Dwarf rabbit: photo, care and maintenance at home, reviews. Sizes, types of dwarf rabbits. How long do dwarf rabbits live?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

These adorable creatures can't help but amaze. A dwarf rabbit with beady eyes, funny ears and unusual habits delights animal lovers. Such pets do not spoil furniture with their claws (unlike cats), do not require regular walks in any weather (like dogs), and do not make extra sounds at night. In addition, these kids, for example, the Rex or Sheep breeds, quickly become attached to the owner, delight with their funny look and behavior, so they are always loved by both adults and children. What else is attractive about domestic dwarf rabbits, and why every year more and more animal lovers have such pets? We will talk about this in this article.

How are dwarf rabbits different from regular ones?

Sometimes it seems that a dwarf rabbit lives in order to please a person with his appearance, to cheer him up. However, this is not entirely true. These gentle babies seem to be created for living in comfortable home conditions. Such rabbits are not raised for fluff or meat - this is exclusivelypets that need human care and attention.

Future owners need to know how long dwarf rabbits live. With proper care, their life expectancy reaches twelve years. You should purchase an animal 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, which are always small in size, remain so throughout their lives. If you buy a pet in the market, then you run the risk of buying an ordinary rabbit, but at a young age. Plus, he might be unwell.

Depending on the breed, dwarfs can have different parameters of weight and body length - weight can range from 2.5 kg (lop-eared rabbits) to 1.5 kg (babies with erect ears). Different breeds may differ in the length of the ears. Most individuals have ears 6 cm long, but there are also hybrids whose ears reach twenty centimeters.

Lifespan

Sometimes novice owners do not think about how long dwarf rabbits live. And absolutely in vain. You need to know this at least in order to provide the animal with the right care at different stages of his life.

Today, this question - about the life expectancy of cute babies - is controversial. Some owners claim that dwarf rabbits only live for five years, while others claim that they may well live up to twelve.

SuchThe difference in opinion has a number of reasons. The life expectancy of this pet depends on many factors - the quality of pet care, the attention of owners to the animal, proper nutrition. How to care for a dwarf rabbit - we will tell you a little later.

It is undeniable that the state of he alth of your pet has a great influence on life expectancy. You need to know how a dwarf pet behaves at home. If you notice 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. We will present the most popular and common types of dwarf rabbits 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" (king of beavers). The resemblance to a 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 reminiscent of a chinchilla coat.

"Rex" is a dwarf rabbit (you can see the photo below), which has a low hairline, down and guard 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 those of other breeds, and often twisted. At a very young age, it is possible to distinguish a rabbit of this breed only by the antennae. When this species is crossed with common ornamentals, the skinsbaby rabbits in the first generation do not look like "rex".

Lion head

This breed was first bred in Belgium. However, it is not currently 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 (whose photo 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.

His muzzle is surrounded by a soft and fluffy mane, forming a luxurious collar. Most experts believe that this variety is nothing more than a mixture of fluffy and short-haired individuals.

Colored pygmy 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 crossbred with wild animals.

In the beginning, 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. Distinctive features of the breed are a small, strong and short body, a short neck, low legs, a massive, in comparison with the rest of the body, back. In addition, the colored dwarf rabbit has rather short ears (5-6 cm). The coat of these babies is short and shiny.

Short-haired rabbit

This breedvery reminiscent of an ordinary wild rabbit in its physique. It differs from its wild relatives only in size. They have a stocky, cylindrical body. The head is round, the ears are small. They are in perfect harmony 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 is kept at home quite often. The breed has more than sixty colors. The coat is shiny and smooth. The main colors are gray, chinchilla, brown. The most sought after, but very rare color is snow white, with spots around the eyes. Very rare, and therefore very valuable, is the white color, which does not have black hairs at all.

Angora pygmy rabbit

This handsome man looks very unusual. In a small fluffy lump it is difficult to see the muzzle. The fur is longer all over the body than on the head. These are special dwarf rabbits. Their care and maintenance is somewhat more difficult. 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, careful care. If the owner notices matted fur, it should be cut off immediately. Such a dwarf rabbit is only suitable for a caring owner who has enough time to care for the animal.

Shorter angora fur- smooth, shiny, not exceeding five centimeters in length. It hardly tangles or falls off, making it easy to care for your 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. Externally, the angora dwarf rabbit looks very harmonious.

Fox pygmy rabbit

Many owners call this rabbit a pygmy fox. They are classified as long-haired breeds. The fox dwarf rabbit has a large head covered with smooth hair, the hair on the body is long. According to the standard, it should not exceed seven centimeters and not be shorter than four.

The body is stocky, the neck is almost invisible. The head is large, but short. The ears are erect and close together. They are beautifully rounded at the ends. Their ideal length is five and a half centimeters, but in some cases it reaches seven. Larger size is considered a defect. The legs are short (especially the front ones). Weight from 1 kg to 1.5 kg. The most common colors are 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 have long floppy ears that make them very cute. These rabbits are less shy than other breeds, they quickly get used to people. Experts are sure that the “bravery” of these babies is due to the special structure of the ears. The fact is that these rabbits hear much worse than their compatriots with erect ears.

The weight of these animals is greater than that of many other dwarf breeds - it sometimes reaches three kilograms. "Lambs" 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 looks like a crown. The ends of the ears are rounded.

Wool is thick, but not hard at all, there is an undercoat. The colors are very diverse - white, gray, blue black and even quite unusual - yellow. They do not need special care.

The most common and popular species is the Dutch Fold rabbit. This is a very calm and friendly breed. Her ideal weight is one and a half kilograms. The ears of these rabbits do not hang 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. It is quite easy to keep them. However, certain rules must be followed in order for your pet to be cozy and comfortable in your home.

Dwarf rabbits can use the tray. The main thing is that every time after use, the toilet must 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 keep him safe when you are busy and the baby is not in your field of vision. You should carefully consider the choice of a place for it - it must be installed in a place protected from drafts and removed from heating appliances and TV.

In no case do not keep your pet in a cage all the time - the animal must have the opportunity to walk. This is extremely important for his normal development and well-being.

If you want to pick up the baby, do it with the utmost care, as he may try to escape. This may cause injury to the animal.

You shouldn't bathe a rabbit unless it's absolutely necessary. He is quite good at taking care of himself. The only exceptions are when your pet gets dirty and cannot clean itself.

An important factor in caring for a rabbit is its he alth. The diseases of these animals are manifested brightly and immediately affect his behavior. If you notice something unusual, do not put off a visit to the veterinary clinic. Keep in mind that the sooner treatment is started, the greater the chance of a quick recovery.

Feeding

These adorable rodents are very fond of fresh grass. The owner's task is to provide his pet with this delicacy (especially in summer). For this fit wild herbs, meadow. 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 limitedquantity (clover or sweet clover). City residents, before collecting grass, should read the list of poisonous plants and herbs and see a photo of how they look. This is necessary so as not to accidentally treat the rabbit with buttercups or henbane.

But the pygmy rabbit eats more than grass. He also needs juicy food. These are primarily boiled potatoes, turnips, carrots, a little cabbage and beets. In summer, milky corn can be given. Your little one will be very happy when you give him an apple. First, it must be cut into four parts, remove the bones and put in the house. And one more rule that the owner must firmly learn is that you cannot leave uneaten foods in the cage. They must always be fresh. If you notice an upset stomach in your pet, this may indicate overfeeding with green fodder. In this case, you need to reduce the amount of this food.

Dwarf rabbits need mineral supplements. Usually they use mineral stone, pressed chalk, bone meal. Another not the most pleasant feature of the rabbit's body is eating its own droppings. This is the need of the animal's body, since the droppings reduce the rate of digestion of food by 20%, thereby increasing its digestibility. What's more, it's a source of vitamins, so don't worry too much if you see your little one picking up his peas.

Dwarf rabbit reviews

Most of the owners of these fluffy babies are very pleased with their pets. Many note the ease of care for them. Somebodydescribes them as smart and funny animals who become friends with their children.

And everyone, without exception, emphasizes that this is a very clean animal, completely unpretentious in food. They believe that even a novice owner will cope with the content of this baby, provided that he follows all the rules for caring for the animal.