The standard pets are increasingly being replaced by new ones: exotic and amazing. Small decorative rabbits are especially popular now. These animals look very adorable: big ears, soft and fluffy hair, button eyes. They are friendly and active. Taking care of them brings many pleasant emotions.

Popular and demanded breeds of decorative rabbits

These mini-rabbits come in different breeds, and each variety requires special attention, special care and certain costs. But, these expenses are still significantly less than those provided for keeping typical pets like cats and dogs. At the same time, these babies still need to be treated responsibly, taking into account their needs.

Among the whole variety of subspecies of rabbits, there are those that animal lovers give the most preference to.

Dutch rabbit

This type of domestic hare is mainly raised on farms for the value of its beautiful fur. But, there is also a decorative variety - the Dutch fold rabbit.

Dutch rabbit

As the name indicates, the main feature is their unusual ears. Although a bunny is born with erect ears, as it grows, they nestle on the head - due to which this baby can look very cute. Large round cheeks add external charm to this look.

The main focus in caring for them is the ears. Domestic fold rabbits are very friendly and easily make contact with their owners. Sociable, you can and should walk with them. Life expectancy on average is 7-10 years, but some centenarians can live as long as 12 years.

Lionhead rabbit

This species was bred quite recently. The so-called lion's head appeared due to the combination of 2 types of wool - short and long fluffy. Moreover, the latter is soft and silky.

Lionhead is a miniature animal. An adult of this species can weigh up to 2 kg, while the size barely reaches 30 cm. The color can be very different: gray, white, marder, orange, fawn.

Hares of this breed have short ears. The body shape is generally round, the legs are of medium length. The eyes are bright and beautiful. These domestic rabbits lend themselves well to training, easily get used to their owners. Life expectancy is 7-8 years, with proper care it can increase.

Important! The lion's head rabbit mainly eats greens and vegetables, it is strictly forbidden to give him sweets.

Ginger rabbit

This animal is also a member of the dwarf rabbit breed. It is divided into 3 types:

  • burgundy;
  • New Zealand;
  • mini ram.

All of them are bred by crossing different breeds. The color of the coat is amazing - bright, red with an admixture of yellow, it shimmers very beautifully in the sun. Their body is oblong, the skeleton is very strong, muscles are developed, especially on the hind legs. The mass of such a handsome man can reach 4.5 kg.

Each animal of this breed is unique - they are not alike. The immunity of individuals of this species is strong, they rarely get sick. Most often this happens due to the fact that the owners neglect hygiene: cleaning the cage, cleaning and washing the hay. The life span of red rabbits is approximately 10 years, but this again depends on the correct care.

Ginger rabbit

Hermeline rabbit

This species is also called ermine. He has a Dutch pedigree, a small silver rabbit and an albino hare. This species is easily recognizable by its color - boiling white is rarely seen in any other breeds. Due to their color, they can easily be confused with a plush toy. They also sometimes have a very interesting eye color - red, which makes them look a little mystical.

An adult hermeline is lightweight - up to 1.5 kg. This breed is distinguished by its strong skeleton and muscles, as well as shyness. Vitamin D is vital for them, so the owners need to take care of timely provision of it to the animals. The hermelin species of rabbits live up to 12 years.

Minilop rabbit

They are called one of the best pets. These are really very small rabbits, whose weight rarely exceeds 1 kg. The ears are long and drooping. The coat is smooth and long. The color is most often complex: gray with an admixture of red, black with white, red with black.

To avoid obesity, this rabbit must be given physical activity: the rabbit must run and jump at least 2 hours a day. This hare is easy to train, so it will not be superfluous to purchase special equipment.

Minilopes are very fond of company and this applies not only to people. It is better to start two rabbits at once, they will play together and will not get bored. Life expectancy is up to 10 years.

Important! Ginger rabbits are very prone to obesity. Therefore, it is important to formulate their diet correctly. The emphasis should be on vegetables that are high in vitamins.

Classification of breeds of decorative rabbits

There are enough varieties of decorative eared ones so that you can easily get confused about which rabbit you should buy. There are 2 most popular classifications - by size and coat.

By size, breeds of decorative rabbits are divided into small, medium and large. Small ones reach a maximum of 2 kg in weight, medium - up to 6 kg, large - up to 8 kg.

According to the type of coat, rabbits can be short-haired and long-haired. Short-haired are up to 1 cm long, long-haired - up to 15 cm.

Small breeds of decorative rabbits:

  • Dwarf Rex (Rex rabbit). The average weight of an adult rabbit is 1.5 kg. His ears are standing, slightly moving back. These rabbits are very fertile, the rabbit can give birth to up to 10 rabbits at a time. These animals catch colds easily and are very susceptible to various diseases, so they need to be taken care of and treated with special attention. Very affectionate and friendly.
  • Japanese dwarf. The weight of this animal rarely goes over the 1 kg mark. They are very small, playful and friendly creatures. Such rabbits are famous for their color: often several light and dark shades are combined on the wool, sometimes they can form a fancy pattern in the form of a grid or lattice. It looks interesting when the face is divided into 2 parts using different shades.
  • Dwarf fox rabbit. As the name implies, such a baby looks very much like a little fox. Weight ranges from 800 g to 1.5 kg. Skin shades can be completely different: black, red, bluish. This species is very active, loves to run and jump, so it's good if there is an opportunity to walk with it on a leash.

    Fox dwarf rabbit

Medium breeds of decorative rabbits:

  • Squirrel. The weight of an adult is up to 6 kg. Most often the color is red, the belly is usually white. Active and fast rabbits.
  • Colored dwarf. Average weight 5.5-6 kg. There is no specific color, the colors vary. Non aggressive, active rabbits.

Large breeds of rabbits:

  • Dutch rabbit;
  • Ginger rabbit.

Short-haired breeds include: Lop-eared ram, Colored short-haired, Rex. The most popular long-haired are: Flandre and the Vienna Blue Rabbit.

Maintenance and care

Of course, the first thing you need to know about when deciding to have a dwarf rabbit is how to provide the new family member with the most comfortable content and the best care.

Important! Only a veterinarian will give the best recommendations for caring for a rabbit.

It is necessary to keep the rabbit in the cage. Despite the fact that he is domestic, and not wild, he is still alive, and he needs to move, so the cage should be spacious.

How to provide your rabbit with decent care:

  • The main condition for proper care is to ensure a comfortable temperature in the room where the rabbits will live. Optimal for them - 18-20 ° C heat.
  • You need to be affectionate with rabbits: do not make sudden movements, do not grab the skin on the back and ears. You can and should talk to them: the intelligence of these animals is high enough, they soon begin to recognize even their own name.
  • You don't need to wash your rabbits! This can only be done in an emergency. The rest of the time, the rabbits clean themselves up on their own.
  • You can walk with them on a leash, but only when it's summer outside. If the owners decide to let the pet go for a walk around the apartment, then it is imperative to make sure that, for example, wires or other dangerous objects do not come across it along the way.
  • In the cage in which the fluffy guest will live, it is necessary to lay a bedding of sawdust or straw. It must be changed every 2-3 days.

Note! The litter must be dry. Wet provokes the development of microbes and various diseases.

Feeding

The next question that needs to be addressed is how to feed the rabbit, what type of food to choose, how often and how much food should be given to the pet.

The main rabbit food is hay. It should always be dry. Of course, it shouldn't contain insects. It is important to ensure that the rabbit does not overturn its bowl, otherwise food can mix with waste products and, as a result, provoke illness.

In addition to hay, it is necessary to diversify the diet with foods high in vitamins and microelements: fresh fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, cereals.

Note! Read the description of the food on the packaging and always keep the labels. So you can figure out why the rabbit has this or that reaction to food.

Breeding

Most often, the owners do not breed decorative rabbits at home. However, if a thoroughbred rabbit lives in the house, then his offspring can bring a good income.

Basic facts about breeding decorative rabbits:

  • can give birth to offspring up to 7 times a year;
  • ready to reproduce from 6-7 months;
  • the litter can have from 4 to 8 babies;
  • more fresh vegetables must be added to the diet of a pregnant rabbit: carrots, lettuce, herbs, as well as fresh grass;
  • the nervous system of a pregnant rabbit also needs to be protected, and the cage should be placed in a quiet place;
  • pregnancy lasts 1 month;
  • The rabbit gives birth herself, without anyone's help, before that she begins to build a nest.

Important! For mating, it is necessary to plant the female to the male, and not vice versa, otherwise the male will first of all study the cage.

The rabbit herself feeds the rabbits; it is very difficult to find an alternative to her milk. It is also extremely undesirable to touch newborn babies, so as not to disturb either them or the mother once again.

Diseases: Treatment and Prevention

There are a lot of varieties of diseases in rabbits, and it is often only a veterinarian who can correctly determine what exactly a rabbit is sick with.

The most common:

  • Gastrointestinal stasis. Most often, this disease can be provoked by a complete lack of hay in the diet, as well as severe stress. Symptoms are a complete lack of feces and appetite, and that the rabbit often sits hunched over. The main means of treatment and prevention is an enema.
  • Urinary dermatitis. Symptoms: the animal is rapidly losing hair in the genital area, the skin turns red. Treatment: wash the skin around the genitals with baby soap. As a preventive measure, it is also worth washing the animal once a month.
  • Pasteurellosis. A serious illness that is transmitted from other animals manifests itself abruptly through lack of appetite and diarrhea, as well as difficulty breathing. For any of these disorders, the rabbit should be shown to the veterinarian immediately.They are vaccinated against this disease, and this is the only chance to save rabbits.

Important! Self-treatment of any disease is pointless and dangerous. In case of any deviations from the norm, it is better to immediately consult with a veterinarian.

Decorative rabbits are a very serious responsibility, they require a lot of attention and care, but in return they give a lot of joyful impressions.