Daughter doesn't look after her rabbit. Best way to rehome?

[TheodoraLily]

Hi my daughter is 12 and doesn't look after her rabbit. She has even got to the point of lying and saying she has changed water/fed when she hasn't. The poor rabbit never comes out of his hutch.

Best way to rehome?

That is very sad. In the meantime can you take the rabbit out and clean etc to ensure he’s being cared for? I would google animal rescue centres close to you to see if one of those rehomes small animals. They will carry out proper home checks etc. Whatever you do don’t advertise on something like gumtree or preloved etc. Someone may use the rabbit as dog fighting bait - we have that happening a lot in our area.

Rescue. But as you’re the adult and you agreed to get the animal why aren’t you looking after it?

Because I got it for my daughter to look after. I obviously do make sure it has food and water.

Thank you, I was considering something like preloved so I'm glad I asked. Do rescues just take them in?

Around here they do and there doesn’t seem to be as much pressure as with dogs etc where you can wait a while. If you’re happy to say roughly where you’re based then someone might be able to help?

We are in Canterbury thanks

These people look like they take rabbits- hopefully someone will know something about them or any others in your area? www.lastchanceanimalrescue.co.uk/

So many rabbits languishing in shelters because children get bored and their parents don’t see it as their responsibility to take over. It’s a disgrace. Don’t take on an animal unless you are committing to care for it FOR LIFE. And that means you, the adult.

If you're not prepared to step in and provide proper care then you really shouldn't have got a pet. It's surely not that surprising that a 12 year old isn't doing it properly. Please don't get any other pets. They are not something you buy and then return when you get fed up.

As an adult you're legally responsible for the animal's welfare.If you decide to re-home, please only do so via a reputable rescue who will ensure bunny is vaccinated, neutered and finds a suitable bunny friend. Languishing in solitary confinement is a miserable existence for an active, social animal

Because I got it for my daughter to look after but you are the grown up. She’s a child. Poor rabbit

As you are the adult here it’s your responsibility to make sure that it’s looked after properly until you offload the problem on to spring else. That means putting it in its run and making sure it has some sort of relief from the torture of being stuck in a cage.

*someone else

Tree Tops Animal Rescue in Wraik Hill Whitstable take rabbits

I got my daughter a kitten. She loved it but lost interest. So then I took over the feeding, cleaning etc and look after the cat. Obvioulsey I wouldent have taken it on if I was relying on a 11 year olds commitment alone, as that's not a realistic deal.
Give the poor rabbit to someone who can offer it a proper life (not in a bloody hutch) even a big one is not enough room for a rabbit. and never get anything else alive.

Thank you I will contact them

What do you mean? It's a rabbit hutch, for rabbits, he's quite a small rabbit and we were also never told he needs a friend and is happy alone

What sort of lesson are you teaching your daughter demonstrating it's okay just dispose of something when it's too much effort. You bought the rabbit, it's your responsibility to look after it! Try taking privileges away from her unless she looks after it instead of trying to find a way out of it for her. You are enabling her behaviour!

You have a run for it surely? Please tell me it’s not just stuck in a tiny cage for its entire life? What enrichment does it have?

Second others - please never get another pet. Fwiw rabbits are social animals, so if he's got no companion animal and his people aren't paying him any attention, his life must be pretty wretched.

If you take on an animal for a child naturally you should be expecting that you will probably have to take over care. You can't rely on a young child! Poor rabbit, being left without company in a cage is like shutting a child in a bedroom for life and never letting it out. Anyone with half a brain should be able to work that out, but it seems that most parents that buy rabbits are incapable. I hope that bunny finds a caring home via a rescue, although he/she will be waiting in a queue no doubt.

Dd doesn’t look after her guniea pigs either so I do. I knew when we got them that if the novelty wore off for her I would have to do it. They do seem the longest lived pigs ever but I’d never dump an animal.

Rabbits should always have another rabbit for company. (Never a guinea pig as many people think- they don’t “speak” the same language and rabbits can actually injure guinea pigs or even kill them by kicking them). The only small animals who really do like living alone is a Syrian (golden) hamster.

It’s shut in a hutch and ignored because your child CBA and you’re not stepping in? You’re the adult. Did you not research what care and housing a rabbit would need? You took it on so you should be prepared to care for it.

Didn't you do any research before buying a rabbit? Even I know rabbits should have a pal and not be stuck in a hutch. It'll be extremely miserable.

You should have known that novelty often wears off for children of your daughters age where pets are concerned. You should have thought about this before buying her a rabbit.

Also, a rabbit should not be kept in a hutch 24/7. Would you keep any other animal in a small cage for it's entire life with not even any company? Disgusting.

Yes you need to find a good rescue and let the poor thing go to a family who will care for it.

And this exactly why I've never given in to the pestering by the kids of wanting a pet and the promises that they'd look after it. Because I know it'd be muggings here that ended up doing it all........and I don't want to.