WHY DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A RABBIT AS A PET?
When considering a pet, particularly for children it is something that requires much more thought than alot of people actually give it. It is so easy to see something cute and fluffy and jusy have to have it and then within a couple of months the novelty has worn off and the poor little must have is cast aside for the next must have. When any animal is purchased it is done so by an adult as this is what the law states has to happen. Once the animal is purchased you as an adult have a responsibility to care and provide for it over the duration of its lifetime, the onus is on the adult NOT the child, for no responsibility that great can be placed on the shoulders of one so young and should that be a reasonable expectation the law would NOT state that a child cannot purchase any animal independently. Rabbits make great companions but the reality is they will live a lot longer than many children's desire to have one, this is not to say that there aren't exceptional children out there who do not make excellent owners, who take their chores very seriously and do a marvellous job of looking after their pets.
Our own rabbit keeping journey began in much the same way as many exhibitors that we know, with our daughters first birthday, we wanted her to have a pet to grow up with. Off went to a garden centre where we found a dwarf lop doe and that instance the ideal pet. Obviously we walked away knowing that the husbandry, feeding and day to day care was our duty not our daughter's. She had a great friend in Lily and when she passed away to an illness with no symptoms it was great loss and a very sad day. We knew another bunny would come into our lives and she did, little Lola, a harlequin lionhead. Lola went on to become a mother and a grandmother here with us, she lived out her twilight years and passed away in October 2011. Of course we missed Lily's lopped ears so much that we did buy a hutchmate for Lola (back when she was younger BEFORE she was used for breeding, a new dwarf we called Daisy, she is also no longer with us either having passed away of old age. The rest as they say is history, we now have a great number of special rabbits all of which are cared for by myself, my husband and the often reluctant help of our daughter.
SO WHY A RABBIT?
For me this is easy to answer. Rabbits have a greater life expectancy than most other small animals, they are larger so for children easier to handle with appropriate supervision, they very rarely bite although they do have a tendency to scratch which although can be painful is not done to hurt you but rather in an attempt to escape a situation they are not comfortable in. They are easy to maintain once you have established a routine and a little time each day keeps all the required jobs manageable.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Do your research, what type of rabbit do you want?, what size will they grow to?, can you afford the diet and upkeep of an adult rabbit especially if it is a large breed?, what is the typical temperament of your chosen breed?, will you have a doe (female) or buck (male)?, will they have company?, do you want a house rabbit or one that lives outside?, what are the recommendations on frequency of vaccines in your local area?, what will happen with your rabbit should you decide to have a holiday?
The main thing you want to know is what your chosen breed of rabbit should actually look like. There are so many people claiming to have specific breeds for sale that quite simply are not what they claim them to be, they are mixed breeds, not worth the money they are asking, bred for all the wrong reasons, often have their health compromised and if they can't be honest with the breed what else are the being deceptive about?. If in any doubt whatsoever take a look at the BRC website, here you will find all the information that you need.
We do hope that should you decide to go ahead with your decision to own a rabbit after consideration of how it will fit into your life and the personal changes that need to be made to accommodate the duty of care you would have to this rabbit, that you enjoy many happy years together. Rabbits have great personalities and are rather dog like in domineer, all of ours come straight to the front of the hutch to say hello as soon as we walk in the shed.
IT IS NOT OUR RIGHT TO OWN AN ANIMAL IT IS A PRIVILEDGE THAT WE ARE AFFORDED, FIRST AND FOREMOST THERE IS A DUTY OF CARE FOR WHICH THE PET OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE AND ANY KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED SHOULD BE SOUGHT BEFORE THE PET COMES HOME. WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A PART OF THE WONDER THAT IS NATURE ALL TOO OFTEN THIS IS ABUSED AND INDIVIDUALS SEEM TO BELIEVE THEY CAN TREAT ANIMALS HOW THEY PLEASE THIS SHOULD NEVER BE CONDONED. IT IS HARD TO CHANGE A PERSONS THOUGHT PATTERN EDUCATION IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD. WE DO NOT INTEND TO DETER ANYBODY FROM ENJOYING THE COMPANIONSHIP THAT A RABBIT HAS TO OFFER BUT THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT DO REQUIRE CAREFUL THOUGHT, IMPULSE BUYING IS NOT A CRIME BUT IS BEST SUITED TO THE HIGH STREET OR SUPERMARKET AND NOT WITH THE LIFE OF AN ANIMAL.
Our own rabbit keeping journey began in much the same way as many exhibitors that we know, with our daughters first birthday, we wanted her to have a pet to grow up with. Off went to a garden centre where we found a dwarf lop doe and that instance the ideal pet. Obviously we walked away knowing that the husbandry, feeding and day to day care was our duty not our daughter's. She had a great friend in Lily and when she passed away to an illness with no symptoms it was great loss and a very sad day. We knew another bunny would come into our lives and she did, little Lola, a harlequin lionhead. Lola went on to become a mother and a grandmother here with us, she lived out her twilight years and passed away in October 2011. Of course we missed Lily's lopped ears so much that we did buy a hutchmate for Lola (back when she was younger BEFORE she was used for breeding, a new dwarf we called Daisy, she is also no longer with us either having passed away of old age. The rest as they say is history, we now have a great number of special rabbits all of which are cared for by myself, my husband and the often reluctant help of our daughter.
SO WHY A RABBIT?
For me this is easy to answer. Rabbits have a greater life expectancy than most other small animals, they are larger so for children easier to handle with appropriate supervision, they very rarely bite although they do have a tendency to scratch which although can be painful is not done to hurt you but rather in an attempt to escape a situation they are not comfortable in. They are easy to maintain once you have established a routine and a little time each day keeps all the required jobs manageable.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Do your research, what type of rabbit do you want?, what size will they grow to?, can you afford the diet and upkeep of an adult rabbit especially if it is a large breed?, what is the typical temperament of your chosen breed?, will you have a doe (female) or buck (male)?, will they have company?, do you want a house rabbit or one that lives outside?, what are the recommendations on frequency of vaccines in your local area?, what will happen with your rabbit should you decide to have a holiday?
The main thing you want to know is what your chosen breed of rabbit should actually look like. There are so many people claiming to have specific breeds for sale that quite simply are not what they claim them to be, they are mixed breeds, not worth the money they are asking, bred for all the wrong reasons, often have their health compromised and if they can't be honest with the breed what else are the being deceptive about?. If in any doubt whatsoever take a look at the BRC website, here you will find all the information that you need.
We do hope that should you decide to go ahead with your decision to own a rabbit after consideration of how it will fit into your life and the personal changes that need to be made to accommodate the duty of care you would have to this rabbit, that you enjoy many happy years together. Rabbits have great personalities and are rather dog like in domineer, all of ours come straight to the front of the hutch to say hello as soon as we walk in the shed.
IT IS NOT OUR RIGHT TO OWN AN ANIMAL IT IS A PRIVILEDGE THAT WE ARE AFFORDED, FIRST AND FOREMOST THERE IS A DUTY OF CARE FOR WHICH THE PET OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE AND ANY KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED SHOULD BE SOUGHT BEFORE THE PET COMES HOME. WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A PART OF THE WONDER THAT IS NATURE ALL TOO OFTEN THIS IS ABUSED AND INDIVIDUALS SEEM TO BELIEVE THEY CAN TREAT ANIMALS HOW THEY PLEASE THIS SHOULD NEVER BE CONDONED. IT IS HARD TO CHANGE A PERSONS THOUGHT PATTERN EDUCATION IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD. WE DO NOT INTEND TO DETER ANYBODY FROM ENJOYING THE COMPANIONSHIP THAT A RABBIT HAS TO OFFER BUT THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT DO REQUIRE CAREFUL THOUGHT, IMPULSE BUYING IS NOT A CRIME BUT IS BEST SUITED TO THE HIGH STREET OR SUPERMARKET AND NOT WITH THE LIFE OF AN ANIMAL.