Whenever I tell people we have lots of rabbits in our community, they nod and say “yes us too”. But I’m not referring to the native jack rabbits that don white coats for Winter. These rabbits are feral and once belonged to one of my neighbours (I’ll never name a name, because I’m not a snitch).

These rabbits first came onto the scene in (or around) 2009 and some of the older ones can still be seen kicking around today. At last count there were approximately 80 rabbits and by my estimation there will be at least 160 by the end of 2016. They are everywhere and can now be seen in all of our neighbouring communities and local parks too.

They are as cute as they are destructive. If I was to invest in anything on the stock market, it would be the company that makes chicken wire. You can’t walk down a street in my neighbourhood without a) seeing a rabbit and b) seeing an investment in chicken wire. For the most part they are harmless thanks to bountiful green spaces but come Winter they get hungry and come Spring they have more babies.

My rescue cat (Claude) loves to bring me a baby rabbit home every day when they are in season – I have a 50% rescue success rate (and lots of awesome picture of me with them). I find it really interesting how the local Bylaw officers turn a blind eye to the issue but I think that has more to do with the fact that chasing dog owners and junk hoarders is a quicker win. I’d love to see the bylaw officers chasing them – it would be great cardio for them and comedy for us.

Our fluffy-tailed friends are now somewhat part of this community (for now), are well-fed and prove to be an ever-popular excuse for a selfie.

On the plus side, they’re great at speeding up the composting process, provide a additional food source for local coyotes, bobcats and birds of prey. However, if they’re not careful, they’re going to end up on my good friend Jesse’s plate – he loves rabbit (they serve a mean rabbit tagliatelle at his restaurant in Inglewood – I can assure you those rabbits come from a licensed farm).

Please think twice about feeding the not-so-wildlife.