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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum THE LOUNGE who has human kids?

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    • Ruffles&Daisy
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        So I’ve been told and have done research that bunnies and kids don’t mix.  I found a rescue group that did allow me to adopt even though I have two young kids (one group absolutely wouldn’t let me adopt because of my little wild boy).  So how many of you have human kids and how old are they? 

        I’ll go first:  I have a 5 year old and an almost 2 year old, and of course a 5 month old bunny named “Ruffles”.

         

        Oh and by the way, Ruffles is MY pet, not the kid’s pet…


      • TARM
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          I think there are multiple reason rescues don’t like to place rabbits in homes with small children.

          Small kids will want to hold the bunnies and we all know how well most bunnies like to be held.

          Small kids may chase the bunnies, scaring them literally to death.

          Fragile bones can easily be broken.

          Bunnies will scratch small kids in an effort to get away from them, resulting in the rabbit being dumped or neglected.

          It’s hard for the adults in the house to give a rabbit the time and attention it needs when there are small kids who also need a lot of time and attention.

          There are always ways to get around the rescue groups. You can adopt from a public shelter, find someone rehoming on craigslist or in the paper, from a pet store ::shiver::

          I will admit that sometimes rescues make it difficult to adopt and sometimes they lose out on fabulous homes because of their stringent rules but if you’re determined you can find a bunny who is right for your family.


        • JK
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            Well I think children need discipline and that comes from the parents.  If you let your kid run around chasing a rabbit then it goes back to how the parent is raising their child. I have taught  my two kids from a young age how they must respect animals and treat them well.  They were both raised with cats and dogs and always were well behaved and compassionate about animals.


          • TARM
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              Knowltons-I don’t disagree with you but too many parents are very lax with their kids and don’t pay enough attention. Look at all the dog bite stories in the news…most of them result from leaving children unattended with a dog. If parents aren’t paying attention to their kids with animals who can hurt them they definitely aren’t making sure small animals are safe.


            • JK
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                That’s definitely true.  Then if parents are not paying attention to their kids then they should not allow them around the animals unless they know how to respect them.  I agree way too many parents are too lax but they do need to teach their kids right from wrong.  I just remember when my kids were little I taught them to stay away from the fireplace rather than blockade it so they couldn’t get to it. It’s kinda like that.  Does that make sense?


              • Sarita
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                  I do not have children but I am a board member for a rabbit rescue and have had a small fostering group that rescues rabbits too (prior to the group I am with). I help with adoptions and screen adopters from time to time too with the current group I am with.

                  Generally rescues don’t adopt to people with small children for the reasons T&R did mention but we always try to look at the overall picture since each adopter is different. Mostly the reason that rescues have any guidelines are to protect the animals and I suppose they have these rules because of past experience.

                  We also want to meet the children as well before we will adopt to the family to see how they are with the rabbits.


                • JK
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                    I think that is probably the policy for most rescues and don’t get me wrong I think it is excellent they are so careful.  BUT there are kids out there that do know how to respect and handle an animal, mine for one.  I think Beka is a good one to talk to because she has a 5 year old and I believe he is very respectful of their two bunnies. But in general I agree that is a good policy.


                  • Ruffles&Daisy
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                      Well, like I said before, I got Ruffles mostly for me, not my kids. My oldest knows not to chase it and that it probably won’t want to be held. My youngest, surprisingly, doesn’t care too much about him. In fact, he will sit and watch TV and Ruffles will come pretty close and give him a sniff. My son mostly just sits there. He is curious, but I am always right there watching and directing how to interact with bun. My kids will be taught to respect his space and definitely not to chase him. Kids are teachable.


                    • Sarita
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                        I’m sure most children are teachable and some adults cannot be taught.

                        I do know that the rescue I am with has taken in many rabbits with broken bones that were dropped by children.

                        I think it’s a matter too of educating families about rabbits BEFORE they decide that a rabbit is a good pet for them. I answer tons of emails from people wanting to dump rabbits for alot of reasons because they have not done their homework before getting a rabbit – very frustrating.

                        Sometimes we do a good job of explaining the care and cost of rabbits and that makes people realize that maybe a rabbit is not the right pet for them too.


                      • Alicia Conklin
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                          I have three kids.  I have a  7 year old, a 3 year old and a 2 year old.   My kids love Tucker but they don’t really ever interact with them.  Tucker doesn’t like to be held, they know this and so they never try to hold him.  Tucker does love to be pet and so sometimes the kids will come over with me and pet Tucker.  But, Tucker is only able to be in one half of the room and in the kitchen for the most part.  He’s not allowed to roam around because of behavioral issues lol and so if the kids want to be around Tucker they need to ask me.  So when they are with him I am with him.  There is not a time ever where they are alone with him, except my 7 year old and she is very good with animals. 

                          The rescues around here have certain rabbits that they will adopt to homes with small children and some they will not.  Usually baby rabbits and rabbits with special needs they have a policy to not adopt to homes with small children.  However, I did inquire about this and the woman at the rescue told me that they do actually do a case by case basis with this.  Based on where the rabbits will be, who will be the caregiver, how the children behave, etc.

                          My kids are honestly more afraid of the bunny then anything else. 


                        • kimberleyanddarren
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                            i think the best way to show kids responsibility is to have pets around, and if you educate them properly about the care of the bunnies i think it should be fine, it is just going to take some work teaching them all about it.


                          • JK
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                              Totally agree with kimberleyanddarren! Education, responsibility and discipline all go together. If the parents don’t show the kids any of that then they have no right to own an animal!  Enough said.  Now I’ll be quiet!


                            • kimberleyanddarren
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                                yeah tottally, i hate it when parents dont show kids how to look after somethign properly, you forever see kids pulling dogs/cats tails and trying to get on them and all that crap, i feel so sorry for the poor animals, i think if you arent going to teach your kids how to behave around animals, and tell them off when they arent doing it right then you shouldnt have any around young kids


                              • Ruffles&Daisy
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                                  I know there are people out there who don’t care about their pets, but most of the kids I know who are around animals are taught how to interact and respect their animals. I can’t think of very many people that I know that don’t properly care for their pets, maybe I’m naive. I think that sometimes people can be real harsh in their judgement about animals and kids. And I found that to be true about one of the rescues I tried to adopt through. It should be a case by case situation when it comes to pet adoption.


                                • kimberleyanddarren
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                                    yeah i agree, i dont think its right to dismiss someone just on the grounds of having children, because lets face it if you want a rabbit u will get one and if you go to a shelter who says no u will just go get oen from a breeder, so no-one wins really do they?
                                    i think you know enough to be a very careful and responsibile owner and i dont think the fact that u ahve children should stop u getting a bunny dont listen to anyone else, if you feel u can cope then im sure u will


                                  • BunMumTiff
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                                      I have a just turned 2 year old and we have had animals here since he was born. First were two cats that he had allergies with that he out grew. We had a two bunnies from when he was about 11 months, one passed and the other was adopted by another family who were lookin for a tame pet (they had kids also) Miffy was very friendly and made a nice addition to the family.

                                      We then rescued Oreo from the shelter, and he is my fur baby, my two year odl son feeds him everyday, and helps change his water. I have also taught my little man to be very gentle with any animal and he treats both the rabbit and puppy very well. Sometimes loves them to much thats when I step in and tell him they need there space and we just go down something else.

                                      Never had a problem with them


                                    • ADEE
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                                        I have two children also, mine are 4 and 2… they do great with the rabbits, of course I got the bunnies for me first and foremost but my kids LOVE “their” rabbits. Of course they are only permitted to “play” (aka pet) them with strict supervision. The kids are GREAT with the rabbits and I strongly believe they are because we encourage instead of discourage their curiosity for animals.

                                         

                                        ETA: I also think its a load of you know what that people cant separate pet/kid attention time.. The kids in this house are in bed by 8 every night and the rabbits are out from 8pm until I go to bed.. sometimes as late as 1-2am. They also have lots and lots of playtime outside their cage during the work week and on weekends when were home and the kids are napping so that gives them another 3+hrs or so daily of “outside” playtime.. i know this isnt possible for all families but where there is a will there is certainly a way I also think its very easy to make comments about parents and children when speaking generally when your not a parent yourself… i never liked kids and always thought they were out of control brats but now that i have my own I know as long as children get dicipline, attention, love, exc they can be wonderful little contributions to society. I pride myself in our childrens mostly good behavior, obviously they arent puppets and there are times when they act up but not every child is some wild natured demon who loves nothing more then to scare its house pets. I think its all linked to home life and how parents raise their children… I always had pets growing up, it taught me responsiblity young, empathy for creatures of all sizes and most of all a pure love of animals, big and small. We have had pets all our lives, from the time i was a kid, through pregnancy and on through adulthood… we always will too.


                                      • MimzMum
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                                          Well, mine are almost grown, my son is 19 this year and my daughter will be 17, But even though I have done everything humanly possible to teach my son about responsibly handling animals, I don’t feel he’s mature enough to have one of his own. (Remember, I’m still the only one taking care of his 10 year old goldfish!)

                                          The bunny I just adopted today came from a home with small kids. It is scared to death of human contact, until you can get it safe in your arms. I can only imagine what those kids were doing to it. >.<

                                          My littlest cat also has great fears of things like brooms and sizzling frying pans. The home I adopted him out of had small boys (3 of them) and it chaps me every time I bring out the mop to sweep the floor from the bunnies because he runs and hides. I’ve never shown him anything but love, but he’s just terrified.
                                          If you’re going to see to it that your kids only respect animals, that’s cool, but I think one should REALLY think about what you are doing putting together animals and small kids. Even if it’s only that the animal has to eventually be rehomed, it’s hard on the animal AND the child. (speaking from childhood experience here)

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                                      Forum THE LOUNGE who has human kids?