Thoughts and Tips on Rabbits with Families

Tips to Mom and Dad, for integrating a companion animal into a busy family

Attitutude

• Consider your pet a companion for the entire family.
• Accept the fact that rabbit care will fall to on your shoulders. Realize it and be at peace with it…. then make plans to make the job easier.
• Don’t even try to make “rabbit care” a chore for the kids to do. It becomes a battle and creates negative feelings.
• Encourage helping.  (i.e., “Yes, you can help Mommy make the bunny-buffet tonight, or “Peter can play in your room, after you give him fresh water.

Activities

• Supervise small children with the bunny, for the safety of both child and rabbit.
• Schedule play-times with bunny, such as after homework is finished or after a good lunch.
• Have play-times with bunny instead of  TV or invite bunny to watch TV with the family.
• During play-time everyone sits on the floor with bunny.  Offer treats if he comes near your lap. Stoke his head and ears if he lays down.
• Find toys bunny likes, such as tubes, boxes & baby toys for play-time.
• Have the kids choose the greens for bunny at the market.
• Have your kids show guests how to pet the bunny properly and how to give treats.  This gives them a sense of responsibility for him.

Always have “house rules” like;

1. No picking up the rabbit.
2. Leave bunny alone when he retreats to his house or pen.

Make sure guest are aware of the house rules.  House rules are nice because kids don’t feel singled-out or incapable.  Instead of saying, “You cannot pick up the rabbit”, it feels better to say, “There is a rule in the house.. no one picks up the rabbit.”

Making the maintenance task easier:

• Line litterboxes with plastic liners or garbage bags (if your rabbit isn’t interested in chewing them) or newspaper, or both.
• Use an absorbent paper litter, like Yesterday’s News or Critter Country.  Sprinkle fresh litter on top every day.
• Change litterboxes frequently, every other day or so (easier to clean when they are not overfilled).
• Cover litterbox with a hood, to stop digging messes.
• Keep hay in a hopper or other container to eliminate strewn hay. Or put hay in the litterbox if it is large enough.
• Keep wisk brooms or dustbuster near pen.
• Daily maintenance should be 10 minutes (per rabbit) maximum, make a routine of it.
• Neuter your rabbit.