A GENTLE HOLIDAY REMINDER
Festive Rabbit Safety Starts at Home
The doorbell rings, the mahjong tiles clatter, and someone’s little one wants to carry the bunny. A lovely family gathering can feel rather different when you’re the smallest guest in the room.
Festive rabbit safety starts with a little preparation: supervise children, keep interactions on the floor, put decorations and human snacks out of reach, and give your rabbit a quiet space away from the celebrations.
These six gentle reminders will help visitors understand your bunny’s boundaries—so everyone can enjoy the occasion, including the family member with the longest ears.
Bunnini: “Please let the bunny decide when to say hello.”
Pee-Casso: “And if I hop away, that’s my polite goodbye.”
YOUR QUICK PREPARATION CHECKLIST
Before Guests Arrive
A few checks before the doorbell rings can make festive rabbit safety much easier. Run through these before welcoming your first visitors.
- 01 · Secure doors and barriers
Check latches, gaps, and access to the entrance. Make sure everyone knows which doors must stay closed. - 02 · Move snacks and decorations out of reach
Check low tables, trailing cables, ribbons, and anything dangling near your rabbit’s space. - 03 · Prepare the quiet retreat
Set up a familiar hiding place away from music and guest traffic. Keep this area off-limits to visitors. - 04 · Check hay, water, and daily care
Top up supplies and agree on who will handle meals, litter cleaning, and any existing prescribed care. - 05 · Explain the bunny house rules
No carrying, chasing, feeding without permission, or reaching into hiding places. An attentive adult supervises interactions with young children.
FESTIVE RABBIT SAFETY · 01
Festive Rabbit Safety: Supervision Is Key
A child may see a fluffy new friend. Your rabbit may see a very enthusiastic stranger approaching at speed. Rabbit safety around children starts with recognising that even well-meant attention can become overwhelming when little hands reach, grab, or follow a bunny who wants some space.
Attentive supervision is an essential part of rabbit care during the festive season. During family gatherings, an adult should watch every interaction between rabbits and young children. Being somewhere in the same room isn’t quite the same as watching what’s happening—especially when the conversation and pineapple tarts are equally distracting.
Simple Rules for Rabbit Safety Around Children
- Sit quietly on the floor. Let your rabbit approach voluntarily instead of bringing the child towards them.
- No chasing, cornering, or grabbing. A rabbit’s hiding place should remain somewhere they can retreat undisturbed.
- Keep voices and movements gentle. If excitement takes over, pause the interaction and give everyone a little space.
- Let the bunny leave. Hopping away ends the interaction. It isn’t an invitation to follow.
Holiday rabbit safety also means knowing when to end a visit. If you need to answer the door, prepare food, or step away, end the interaction first. Leave your rabbit in a secure, familiar area that visiting children cannot enter unsupervised.
FESTIVE RABBIT SAFETY · 02
No Carrying—Keep Greetings on the Floor
“Can I carry the bunny?” is a familiar request when visitors arrive. A simple festive rabbit safety rule gives you a kind, clear answer: “We keep bunny greetings on the floor.”
Make this a house rule for children and visiting adults alike. Rabbit care during the festive season includes setting boundaries around handling: nobody needs to pick your rabbit up to say hello, and your bunny doesn’t need to sit in someone’s arms to be part of the gathering.
Holiday Rabbit Safety: A Gentler Way to Say Hello
- Invite visitors to sit on the floor. Let your rabbit choose whether to approach.
- Show children how to offer gentle strokes. Only continue if your rabbit stays willingly, with an attentive adult supervising.
- Keep your rabbit off sofas, tables, and other raised surfaces for greetings or photos. There’s no need to move them from the floor for a better picture.
- Respect a bunny’s exit. If your rabbit moves away, nobody should scoop them up or bring them back.
Teaching rabbit safety around children can start with this lovely lesson: caring for an animal includes respecting what the animal wants. A child may feel disappointed about missing a cuddle, but watching quietly is a perfectly good way to spend time together, too.
FESTIVE RABBIT SAFETY · 03
Festive Rabbit Safety: Decorations and Food
To us, it’s a beautifully decorated room and a table full of festive snacks. To a curious rabbit, it’s a collection of things to investigate—usually with their teeth. Holiday rabbit safety starts with keeping those tempting discoveries out of reach.
Before visitors arrive, check the space from your rabbit’s level. Look for dangling decorations, trailing wires, snack plates on low tables, and anything a child might leave within reach. This quick check is a practical part of rabbit care during the festive season.
Pet Safety During CNY: Keep Decorations Out of Reach
- Secure ribbons, strings, and hanging ornaments. Keep them away from your rabbit’s living space and usual routes around the house.
- Keep lighting cables inaccessible. Check behind furniture and beneath tables as well as the obvious spots.
- Clear dropped decorations and packaging promptly. Check again after gift-opening or children’s activities.
- Decorate the room, not the rabbit. Ask visitors not to drape tinsel, ribbons, jewellery, or other decorations over your bunny for photographs.
Make “Please Don’t Feed the Bunny” a House Rule
Rabbit safety around children includes explaining that sharing snacks isn’t always sharing kindness. Let guests know before the snack trays come out: nobody feeds your rabbit without checking with you first. This includes well-meaning adults offering “just a tiny bite.”
- Keep human snacks on an inaccessible surface. Remind children not to leave plates or open snack packets on the floor.
- Check for fallen crumbs and wrappers. A quick sweep after guests eat helps keep the floor clear.
- Leave feeding decisions with the caregiver. Visitors can enjoy your rabbit’s company without offering food.
FESTIVE RABBIT SAFETY · 04
Festive Rabbit Safety: Stress and Overstimulation
The mahjong table is busy, the music is playing, and three conversations are happening at once. Everyone may be having a wonderful time—but your rabbit doesn’t have to join the party. Holiday rabbit safety includes giving them somewhere to escape the bustle.
A quiet, familiar space is an important part of rabbit care during the festive season. Choose somewhere away from loud music, excited children, and the busiest parts of the house. Prepare it before guests arrive, so your bunny has somewhere peaceful to settle from the start.
Create a Quiet Corner That Stays Quiet
- Choose a familiar indoor area. Keep it comfortably ventilated and away from speakers, the mahjong table, and guest traffic.
- Keep the essentials close. Provide hay, fresh water, a litter tray, and a familiar hiding place.
- Make the retreat off-limits to visitors. Rabbit safety around children includes teaching them not to follow your bunny inside, reach into the hideaway, or call them out.
- Keep noise down near the rabbit’s space. Move lively games and excited conversations elsewhere, and remind guests to close nearby doors gently.
When planning pet safety during CNY, agree with the household that bunny’s quiet space stays off-limits throughout the gathering. Check in quietly without turning each visit into another interaction. If your rabbit chooses to stay tucked away, let them. There’s no need to bring them out for greetings or photographs.
FESTIVE RABBIT SAFETY · 05
Rabbit Care During the Festive Season: Keep Familiar Routines
Visiting relatives, late dinners, and a house full of guests can turn an ordinary day upside down. Festive rabbit safety includes making sure your bunny’s usual care still has a place in that busy schedule.
Keep familiar feeding times, rest periods, and daily care as consistent as possible. The celebrations can carry on while bunny enjoys the reassuringly ordinary business of hay, naps, and inspecting the same favourite corner.
Holiday Rabbit Safety Starts with Everyday Essentials
- Keep hay and fresh water available throughout the day. Check supplies before guests arrive and again during the gathering.
- Stick to your rabbit’s usual meals. Ask visitors not to add extra treats or offer unfamiliar foods.
- Protect their quiet time. Let your rabbit rest without repeated visits, greetings, or photo requests.
- Keep familiar belongings accessible. Avoid rearranging their entire living area just to make room for guests.
Give Daily Care a Named Person
In a busy household, “I thought someone else had done it” is surprisingly easy to say. When planning pet safety during CNY, agree on who will handle meals, water checks, litter cleaning, and any existing prescribed care.
If you’ll be out visiting, arrange care before you leave. Write down the usual routine for the person helping, and use reminders for tasks that might otherwise disappear between reunion dinners. A clear handover keeps rabbit care during the festive season manageable for everyone.
FESTIVE RABBIT SAFETY · 06
Festive Rabbit Safety: Mind the Door
Guests arrive with bags, gifts, and an impressive ability to hold a conversation halfway through an open doorway. Meanwhile, a curious bunny may be investigating what’s happening at ankle level. Holiday rabbit safety includes checking these busy entrances, not just the room where everyone gathers.
With people coming and going, make door checks part of rabbit care during the festive season. Keep your rabbit’s area securely separated from the entrance, and remind everyone to check before opening or closing a door.
Check, Close Gently, and Secure
- Locate your rabbit before moving a door. Check the doorway, behind the door, and along its swing path before opening or closing it.
- Close doors slowly and gently. Ask guests to avoid slamming them. Rabbit safety around children also means keeping little ones from playing with doors near your bunny.
- Secure the entrance before welcoming visitors. Use a suitable, securely fitted barrier or a closed room door to separate your rabbit from the front door. Check for gaps underneath and around the sides.
- Keep bags and shoes out of bunny’s routes. Leave clear walking space so visitors can see where they are stepping.
- Check barriers after arrivals and departures. Make sure doors and gates have been properly closed and latched.
When preparing for pet safety during CNY, tell visitors which doors must stay closed before they start moving around the house. A small reminder on the door can help, especially when several families are visiting at once.
KIND WORDS · CLEAR BOUNDARIES
It’s Okay to Say No—for Your Bunny
Saying no can feel awkward, especially when a child asks sweetly, a relative insists they “know how to carry rabbits,” or everyone is waiting for a photograph. You can be welcoming to your guests and still be firm about your rabbit’s care.
Acknowledge the person’s enthusiasm, explain the boundary simply, and offer an alternative where appropriate. You don’t need a lengthy defence—or your rabbit’s participation in a family debate.
When someone keeps asking…
“But I really want to carry bunny.”
“I know you do. We keep bunny greetings on the floor. You can sit with me and see if bunny comes over.”
“Just one photo?”
“We can take a picture if bunny stays here willingly. If they hop away, we’ll leave it for another time.”
“A tiny bite won’t hurt.”
“Please leave the feeding to me. You’re welcome to watch while bunny eats their usual food.”
“Why is bunny hiding? Let’s bring them out.”
“That’s their quiet place. We’ll let them decide when they’re ready to come out.”
If someone continues to ignore the rules, calmly end the interaction and secure your rabbit’s space. A child’s disappointment deserves kindness, but it doesn’t mean the boundary needs to change.
A lovely lesson to take home:
Caring for an animal means respecting their space—even when we’re very excited to meet them.
Festive rabbit safety comes down to small, thoughtful choices: attentive supervision, floor-level greetings, secure surroundings, familiar routines, and somewhere peaceful to retreat.
Enjoy the visits, cherish the company, and let your bunny celebrate in their own way. Sometimes that means greeting everyone. Sometimes it means sleeping through the entire reunion.
KEEP HELP WITHIN REACH
Festive & After-Hours Veterinary Help
Keep your regular vet’s number and an emergency contact saved before the celebrations begin. If your rabbit needs urgent veterinary attention, call the clinic, explain what has happened, and ask for instructions.
Westside Veterinary Emergency and Referral Hospital
Address
86 Serangoon Garden Way
Singapore 555982
Opening hours
The hospital lists its service as open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including public holidays. Telephone +65 6931 0095
Call Westside Emergency → Visit Westside’s official website →
Contact details and published opening hours checked against Westside’s official website on 31 October 2026. Please confirm current availability directly; 24-hour opening does not establish rabbit-treating vet availability on every shift.
A Fresh Start for Bunny This Chinese New Year
FRESH COAT · FESTIVE READY
A Little Makeover for the New Year
Looking good for Chinese New Year starts with feeling comfortable. Freshen up your bunny’s coat and tidy those nails with a grooming appointment at Happy Hoppers, our private studio at Boon Keng.
We put your rabbit’s comfort first, with gentle handling and breaks when needed. A festive refresh should fit the bunny—not the other way around.
FRESH SPACE · FAMILIAR COMFORTS
Refresh Bunny’s Little Corner
Giving the house a New Year refresh? Include your bunny’s corner, too. Check what’s worn, replace what’s needed, and browse our shop for a little inspiration.
Keep favourite hiding places and familiar comforts, and introduce changes gradually. A refreshed setup can still feel like home—no complete renovation required.