Review author: “ZooVita”
The dwarf fold ram is the most popular breed of decorative rabbits. A cute animal with a charming face, cute floppy ears and a calm character, it is most suitable for children and beginners.
From the outside, a rabbit may seem like a toy, but it is a living creature that requires attention, care, and responsibility from its owner. In return, the handsome furry man is able to give love, devoted friendship, and a lot of pleasant emotions.
Before purchasing an animal, you need to study its habits, behavior, know what to feed a dwarf rabbit, and how to care for it.
History of the dwarf rabbit breed
Unusual lop-eared rabbits look very similar to small lambs. For the first time, C. Darwin spoke about them, who noticed in the litter of ordinary animals with erect ears, fold-eared babies. This phenomenon has interested breeders.
Already by the middle of the 20th century, breeders from Holland developed a new breed by crossing small decorative rabbits with French Folds.
Since 1964, the breed has been officially recognized. Dwarf rams appeared in Russia in the late 90s and immediately won the hearts of pet lovers.
Possible problems
In addition to the impressive list of advantages of keeping decorative rabbits, you need to familiarize yourself with the disadvantages, which, unfortunately, are many.
You need to take care of the cute little ears every day - trim their claws if necessary, comb their fur, and monitor their health.
If care is poor, an unpleasant odor begins to emanate from the cage or enclosure where rabbits live. And if you leave an animal alone for several days, even its fur will begin to smell stench.
The living area of decorative rabbits must be cleaned every day. But it is not always possible to devote enough time to this procedure.
Despite the fact that rabbits are loyal to furniture and corners, when free to roam in an apartment or house, they are capable of chewing through wires, easily accessible things, and also scratching wallpaper.
The molting period of decorative rabbits is considered one of the most difficult
The owner of the animals has to pay extra attention to the pet’s fur and comb it thoroughly. And then clean his territory and the area close to the enclosure from small hairs.
The dimensions of the cage for keeping decorative rabbits are of decent size; accordingly, the room for its placement should be spacious.
Despite the usual cute image, the character and behavior of many breeds of decorative rabbits is not soft.
They will not ask to be held; on the contrary, once in the owner’s arms, they may begin to kick, kick with their hind legs, and some even bite.
Mature decorative rabbits begin to mark their territory. They scatter waste from their own body throughout the enclosure, and after indoor walks the owner will have to clean the floors of feces. The smell from the rabbit will be appropriate, but only sterilization will help get rid of it. Another disadvantage is mandatory vaccination.
In general, keeping decorative fluffies with long ears is not difficult if a whole family lives in the house. It will not be easy to maintain them alone; a sufficient amount of time and effort is spent on them.
Appearance of a dwarf rabbit
A distinctive feature of the dwarf ram is its thick, drooping ears. Their size varies from 25-30 to 65-70 cm. They are rounded at the ends and resemble a horseshoe.
A baby rabbit 45 days old weighs 0.45-0.5 kg, an adult dwarf lop-eared rabbit - 30-35 cm weighs 1.6-2.2 kg.
The animals have a large head, a powerful back of the head, a large forehead, and eyes like almonds.
The cylinder-shaped body is covered with soft, shiny fur, similar to silk. The villi are short, medium and long. Color, pattern, markings, and undercoat indicate a representative of a certain breed.
The character is calm, balanced, the animals are patient and easy to make contact with.
Pygmies are the smallest rabbits
In the wild, pygmy rabbits live in some states of America, and purebred animals obtained by selection were bred in the British Isles. These pets have a pretty appearance. Due to their miniature body size, they are popular all over the world. Their weight does not exceed 400 grams, and their body length barely reaches 24 cm.
Attention! The smallest rabbit in the world is the Pygmy or Idaho rabbit. It fits easily in the palm of your hand.
Small rabbits are popular as pets. Their advantage is that the cage does not take up much space in the apartment. Such pets need to be treated with care, their homes clean, and fed properly, as their immunity is vulnerable. Having decided to buy a decorative mini-rabbit, it is better to contact trusted breeders who will provide documents for the pet.
Types of dwarf rabbits
Breeders all over the world tried to create their own animal with floppy ears, which is why there were so many breeds. Among them there are both dwarf and rather large specimens.
Dutch Fold
The animals have a kind, playful character. They have floppy short ears and a flattened muzzle. Of all the lop-eared rabbits, this is the smallest creature that can become a true friend for children.
English dwarf rabbit
Representatives of this breed of dwarf rabbits are large in size and have the longest ears. The animals' fur is short, thick, and rich in color. British breeders are still working to increase the length of the animals' ears.
French dwarf rabbit
Compared to the English fold, the French rabbit is characterized by shorter ears.
American dwarf rabbit
A mixture of Dutch dwarf and English butterfly. As a result of crossing, spotted-colored ram rabbits were born. For better quality fur, they were bred with individuals of the Angora breed. The weight of adult animals is 2 kg.
Kashmiri fold rabbit
This species exists in several variations of different weights and sizes. An adult specimen of the subspecies can weigh 2.8 kg, while its miniature counterpart is only 1.5 kg.
The head of representatives of this subspecies is small, the fur is of medium length, the ears hang on the sides, and do not drag along the ground. The animals are distinguished by a variety of colors.
There are many descriptions with photos of dwarf rabbits on the Internet, but when the time comes to find a breed of the desired color, it turns out that it is not available either in the store, or in the nursery, or among hobbyists. We have to look abroad or look for a replacement.
German dwarf rabbit
German scientists have developed a hybrid of the “Frenchman” and the Dutch dwarf. The main difference between the breed is its wide, thick ears hanging behind the eyes with powerful cartilage. The original fur color of the animals was monochromatic, but breeders managed to obtain various shades: blue, chocolate, piebald, etc.
Lion head breed
The youngest of all breeds. Its representatives are distinguished by a luxurious mane that hangs to the shoulders. The coat is predominantly sand-colored, but other colors are also present (blue, fawn, sable).
We want a rabbit the size of your palm
It all depends on the size of your palm)) But seriously, there are no adult dwarf rabbits the size of a hamster; babies can be this size, for example minors. At 1.5 months they weigh about 300-400 grams, the size of half a palm.
Adult animals weigh about 1 kg and measure about 20-25 cm, which is just the size of the palm of an adult man or slightly longer than the length of a ballpoint pen. But we must take into account that such a small animal requires more careful care and maintenance, as it is easy for them to cause various injuries through negligence.
Food for dwarf rabbits at home (diet)
The diet of the dwarf fold consists of hay and grain mixtures, which can be purchased at a pet store. Animals should also receive sufficient amounts of vitamins and microelements. It is important that the animal always has fresh water.
Adults are additionally given fruits, vegetables, branches, and bark. Tomatoes, cabbage, and beets are given carefully so as not to cause intestinal upset. A useful addition to the main diet is mineral stone.
Netherland Dwarf Rabbit
And this rabbit is another representative of the smallest breeds of these domestic lagomorphs. It is very popular in the world due to its mischievous nature, “compact” size, abundance of color options, affection and friendliness. But they don’t live long, only 6-7 years, which is due to the peculiarities of genetics.
The breed in one form or another existed for quite a long time, but by World War II it was practically lost and, one might say, miraculously was restored after the war literally on the basis of several animals.
Netherland dwarf rabbits have delicate soft thick fur, short erect ears, and very expressive eyes. The main breed standard is that the rabbit should look “round”! Just read the descriptions of possible colors - opal, silver, orange, chocolate, lilac, steel, pearl...
Caring for dwarf rabbits (instructions)
Keeping a dwarf rabbit at home requires a caring and responsible attitude.
The optimal room temperature is from 16°C to 23°C. The sun's rays falling on the animal can lead to heat stroke.
The cages must be clean and spacious. The tray, drinking bowl and feeder are washed every day, the bedding is changed 4 times a month. It is highly undesirable to use plastic cages as they emit harmful substances. It is better to treat wooden specimens so that the pet does not get hurt.
Problem areas and dirty fur are wiped with a damp cloth, then wiped dry, long nails are trimmed.
Colored dwarf
Little rabbits. Dwarf domestic rabbit breeds. Colored dwarf
This breed is also known to many as the short-haired dwarf rabbit. Typically, the body weight of an adult colored dwarf can range from 800 grams and barely reach one and a half kilograms . The animal's ears are always positioned upright, their length can vary from 5 to 5.5 cm. Despite their miniature size, practically absent neck and small body, the paws of rabbits of this breed are very strong. At the moment, more than 60 colors of the colored dwarf have been recorded. The fur coat of these pets has a very neat appearance and does not require special care.
It should be noted that during puberty, rabbits of these breeds can show aggression towards the owner, even sometimes biting or hitting with their paws. Typically, maturation occurs at one and a half years. Many sellers recommend spaying or neutering these animals to reduce aggression.
To summarize, we can conclude that the colored dwarf is quite funny and perfectly plays the role of a charming, active and funny pet.
Reproduction of dwarf rabbits (features)
The pregnancy of a female dwarf breed lasts from 29 to 32 days. In one litter she brings from 3 to 7 rabbits. When the babies are 2 weeks old, they begin to climb out of the nest on their own. The young are separated from their mother at the age of two months.
Newborns require special care. They must be protected from direct sunlight, wind, dust, and high humidity.
Jersey Wooly Rabbit
An exceptionally fluffy cloud – this is the first association when looking at this animal.
Jersey Wooli rabbits belong to the long-haired dwarf group. It appeared in America at the end of the last century.
The head and paws of this animal are covered with fairly short dark fur, but on the body the hair is lighter and longer - from 4 to 7.5 cm (in some specimens it can be twice as long). By the way, due to the fact that the fur is quite stiff, it practically does not tangle, and the fluffy rabbit always looks neat and “combed.” There are also spotted specimens in this breed.
Jersey Woolie rabbits are calm, obedient and easy-going, making them suitable even for beginners and families with children and other animals. They are sometimes called the smartest domestic rabbits.
How long do dwarf rabbits live?
Representatives of dwarf breeds live mainly 5-7 years. If you take good care of them, this period can reach 10-12 years. Important:
- do not create stressful situations;
- you cannot shout or make sudden movements that may scare the rabbit;
- when traveling, use a special bag;
- carry out vaccinations;
- high-quality nutritious food.
When purchasing, you should pay attention to affectionate breeds so that the animal quickly gets used to humans. The child must understand that one should not hurt living beings, that one must treat them with care.
How do rabbits sleep?
Those who are just starting to breed rabbits often wonder how much this animal sleeps, and whether it ever rests at all. This is a reasonable question, since it is unlikely that you will be able to see a sleeping rabbit. Rabbits sleep mainly during the day. These animals, oddly enough, are mainly nocturnal. So owners of decorative breeds will have to get used to night activity in a cage.
But a rabbit's eyes are almost never completely closed. Therefore, it is rarely possible to see it sleeping - the animal only slightly closes its eyes.
Rabbits are very shy animals. Therefore, you should not try to stir them up to understand whether the animal is sleeping or not. The fact is that a rabbit can literally die from fright just by hearing a loud sound. These animals can sleep in different ways, just like people. Some need to hide in a cozy corner for a restful sleep, others can lie down in the middle of the cage.
Photos of all types of dwarf rabbits
Dwarf butterfly (Zwergschecken, Miniature Papillon, Dwarf Papillon)
This is a fairly new breed, bred on the basis of one of the oldest Czech breeds - the Czech spotted rabbit.
First of all, attention is drawn to the very bright and unusual color of this rabbit - black spots are “scattered” against the background of white fur. The animal must have black ears, spots around the eyes, a strap on the back and the front part of the muzzle (that same “butterfly”). The remaining black spots may be distributed over the body.
Butterfly rabbits are quite unpretentious in keeping, but are somewhat capricious. They are cheerful, playful and curious. But, like any other rabbits, they are susceptible to stress and require careful taming. In a noisy, nervous environment, rabbits grow up shy.
Of course, we have not listed all the breeds of domestic decorative rabbits, the mere sight of which brings a smile to your face. No less cute are Havana rabbits, squirrels, Hermelinas, chinchillas, flames, colored dwarfs, mini-rexes, teddies, satin and plush rabbits... Or maybe you also have such a funny pet at home? Be sure to share your photos with us in the comments!
