Pet For A Birthday Present? Why? What Convinced Us?

A pet for a birthday present? Why? What convinced Nate and I to say, “Yes.” to Keira this time?

Keira turned twelve years old on July 24th, 2020. I can’t believe how time flies so fast and how independent and mature she is. The next thing I know, she will be out of the house and doing her own thing without me driving her around.

Since she was three to four years old, Keira’s been begging to have bunny for a pet. I didn’t get one then as I was pregnant with Kyle couldn’t handle the load of taking care of another baby and all the sleepless nights.

When Kyle grew older, both Keira and Kyle begged for a dog! We told them, “Wait ’til you have your own house. Then you can get a pet!”  Nate and I don’t want the work and extra expense of having a pet. We’d be responsible for the health and safety of the pet as well as the financial expense if it gets sick.

Another consideration is that sometimes we travel to the Philippines and stay anywhere from one to three months. That’s a long time to be away from a family pet and pay someone to take care of it. Purchasing a plane ticket to take a pet with us on our travels is out of the question. All things considered, our answer to our kids’ begging for a pet has always been, “NO!”

So why now?

So why did we finally relent and get a bunny now? COVID-19 had a lot to do with it. Keira and Kyle were homebound and mostly isolated from friends and cousins.

Yes, we did travel to some states, but did try our best to social distance as much as possible. I am immune-compromised and easily get sick so I tried to make sure to lower our risks as much as possible. We avoided being part of big parties, even family parties. I know some people will say that the pandemic is not that serious, and the media is making it look like it is worse than is. But I do believe that every person is different. We don’t know how our bodies will react if we are exposed to the virus.

Nate has healthy genes and his family doesn’t tend to get sick. It’s the opposite with me. I don’t know if my kids have a strong immune system like the Rodes or weak one like Perez and Carmelotes. I don’t like to risk the life of my loved ones so I’ll make sure to protect them as much as possible.

The Benefits of Pets to Children

• Children with pets tend to be happier and more social.
• Pets can reduce anxiety and depression.
• Help children to be more independent and more responsible.
• Children that have pets have good self-esteem and confidence.
• Having pets teaches children to have compassion, empathy, and care for others.
• With a good relationship with pets, children learn to do non-verbal communication and tend to trust others.
• Hugging your pets can lower your heart rates and cortisol levels.
• Pets can comfort kids if they feel sad and have a problem with family members or with their friends.
• With a pet, kids know they always have someone that shows them affection, loyalty, and love.
• Some pets help children to be more active and do physical activities as they tend to play with their pets. A pet helps woo children away from electronic devices.

Why Did We Choose A Bunny For A Pet?

Bunnies are cute and it’s cheaper to raise a bunny than a dog. We can’t have a cat as Keira and I are both allergic to cat hair. Keira always has a big problem being around cats. It blows up her face while I will have a bad headache and runny nose.

A bunny lives from eight to twelve years. If appropriately cared for, a bunny can live longer than that. They are smart animals and will know their owner very well and can even follow commands when called by their name. Bunnies can also be litter trained like dogs and cats.

If you are a light sleeper and need a quiet place, bunnies make a little to no noise compared to dogs and cats. If you live in an apartment that doesn’t allow dogs and cats, then a rabbit can be a great option to have as a pet. A bunny also requires less space than a dog. There is a big difference in the upfront costs for an x-pen, a gate, or an invisible barrier for a dog as compared to a bunny.

The litter is also easy to handle as it tends to be small and hard most of the time. It’s easier for the kids to pick up the poop while we’re trying to litter train the bunny.

Positive Impact In Our Home Of Having A Bunny

After only two days of the bunny living with us, our home is quieter! I hope and pray that it will continue as Nate and I don’t like loud noises:) Keira and Kyle are less needy and they have a common goal now:  take care of the bunny and don’t make loud noises so it won’t scare their pet. 

The four years age difference between Keira and Kyle, plus being the opposite sex, means they tend to fight a lot as they have different interests.

• The kids don’t fight all the time now that the rabbit is here. Rabbits don’t like loud noises.
• Our children are becoming more responsible because they have someone to take care of aside from house chores that Mommy and Daddy asked them to do.
• Keira sleeps on her own now at night. Yes, I need to be beside her every night before she goes to sleep. Now, she’s ok for a simple hug as she doesn’t like to disturb the bunny’s sleep.
• Kyle is calmer, and we can quickly tell him to stop playing his game and play with the bunny.

Summary

Getting Keira a bunny for her 12th birthday is one of the best things we’ve done. The bunny keeps the kids busy and gives them a sense of responsibility as they promised us to be the ones to take care of it. Of course, we supervise them, but it helps them to be more patient, obedient, and caring towards the bunny. It’s so cute to see them rub the rabbit’s back while singing to him and making sure the bunny eats.

Welcoming the bunny, Aureo, into our family has had a positive impact in our home and especially to my kids. I hope and pray to have more years to celebrate Keira’s birthday and to spend more years with Aureo, the bunny. I hope and pray he will be like my grandfather, Aureo, who lived up to his 94th year.