take a look from the side: If your pet looks pregnant, he's fat. From above, a bump out from the middle into an apple shape is equally bad news. In birds, look for a thicker breast or rolls of fat.

Certain breeds and species seem more susceptible to spread. In dogs, Labradors beef up pretty easily, as do cockers and beagles. Less-active cats such as Persians are more prone to gaining weight than the go-go breeds such as the Siamese. And in birds, Amazon parrots are the likeliest candidates to become perch potatoes.

Crash diets aren't good for pets, especially not for fat cats, who can develop a fatal liver problem if forced to reduce too quickly. A pet doesn't get fat overnight, and he shouldn't be forced to change course any more rapidly. What you'll need to do is change your pet's eating and exercise habits gradually.

The best place to start is with a trip to your veterinarian. You'll want to make sure your pet doesn't have any problems that might make lifestyle changes difficult or dangerous. Your vet can also suggest a food plan that might help.

Carve some time out of your schedule to walk your dog or play with your cat -- three times a week, at least. Be sure to work in some aerobic exercise, anything that gets a cat or dog running. Birds can benefit from a curled-rope spring perch; they have to work to stay on the thing, decreasing boredom and increasing calorie burn.

Whatever food regimen you and your veterinarian decide on, be determined to stick to it. Get out of the habit of expressing love for your pets by constantly handing them treats. Substitute mini rice cakes and small carrot sticks for the occasional dog treat. Dogs like them just fine, and they're not going to sabotage any weight-loss efforts.

Yes, it'll be hard in the beginning, what with those begging eyes and all. But don't give in. Your pet's life will be happier and longer if he's not burdened by obesity.

PETS ON THE WEB

Although it looks painful, the prong collar is probably easier on a dog's neck than the more-common slip (or choke) collar. That's because unlike the choke, the prong can't tighten down completely and is easier for most people to put on their dogs and use correctly. Dog trainer Janice Frasche has put a good deal of information about prong collars on her Web site (www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/4620/prong.html) that will educate any dog lover about this misunderstood piece of training equipment.

THE SCOOP

While summer means that fresh vegetables are plentiful, winter can be a challenge when it comes to your bird eating healthy. The answer, for any time of year, is frozen vegetables. My little Senegal parrot Patrick got as wide a variety of fresh vegetables as I could manage, but he ate so many that came from the freezer that he started to communicate his hunger by imitating the sound of the microwave I used to thaw his meals. An easy way to work in variety: Buy the frozen vegetable combinations, such as those designed for stir-fry.

Q: My mother-in-law plans to move to a new home next June. She has a cat, Melody, who spends most of her time indoors, but part of each day outdoors.

Melody is very independent and will not come when called. When my in-laws' vacation cabin burned down last year, the cat was very frightened and hid in the woods for six weeks. We had to use a live trap to catch her. If she gets lost after the move, we will have a hard time getting her back. My mother-in-law loves her cat very much. We would appreciate any suggestions. -- T.H., Sebastopol, Calif.

A: The best thing that could happen to Melody is for her to become a completely indoor cat. And there's no better time to make the switch than at the time of a move.

Your mother-in-law has the opportunity to make the conversion relatively easy for her cat. The new house will be all new territory to Melody. If she doesn't get out to claim the outdoors for her own she'll accept the space she has with relative ease.

If your mother-in-law insists on Melody continuing her indoor-outdoor existence, she needs to recognize that she risks losing her during the transition and beyond. To minimize this risk, Melody should stay inside for a couple of weeks, at least until the dust settles and household routines become somewhat set. During this time, condition her to come when called by setting up an association between a "Here kitty" and the dispensing of a particularly yummy treat, such as a small bit of canned mackerel, or a teaspoonful of wet cat food.

After the couple of weeks, take her out on a harness and leash and let her explore while supervised for short periods. When she seems settled, let her out for brief periods on her own, ending them by calling her with the "Here kitty." She should now know that you'll be rewarding her with the special treat. Eventually, she'll be coming and going as she pleases, just as at the previous house.

Remember that even if she learns the neighborhood, the outdoor option is risky. Kept safe from cars, coyotes, cat-hating neighbors, infectious disease and more, indoor cats live longer, healthier lives.

Q: If you are truly an animal lover, you would not demean mixed or non-purebred dogs like cockapoos or their breeders, unless you know of a particular breeder that does not live up to proper breeding standards. -- K.D., via e-mail

A: I love the Internet. I really do. Even when someone has obviously passed around my reply to someone asking to find a cockapoo breeder, in which I explained that cockapoos were not a breed, but rather a mix. Lately, I've been swamped with letters from people accusing me of snobbery, or worse.

The level of anger in these letters surprises me. Of course there's nothing wrong with mixed-breed dogs, and I never, ever said there was. But I did say that by definition, a purebred dog is what happens when you mate two dogs of the same breed. A cockapoo is the result of the mating of a cocker and poodle -- two different breeds. This is the very definition of a mixed-breed dog.

I don't think people should be intentionally producing mixed-breed dogs, cockapoos included, when the shelters are full of unwanted pets already. But then, I also don't think the overwhelming majority of people who are breeding purebred dogs should be engaged in that work, either. Overpopulation and the proliferation of health and temperament problems are not the result of responsible breeders, but rather of clueless or careless ones, no matter what breed or mix they're producing.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of "Dogs for Dummies," "Cats for Dummies" and "Birds for Dummies." She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her in care of this newspaper, or send e-mail to writetogina(at)spadafori.com.

4520 Main St., Kansas City, Mo. 64111; (816) 932-6600