These charming creatures cannot but admire. A dwarf rabbit with bead eyes, funny ears and unusual habits is a delight for animal lovers. Such pets do not spoil the claws of furniture (unlike cats), do not require regular walks (like dogs) in any weather, do not make unnecessary sounds at night. In addition, these babies, for example, the Rex or Ram breeds, quickly become attached to the owner, delight with their funny appearance and behavior, therefore they are always loved by both adults and children. What is more attractive than domestic dwarf rabbits, and why every year more and more animal lovers give birth to such pets? We will talk about this in this article.
How are dwarf rabbits different from ordinary ones?
Sometimes it seems that a dwarf rabbit lives in order to please a person with his appearance, to raise his mood. However, this is not entirely true. These gentle babies seem to be created to live in comfortable home conditions. Such rabbits are not raised for fluff or meat - these are exclusively pets, which need the care and attention of a person.
Future owners need to know how many dwarf rabbits live. With proper care, their life expectancy reaches twelve years. An animal should be purchased at a pet store or nursery. In this case, one must understand the difference between a dwarf and a decorative animal. The latter can be of different weights and dimensions. This is the main difference. Dwarf rabbits, the sizes of which are always small, remain that way throughout life. If you buy a pet in the market, then you risk buying a regular rabbit, but at a young age. In addition, he may be unhealthy.
Depending on the breed, dwarfs can have different weight and body length parameters - weight can range from 2.5 kg (lop-eared rabbits) to 1.5 kg (babies with erect ears). Different breeds may differ in ear length. Most individuals have ears 6 cm long, but hybrids are also found, whose ears reach twenty centimeters.
Life span
Sometimes novice owners do not think about how many dwarf rabbits live. And completely in vain. This is necessary to know at least in order to provide the animal with proper care at different stages of its life.
To date, this question - about the life expectancy of cute babies - is controversial. Some owners claim that dwarf rabbits live only five years, while others claim that they may well live up to twelve.
This difference of opinion has a number of reasons. The life expectancy of this pet depends on many factors - the quality of pet care, the attention of the owners to the animal, proper nutrition. How to care for a dwarf rabbit - we will tell a little later.
Undoubtedly, the health status of your pet has a big impact on life expectancy. You need to know how a dwarf pet behaves at home. Having noticed any change in his behavior, you should immediately seek help from a veterinary clinic.
Popular breeds
There are many different breeds of these cute pets. The most popular and common types of dwarf rabbits we will present to your attention.
Rex
The very first short-haired rabbits appeared in France in 1919. For their unusual and valuable fur, they were given a sonorous name - "Castor Rex" (the king of beavers). The resemblance to beaver is really obvious - the animal has a red-brown fur color. And he received the title of king for the quality of the skin, which is very similar to a chinchilla coat.
"Rex" is a dwarf rabbit (photo you can see below), which has a low hairline, downy and outer hairs of almost the same length. They are half as long as their counterparts. Underdeveloped whiskers are characteristic of this breed - they are much smaller than that of other breeds, and are often curved. At a very young age, one can distinguish a rabbit of this breed only by the antennae. When this species is crossed with ordinary decorative individuals, the skins of the first generation of rabbits are not similar to “Rex”.
Lion head
This breed was first bred in Belgium. However, at present it is not considered a separate subspecies in many countries. In our country, this charming creature has gained great popularity. The lion’s head is a dwarf rabbit (the photo of which we posted in this article), which got its name due to its appearance - its head is really a bit similar to the head of a lion.
Its muzzle is surrounded by a soft and fluffy mane, forming a luxurious collar. Most experts are sure that this species is nothing more than a mixture of fluffy and short-haired individuals.
Colored dwarf rabbit
This species first appeared in Holland in the thirties of the last century. He is the offspring of colored red-eyed Polish rabbits that were crossed with wild animals.
Initially, this dwarf rabbit had a light gray color. In the fifties, the first black variety appeared, and then a wide variety of colors began to appear. The distinguishing features of the breed are a small, strong and short body, a short neck, low legs, and a massive back, in comparison with the rest of the body. In addition, the colored dwarf rabbit has rather short ears (5-6 cm). The fur coat of these babies is short and glossy.
Short-haired rabbit
This breed is very similar to an ordinary wild rabbit with its physique. It differs from its wild relatives only in size. They have a stocky body shaped like a cylinder. The head is round, the ears are small. They are quite harmoniously combined with the body. Weight does not exceed one kilogram. According to the existing standard, the ears of rabbits of this breed should not be more than five centimeters.
Today, this dwarf rabbit at home is kept quite often. The breed has more than sixty colors. The coat is shiny and smooth. The main colors are gray, chinchilla, brown. The most popular, but very rare color is snowy white, with spots around the eyes. Very rare, and therefore very valuable, is the white color, completely lacking black hairs.
Angora dwarf rabbit
This handsome man looks very unusual. In a small fluffy lump, it is difficult to make out a muzzle. Throughout the body, the fur is longer than on the head. These are special dwarf rabbits. Care and maintenance of them is somewhat more complicated. This is due to their luxurious fur coat. This breed is distinguished by two types of fur.
Angora fur is very pleasant to the touch, soft, there is an undercoat. It requires regular combing, thorough care. If the owner notices the fallen fur, he should be cut immediately. Such a dwarf rabbit is suitable only for a caring owner who has enough time to care for the animal.
Shorter Angora fur is smooth, shiny, not exceeding five centimeters in length. He practically does not get confused and does not fall off, and this facilitates the care of the pet.
Angora rabbit has erect and short ears. The standard prescribes an ideal length of six centimeters. The head is round, the eyes are set shallow, the neck is almost invisible. The body has the shape of a cylinder, the backbone is strong. Outwardly, the Angora dwarf rabbit looks very harmonious.
Fox dwarf rabbit
Many owners call this rabbit a dwarf fox. They are classified as long-haired breeds. The dwarf rabbit fox has a large head, covered with smooth hair, on the body the coat is long. According to the standard, it should not exceed seven centimeters and should not be shorter than four.
The body is stocky, the neck is almost invisible. The head, though large, is short. Ears are erect, closely spaced. They are beautifully rounded at the ends. Their ideal length is five and a half centimeters, but in some cases reaches seven. Larger size is considered a defect. The legs are short (especially the front). Weight from 1 kg to 1.5 kg. Color is most often found brown, chinchilla, agouti.
Lop-eared sheep
And this is probably the most original-looking rabbit. It is very common and popular, largely due to its unusual appearance. They are distinguished by long hanging ears, which make them very cute. These rabbits are less timid than other breeds, quickly get used to people. Experts are sure that the “courage” of these babies is due to the special structure of the ears. The fact is that these rabbits hear much worse than their fellow tribesmen with erect ears.
The weight of these animals is greater than that of many other dwarf breeds - it sometimes reaches three kilograms. “Lamb” have a stocky body with a beautiful back line. Paws are short. The head of this species has a wide forehead and large eyes. The ears are covered with hair, hanging, slightly thickened at the base. It resembles a crown. The ears are rounded at the ends.
The coat is thick, but not at all stiff; there is an undercoat. The colors are very diverse - white, gray, blue black, and even very unusual - yellow. They do not need special care.
The most common and popular species is the Dutch lop-eared rabbit. This is a very calm and friendly breed. Her ideal weight is one and a half kilograms. The ears of these rabbits are not hanging from birth. They become hanging on the fourth week of life.
Dwarf rabbits: care and maintenance
We want to note right away that dwarf rabbits are extremely clean animals. Keeping them is a snap. However, certain rules must be observed so that your pet is cozy and comfortable in your home.
Dwarf rabbits can use the tray. The main thing is that every time after use the toilet needs to be cleaned, because, having felt an unpleasant smell, the animal will look for the wrong place. There are very simple rules for keeping dwarf rabbits that all owners should know.
Your pet will need a cage that will ensure its safety in those cases when you are busy and the baby is not in your field of vision. You should carefully approach the choice of a place for it - it should be installed in a place protected from drafts and removed from heating appliances and a TV.
In no case do not keep your pet in a cage all the time - the animal must be able to walk. This is extremely important for its normal development and well-being.
If you want to take the baby in your arms, do this with the utmost care, as he may try to escape. This can result in personal injury.
A rabbit should not be bathed without special need. He copes with hygiene himself. The only exceptions are cases when your pet is dirty and cannot clean itself.
An important factor in caring for a rabbit is its state of health. Diseases of these animals manifest themselves vividly and immediately affect his behavior. If you notice something unusual, do not postpone the visit to the veterinary clinic. Do not forget that the sooner treatment is started, the higher the likelihood of a quick recovery.
Feeding
These charming rodents are very fond of fresh grass. The owner's task is to provide this pet treat with his dainty (especially in the summer). For this, wild grasses, meadow grasses are suitable. The rabbit will be happy to eat alfalfa and plantain, nettle and dandelion, burdock and sow thistle, mouse peas and yarrow. There are herbs that should be given in limited quantities (clover or clover). Before collecting grass, city residents should familiarize themselves with the list of poisonous plants and herbs and see photos of how they look. This is necessary so as not to accidentally treat the rabbit with buttercups or bleached.
But not one grass eats a dwarf rabbit. He also needs succulent feed. This is primarily boiled potatoes, turnips, carrots, a little cabbage and beets. In summer, you can give milk ripeness. Your baby will be very happy when you give him an apple. Previously, it must be cut into four parts, remove the seeds and put in the house. And one more rule that the owner must firmly assimilate - you cannot leave uneaten foods in the cage. They should always be fresh. If your pet has an upset digestion, this may indicate overfeeding with green foods. In this case, it is necessary to reduce the amount of this food.
Dwarf rabbits need mineral supplements. Usually they use mineral stone, pressed chalk, bone meal. Another not very pleasant feature of the rabbit's body is eating its litter. This is the need of the animal organism, since litter reduces the rate of digestion of food by 20%, thereby increasing its digestibility. Moreover, it is a source of vitamins, so do not worry, if you notice that your baby is picking up his "peas."
Dwarf rabbit: reviews
Most owners of these furry babies are very pretty with their pets. Many note the ease of care for them. Someone describes them as smart and funny animals that become friends for their children.
And all, without exception, emphasize that this is a very neat animal, completely unpretentious in food. They believe that even a novice owner will cope with the content of this baby, provided that he will follow all the rules for caring for the animal.