Many people love animals and decide to have a small pet. Ornamental rabbits are one of the most popular "fluffies". However, before you go and choose a pet, you need to familiarize yourself with the most popular breeds and the peculiarities of caring for them, as well as learn all about the decorative rabbit in detail.

Popular breeds

Hermelin (Polish rabbit) belongs to a dwarf species, many other species of mini-rabbits were bred from this breed. Pets of this breed are only white with red or blue eyes. With proper care, the physique of hermelin is strong, oblong. The weight of animals ranges from 800-1500 grams, the length of the ears is from 4 to 7 cm, the tail is tightly pressed to the body.

The colored rabbit (dwarf) is a relative of the Polish multicolored rabbit. The description of a colored dwarf rabbit almost completely coincides with the characteristics of the hermelin breed, with one exception - this is the color of the fur. There are various shades: white, red, blue, orange, black and others. The coat is of medium length. The colored dwarf rabbit has a friendly character, it can become a fluffy friend for its owner.

Decorative rabbits

Dwarf short-haired rams get their name from their unusual appearance: they have huge eyes and a wide forehead. The physique is strong, the weight varies between 1.5-2 kg. Rabbits of this breed have a very beautiful back line and long hanging ears, which reach 24-28 cm in length. They are slightly smaller in the rabbit.

The fox ram has wool with longer hairs than the dwarf one: it practically touches the ground, since its length ranges from 5-5.5 cm. huge popularity among pet lovers. The pet has a fox color, hence the name.

The Dutch Fold was bred by the scientist Andrian de Kok. Almost no one believed that he would be able to breed a French ram in a mini-format, since with a decrease in body size, the length of the ears also decreases, that is, they cannot hang. However, after 12 years of hard work, the scientist achieved the set result and registered the breed in 1964.

Note! Today, Dutch Folds have ears up to 22-27 cm long, but they begin to hang down only one to two months after birth.

Breed selection and prices

Decorative rabbits are classified in two ways:

  • the weight;
  • coat length.
Decorative chickens

In turn, by weight, they are divided into:

  • small;
  • medium;
  • large.

And along the length of the hairs:

  • long-haired;
  • medium-haired;
  • short-haired.

Additional Information! The richest selection among dwarf rabbits. But the prices for "eared animals" are very different: an animal can cost both 700 and 25,000 rubles.

Main factors of pricing

The cost of decorative rabbits depends on the following factors:

  • pedigree or lack thereof;
  • breed;
  • place of sale: market, pet shop, nursery;
  • breeding quality: pet - home keeping, breeding - pedigree breeding, show class - exhibition specimens;
  • conditions of feeding and maintenance.

Keeping rabbits at home: pros and cons

Keeping decorative rabbits at home

Rabbits Risen

The main advantage of decorative rabbits is their cute and attractive appearance. Thanks to the huge variety of breeds, each owner will be able to pick up whatever pet he wants. Also, the advantages of decorative rabbits include:

  • unpretentiousness;
  • friendly character;
  • simple diet;
  • keeping in a cage or aviary;
  • good health;
  • optimal life span.

Important! At home, with proper care, decorative rabbits live 7-8 years, and sometimes this period reaches 10-13 years.

These pets also have their disadvantages:

  • eating their own feces;
  • almost impossible to toilet train;
  • biological products of an animal provoke allergic attacks in allergy sufferers;
  • gnaw on everything that gets in their way, especially electrical wires;
  • improper cleaning of the cage leads to the appearance of an unpleasant odor, and the rabbit has irritations from urine.

Smell

Rabbits silver

Very often, when purchasing decorative rabbits, future owners are interested in whether there is a smell from the animal. One can unequivocally answer this question that young and healthy animals do not smell.

Important! If suddenly the animal began to stink, it means that it has some kind of health problems or the owner is not taking good care of it.

An unpleasant smell can appear for the following reasons:

  • poor quality care;
  • puberty;
  • inflammation, cystitis, indigestion;
  • diet;
  • age and gender of the animal;
  • conditions of detention.

Note! Another reason for the appearance of an unpleasant odor may be a special secret that males secrete to mark their territory.

Sleep

The nature of adult rabbits is designed in such a way that in order to preserve their life, they must always be ready to flee, because almost all predators hunt them. Because of this, their sleep is very sensitive, they react to literally every rustle. Therefore, when the owner goes to check on the rabbit, he never sees him sleeping. Many owners think that their pets are constantly awake, but this is not so. It is worth learning more about how rabbits sleep.

Features of sleep and vision

The rabbit is sleeping

The dream of decorative rabbits has its own characteristics. They can even sleep with their eyes open. The placement of the eyes is very wide, and this allows you to see everything that is happening around, thanks to which the animal notices danger in a split second and is ready to flee. In predators, the eyes are narrowly located - they cannot simultaneously see everything that is happening around, but they perfectly concentrate on the seen target and react to all its slightest movements.

Rabbits can instantly fall asleep and immediately wake up, and they do not need to go to bed: they get good sleep both sitting and standing.

Rabbits sleep very often, but their sleep is intermittent. If the owner regularly sees his pet sleeping, then the animal completely trusts its owner.

Interesting! Rabbits see and orient themselves very well in the dark, and not only due to the wide location of the eyes, but also the presence of whiskers. The latter are able to pick up even minor vibrations in the air and feel the approach of someone else from a distance. Still, rabbits prefer to sleep at night.

How much and when they sleep

In order to see how the rabbit is sleeping, you should approach it very carefully. At the slightest noise, animals wake up. Rabbits can generally fall asleep exclusively in silence, when there are no extraneous noises or no one is at home.

Important! An aviary with a pet should be placed in a quiet place.

You should try your best to create the right conditions for your rabbit. If something is constantly making noise nearby, moving, the pet will not be able to fall asleep, which will lead to a decrease in immunity, a deterioration in health. There are a lot of stress factors for a rabbit.

In a suitable calm environment, the animal can sleep at any time of the day. Adequate sleep, ensuring good health for the rabbit - 6 hours. This is quite enough. You can see how a decorative animal sleeps at lunchtime or in the morning.

Attention! You should never scold your pet if it makes noise at night. This is his nature. To avoid unpleasant situations, you need to know everything about the animal in advance before purchasing it.

What you need for a decorative rabbit: the basics of content

Keeping a rabbit at home is not easy. The owner will need responsibility and seriousness in the approach, as well as the presence of certain knowledge of how to care for a fluffy animal. First of all, you need to purchase an aviary or a cage for a rabbit, equip it according to all the rules. Choose the right place, given that the animals do not like overheating, the rays of the sun. The most optimal temperature for them is 20 ° C.

Decorative rabbits themselves are very delicate. They need to be protected from overheating, drafts, which can cause a cold in the animal. It is well worth fixing all the devices inside the cage, with this the owner will ensure himself a restful sleep. The fact is that the rabbit can start playing with a poorly fixed tray, creating noise. This usually happens in the morning.

Content basics

It is necessary to check and timely change the litter. It must be constantly dry. You need to use sawdust, straw. The bottom lining is replaced at least three times every 7 days. Wet, dirty bedding can cause stomach problems in your pet.

Attention! Rabbits are very clean. It is imperative to empty the tray every day, otherwise the animal will find itself another place to relieve itself. If the owner properly cleans the cage after the rabbit in a timely manner, no odor will appear.

A decorative animal necessarily needs water, at any time of the day. You need to purchase an automatic drinker - it's convenient.

The rabbit does not need to walk. If you really want to, you can take the eared man outside in warm weather by putting on a leash. The owner must close all windows and doors when he lets the animal go for a walk around the apartment. All possible drafts must be eliminated. It is necessary to observe the rabbit during his walk to prevent him from gnawing the wires and injuring himself.

Important! You need to periodically brush your pet's coat so that it does not roll.

How to train your rabbit to hand

Many people don't know how to tame a rabbit. These animals are capable of domestication and training. A trained animal will deliver much less worries. It can take several months for the owner to train the pet, so you need to be patient.

It must be borne in mind that the animal also has its own characteristics, character. The best time for the first acquaintance with a rabbit is after getting acquainted with the aviary, when he eats, peels the skin, and lies down to rest. At this time, you need to quietly come closer, sit down next to, then start speaking in a calm voice, call the animal. Loud, unwary sounds should be avoided. The animal will not go to the owner immediately, and this is normal.

Decorative rabbit in the arms

If the first acquaintance went well, you can move on to the next stage - hand training. This will get a little tricky. The owner must show the pet that he is not in danger from the hands. To tame to hands, you need to do the following:

  • Carefully, without disturbing the rabbit, stick your clean hand into the aviary. This is one of the most important points.
  • To attract the attention of a pet, you should call him in an even, calm voice. It is necessary to avoid unnecessary, abrupt movements.
  • Most likely, the rabbit will get close to the hand. There is no need to pull it back. It is necessary to allow the animal to sniff and even bite her. You can try hand-feeding your pet.

You can touch a rabbit only at a time when he stops treating the owners with distrust. In this case, you need to gently stroke your furry friend.

Important! To make the animal feel safe, you should offer it a rabbit treat from your hands. It can be a fruit, a crouton, etc. A calm response to the hand is a sign that the animal can be released from the enclosure to walk around the apartment.

Rabbit carrier

To carry a pet, you need a special cage. Its difference: a rigid, durable box with good ventilation. It also needs to be safe. This is required so that the rabbit cannot gnaw through the bars and escape. It is desirable to have an additional door on the carrier: so it will be easier for the owner to take out the animal.

Decorative rabbits are cute fluffy creatures. It is worth taking care of them properly. It also takes a special approach to gain their trust.