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40 APRIL 2015 DOGGIERESCUE.COM MAGAZINE
CHILDREN & RABBITS!
With thanks to www.boingonline.com for anything you need to know about rabbits...
With Easter almost here baby bunnies again sit in pet shop windows hoping some Mum or Dad
will see them and think they are cute and cuddly—just the perfect Easter gift for a small child!
Cute and cuddly they may be and for far too long it has been thought that rabbits are great
"starter" pets for small children. This is completely inaccurate. Rabbits need gentle care.
Rabbits are misunderstood and delicate creatures with quite strong
personalities, sharp teeth and nails. Not only can children easily injure a rabbit
but also a rabbit can injure your child. All children under 15 should be supervised
with a rabbit. When a rabbit and child are not supervised, the rabbit will always
come out second best.
Sadly there are too many stories about rabbits being accidentally killed by small
children, such as the bunny who was taken to the park and dropped down the
slide until it didn't move anymore. Or the one that was brought inside to sleep
with a little girl who placed it under her pillow where it suffocated overnight.
That's just two true stories, sadly there are so many more. Rabbits are living,
breathing little bundles of personality and love but they are also timid creatures
and loud noises and children running around can scare them.
A BUNNY IS NOT A TOY!
Injuries to the children & rabbit
• Scratches & kicking
Rabbits are built differently to other animals and can
easily be injured if not interacted with correctly.
Rabbits are very bottom heavy. Their back legs are
much bigger than their front legs and this means that
they hold most of their weight in the second half of
their body. If a rabbit is held or picked up incorrectly,
a rabbit will panic and kick out with its strong hind
legs. This kicking can cause a child to drop the
rabbit. A rabbit will drop to the ground bottom first
causing breaks, serious injury and sometimes death.
The child will also be injured by the scratching of the
nails and the kicking of the legs.
