Rabbits are among the cutest, cuddliest animals available as pets. A fat, lop-eared rabbit looks as harmless and squeezable as your child's favorite teddy-bear. Because of their harmless appearance and relative ease of care, rabbits are a popular choice as first pets for toddlers and preschoolers. But is a rabbit really a good pet for a toddler or preschooler? It depends on your perspective.
My rabbit Nimbus and my two-year-old daughter are nearly inseparable. When I was three and four years old, my family owned a rabbit who I viewed as a wonderful companion. Rabbits are relatively easy to take care of, and children can easily participate in feeding, petting and cleaning up after pet rabbits. For these reasons, rabbits are fairly compatible with young children.
Toddlers and preschoolers are less likely to feel threatened by a rabbit than by a larger pet, such as a golden retriever. And, unlike very small pets such as hamsters and gerbils, rabbits aren't likely to suffer serious injury in the hands of an overly affectionate child. Pet rabbits are generally less aggressive and easier to handle than their very large or small counterparts.
However, parents make mistakes when they assume that a pet rabbit will passively accept squeezes, cuddles and doll-dress-ups from toddlers and preschoolers. In the wild, rabbits are prey to almost every animal that they encounter. It took centuries of breeding and handling to make domestic rabbits complacent enough to tolerate human affection. But a pet rabbit's natural instincts still take over when it feels threatened-- your rabbit may bite, kick and run away when your child makes unwanted advances toward the animal.
If you think a rabbit's bite is a harmless little "nick," think again. My pet rabbit once bit my daughter when she ignored his leave-me-alone warnings. She bled so severely that I almost had to take her to the hospital. Now, I take extra care to closely supervise every step of my toddler's interactions with Nimbus. All parents should take similar precautions-- never let your toddler or preschooler play unsupervised with your pet rabbit.
Rabbits can be good pets for young children, but only if parents are willing to accept that the animal has the potential to cause injury. Your pet rabbit is not a toy-- he is a living animal with his own feelings, fears and emotions. If you can teach your child to respect your rabbit's boundaries, the rabbit can be an excellent pet. If you want a low-maintenance, easy-going pet that will tolerate abuse, get your child a plush animal, not a live rabbit.
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