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Bringing Home the Easter Bunny
Should Your Child Have a Rabbit as a Pet?
By Donna Smith
Bunny Buddies encourages rabbit owners to keep their pet inside. "Many people who have kept their bunny outdoors are surprised when they bring them inside to discover that the bunny has a personality," says Helen Swann, president of Bunny Buddies. "It's not just a lump in a hutch! Rabbits are smart, entertaining, affectionate and lots of fun, but not if their only connection with a human is when they toss food into the hutch."
Keeping a rabbit indoors requires some "bunny-proofing" to ensure the safety of your house and your pet. "Electrical cords have to be covered or made inaccessible, and wooden furniture is attractive to many bunnies," says Swann. Poisonous plants should also be moved out of the bunny's reach.
If you do decide to keep your rabbit outside, the proper cage is important. "Consider building a large enough pen, so the child can actually go inside and play with the rabbit, without having to pick it up or fearing it will run away," says Snopek. "A regular hutch surrounded by a 6-foot by 6-foot wire enclosure works well for one family I know. To protect the rabbit, the enclosure must be completely cat- and dog-proof, dug into the ground and covered on top."
"I had rabbits as a child," says Stockton. "I remember one of them being attacked by a neighbor's dog and killed. I was horrified." To ensure this does not happen to her son's rabbit, she had her husband build a cage that sits on a wooden table. "And, we only let him run in the backyard if he's supervised," she says. "It nly takes a second for something to happen."
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