Rabbits are amazing creatures that should be valued members of a family, and they make pleasant pets for children if there is a genuine adult interest in the rabbit’s well-being.
Apart from being lovely animals that become friendly and playful when appropriately treated, they are also sensitive and vulnerable to injury if poorly handled.
Are Rabbits Good Pets For Children? Yes, rabbits make good pets for children only if there is a willing adult who will take care of the responsibility of caring for the rabbit if the child cannot care for the rabbit.
Read on to find out why.
Table of Contents
Are Rabbits Good Pets For Kids?
Rabbits are excellent pets for children who are above the age of six.
For toddlers and children below the age of six, it is not advisable for parents to get rabbits as pets.
Children naturally love and are kind, but holding, cuddling, and carrying a rabbit around can make a rabbit feel frightened.
This, in turn, can make unsuspecting children accidentally drop the rabbits, which could result in broken legs and backs of the rabbits.
Children who have rabbits as pets can learn to take responsibility for caring, cleaning, and feeding their rabbits.
Rabbits and children can bond successfully with an adult who should be the primary caregiver and supervise the children who interact with them.
Children can learn from adults how to interact with their rabbits appropriately. This can help them form lasting relationships with the rabbits, which can help them develop a sense of respect for animals that carry into adulthood.
Most rabbits adapt quickly to the hustle and bustle of a typical household, particularly if their cage is placed in a high activity area such as the living room.
This will give the rabbit the chance to see, smell and hear all that is going on in the house.
Housing your rabbit [1] in a secluded place might delay its integration into the family and make it unable to adjust to everyday family life quickly.
Take a look here to know an expert’s suggestion.
How Much Do Rabbits Cost?
Rabbits are usually bought as starter pets to teach a child the responsibility of taking care of a pet. But, without adult supervision, it can turn out to be a bad experience for both the child and the rabbit.
The decision to buy a rabbit should be as severe as the decision to buy a dog. Rabbits have a high life expectancy of up to 12 years if adequately taken care of.
Initial Cost of a Rabbit
Most times, the place of purchase and the type of breed [2] of rabbit will determine its cost. A rabbit purchased in a pet store can cost about $20 to $40, while a rabbit bought from a rescue or fair can cost about $5 to $20.
Rare Breeds of Rabbits Can Cost As Much As $100.
Apart from the cost of purchasing the rabbit, there is housing cost (about $200), food cost (hay, pellets and vegetables, which can cost about $40), accessories and grooming tools cost (food bowl, water bowl, toys, nail clippers, hair comb and brush which can cost about $32) and spaying and neutering cost (if the rabbit is not already spayed or neutered which can cost about $200)
Their Cage – How Much Does a Cage Cost?
Depending on your plan for the living arrangement of your rabbit, rabbit hutches usually cost more than rabbit cages.
If you decide to keep your rabbit outside, you will need to buy a rabbit hutch which costs about $150 to $200 if you don’t want to make your own.
However, if you decide to keep your rabbit indoors, you will need to buy a rabbit cage which costs about $50 to $100.
You can also keep your rabbit in a rabbit-proofed room, which will only require you to buy a small cage and give your rabbit enough room to stretch out and play.
Related: How Often Do You Clean a Rabbit Cage?
Food
Your rabbit’s diet [3] is vital, and a well-fed rabbit grows to be healthy-looking.
There are varieties of food that rabbits can eat. Your rabbit’s diet must be high-quality foods that will help reduce digestive issues.
Whole grown rabbits should be fed about half a cup of pellets per five to six pounds of body weight per day.
The pellets should be bought in quantities that can be used in less than six weeks.
The pellets must be high in fiber and should be given to your rabbit in the right proportion according to its body weight.
Timothy hay should be made readily available for your rabbit every day. Hay makes up most of your rabbit’s diet, and high-quality hay should be given to your rabbit.
Lettuce, herbs, and vegetables that your rabbit enjoys eating should be given daily. You can also share with your certain rabbit fruits in small quantities as treats.
Buying high-quality food for your rabbit will help your rabbit grow healthy and also help resist diseases.
If you have a garden, you can plant rabbit-approved vegetables and fresh foods as this will help reduce the cost of purchasing them.
Check our complete guide about what veggies can rabbits eat.
Bedding
Just as food is good for the well-being of your rabbit, the bedding of your rabbit’s cage or hutch is also vital for its health.
There are different types of bedding that you could use in your rabbit’s cage. You could use newspaper, pine shavings or sawdust, paper pellets, and aspen bedding.
Newspaper can be used to line the floor of your rabbit’s cage. But many rabbits get bored and chew the newspaper. The ink on the newspaper can be dangerous to the health of your rabbit if it ingests too much of it.
Pine shavings or sawdust can also be used to line your rabbit’s cage, but the dust can affect your rabbit’s respiratory system. Nevertheless, it is the most commonly used type of bedding for a rabbit’s cage.
Paper pellets are odor absorbent and excellent at moisture absorption. It is easy to clean up, but it is more expensive than most beddings.
Aspen bedding is an excellent option when choosing wood bedding. It is dust-free and scent-free. It is non-toxic, but it is not as absorbent as paper-based bedding.
Recurring Expenses
Now that you have purchased your rabbit, there will be some other things that you will have to buy throughout the lifetime of your rabbit.
These things include food, bedding, veterinary care, medical care, and grooming supplies.
Food such as hay, pellets, and vegetables can cost as low as $25 per month.
The price will depend on the type of bedding you use for bedding. Averagely, bedding costs $15 per month.
Just like humans go for regular check-ups, it is crucial to take your rabbit for veterinary examination, and the yearly can be about $200.
Rabbits need to be groomed every once in a while, and the cost of grooming supplies such as hair combs, nail clippers, and hairbrushes can be about $16.
How Much Work Does it Take to Look After a Rabbit?
Rabbits are clean creatures that engage in self-cleaning rites every day.
Depending on the cleanliness of your rabbit’s cage, you might only have to clean its litter box if your rabbit is litter trained.
If your rabbit is not litter trained, you might have to train it to reduce the stress of cleaning the whole cage every day.
For thorough cleaning of the cage, which should be done at least once a week, take out your rabbit and all the accessories. Wash it and disinfect it with white vinegar.
Leave the cage in the sun to dry completely before adding bedding. Return your rabbit into the cage and the accessories.
Try as much as possible to make your rabbit clean. Also, make your rabbit’s cage clean.
Rabbits require a fair amount of work. They need to be cleaned regularly, topped up with hay, water and pellets daily, and require daily attention.
If you’re very busy in your day-to-day life, a rabbit may not be suitable for you.
Check: The Guide on Rabbit Sounds & Body Language
Do Rabbits Bite?
Rabbits do many things, and biting is one of them. There are many reasons rabbits bite. It could be a result of your rabbit showing love to you, pain, fright, or aggression.
If your rabbit is giving you slight, little nibbles on your toes or fingers, it could be its way of showing your love. Most of these nibbles don’t hurt, and your rabbit might lick you after each nibble.
Your rabbit may bite you hard if it is trying to make you aware that it is in pain. If you are touching your rabbit in certain spots that can hurt it, your rabbit can resort to biting you.
As a result of fear, your rabbit can bite you. Your rabbit can bite you if you have recently been scared and suddenly pick it up.
Please look at this video to know the difference between biting and nibbling.
How Often Do You Need to Play With Your Rabbit?
Rabbits can be playful and interactive.
Many rabbit owners keep their rabbits inside cages while at work or in schools.
A minimum of two to four hours is enough time to allow your rabbit to play around.
Due to some owners’ tight schedules, they do not have enough time to play with their rabbits.
When your rabbit doesn’t get enough time to play, it can make it dissatisfied and withdrawn and can make it overweight, developing cardiovascular diseases.
But, when your rabbit has had enough time to play, it will willingly retreat to its cage. Do not hesitate to allow your rabbit to run around whenever you can work into your schedule every day, if possible.
READ MORE: Do Rabbits Blink?
How Often Do Rabbits Need to be Cleaned?
Rabbits are very tidy creatures that do most of their grooming themselves. This helps them stay clean and parasite clean.
If your rabbit spends a lot of time outside or has long hair, you may need to groom and clean it once in a while.
Check the anal glands of your rabbit to ensure that there is no faecal build-up, but if you notice any, use a damp washcloth to clean your rabbit to prevent it from flystrike.
Keep your rabbit as clean as possible, and clean out your rabbit’s cage thoroughly at least once a week.
Do Rabbits Need to Live in Pairs?
Rabbits are gregarious [4], and they need constant companionship to avoid emotional suffering.
If you have outdoor rabbits, you can keep them in pairs, but you can keep them as a single pet in the right conditions if you have a house rabbit.
If you work from home or spend most of your evenings at home, this is enough companionship for your rabbit, and this can make your rabbit bond with you quickly.
One of the downsides of owning more than one rabbit as a pet is that you will have to spend more on food, bedding, veterinary care, and other things that they might need.
Depending on the breed, it will also require more work to take care of more than one rabbit.
What Are The Pros and Cons of Owning a Rabbit?
Rabbits are extraordinary pets, and there are many benefits attached to having them as pets. Some of them include:
- Rabbits are usually quiet. But, you must be careful when your rabbit is playing around your house because they can sneak up on you which can make you kick them accidentally.
- Rabbits can be litter trained and this can reduce the frequency of cleaning their cages every week.
- Their poops are easily to clean up as they are almost solid and dry.
- They are cute, fun and entertaining to watch. They can be excited when you present them with a treat.
- Their food is fairly cheap as they mostly eat hay, pellets and vegetables.
Although rabbits have many pros, there are also some cons to having rabbits as pets. They include:
- Rabbits can be very shy and might not show any form of affection. It might take a while for them to warm up to you.
- Rabbits are fragile and they must be handled and carried carefully in order to avoid breaking their backs when they drop accidentally.
- They need a lot of space to play around. It will be cruel to keep your rabbit in its cage all day.
- Rabbits can be messy as they run around as they can leave hay everywhere.
Check this video:
FAQs
Should I neuter or spay my rabbits?
It is advisable to neuter and spay your rabbits if you don’t want them to have too many babies. Un-neutered male rabbits have a pungent smell, while unsprayed female rabbits might have uterine cancer and die early.
Can I litter train my rabbit?
Yes, you can. Litter training is usually not difficult. Rabbits typically relieve themselves in one or two areas. Place the litter box over the latrine area, and with time, your bunny will learn how to do its business in one place.
Do rabbits eat furniture?
Yes, they do if they are left to roam around the house. The drive to chew is in their DNA. You can protect the furniture legs to avoid this.
Resources
- 1. Your rabbits’ home [Internet]. www.pdsa.org.uk. Available from: https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/rabbits/creating-the-ideal-home-for-your-rabbits
- 2. (PDF) Comparative Studies of Growth Performance of Rabbits (Ornyctolagus cunniculus) Fed on Rabbit Feeds and Diverse Foodstuff in Captivity [Internet]. ResearchGate. [cited 2022 Jan 28]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352694417_Comparative_Studies_of_Growth_Performance_of_Rabbits_Ornyctolagus_cunniculus_Fed_on_Rabbit_Feeds_and_Diverse_Foodstuff_in_Captivity
- 3. Welfare of rabbits: the need for a suitable diet | nidirect [Internet]. www.nidirect.gov.uk. 2015. Available from: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/welfare-rabbits-need-suitable-diet
- 4. DiVincenti L, Rehrig AN. The Social Nature of European Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS [Internet]. 2016;55:729–36. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5113872/
Are rabbits good pets for kids? What are your opinions? Please share with us in the comments section.
Alina Hartley is a small-town girl with a ginormous love of bearded dragons. It all started with Winchester, a baby bearded who was abandoned at the shelter by his former owners because of a birth defect that caused one front leg to be shorter than the other. Alina originally went to the shelter looking for a guinea pig, but one look at Winchester and it was love at first sight. From that day on, Alina has dedicated her life to learning everything she can about bearded dragons. She loves helping new beardie parents start their incredible journey with these magnificent reptiles.
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