Are rabbits suitable pets for children?

[Ande]

What do you guys think?

 

I, personally, can’t help but think bunnies are not pets for kids. I think rabbits are too fragile (meaning easily injured), too high maintenance (meaning the care involved), and too high-strung (meaning easily frightened, etc)  for children. Some of my friends on Facebook have seen me post pics/videos of my precious Ralphie (I don’t have children) and they immediately comment that their child wants a bunny and they’re gonna get one for their kid. I envision grabby-hands and rough play and loud, squealy noises assaulting a poor rabbit. Am I just being overly sensitive??

I’m asking because if most rabbit owners here would agree that it’s not such a great idea to get a rabbit for a child’s pet, then I would like a nice, politically correct retort as to WHY someone should not get their child a bunny. I’m not exactly a “kid person”. I’m actually much more an animal person rather than a people person, so I want to make sure I’m not taking my usual overly protective of furbabies stance.

 

 

[Stickerbunny]

It really depends on the child, the parent and the way the house is arranged. If the parents are willing to be primary care givers, make sure bun is fed, watered, exercised etc. If the parent is willing to supervise and teach the child to be humane to the rabbit. If the kid can understand that most rabbits do NOT like being held and occasionally they may be scratched, bitten or boxed. Then yes… get a rabbit.

When I was little I had plenty of different pets, BUT I understood if say pet X wanted to just be gently petted, or was scared and needed a gentle approach. I was also fine helping to keep an abscess drained in our cat and getting scratched/bitten as we applied the medicine for it the vet gave us.

Tell them politely that: Rabbits do not like to be held or cuddled on a whole and kids usually want a pet they can hold/love/kiss. Rabbits have a tendency to become moody and bite/scratch and most kids would not like to be hurt by their pet. Rabbits require routine grooming – including cleaning out of scent glands (explain that to them) and that will fall mainly to the adults. Rabbits require several hours of out of cage time, which can sometimes mean a chewed/dug up carpet or chewed baseboards. Litterboxes need to be cleaned out often.

Usually the mention of the kid being bitten or scratched, or that the parent will need to put more care into the bun than they thought persuades the rational parents. Some will do it anyway and end up with a rabbit in a small cage ignored because it’s too much work. And some will be willing to put the time into it being a family pet and take care of it. In the end, all you can do is educate them on how high maintenance a bunny is and hope if they are not up to the task, they don’t get one.

[Monkeybun]

Yes and No. It depends on the rabbit and the kids. Larger rabbits are usually better, as they aren’t as easily picked up and thrown around, and often are a little more easy going due to them being bigger.

If the kids are quieter, and more apt to be gentle with animals, then that would work too.

[Ande]

Wonderful answers! Thanks, guys!!

[Monkeybun]

Oh yeah, and the rabbits need to be cared for by the parents. No relying on the kids for care!

[Zombie-Sue]

I have a couple little cousins who are 7 and 8 that I think would make great (larger) rabbit owners if their parents lend a hand. But that’s just it, if you buy your kid a rabbit, you are probably going to do all the cleaning / feeding.

but I don’t think that most kids are good rabbit owners. People need to think hard about it.

[angie-la]

I think rabbits are suitable pets for children IF they are accompanied by responsible adults/parents =P if a parent is willing to sit with their kid and teach them how to be gentle and take proper care of them, then yes! and I agree that the adults would definitely be the ones in charge of cleaning the cage/litterbox, supervising free run time, etc.

[longhairmike]

i think theyre fine as long as you keep them caged (the children)…

[Lis]

I am one of those who had a rabbit for a pet as a child.
That said, my dad was the primary caretaker, and Little kept roughness in check – he bit to draw blood, and my parents had no sympathy for me when he did. I deserved it when he did. I learned to be gentle pretty damn quick – the average person will have to be the patrol.
That said, I was relatively quiet when I had Little out. My mom had me convinced he’d die if I screamed around him.
I still however, dressed him in doll clothes when I felt like it and nothing my parents said could get me to stop. Then again, some adults do that with their bunnies too…

[Monkeybun]

Posted By Lis on 08/03/2011 09:55 PM

I still however, dressed him in doll clothes when I felt like it and nothing my parents said could get me to stop. Then again, some adults do that with their bunnies too…

 

I do no such thing….

[LoveChaCha]

Posted By longhairmike on 08/03/2011 07:45 PM

i think theyre fine as long as you keep them caged (the children)…

 

Oh yes, someone on here joked with me along the lines of.. ‘putting the children in the x-pen, and letting the pets free roam.’

 

I honestly do believe that rabbits are not for everyone. If the parents supervise and such, fine. It just makes me mad when rabbits are discarded and s**t because they no longer were cute and cuddly. It peeves me off beyond words

What I like to say is… to have NO expectations with rabbits. They are their own animal. 

Rabbits are a lot of maintenance, but we all do it, because we love them

I will always have a rabbit(s), even when the time comes (if) to have children. I want them to respect rabbits and to become rabbit advocates as well.

Oh and wait, I have to add this..

[Lis]

I may or may not have started to make a Master Sword to attach to Link’s harness before he got sick…

[LoveChaCha]

Ande, I agree with you. I’m an animal person.. I’m pretty talkative to people, but.. I’m not a kid – person I like my furry rabbit talking back to me. It is quite acceptable

[longhairmike]

how the hell do you get them to sit still while you dress them? my buns would never tolerate that, and they have kicks that could restart someone’s heart

[Monkeybun]

It was hard, thats for sure. Especially with Monkey lol. She was too small for the outfit, and was wiggling out constantly

I had to put hem on the Bathroom Counter. yes, capitalized. It’s the Scary Place.

Bonus Monkey and Moose pics from Christmas:

lol

[LoveChaCha]

Chacha had the Bathroom Counter, as well.

Kafrn sent Monkeybun and I some santa outfits from Australia

[Elrohwen]

I think it depends completely on the child and the parents. First, no pets are really that great for children – the parents still end up doing most of the work – so I think pets should be for the family. With that said, I was a responsible and gentle kid and first had my own gerbils at age 8. My parents made sure I fed and looked after them and helped me with cage cleaning, but I was able to do a lot of the work myself. My parents love animals and would never let one be neglected because their kid didn’t want it anymore. I think I could’ve owned a rabbit at that age (or maybe a little older, around 12) but I was always responsible and good with animals. There are kids like that out there and I think a rabbit would be a good pet to have around them.

For the parent who just wants to get their kid a pet and never deal with it again, no, rabbits aren’t a good pet, but what is? Kids aren’t responsible enough to have full care of another life with no supervision.

When I have a kid, the kid will probably have his or her “own rabbit”. We can call it the kid’s pet, and the kid can do a lot of the caretaking, but DH and I will understand that the ultimate responsibility is ours.

[Beka27]

I feel rabbits should absolutely be a family pet. Responsible people would not get a dog/cat for their child and expect them to take on full responsibility, and the same goes for a rabbit. I believe that children and rabbits can peacefully co-exist in the same household, and children can and should be given age-appropriate chores to help care for the animal, but it is ultimately the parent’s responsibility.

I think the issue is less the children than it is the parents. As long as the parents understand what is involved (expensive diet, vet care, etc) and for how long (10+ years), it can work. But parents don’t know how much time, money, commitment is necessary, and then the rabbit suffers. For this reason, I also do not think that rabbits are good pets for teenagers. Teenagers do not have the financial ability to care for a rabbit properly (unless they are of working age) and if the parents don’t provide that, the rabbit suffers. And with so many life changes (dating, driving, working, going away to college), rabbits are not ideal pets at 16-20 years old either.

I always recommend that people do not get a rabbit. This usually prompts them to say, “Well, you have TWO rabbits. If they’re such bad pets, why do you have them?!” This allows me the opportunity to respond with some of the intricacies of rabbit care. In most cases, that is enough to turn casually interested people off of rabbits. For them, they equate rabbit with hamster (or other small and equally misunderstood pet). Realizing that they are wrong is often the wake-up call they need. If they still express interest, I send them to HRS.

[skibunny8503]

Posted By LoveChaCha on 08/03/2011 10:39 PM

Posted By longhairmike on 08/03/2011 07:45 PM

i think theyre fine as long as you keep them caged (the children)…

 

Oh yes, someone on here joked with me along the lines of.. ‘putting the children in the x-pen, and letting the pets free roam.’

It wasn’t me…. LOL!  I find that if the child is demanding for a bunny and the parent gives in, it’s never a good thing.  If the bunny is for the family as a whole and the kids are well behaved then that’s ok.  But then there’s people that have the bunnies first and then the kid; like me!  I’m a little nervous about how the bunnies will react to a baby next year or how the baby will react to the bunnies.  Oooo matching outfits for bunny and baby   Anyways…I hope on teaching my kid all about bunnies and how to care for them (so they can eventually do the litter hehe!)  My mom asked what I was going to do with the bunnies; which they are staying right where they are.  I told her the baby will go in the playpen while the bunnies run around free.  And I was being completely serious   At least at first kind of like a bonding experience LOL!

[Beka27]

Posted By skibunny8503 on 08/04/2011 07:46 AM

I told her the baby will go in the playpen while the bunnies run around free.  And I was being completely serious   At least at first kind of like a bonding experience LOL!

Make sure you switch “habitats” each night.  Put the baby in the condo, put the bunnies in the crib.

[Elrohwen]

Posted By Beka27 on 08/04/2011 08:01 AM

Posted By skibunny8503 on 08/04/2011 07:46 AM

I told her the baby will go in the playpen while the bunnies run around free.  And I was being completely serious   At least at first kind of like a bonding experience LOL!

Make sure you switch “habitats” each night.  Put the baby in the condo, put the bunnies in the crib.

 

[skibunny8503]

Posted By Elrohwen on 08/04/2011 08:05 AM

Posted By Beka27 on 08/04/2011 08:01 AM

Posted By skibunny8503 on 08/04/2011 07:46 AM

I told her the baby will go in the playpen while the bunnies run around free.  And I was being completely serious   At least at first kind of like a bonding experience LOL!

Make sure you switch “habitats” each night.  Put the baby in the condo, put the bunnies in the crib.

 

Oo good thinking!    Should I put a stuffed bunny with the baby and a baby doll with the bunnies?  

[Elrohwen]

You’re not getting your kid a stuffed bunny? For shame! 😛

You should get matching stuffed bunnies – one for the kid and one for the bunnies to snuggle.

[Beka27]

Posted By skibunny8503 on 08/04/2011 08:07 AM

Posted By Elrohwen on 08/04/2011 08:05 AM

Posted By Beka27 on 08/04/2011 08:01 AM

Posted By skibunny8503 on 08/04/2011 07:46 AM

I told her the baby will go in the playpen while the bunnies run around free.  And I was being completely serious   At least at first kind of like a bonding experience LOL!

Make sure you switch “habitats” each night.  Put the baby in the condo, put the bunnies in the crib.

 

Oo good thinking!    Should I put a stuffed bunny with the baby and a baby doll with the bunnies?  

Absolutely… Also, in an effort to be more eco-friendly, you might want to use cloth diapers filled with woodstove pellets.  They are quite absorbent.  

[LoveChaCha]

Posted By Beka27 on 08/04/2011 08:01 AM

Posted By skibunny8503 on 08/04/2011 07:46 AM

I told her the baby will go in the playpen while the bunnies run around free.  And I was being completely serious   At least at first kind of like a bonding experience LOL!

Make sure you switch “habitats” each night.  Put the baby in the condo, put the bunnies in the crib.

 

[LoveChaCha]

Posted By Beka27 on 08/04/2011 09:06 AM

Posted By skibunny8503 on 08/04/2011 08:07 AM

Posted By Elrohwen on 08/04/2011 08:05 AM

Posted By Beka27 on 08/04/2011 08:01 AM

Posted By skibunny8503 on 08/04/2011 07:46 AM

I told her the baby will go in the playpen while the bunnies run around free.  And I was being completely serious   At least at first kind of like a bonding experience LOL!

Make sure you switch “habitats” each night.  Put the baby in the condo, put the bunnies in the crib.

 

Oo good thinking!    Should I put a stuffed bunny with the baby and a baby doll with the bunnies?  

Absolutely… Also, in an effort to be more eco-friendly, you might want to use cloth diapers filled with woodstove pellets.  They are quite absorbent.  

 

Diapers would SURE last A LOT longer than they do!!!

[skibunny8503]

LOL! Well we were going to use clothe diapers part of the time…never thought of using wood pellets in it haha! Ok, I feel like I high jacked the thread.

[Stickerbunny]

lol I think babies might mind the sawdust getting on them though when the pellets get wet! Would be better to use yesterday’s news

[LoveChaCha]

Or carefresh

*roars in laughter*

[LittlePuffyTail]

I feel the same as what’s already been said: Bunnies can make good FAMILY pets. Not a CHILD’s pet. I get so angry when I see ads online “Need to get rid of bunny. My 4 year old son lost interest”. What adult would buy their 4 year old kid a pet and expect them to take responsibility for all the care? (Answer: a moron who has no business being a parent). And, of course, the families with rambunctious, bratty kids should never get a bunny.

Despite the serious nature of this post, I found myself laughing most of the way through, starting with this comment:

i think they’re fine as long as you keep them caged (the children)…

That totally sounds like something I would say!

And then all those Santa Bunnies (super cute, despite out-of-season). The armless Monkey Santa just makes me laugh out loud. She’s hysterically adorable!

I always dressed up my pets as a child (Barbie stuff makes great accessories for hamsters!). I sort of didn’t grow out of it yet either:

 

There is nothing certifiable about dressing your Mini-Rex up like an Ewok if it’s Halloween.

[Stickerbunny]

Omg, he makes an ADORABLE ewok! lol My buns would not put up with being dressed up… I think i’d get foot flicks and thumps for days if I tried it lol

[Monkeybun]

I got the evil eye from monkey for quite some time after those pics. Didn’t help she was shedding either, so she was even more cranky than usual

[Elrohwen]

I think Hannah would be ok with being dressed up – at least as far as wearing a hat and a cape or something. I once saw a super cute witches hat, made for cats (and sold in Salem, Mass!) that had little elastic loops that were supposed to go on the ears. Not sure how it would keep the thing on a cat, but it was absolutely perfect for holding a hat onto a lop. I keep saying I’ll buy her a witches hat and sew little straps on it like that. I put stuff on her all the time (I’ll just pick up objects and rest them on her head or back) and she just kinda sits there. Lol

Otto doesn’t put up with any of this silly stuff.

[Monkeybun]

Squirrel would look cute all dressed up…he’s so easy going he’d probably let me do it too

[LoveChaCha]

If I saw an ewok as cute as Stormy, I would chase after him like a little kid. He would probably footflick me in the face in the process.. *whistles*

Oh yes, those ads on Craigslist.. *sigh* ‘Bunny is crazy, blahblhaldksaf.’

Well, that is what spaying and neutering is for… and bunny proofing *face palm*

[Ande]

You all have given some wonderful and thoughtful answers. I really appreciate your input.
And I can’t STAND the cuteness from the pics of bunnies in clothes!! Gahhhh!!!!

I think Ralphie needs some clothes. Right now.

[Lis]

Posted By Monkeybun on 08/05/2011 08:25 AM
I got the evil eye from monkey for quite some time after those pics. Didn’t help she was shedding either, so she was even more cranky than usual

You make it sound like shedding is the bunny equivalent of PMS

[Monkeybun]

Isn’t it? lol

[brittbritt]

I have a 7 year old daughter who is great with our two rabbits. She’s been raised around animals since birth. She realizes that buns will let you pet them when they want to not the other way around and to be calm with them. She also knows that the way mama says to take care of them goes. I’m the primary care giver but she will help when I ask her to. I would never rely on her 100% because of her age though. It depends on the adult and the child if a rabbit is right for the home.

[Joyfull_music]

When Joe and I have kids, they are going to be raised around all sorts of animals, so I guess our circumstance will be a little different.

Anyone who considers a rabbit, I tell them exactly how it is with a bunny. The amount of work, training, expense. yadda yadda. Maybe I should loan out Momo as a scare tactic to change the minds of idiots.

[LoveChaCha]

I totally plan to have rabbit(s) around when the time comes for me to have children. I want them to respect rabbits. Although, the someday husband will have to change the litter box when I get a buddah belly and can’t bend over… hahah

Joyfull music, what you say makes a lot of sense. Exercise, expenses, vets. I have to order hay online because I have a picky eater. Good thing I work at a grocery store… makes getting lettuce and cilantro very handy

[Author]

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