White and fluffy

Next year will be the year of the Rabbit or the Cat. The eastern calendar apparently considers these animals similar, which in reality, of course, is not at all the case. A cat is a cat: a predator, accustomed to living with people, but remaining an extremely independent creature. What about the rabbit? We somehow don’t think about rabbits, because few people know: these big-eared ones can be kept at home.

Rare breed of hamster?

When they first see a dwarf rabbit, many cannot understand what kind of animal it is. Guinea pig? Outlandish hamster? A miracle of Japanese toy making?

Unfortunately, dwarf rabbits are often considered living toys, apparently due to their miniature size (dwarfs reach a maximum of 1.5 kilograms) and innocent appearance. With such an installation, it is not worth taking a rabbit into the house. Firstly, a dwarf rabbit lasts a long time; unlike a hamster or rat, it lives up to 10 years. Secondly, a rabbit, even the size of a woman’s fist, is an animal with character. He can be wild and even aggressive (you’d never think it!) if his owners don’t take care of him and he has to while away his rabbit life in a cage. Or maybe tame, affectionate and playful, if he is often picked up, caressed and played with.

The older the rabbit, the calmer and more affectionate it is. But teenage rabbits (after 6–8 months) can surprise their owners with their reluctance to communicate. Increased aggressiveness is associated with puberty and is more common in females. At this time it is better to just leave them alone.

Tip: It is not recommended to grab rabbits by the back - they get scared because being grabbed from above is mistaken for an attack by a predator. It is better to hold the rabbit so that it can see your hands.

Rabbit + cat = friendship

Believe it or not, it is quite possible to litter train a rabbit. Like the same cat. This is good news for people who would like to take a dwarf rabbit into their home, but are afraid of the prospect of turning their apartment into a minefield. Although, of course, everything depends on upbringing - just as a cat may not be toilet trained, so a domestic rabbit can behave like a wild relative in the field.

By the way, dwarf rabbits get along well with cats. Breeders can tell a lot of stories about how tiny shy rabbits chase big brazen cats and how they become friends, despite the fact that in the wild it would not be friendship, but hunting.

Advice: a litter-trained rabbit, in theory, could be allowed to move freely around the apartment, but it is still better to constantly keep an eye on it. A rabbit is a rodent; it has a need to constantly touch something with its teeth. Unfortunately, he often chooses wires for this.

Children and those in cages

As pets, dwarf rabbits are a curiosity only for Russia; they have been bred in Europe for more than 150 years. And they are kept mainly by those who have a child in the house. The reason is clear: in the case of a dog, the problem of walking becomes acute. There is no need to walk the cat, but you cannot behave familiarly with it. Hamsters don't live long. You can't play with the fish. But the dwarf rabbit is a good option for children over 7 years old. The age limit is conditional, of course, but experts do not advise 3-5 year old children to have rabbits: the animal is fragile and can be seriously injured if a child drops it or squeezes it too much. Many parents, by the way, are afraid to take rabbits to their children, supposedly because of the risk of bites. In fact, a biting rabbit is rare.

Advice: of all the breeds of dwarf rabbits (there are seven of them: white hermelin, lion-headed rabbit, lop-eared ram, very fluffy dwarf fox, colored and angora rabbits, rex, whose fur is similar to that of a chinchilla), it is better to have a lop-eared one for a child. Because of their drooping ears, rabbits of this breed hear less well, so they are less frightened by noise and are tamed faster.

We thank the nursery of dwarf and decorative rabbits “Hare House” for their help.