While rabbits may seem to be the cutest companion for a child, we do not encourage parents to have such an impulsive idea. In fact, over 60% of our rescued rabbits are from families with young children who claimed ‘allergies’ or ‘no time’ as reasons for giving them away.
With such bad rep, we usually do not approve parents who indicated ‘adopting for children’ as reason for adoption. Instead, we share our Rabbit Care Guide which accurately informs the high maintenance needs of a rabbit in hope for a more thorough consideration on the adults’ part.
However, please do not get us wrong. Many of our BW family are parents too and we love seeing our children grow up with the rabbits. What is important is our expectations of ourselves when we acquire these long-living pets. In summary, a well-prepared parent adopter is:
1. Informed and prepared for the financial and time commitment towards a pet rabbit.
2. Ready to be the main caregiver to clean, feed and play with the rabbit while guiding their children.
3. Resourceful in finding help and able to make time to care for the rabbit when it is unwell.
4. Aware that they are responsible for the pet and their actions, or lack of, can deeply affect their children.
With so many negligence and abandonment of animals in Singapore, we hope that our future generations can be more aware on pet ownership. It should not be about having a cute pet. It should be about loving and protecting innocent lives. Parents, let’s lead by example to inculcate the right values in our children!