‘I’m a vet – parents should avoid buying one popular pet for kids’

A vet nurse has named one popular pet parents should avoid buying for their children.

Jade is a registered veterinary nurse based in the UK and mum to three dogs and three tortoises. She regularly shares pet care advice and her expert views on social media.

The vet nurse posted a video on TikTok claiming rabbits don’t make good pets for children. She explained they are complex animals that require special care.

Rabbits are small, furry mammals with long ears, short tails and strong hind legs. They are seen as cute animals for their physical features and the way they hop.

These furry mammals, also known as bunnies, have been made popular by children’s shows like Peter Rabbit and Bing and the family movie Hop, starring the famous Easter Bunny. However, in reality, these animals are more complex beyond their cute nature and can be difficult to look after, especially for children.

In the caption of her TikTok clip, Jade raised a number of points. Firstly, she wrote: “Rabbits are very complex animals that require special care, food, husbandry and attention to detail. They are in no way easy to care for when done properly and if they become poorly, can deteriorate and even die within 24hr if not treated quickly by a veterinarian (costing hundreds-thousands of pounds.)”

She explained that rabbits require “costly annual vaccinations, six monthly health checks, preventative treatment, special diet, enrichment and dental care etc”. This makes it “a lot of responsibility for a child” and Jade has found that pet rabbits often become neglected “due to the child’s lack of education or the child gets bored of them.”

The RSPCA confirms that there are annual vaccinations for rabbits that must be kept up to date, including myxomatosis, R(V)HD and R(V)HD2. Myxomatosis is a severe, viral disease that only affects rabbits and it affects their skin, eyes, lungs, liver and genitals, according to Blue Cross.

The UK animal charity says if a rabbit has been vaccinated, it will usually catch a very mild form of myxomatosis and make a full recovery with supportive veterinary care but it warns that for wild rabbits and unvaccinated pet rabbits, the disease is usually fatal. Blue Cross explains, if they aren’t vaccinated, “most rabbits die within one to two weeks, often from secondary bacterial infections, such as pneumonia.”

Vet charity PDSA states that Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (also known as RVHD, RHD and VHD), is a “nasty virus that targets rabbits, attacks internal organs and causes internal bleeding.” There are two types of RHD virus: RHD1 and RHD2. RHD1 causes very sudden illness and is nearly always fatal within two days of catching it, according to PDSA.

Another point Jade made in her TikTok post is that rabbits need “a lot of space” and should “always be kept in a minimum of pairs because they are social animals.” PDSA advises that rabbits can live indoors or outdoors but a hutch is not enough as they need “lots of space and boredom busters to keep them busy and active.”

The vet charity further notes: “Rabbits are also very sociable, so it’s essential that they live in neutered pairs or groups.” Jade ended her TikTok video caption with a statement: “It’s great if the parents are educated and own rabbits and want to teach their children how to properly care for them but children should never be given the sole responsibility for rabbits (and yes this happens a lot!).

One parent agreed that rabbits are not good pets for children as they commented: “Defo (definitely) not, the novelty wears off. Kids can be rough when picking them up (not intentionally). I ended up with two rabbits because the kids lost interest.”

Another user added: “I agree, future owners should definitely put some effort [into] to educate themselves about the basic needs of rabbits.” Others chimed in with “couldn’t agree more”, “so true” and “totally agree.”

Always do your own research before getting a pet, and look into whether you’d be able to provide a suitable environment to meet all their needs.