How old should a child be to have a bunny?

[KittyKatMe]

I have a nice couple who wants to have a bunny from us, but they have a 5 year old daughter. They said it would be her pet, and I am concerned about this. She is the dolls and dress-up type, and I am afraid that she might stress or the bunny. What should I do?

 

[mdith4him]

I would think most 5 year olds are too little for bunnies, but I know members on here with younger kids who are very good with their rabbits. Could you arrange some sort of meet and greet so you can see the child interact with some of your rabbits? You could also use that opportunity to talk to the parents about proper rabbit care, handling, etc.

 

[bhoffman]

I think that it would all depend on the child. I have three kids, ages 4, 5 and 7. All three of them are really good with the rabbits. They are gentle etc. But, at the same time.. I dont leave their side when they are playing with the rabbits. Just in case! Maybe you could ask the parents if the girl is going to be expected to take care of the rabbit all the time, or are they willing to step in and help out? Where will the rabbit be housed? In her room or in the family room? Also remind them, that as a child, they are very interested in animals at first, but then the novelty does wear off and the animal may get ignored, neglected, not properly cared for because the child lost interest. This does not happen to everyone but it does happen far too often. Are they prepared to play with the rabbit, pet it etc in case the child gets bored of the rabbit??

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I'd say that 5 is too young to really have their own pet. Most kids that young don't know how to handle and interact with animals really well and even with some education, then tend to forget. They also can have trouble remembering to care for the rabbit, so the rabbit can suffer from that. Problems also arise if the child is expected to do all the work and doesn't so the parent has to do the work are resents it and the rabbit. I would not recommend a rabbit (or anything really) as a pet for a child.
If it is the parents wanting the rabbit and they have a child, that is another story since the parents want the pet and will be caring for it.

 

[KittyKatMe]

I think I will arrange to meet them and ask whatvtheir plans are for the bunny

 

[fantaysah]

I have 2 kids a 12 yr old and one that is almost 2 ... we have buns and works out good but i know they are mine i care for them and she occasionally gets to pet them and watches them play a lot. If they are prepared to do most of the work it should be fine but if they expect her to it won't work out ... too much responsability for a 5 yr old.

 

[LakeCondo]

Yes, especially if the girl wants to dress the rabbit up all the time. It would be too easy to hurt the rabbit's back that way.

 

[MyBabyHasPaws]

bhoffman wrote:

I think that it would all depend on the child. I have three kids, ages 4, 5 and 7. All three of them are really good with the rabbits. They are gentle etc. But, at the same time.. I dont leave their side when they are playing with the rabbits. Just in case! Maybe you could ask the parents if the girl is going to be expected to take care of the rabbit all the time, or are they willing to step in and help out? Where will the rabbit be housed? In her room or in the family room? Also remind them, that as a child, they are very interested in animals at first, but then the novelty does wear off and the animal may get ignored, neglected, not properly cared for because the child lost interest. This does not happen to everyone but it does happen far too often. Are they prepared to play with the rabbit, pet it etc in case the child gets bored of the rabbit??

Here too! I have a 3 and 5yr old. Bugsy was given to my eldest for his birthday but I knew he couldn't properly care for him. As time passed Bugsy became mine. Although my kids do play with them and are very gentle I'm always there to supervise ...accidents happen in a second!

 

[agnesthelion]

I have a 3 year old. Agnes works fine as his pet. Why? Because she is MY pet. I supervise and put an extreme effort into their every interaction. He cannot be alone with her. He cannot pick her up. He cannot get her out without me.

I trust myself and know how important and how much work it is to have a toddler and a bunny live in harmony. Unless you know these people and can trust they will do the same, then no, rabbits do not make good pets for 5 year olds......

 

[LakeCondo]

I must have been about that age that I thought a pet squirrel would be a nice pet, based on a fictional story I read. So I clearly didn't understand what a pet entailed & don't think kids whose families don't already have rabbits would understand either.

 

[majorv]

I agree that a 5 year old is probably too young, unless there is an oldersibling or the parent is willing to supervise the child at all timeswhen they are handling the rabbit. The most susceptible part of the rabbit, that is prone to injury, is the back.

We got two guinea pigs for our kids when they were 3 and 5. My 3 yo was pretty careful (surprisingly) handling his. My 5 yo was careful, too, but it only took her dropping it one time to injure it. It happened so quick that I couldn't catch her before she hit the floor. We ended up havingher putdown because her back was broken.

 

[woahlookitsme]

Poor Rosie

 

[woahlookitsme]

double post

 

[fantaysah]

I agree !! We SAY our buns belong to the baby she loves them and tells everyone about her bunbun pappa (pepper or a 1 yr old) but i want even let my 12 yr old clean their house because they are really mine and i know how fragile they are. Supervised touching only. If the parents are not going to take full responsibility then i wouldn't do it. sit down for a talk and let them know just how much work they really are.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Bunnies and young children are not a good match.

 

[onionbunny]

I got my 3 year old niece a bunny for a pet for her birthday this year. She is great with him. Obviously her parents feed and water him because a 3 year wont remember to do that, but she brings him snacks, and watches him hop around. As long as the parents know its really their responabilty then I think they should be fine.

 

[wendymac]

I agree. If the parents are going to do most of the work, and closely watch her when she has him out, then it should be fine. But if they expect a 5 yr. old to do all the work, then it's just asking for trouble.

 

[tamsin]

I don't think any age is great for a child. As you get older and therefore more responsible you then run into problems with the fact they'll be going to college/uni as the rabbit gets old.

The only way it works is if the parents really want a rabbit as a pet, and they child will just enjoy being involved in that. If the parents aren't that keen on being sole careers if the child does get bored/busy in the future it's best to avoid getting one in the first place.

And yes, there are exceptions and some children grow up into very responsible young people that keep an interest, but it's not fair to gamble a living creature on that.

 

[Samara]

I lean towards "too young", but I agree that every child is different and if the parents are willing to do the work and accept responsibility then it would be fine.

I have an 11 and 14 year old and I've asked them to still ask me if they want to take a bunny out. I turn into the eye of Sauron when one of the bitty bubs is loose. Accidents happen, even with adults, I venture to guess it happens more often with small children.

My nephew is 17 months and how he's learning to be around animals is by having his wrist held gently and shown how to softly pet. He's also learned to give Troy, my large dog, treats nicely. I love him and he means the world to me, but even when he's 5 years old I don't expect to leave him unsupervised with a rabbit out. Let alone allow him to hold one. I would certainly let him sit on the floor and let the bunnies out for him, but not likely more than that. For the safety of all.

I got my first pet of my own at age 5. My parents let me pick out a kitten. He stayed with us until he passed away of old age, but my parents handled vet trips, the cat box, feeding and water. My job was to interact with Brownie, play with him and keep him out of trouble till he learned how to be an older cat. I think that sort of situation is fair for a child to experience. That being said, cats and kittens, while still fragile, are much less fragile than a rabbit.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

A couple of ours were adopted by one of my wifes 8th grade students. Both went to great homes and both girls were very responsible, but I let both go to the new forever home knowing that the whole family loved them and were all going to look after them. It was still hard to do.