Charles Hunt was born in Kensington, London and was part of a dynasty of painters. He was the son of the genre painter Charles Hunt (1803-1877) and father to Edgar Hunt (1876-1955) and Walter Hunt (1861-1941), both of whom were taught by their father and became successful artists in their own right. Two more of his children Reuben Hunt (1858-1938) and Claude Hunt (1863-1949) also became artists.

He exhibited at the Royal Academy and also at the Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham, and painted highly detailed, humorous scenes often of families within cottage interiors.

His paintings often contain donkeys and other domestic animals such as dogs (and in this case a rabbit and guinea pig) illustrating his in-depth knowledge of their anatomy and draughtsmanship as well as his affection for them.