Rabbits are sweet, affectionate creatures, and can be the ideal children's pet. They can be excellent teachers of responsibility, hard work, and compassion. They all have individual personalities that will charm and delight their owners. That being said, there are a good many circumstances in which a child should NOT own a rabbit. If you are looking into getting around it for a child, there are several things you must consider.
The child should not be the sole caregiver of the animal. They should be encouraged to do as much of the work as possible, but the rabbit should not be only their responsibility. This is a recipe for disaster. Sooner or later, an accident is bound to happen and you suddenly have a huge vet bill in your hands.
Small children should not ever be left alone with rabbits unsupervised. I cannot stress this enough. Even if the child is trustworthy and knows not to grab, chase, or startle the rabbit, a very young child does not have the physical capability to hold onto an animal if it decides to struggle. They also will not be able to reach the animal's signals as well as an older child or adult would. Again, this is a disaster waiting to happen.
This all being said, a rabbit is a fantastic pet for an older child or teen with a love for animals.
If you have small children, always purchase a rabbit from a breeder rather than adopting from a rescue or shelter. Rescue or shelter rabbits have unknown backgrounds and tend to be flighty and impossible to handle. Instead, talk to breeders of medium and large sized breeds, such as Lilacs and French Lops, and tell them that you are looking for a calm, good-natured adult rabbit. Dwarf breeds might not be the best choice as they are more fragile and would be more easily hurt if a child dropped them. As tempting as it is to get a baby rabbit, it is a much better decision to get a retired breeding rabbit as these rabbits have their temperaments already established, so the rabbit will better accept handling from young children. Retired breeding rabbits tend to have wonderful, laid-back temperaments, which is perfect for life as a pet for a small child. :)
If you have slightly older children, you can look into dwarf breeds. These tend to have great personalities and are very cute, so provided your child can be trusted to not drop the rabbit, the dwarf breeds, especially Holland Lops and Mini Rexes, are fantastic pets!
Of course, every child is different, and you know your child better than anyone. If your child is mature and capable enough for a trickier rabbit, go for it! It totally depends on the kid. In the end, these are just suggestions, so use your best judgement.
The child should not be the sole caregiver of the animal. They should be encouraged to do as much of the work as possible, but the rabbit should not be only their responsibility. This is a recipe for disaster. Sooner or later, an accident is bound to happen and you suddenly have a huge vet bill in your hands.
Small children should not ever be left alone with rabbits unsupervised. I cannot stress this enough. Even if the child is trustworthy and knows not to grab, chase, or startle the rabbit, a very young child does not have the physical capability to hold onto an animal if it decides to struggle. They also will not be able to reach the animal's signals as well as an older child or adult would. Again, this is a disaster waiting to happen.
This all being said, a rabbit is a fantastic pet for an older child or teen with a love for animals.
If you have small children, always purchase a rabbit from a breeder rather than adopting from a rescue or shelter. Rescue or shelter rabbits have unknown backgrounds and tend to be flighty and impossible to handle. Instead, talk to breeders of medium and large sized breeds, such as Lilacs and French Lops, and tell them that you are looking for a calm, good-natured adult rabbit. Dwarf breeds might not be the best choice as they are more fragile and would be more easily hurt if a child dropped them. As tempting as it is to get a baby rabbit, it is a much better decision to get a retired breeding rabbit as these rabbits have their temperaments already established, so the rabbit will better accept handling from young children. Retired breeding rabbits tend to have wonderful, laid-back temperaments, which is perfect for life as a pet for a small child. :)
If you have slightly older children, you can look into dwarf breeds. These tend to have great personalities and are very cute, so provided your child can be trusted to not drop the rabbit, the dwarf breeds, especially Holland Lops and Mini Rexes, are fantastic pets!
Of course, every child is different, and you know your child better than anyone. If your child is mature and capable enough for a trickier rabbit, go for it! It totally depends on the kid. In the end, these are just suggestions, so use your best judgement.