We recently saw a very disappointing ‘giveaway’ post by a father who claimed that their 2 months old rabbit is ‘too big’ for his 2 years old daughter. We can’t help but wonder how small the rabbit was when he first purchased it and what makes him assumed that the rabbit will stay small all its life?

This is a classic example of irresponsible pet ownership. It is a recurring mistake by parents who, we thought, should be smarter than that! In fact, over 60% of our rescued rabbits are from such bad parenting decisions. If you or someone you know is thinking of getting a pet for their young child, you may to read this post carefully:

1. An average lifespan of a rabbit is about 10 years so be prepared to care for the rabbit till the end of it! (Yes! It’s your job!)

2. While baby rabbits may be the size of your palm, most full size rabbit are the length of your arms! Human babies grow, rabbit babies too!

3. Most rabbits do not like to be held and you should not assume they will be a good cuddling toy for children.

4. Rabbits do have sharp nails and strong kicks. And yes, they do bite if they are scared!

5. Rabbits shed a lot and if you are concern about hygiene or have sensitive children, you may not want to have one at home.

6. Rabbits do poo and pee a lot so if you don’t have time to litter-train or clean up after them, don’t get one.

7. Rabbits are expensive to upkeep so if you are already spending too much on milk formula or childcare, save yourself the cash and not acquire a pet!

8. There is no ‘easier’ or ‘friendlier’ rabbit breed to care for. All breeds have its needs and will not be easy pets.

While it is indeed cute to see a child with a rabbit, it’s not wise to acquire one just for novelty sake. Like it or not, you will end up caring for the pet and if your children change their mind, you will give the pet away which is very irresponsible. Let’s be a good role model and not lead your children to make bad decisions that can hurt an innocent life.