Lending a rabbit to a classroom

[DianeS]

I have a friend who teaches a second grade class, and she is asking about borrowing a rabbit from me to use as a temporary classroom pet.

I'm thinking through the possibilities - what I'd have to do to arrange it, food and water requirements, things that could go wrong, etc.

I do have one rabbit with a perfect personality, so that's not a problem. She doesn't scratch or bite, she just kinda hangs out in whatever position and looks at you. And the friend is responsible enough to keep the cage locked unless she is personally supervising the rabbit being held (by a child who is SITTING on the floor). She only wants the rabbit for 2-3 weeks, and I would pick it up to take home on the weekends.

I'd send food and a proper sized scoop, and the hanging bottle for water. And I have a cage she could use with an under-wire tray for droppings.

Getting scratched is always a consideration with classroom pets, she'll handle it the way she'd handle a gerbil or anything else, probably with permission slips from the parents.

What possible problems am I missing? I'm leaning toward saying "yes" unless you all give me good reasons to change my mind.

 

[a7736100]

I would ask the school for a letter that they assume all liability for injuries if any.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

i personally wouldn't for a few reasons bigest being due to biosecurity and i'd not want to be responsible if it bit, scratched ect or someone was alergic to it. i also feel it would be to stressful on a rabbit to keep moveing it and all the noise ect. i just think it would be to much for it because i know just showing them and moveing them for that how bad it streses them and u would be moveing it around even more than that but that is mho. if u do decide to i agree with the above post but i'd add to that letter not liable if someone is alergic ect either.

 

[savingdogs]

I think it sounds like a nice idea but in this day and age, it would be too risky.

I think that even if you could be assured that the rabbit got proper supervision while being with the children, you could still be liable if a child were hurt. Even if there is a permission slip signed, someone could still try to sue you. I just would bring the rabbit in for one day and let them observe it with you there yourself to supervise as a compromise.

That is what I would offer with my animals.

 

[tortoise]

I think it would be RARE to find a rabbit with the right temperament, but I know they exist. I found a Jersey Woolie that my # year old son drags around. He is still trying to learn to hold a rabbit correctly. Bless her heart, the poor little rabbit won't kick or scratch him (even when she should). I wouldn't hesitate to sned a rabbit like her into the classroom. Another rabbit could literally break its back or be scared to death. Some rabbits do not tolerate stress.

I think biosecurity is a silly reason (unless you have a disease-free closed herd which can only be done in a laboratory setting).

If you are worried about liability, then sell the rabbit and the cage to the teacher, with the understanding that she can sell it back to you in a month or whenever. That gets you out of the liability part and puts it on the teacher and the school. Although there is the possibility that she wants to keep the rabbit!

 

[therealsilkiechick]

i was not refering to biosecurity of the rabbit or herd i ment rabbits possibly could be carriers of something to the children. u don't know if there is anyone in the class that has a compromised immunune system.

 

[tortoise]

i was not refering to biosecurity of the rabbit or herd i ment rabbits possibly could be carriers of something to the children. u don't know if there is anyone in the class that has a compromised immunune system.

Ahh! Thanks

I'm used to another rabbit forum with a bunch of 13 year old girls that think they know everything and don't know what they are talking about with a closed herd. I'm sorry for assuming ...

As long as the rabbit is wormed, I would think it would be a "cleaner" classroom pet than a lizard or bird - they're known to carry salmonella and it's accepted as a fact. Versus if it's a dog or cat, people freak out.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

lol, no i'm an adult w/ 5 children. rotfl i wish i was 13 again life was so much easier then. i agree but rabbits i believe carry ecoli and some others if i remember right.

here for class pets they use catapillars and watch them turn, butterflies, ant farms, triops, fish, hermit crabs, some do hatching projects and borrow incubators and hatch chicks in class.

another thought would be(although it is not a pet)... for our school we sent in a sheet w/ info for our teachers for trees as a class project. our game comission does it for 3rd graders but they have done it for a few other grades also. they will send free trees to the students and then they learn and grow them and at the end they bring the seedlings home to plant. usually it is silkie dogwoods and blue spruce but sometimes it is other kinds. we sent in the info for the teachers and they contacted them and took care of everything and have done it every year since. have ur teacher friend check with ur game commission and other teachers and see if they can do that for the kids also. our kids and the other students loved it and was really a great learning and teaching experience.

 

[cattlecait]

I think it would be really neat, but I agree. A liability form would probably be a very good idea. It'd also depend on the area where the rabbits going. I know if it was one of the local rural schools it wouldn't be a problem but I don't think I'd send the rabbit to one of the bigger cities nearby just because the kids at the smaller school have most likely been around animals and "get it".