Providing Information About Rabbits

Rabbits & Children Together

I have mentioned in a previous article that it is not recommended or advised that rabbits be adopted as a "child's pet". As with all pets, a rabbit should be a "family pet" with the primary care giver being a responsible adult. All interactions between child and rabbit should be supervised to ensure that the rabbit is handled safely and correctly in order to avoid accidental injuries.

This is not to say that children can never play with or take care of a pet rabbit on their own. Children should be supervised until such a time or age that they can interact with a rabbit in an appropriate manner that is safe for both child and rabbit.

Often, young children become exited when interacting with a pet rabbit and will chase the rabbit or inadvertently handle the rabbit too roughly. Older children might forget to feed the rabbit or clean the cage. Therefore children need to be taught how to care for and interact with the rabbit. In addition the rabbit must also be taught how to interact with the child. How? You might ask is this to be done, and just what do you mean by teaching a rabbit to interact with the child?

The first step when dealing with rabbits and children is to establish some basic ground rules.

1. Never poke fingers in the rabbit cage; this gives the rabbit an opportunity to bite.
2. Never chase the rabbit when it is out of it’s cage as this will frighten them.
3. Never pick up the rabbit by the ears.

The second step is establishing a “child free” zone for the rabbit. This is a sanctuary where the rabbit can go to escape the child at will. This can be it’s cage or favourite resting spot or both. You can establish as many of these child free zones as you feel necessary. The child must then be taught to leave bunny alone when the rabbit is in it’s sanctuary.

The third step is to teach your child how to properly handle the rabbit. If your child is quite young you might teach the child where and how to pet the rabbit. As the child grows you can allow the child to hold the rabbit while sitting down. Older children can be taught how to pick up the rabbit; how to approach the rabbit while it is in the cage; and how to feed the rabbit and clean the cage.

In addition to teaching your children the rabbit must be taught to interact with the child. Never allow your rabbit to nip, scratch or lunge at your child. If the rabbit does this, scold the rabbit by saying "NO!" loudly and return the rabbit to its cage for a time out. The rabbit will soon learn that this behaviour is not acceptable and puts an end to run time.

You must continue to supervise your child and rabbit until you are confident that your child is capable of handling the rabbit and will respect the basic ground rules 

If you have allowed your child the task of feeding the rabbit and cleaning the cage, do not assume that this is being done regularly. Even if your child is the most trustworthy and responsible person, check the rabbit periodically to ensure it is getting enough to eat, that the cage is clean and that there is no signs of the rabbit being sick. 

Following these basic rules will ensure that both your child and rabbit have a pleasant time together.

© 1996-2008 Raising House Rabbits