Small children and rabbits (aka "Easter Bunnies" )
Oct 01 '00
Parents, do your research before getting a bunny for your child! I know September is a little early to be discussing "Easter" bunnies, but, after having a bunny for four years, I have some strong feelings on the subject. Please consider this opinion before buying a rabbit for a small child. I apologize in advance for the preachy tone of this article, but I've seen a few too many pet bunnies end up at animal shelters or neglected and alone in backyard hutches.
My own rabbit history: I have a four year old rabbit named Bryansk. He is neutered, healthy and happy and lives strictly indoors. I have am about to start volunteering at an animal shelter to help abandoned rabbits find new homes (hopefully, this makes makes the source of my strong feelings clear).
My own philosophy of pets: I am a firm believer in "understanding" the animal's point of view. Don't dismiss this as being overly "touchy-feely", it is really quite logical. If you have an understanding of the animal's views, solving problems will be much easier because you can address the cause of the problem.
Rabbits are not easy pets. They are quite different than cats or dogs and may initially present a bit of a challenge even to experienced cat and dog owners. I feel that rabbit owners should be well prepared, so I'm going to list the downside and fallacies of house-rabbits first. If you are completely turned off rabbits before you finish this opinion, don't get a rabbit. If you read through this opinion and think "ok, I can adapt to that...and that....and that..." then you're ready to own a rabbit. I was quite intimidated by similar articles I read prior to getting my own rabbit. And yes, I thought the articles I read were incredibly fussy and anal, too. I'm so glad I didn't let them scare me off and I am now thankful that I had the preparation.
My rabbit rules:
1. Don't pick up the rabbit
2. Be as quiet as possible around the rabbit
3. Be patient with the rabbit
4. Don't force the rabbit to do things
5. Remove or hide all objects of temptation from the rabbit
6. Never, ever ever ever ever hurt or punish the rabbit
If you violate these rules, you may stress the rabbit out. Rabbits stress _very_ easily and this is bad for their health and happiness. They may become shy or vicious. Do not get a rabbit for a child who isn't old enough to understand and follow these rules. It will just lead to injury to the child, the rabbit or both.
When I was first looking into getting a rabbit, I had to overcome some common fallacies. I've listed a few of them below.
Common fallacy 1: Rabbits are so cute, they could never harm anyone How did I learn the first rabbit rule ("Do not pick up the rabbit")? By ignoring the advice of others and trying to pick up my darling, loving, tame bunny Bryansk and getting bloody scratches up and down my arms. Rabbits are ground-dwelling animals. Many of them do not like to be picked up; in fact, being picked up can absolutely terrify them. They are not "mean", they don't want to hurt you, they're just so scared that they kick out of reflex (I imagine it makes them feel like they've just been "caught" by a predator - you'd probably kick and scratch too if your instincts were screaming that you're about to be eaten). I've also heard that rabbits can break their own backbones by kicking like this.
Solution Don't pick the rabbit up if it scares him. Make sure your kids and visitors don't do this, either. There is nothing like sending a neighborhood kid home bleeding. As an aside: when I was a child, a neighbor girl knowingly violated my "Hamster rules". She ended up bleeding profusely from a bitten finger. She knew the rules ("Don't touch him, he bites. Don't put your finger in his cage. Stop poking him. STOP IT!") and chose to violate them. I imagine that's why she didn't have any small pets at home. She probably would have slowly bled to death.
Fallacy 2: Rabbits look so sweet, they can't possibly be stubborn Rabbits are stubborn. They have plans and don't like to be prevented from reaching their goals.
Solution Because of rule 1 ("don't pick up the rabbit"), I have to use gentle encouragement and nudging to get Bryansk to go anywhere. If he doesn't want to go, I go away and come back in a few minutes and try again. It can take quite a while to move an unwilling rabbit. And they are quite often unwilling. Rabbits also like to explore and they will insist on exploring even when it is inconvenient for you. Be prepared to spend 15 minutes encouraging your rabbit to return to his cage. If this inconvenience would keep you from ever letting the rabbit out of his cage, don't get a rabbit.
Fallacy 3: Negative reinforcement (i.e. punishment) actually serves a purpose (Actually, I already knew this one was untrue, but it is still a very common belief). Rabbits have a natural chewing instinct, and hitting won't solve it. The only purpose negative reinforcement serves with rabbits (and most other animals for that matter) is to make them afraid of you. Instead of teaching your rabbit to not chew your power cords, you'll be teaching him that humans are mean. Don't ever ever ever ever hurt your rabbit, no matter how frustrated you are.
Solution: Try to avoid opportunities for your rabbit to be naughty. Hide power cords or buy cord covers at an electronics store. Garden hose works well for this too (cut off the metal ends, slit the hose down the side and put the power cables inside it. Move poisonous plants high out of reach. Put anything chewable out of reach (books, purses, etc). Its like childproofing a house except that most children don't eat the carpet. You will get frustrated. At some point he'll chew your phone cord or a favorite plant or your purse strap (all three have happened to me). Learn to blame yourself for stupidly putting something within his reach. If this is too much effort...don't buy a rabbit.
Now, the upside: if you follow these rules, you'll have a sweet, loving little girl or guy that you'll be crazy about. My Bryansk is an incredible sweetie. If I hold out my hand near the ground and make "scratching" motions, he'll come running and stick his head right under my hand. He's never bitten me or anybody else. He gets along wonderfully with my two cats and is not at all scared of them.
If you have an older child who is mature, responsible and sensitive to the needs of others (including animals), a rabbit will make a great pet. Otherwise, don't get a rabbit until your child and the rabbit can enjoy each other.
If you've decided to get a rabbit, enjoy, and let me know when you have a picture of it on-line so I can see it! Consider going to an animal shelter an adopting an abandoned rabbit. If you want more specifics on the care and feeding of rabbits, look at the House Rabbit Society's page (http://www.rabbit.org/). I find that a diet of timothy hay, not too many alfalfa pellets and occasional vegetables (broccoli and carrot tops are Bryansk's favorites) works wonderfully. If you have any more questions about rabbit care, feel free to e-mail me.
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Member: Deborah Flores
Location: San Diego, CA
Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
I love reading, languages and zoology. So many interests, so little time.
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