Your child wants a pet and you’ve been considering one, but you’re wondering what kind of pet would be best for your child. Dogs and cats seem like a lot of responsibility, so you’ve been hesitant to get one. How about a rabbit? Rabbits aren’t just cute and cuddly, but they can teach your child important life lessons that will stick with your child for a long time. Let’s look at six of them.
Responsibility
The first thing any pet teaches a child is responsibility. While rabbits are easier to care for than dogs, the rabbit still needs to be interacted with, fed, given water and housed. Your child can do all those things under your supervision and have a great time enjoying the bunny. Your child will learn what cages and hutches will make a good environment for the pet rabbit, what to feed it, and how to ensure the rabbit will be cared for when your family goes on vacation. By learning responsibility with this pet, your child will understand what it is to be responsible for something living.
Empathy
As a child grows, he or she needs to develop empathy for living beings. By learning and understanding that a rabbit is a living, breathing creature, capable of showing emotion, feeling pain, and having basic needs, your child will learn to empathize with the rabbit. Your child will know when the rabbit is bored, hungry, thirsty, or just wanting some playtime as your child cares for the rabbit.
Respect for Animals
Along with empathy, your child will grow a healthy respect for animals. Your child needs to learn that rabbits aren’t toys that can be handled roughly and put away when done. Rabbits are delicate creatures that need proper handling and care. Your child needs to learn how to be gentle and take the time to allow an animal to trust him or her. Likewise, because your child will feel empathy toward the rabbit, it transfers rapidly to respect for other animals under your guidance.
Diligence
Rabbits are naturally prey animals, so they are not trusting at first. It takes time and perseverance to gain a rabbit’s trust. You can help your child establish trust by showing your child how to take slow steps in handling the rabbit. Your child will learn through diligence to gain the pet’s trust, thus creating a wonderful bond.
Budgeting
Your child can learn the important lesson about budgeting with the rabbit. Rabbits need housing, food, treats, and veterinary care, all of which cost money. You can teach your child to save allowance money and establish a bunny budget. Having your child learn how to handle a simple budget is an important step in financial planning that will serve your child well.
Self-Esteem
Caring for a pet can improve your child’s self-esteem. Your child gets positive regard and interaction from the pet, thus increasing your child’s self-esteem. Knowing that someone (the rabbit) depends on him or her can greatly improve feelings of being worthy. Your child’s peers may wish to spend time with your child and pet, thus giving your child more interaction with them, thus making more friends.