Each Easter, children receive baskets of sugary gifts. They wake to jelly beans and other sweet treats hidden in colorful baskets of grass.

But for some children, nothing could be sweeter than receiving a pet to cuddle and love.

For this reason, live bunnies are a common Easter present - often given by mom and dad.

Although parents are thanked and the Easter Bunny credited for foil-covered chocolates and marshmallow peeps, those who raise the rabbits - socializing them so they are tame and safe - work unnoticed throughout the year.

One such group, the Butler Bunni Bunch 4-H Club, has made raising bunnies a year-round pastime. The only 4-H group

in Butler County to specialize in rabbits, Bunni Bunchers often breed the animals, selling some to Easter shoppers.

This year, the Bunni Bunch sold several breeds of rabbits at Tractor Supply at Alameda Plaza for two consecutive weekends, earning money to support their hobby while providing pets that are safe for children.

Since bunnies that receive no handling are more apt to scratch or bite, the 4-H members provide a valuable service, cuddling and petting the rabbits in ways mainstream breeders might not.Calley Bridges of Prospect is one such breeder. "See? This is how they get when you handle them," explained the 14-year-old recently as she played with a young mini lop in her garage, where her baby bunnies are kept."She's not being a shoulder crawler, she's being a neck cuddler," Bridges remarked, explaining handling is essential to raising safe pets.Bridges, who has 26 rabbits split between the nursery area and a small barn on her family's seven-acre spread, pointed out the handling is also important to showing."If you're going to show them, no judge wants a rabbit that bites," she noted.Twelve-year-old Richard Vaerewyck of Tarentum agreed that handling is key. "I want animals that will actually come up to you and won't bite you," he said of his seven pets. "I give them treats a lot to teach them tricks. They're really nice. I've never (been bitten) by one of my rabbits."

To properly socialize the bunnies, the 4-H members are educated on ways the animals might like to be held.John Fleeger, 10, of Jefferson Township - whose two brothers also raise rabbits - noted recently that fear is what prompts the rabbits to bite."This is so they don't get scared," he explained, tucking a rabbit's head gently under his arm. If the rabbit becomes afraid or feels insecure, it could begin to scratch or bite, he said, showing the fuzzy animal's daunting claws and teeth.John and his older brother Adam, 12, also in the Bunni Bunch, explained the importance of removing animals from cages gently if they are not accustomed to handling."You don't want to chase them in circles," Adam warned. "Or they will bite."John and Adam also explained the teeth and claws are important to showing, since all parts of the animals are factored into a judge's evaluation. Because of this, animals claws must be clipped and teeth inspected before each show.One of Adam's bunnies, a cinnamon named Rusty, was disqualified from a show recently for having a loose tooth, the brothers said.Although preparing rabbits for show is an important duty, day-to-day care also counts. While some club members have one or two bunnies, others have stacks and stacks of cages.The rabbit owners say filling food and water dishes can take only minutes, but other duties take more time.At least once a week, pull-out trays at the bottoms of cages are emptied and filled with fresh wood shavings.

In the case of the Fleegers, who have 18 rabbits, cleaning takes several hours if done without the help of their parents, Rodney and MaryAnn."It depends on how much effort you want to put into it," Bridges said of the workload, explaining her metal cages are disinfected with the flame of a blowtorch once a month.In summer months, Bridges cools her barn with fans, and the rabbits' ears are spritzed with water to help cool the animals."You do have to want them," she said, noting that owning rabbits means "more than looking at them."Adam Fleeger said he and his brothers use the ears as a barometer for how their rabbits are feeling. "We (touch) their ears. If they are hot, we squirt them down," he confirmed, explaining abnormally hot ears could indicate health problems.But despite the work, Bridges and the Fleegers said the responsibility of owning rabbits is not too taxing. "It doesn't seem like that much work," John Fleeger said. "We all hold them a lot."In addition to daily animal care, 4-H requires Bunni Bunchers to fulfill other responsibilities.Kathy Kummer, who serves as one of two group leaders, said the 42 members, who range from 8 to 17 years old, meet monthly throughout the year."We have a business meeting and an educational segment, where usually the older kids do a presentation," Kummer said. "We try to make it hands-on if possible."<BR><BR>

Lecture topics can range from showing and grooming to first aid and housing sanitation.As part of their projects, members are required to show animals at the Big Butler Fair and Butler Farm Show, which serves as their 4-H roundup."Those who complete the roundup and project requirements can go on to a regional show," Kummer said, noting this year's event is set for September in Westmoreland County.As well as raising at least one rabbit, members must achieve 60 percent attendance at meetings; record all financial transactions including profits and losses for the year; and work in activity books.But the payoffs seem to be worth it."I think they learn responsibility," Kummer explained. "They learn sportsmanship, accountability, leadership skills and public speaking - because the showmanship is one-on-one with the judge."Kummer said the group also learns about community service by taking the rabbits to nursing homes and other locations."We've been asked to bring rabbits to church and community Easter egg hunts. We've made treats or favors for Meals on Wheels; we baked homemade dog biscuits for the humane society. We bring in items to ship to one of our servicemen in Iraq. We've had a couple family members stationed there," she added.With a membership Kummer said has doubled in recent years, a rabbit club seems suited to everyone, since rabbits can be kept in city or rural dwellings.

As far as many of the 4H families are concerned, the rabbit group has enriched their lives.In the case of the Fleegers, whose son Adam has a form of autism called Asperger's syndrome that impairs socialization, participating in the group has improved his people skills. "He can get up in front of 4-H kids before he can get up in front of school kids," MaryAnn Fleeger said of the supportive atmosphere of 4-H."I think it has taught my kids a lot of responsibility," she said, referring to camping trips and other outings when the family is away but bunnies still need to be fed."I learn a lot of responsibility and know that my animals come before homework and everything like that," Vaerewyck also said."I think they come before homework because they are a living creature, and you need to respect that. You can't just say, 'I'll do it later.' You have to do it when they need it."