1️⃣ Do YOU Want a Rabbit?

We’ll hold your hand as we say this … rabbits are high-maintenance exotic pets and NOT a good pet for children. They come with a long list of care requirements and a very small margin for error when it comes to diet and environment. Low-maintenance, who? Owners need to monitor their rabbit’s weight, watch for even the smallest changes in behavior, appetite, or 💩 (you only think we’re joking), and be ready to drop everything and head to an exotic vet at the first sign something is off.

Rabbits are simply beyond a child’s ability to care for properly. The majority of the day-to-day care and mental load will fall on the parents. Kids can help (maybe, don’t count on it), but today’s enthusiasm is not something parents can rely on long-term. Yes, even if they made a very compelling PowerPoint. (Or is it called a slide deck now?)

The truth is, once the novelty wears off after a few weeks, or as kids get older and busier with school, sports, and friends … rabbits end up neglected or re-homed. Most rabbits are re-homed, dumped or pass away due to improper care before their 1st birthday because “the kids lost interest” or “aren’t taking good care of the rabbit” or “its not what we expected.”

If you have children in the home, here’s what to expect by age:

• Toddlers (0-4): little to no interaction. Rabbits are fragile and can be seriously injured if dropped or stepped on, which happens more often than most people realize. Direct, hands-on supervision is required at all times. Parents should hold or closely guide young children when the rabbit is outside of their enclosure and control all physical contact.
• Children (5-12): may enjoy socializing, but are typically not involved in more demanding tasks like cleaning and litter box changes, which are labor-intensive. Active supervision is required at all times. A parent should be in the room when the rabbit is outside of their enclosure, actively watching and correcting behavior during interactions.
• Teens (13-19): may be capable of helping with both cleaning and daily care and may not require direct supervision during interactions. However, teens are often “too busy” with finals, track, friends, prom, etc. so parents should still expect to be the primary caregivers.

2️⃣ What Will Happen When Your Child Moves Out?

Let’s think long-term for a second. Rabbits live about 10 years on average, and with proper care and advances in exotic veterinary medicine, many are now living to be 13–16 years. Which means this rabbit will very likely still be around when your child is packing for college, moving into a dorm, or figuring out their first apartment. And while it sounds nice to imagine, “the rabbit will go with them,” let’s take off the rose-colored glasses for a second … dorms don’t allow pets, and neither do most rentals or airlines, even those that allow cats or dogs!

So what then? The responsibility defaults to the parents. Hope you weren’t planning to travel more, because this is when daily care ramps up due to age-related changes like arthritis, heart disease, kidney issues, etc.