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The Bunny Hop?
What to Consider Before Bringing Home a Rabbit
By Alex Powell
No matter how calm your child, rabbits and children should never be together unsupervised. Rabbits are physically fragile, and many have suffered back and hip injuries while struggling to get away from a child who has picked them up. In addition, Davis says, a rabbit that hasn't been handled correctly may decide to express her displeasure with her teeth.
"I think that both rabbits and children get a lot out of co-existing, if the situation is right," says Davis, who currently has three rabbits, a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son. When rabbits do thrive in a family with children, "it's [due to] the ability of the individual family to incorporate a rabbit with grace and humor, and it's also [due to] the personality of the individual rabbit," she says.
If you're in doubt, it's often better to wait a while – until children are older or life becomes more settled – and then reevaluate the desire for a rabbit.
If the bunny bug just isn't going away, your next step is to think about where you're going to obtain your rabbit. A rabbit rescue group may be your best bet, Dr. Jenkins says. Typically, rabbit rescues have their rabbits spayed or neutered (a must for house rabbits) and ensure they are in good general health before offering them for adoption. By adopting a rescued rabbit, you're getting a bunny that's had his biggest expense taken care of. In addition, you're making room at the rescue for another rabbit – which would likely be euthanized if he stayed at a shelter.
"Bunny-proofing" your home is crucial because rabbits chew. "A house rabbit really wouldn't be a good match for someone who collects antiques," says Kathy Johnson of Cambridge, Vt. The Johnsons had their first rabbit, Susie-Bun, for nine "all too short" years, and have recently adopted Lily the Lop. Chewing is going to happen, Johnson says, and like children, rabbits always seem to chew on the things they aren't supposed to.
