Rabbits are energetic animals. Keeping them always in a cell or taking them to a loud classroom might not be the best idea. As they are social animals, they like to have attention. But when the rabbits get too much care, they will feel uneasy. Sometimes will be nervous when a human is touching them.
Here comes the question – are rabbits good classroom pets. The answer is NO. Rabbits do not like to be in pen throughout the day. They will feel uncomfortable by the sneaky stares and poking fingers from the kids in the classroom. Using rabbits, you can teach the kids how to deal with delicate things and care for a pet.
Keeping the rabbit in a classroom comes with many negative impacts than positive elements. Before bringing the pet to a school, it is better to consider all the aspects.
Contents
Pet Rabbits Are Not Low-maintenance
People think that the small pet animals for classrooms like rabbits are low maintenance. Other misconceptions are, rabbits do not need attention, or they do not want plenty of food. All these things are wrong, and if you follow them, it can be dangerous to the physical and mental health of the rabbit. If you want the kids to learn how to take care of a rabbit, you should not keep the rabbit in a cage. Letting the children see the rabbit through the pen’s bar is also not a good idea.
Rabbits are energetic animals and love to roam around the area throughout the day. If it is crucial, they also want to spend alone time. Consider giving your rabbit plenty of time to exercise so that it can release its energy. The playtime also helps the rabbit to improve and maintain its temperament.
It is easy for the kids to divert their attention when the rabbit is sprinting in the classroom. It is not a good idea because the children would not listen to the ongoing teaching. The school is not a safe option for the rabbit to roam around because the pupils might step on it.
Rabbits love to play with their owner because it is trying to make a bond. Also, the rabbit will have plenty of time for exercise so it can remain healthy. Routine plans are crucial for rabbits because it makes them think they are safe. In the classroom, you will be busy teaching certain subjects from time to time. Due to this, you may not have enough time to take care of the rabbit. Also, you can not give your total attention to the rabbit.
What Will Happen If I Leave Pet Rabbit At School?
If you own a pet rabbit, you have to be ready to face a few situations. What if the air-conditioning goes off in the summer months? What will you do if the heater stops working in the cold or winter months? You can not leave the rabbit at school for many hours without any supervision. If you did, the rabbit might suffer from severe health problems. You can specify the rabbits’ body temperature from the heat of their ears. But if you are not checking or not taking care of the rabbit, it might die.
If you think you can not check on the rabbit from time to time, you should not bring it to the classroom. Your rabbit can not wait in the pen of a classroom throughout the day. Due to the slippery linoleum floor, the pet will be afraid to jump around by itself. It is better not to bring your rabbit to school because there are high chances that it will injure itself.
Rabbits like to spend more time with the people who are seeking it from a distance. It also wants to play with them. Rabbits are social animals and feel comfortable having people’s attention. So if you are keeping the rabbit in the same pen for many hours, it tends to feel sad and might stress itself. It will harm the social skills and the mental health of the rabbit.
Rabbits Do Not Want Compressed Areas
When your rabbit needs to eat or wants some alone time, keeping it in a cell is an excellent idea. But, you have to remember that cell is not a home. Rabbits are active and free-running animals. They like to have the fresh breeze and want to roam around without restrictions.
If you want the rabbit to stay happy and comfortable in its cell, choose a cage with two feet in width and four feet long. Litter training the rabbit is easy. But allowing the pet to run in the classroom is a good idea or not? The rabbit is an attention steeler regardless if it is on the floor or inside the pen. When the pet is angry or happy, it will make squealing sounds. These noises will divert the children’s attention from the ongoing lesson.
While teaching the children how to take care of and touch the rabbit, the pet might feel nervous. Rabbits will be afraid when the kids try to hold their hands. The pets want to be on the floor with all their feet on the ground. The rabbits will feel uneasy and anxious when people are attempting to snuggle and squeeze them.
If you are not sure about the rabbit’s safety outside the pen, do not bring it to the areas near the children. The rabbit is not a suitable pet for school if roaming around is not good for it.
It Might Be A Health Problem For Children
We came across a few articles that reveal about children getting asthma when they are with rabbits. If you get allergic reactions when you are around the pet, it might be because of the rabbit’s dandruff.
Another health risk in kids is anaphylaxis. This illness occurs when the children are around the rabbit. The kids will go into shock, their heartbeat rises, blood pressure decreases, and airways will block off.
Due to the above things, the rabbit is more harmful to the kids. It is the responsibility of the teacher to keep the children and rabbits safe.
It is hard to assure everyone and every year that keeping children and rabbits in the same classroom is safe. You need to clarify and keep out the disclaimers to ensure that everyone is safe.
Some parents are nervous about their children getting asthma attacks or allergic responses because of the rabbit’s fur. Because of this, they tend to give medication to their kids. If you do not want to keep the rabbit in your house, then the rabbit is not a choice as a classroom pet.
Rabbits Might Suffer From Abuse In And Out Of The Classroom
PETA is struggling to assure the protection of all animals in the case of classroom pets. Each year, they get plenty of abuse cases of a classroom pet. Sometimes, there are also cases of students taking away the pet to their home during holidays.
Rabbits and other tiny animals are facing terrible situations both at school and classroom. Some children steps on the pets, a few chokes them, and others poke the rabbits with pencils and more.
If the kids’ parents do not have a pet in their home, it is better not to send the rabbit with that kid. When the parents do not allow the rabbit to roam around out of the pen, the pet will not get the needed exercise time. It might affect the mental state of the rabbit.
The pen is not a suitable home for the rabbit to live and grow up. When the rabbit is at the home of a child, there are chances for the pet to get injuries. Due to the lack of repercussions towards the kids, even if they harm the rabbit, it will be a natural accident.
Rabbits Like Routines
Rabbits are the first pets we need to talk about when it is about having a specific schedule. They would not like it if you did not follow their daily playing, eating, resting, and snack timings. Your rabbit must keep a routine for itself. When the rabbit is in a classroom, it will get proper mealtime. This method also allows the kids to feed the pet. But getting food at the right time is not the only crucial thing in the schedule of the rabbit.
Rabbits are furious with you if you did not hold on to their strict schedule. When it is time to exercise, your rabbit will be waiting for you at the edge of the pen’s gate. If you did not come to the rabbit, it would be mad at you. It also ignores people’s affection.
When somebody takes the classroom rabbit to their home, no one knows if they will follow the rabbit’s routine or not. You need to follow the schedule of your rabbit to retain and enhance its physical and mental health.
Too Much Attention Makes Them Nervous
Rabbits like to have attention, but too many prying eyes will make them uncomfortable. In extreme situations, they would be afraid to be near humans. At that moment, the rabbit will sit in the corner of the cage because it is scared.
Rather than being a pet for instructing the kids, rabbits wish to hide from the steady poking and spying eyes. You can discipline the children to stay quiet while taking tests or during announcements using the rabbit. But, it does not improve their subject learning in any way.
To repeat, over stimulus is terrible for the rabbit’s social skills, mental well-being, and physical health. It also decreases their desire to get attention and eating treats.
When the rabbits do not have peaceful and independent time, they might be afraid of human presence and touch. They have different attitudes. If you are the owner, you should try your best to understand their body language. It is excellent to keep the rabbit as a home pet rather than taking it to the classroom.