If Your Child 'Lost Interest' in Their Pet Rabbits.............

[Fellie]

This question is one that worries me - my nephew who is 12 has convinced his parents to let him have a rabbit that he as fallen in love with at the adventure farm where he works a few hours a week. It has take a few weeks - but after many promises etc etc his parents (my brother and SIL) have given in - well my SIL has said no, but brother has said yes. My SIL will want nothing to do with the rabbit as she said no - she is funny like that - and plus is scared of rabbits :shock::shock::shock:.

I just know my nephew will get bored - he will not have realised the commitment involved and has such a busy school schedule as it is. I am worried - very worried, and have already started thinking about how we can squeeze in 1 more rabbit into our warren (not easily but better than the alternatives).

Couple of positives - my niece who is a bit younger absolutely adores animals, and is quite responsible for her age and very intelligent - when nephew gets bored, hopefully she will take over. Also - rabbit will be indoors - not as easy to forget to feed etc. HOPING that my brother will also remember to step in when necessary.

And at least rabbit will come to us if/when it all fails - and if we cannot cope with 7 we will do our best to re-home to a GOOD home. Poor thing - he doesn't deserve the upheaval that is ahead of him. I have given all the advice I can on his care - I just hope they take it.

But you see it happening so often - fine get the the child a rabbit but the adult really must take ultimate responsiblity of it.

 

[nursecroft]

I had rabbits as a child and HAD to look after them no matter what, my parents made sure I did. The wonderful thing animals teach children is responsibility! If parents allow their children to then just hand them over or make them look after them they are teaching them the opposite! Archie 'helps' me with my animals, if when he's older he wants to discuss taking on an animal under my supervision I will explaining to him that it will be a life long commitment to that animal and he will have no choice once he has made that commitment.

 

[Rupert & Tia]

I'd never let them have pets until they were fully aware of the responsibility. Even then, they'd be my pets, but the children would have to help with the care.

 

[Mackers]

Yes, I agree that the adult should accept that ultimately they are responsible for the care of the Rabbits. But even if the Rabbits are not rehomed, is it OK to just let the kids (brats in this case !!) turn away from their promises. I would still insist that they carried out the basics of feeding and cleaning, even if I had to shadow them as they did it. They would not get away with spending all evening on their (new) laptop instead.

I agree with you Jane. As children, my brother and I were given a shetland sheepdog. It was actually Mum's dog but we were told it was for us. We promised faithfully that we'd take him for walks etc but in time, the novelty wore off. Despite this, we were MADE to walk him twice a day before and after school. It was only a quick lead walk around the block and Mum always took him for his 'proper' walk at lunchtime whilst we were at school. However, we were not permitted to ignore our responsibilities and I think it taught us well.

Yes, a child may cause a scene and resent being made to deal with a pet it no longer cares about BUT allowing them to walk away is teaching them that someone else will pick up the pieces and they don't have to care.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I think I would of course take over the care of the pet, BUT I would also insist that the child continued to help in some way. There would be rules set in stone about that and they would not be open to negotiation. The child would not be allowed any other pets until they were living in their own home. Even if that did not happen til the got to the age of 30 !!

The situation I am aware of has made me cross as not only did I see it coming and when asked I said so, but also the fact that the kids (2 aged 11 and 13) have now started asking for riding lessons. How long til it'll be 'We want a Pony'...............................

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I agree with you Jane. As children, my brother and I were given a shetland sheepdog. It was actually Mum's dog but we were told it was for us. We promised faithfully that we'd take him for walks etc but in time, the novelty wore off. Despite this, we were MADE to walk him twice a day before and after school. It was only a quick lead walk around the block and Mum always took him for his 'proper' walk at lunchtime whilst we were at school. However, we were not permitted to ignore our responsibilities and I think it taught us well.

Yes, a child may cause a scene and resent being made to deal with a pet it no longer cares about BUT allowing them to walk away is teaching them that someone else will pick up the pieces and they don't have to care.

Totally agree with you xx

 

[tonibun]

personally i would not force my child to care for the rabbits, as i think they would resent them and it's not teaching them to willingly commit to their responsibilities. i would care for the rabbits myself, demonstrating that a pet is a lifelong commitment and someone has to care for them. i think that sets a better example to children, as kids will be kids and they have short attention spans sometimes - it is the adults responsibility to make the right decisions

I agree :thumb:

 

[Willow_Warren]

'We want a Pony'...............................

I've been asking that for over 20 years my Mummy still hasn't bought me one :evil:

Hannah :lol:

 

[tonibun]

Yes, I agree that the adult should accept that ultimately they are responsible for the care of the Rabbits. But even if the Rabbits are not rehomed, is it OK to just let the kids (brats in this case !!) turn away from their promises. I would still insist that they carried out the basics of feeding and cleaning, even if I had to shadow them as they did it. They would not get away with spending all evening on their (new) laptop instead.

You can't expect a small child to keep promises. It is very unfair. In fact adults aren't all that good at keeping them either!

 

[DemiS]

i think any parent should understand that if they bring or allow an animal into the household, it is their responsibility. children might be encouraged to care for animals properly but ultimately, the care of the child and the care of the child's animals rests with the parent as the responsible adult in the scenario.

^ This, surely parents must realise that the child is likely to get bored and not want to look after the animal for it's entire life, so if the child gets bored then it's up to the parent to take over. Forcing the child would make them think more about the responsibility of a pet but they might do a bad job of it and at the end of the day they are just children. They definitely shouldn't be allowed any more pets though if they get bored of one

I got my first rabbit when I was about 10 and from the day I got it he was MY responsibility, I had to look after him though because there was absolutely no chance of my mum doing it. But its clear from the number of rabbits being rehomed that children who don't get bored of their rabbits are a minority

 

[susie bun]

I haven't posted yet because I don't have children, nor did I have a pet as a child. However it is an interesting thread so maybe I should put in my tuppenceworth. I think I agree with those who say that saying 'yes' to a pet for a child would be tantamount to agreeing to oversee and if necessary provide all the essential care necessary. I do think it is wrong, though, for losing interest in a pet to have no more consequences than, say, deciding to stop music lessons or playing with a once-coveted toy.

 

[Mackers]

You can't expect a small child to keep promises. It is very unfair. In fact adults aren't all that good at keeping them either!

I don't agree and I think Jane's right. No, you can't expect a small child to keep a promise BUT as a parent, you CAN insist that each time you go to feed or clean out the rabbit, said small child HAS to accompany you, even if they just stand and watch. It teaches them that they must give their time to this animal, even if they won't give their heart. There's nothing wrong with the parent taking over responsibility as they presumably considered this before obtaining the pet but I strongly believe a child should still be made to do SOMETHING, even if it's just a token guesture.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I don't agree and I think Jane's right. No, you can't expect a small child to keep a promise BUT as a parent, you CAN insist that each time you go to feed or clean out the rabbit, said small child HAS to accompany you, even if they just stand and watch. It teaches them that they must give their time to this animal, even if they won't give their heart. There's nothing wrong with the parent taking over responsibility as they presumably considered this before obtaining the pet but I strongly believe a child should still be made to do SOMETHING, even if it's just a token guesture.

:thumb:

 

[*lily*]

A lot of course depends on the age of the chikd. A 4 year old who sees a rabbit and nags to get one, woukd not realise the amount of care the animal will need. They just wont have the capability to understand the needs of a live animal.

However, older children from around 11 yrs old and upward definately CAN understand the responsibilities involved in caring for an animal and should not be allowed to sight boredom as a reason not to look after the animal.

I would oversee the care but also insist that the child is fully involved.

 

[Mackers]

A lot of course depends on the age of the chikd. A 4 year old who sees a rabbit and nags to get one, woukd not realise the amount of care the animal will need. They just wont have the capability to understand the needs of a live animal.

However, older children from around 11 yrs old and upward definately CAN understand the responsibilities involved in caring for an animal and should not be allowed to sight boredom as a reason not to look after the animal.

I would oversee the care but also insist that the child is fully involved.

I was only 5 or 6 when we had our first dog but I was still made to walk him . I was old enough to understand he needed exercise and I was old enough to understand a degree of responsibility.

 

[bizziel]

I don't think rabbits are an appropriate pet for children and any family getting a rabbit is making a commitment to that animal for it's whole life. It makes me very angry to think anyone would get a pet for a child and then rehome it if the child lost interest. This is only teaching that child that reneging on a commitment is perfectly fine as someone else will sort out the problem. I think in this case I would ensure the rabbit was properly cared for myself but also ensure the child was at least contributing to that care. As others have said I would also not get any more pets. But this is all hypothetical as I don't have children so can't say for sure how I would act. Definitely would not rehome the poor bunny though!

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[Shimmer]

My 3 teenage girls each have a rabbit and a cat or 2 that are nominally 'theirs' - ie they chose them and are aware of what needs doing for them and when. But they have NEVER done a proper clean out of a hutch / litter tray, or groomed them (all longhaired). They will feed and water them if asked - but only if asked. They never think to do it on a daily basis and I have to check that it has actually been done.

They DO tend to be the ones who put the rabbits etc to bed at night (mainly cos they can get into the runs more easily than me). I nearly always put them out in the runs on a morning.

One of them is quite good at doing the medicines if given specific instructions under supervision. That includes tablets to cats - quite a skill at times. She will also tell me if something needs doing that I have missed or one of the animals is looking a bit off it.

However, they do groom the dog more often than I do, check / clean his ears / teeth, and nearly always clean his feet, etc after a walk. Most days they do some sort of dog walking - but usually have to be pushed to do it. They will pick up his poo if they are walking him - whoever has the lead draws the short straw.

I would never expect a child (of any age) to take full responsibility for any pet - no matter what they promise. We only have pets that I am prepared to fully care for. Any animal that comes through our door is here for life. Any help from the kids is a bonus - even if they do almost have to be bullied into it a lot of the time. They know that in this house, the animals will get sorted - but their own tea may be DIY.

 

[tulsi]

I had many rabbits as a child and did lose interest (wanted a hamster). They were then rehomed and I miss them to this day. That terrible feeling has never left me. WISH I had been made to care for them ... If only I had kept them and the hamster ...

 

[William]

I wouldn't mind as I would expect that might happen anyway since it often does with kids.

I always had rabbits and other pets growing up and while I usually took care of them and even took on responsibility for the family pets from a young age, my parents would feed them if I forgot without much/any fuss about it. That was when I was like less than 9/10 years old though, and my parents always bought rabbits for me and my siblings without us begging for them since they love rabbits. If I hadn't taken care of the hamsters and mice I begged for when I was 12 I imagine my parents wouldn't have been happy about it.

I think that approach is best. Arguing about it might lead to the kid not wanting to care for them even more. In a 'since you're forcing me I don't want to' kind of way. Or might lead to resentment towards the rabbits.

Anyway, if the kid says they don't want to care for them that might be short lived. A month later they might want to again, especially if you try to engage them with the rabbits.

 

[Babsie]

I wouldn't get any pet with the expectation that a child would accept responsibility for it. If it had happened, don't think I could re-home the pet, I would just accept - but I do think I would insist that the child involved helped with the cleaning out.