Decorative rabbit: maintenance and care at home for beginners

Rabbits are popular pets, not capricious in care, characterized by a calm and affectionate disposition. Keeping a decorative rabbit is not difficult, you just need to properly and fully feed it, regularly carry out hygiene and disinfection procedures, and do not forget about vaccination and prevention of helminthiasis. In the absence of care and poor-quality feeding, the pet becomes seriously ill, and may even die.

Rules for choosing an animal

There are a large number of decorative breeds of rabbits, so choosing the right pet can be difficult. Tip for beginner breeders: when choosing a breed, first of all, pay attention to the nature of the animal and the cost of keeping it. The rabbit is selected according to the following criteria:

• degree of affection and friendliness;
• reaction to strangers;
• activity;
• individual size;
• state of the immune system, degree of susceptibility to diseases;
• demanding care.

You should not choose a dwarf rabbit if there are small children in the family. When playing with a miniature animal, children may inadvertently injure it.

You can ask the seller about the features of the decorative breed. The buyer should watch the cubs for sale. Appearance and habits can tell a lot about the he alth of the animal. A he althy rabbit looks energetic, moves quickly, his coat is shiny, there are no bald spots or flea marks on it. You should run your palm over the torso to check for injuries and tumors. The belly should not be hard.

Popular breeds

Usually, rabbits are bred for their meat and fur, but breeding experiments have led to the emergence of decorative breeds, whose representatives are distinguished by their cute and original appearance.About 50 decorative breeds have been created, many of which are characterized by a variety and uniqueness of colors.

Most popular ornamental breeds:

1. The Lop-eared Dutchman is a rabbit with long drooping ears, a compact body and short legs. An adult weighs about 1.8 kg. The popularity of the breed is due to the variety of colors, soft and lively character, the absence of genetic pathologies.
2. Decorative Angora is an affectionate, intelligent, calm pet with an unusually fluffy coat. An individual weighs up to 2 kg. The only difficulty in maintaining is the need for regular cleaning and combing of the coat.
3. Dwarf - a miniature pet weighing up to 1.2 kg, looking like a rabbit at any age. The pet has a neat rounded body shape, a relatively large head, short ears, large eyes. The character of each rabbit is individual: calm or playful, inquisitive or meek.
4. Dwarf ram - a rabbit with an original appearance. Due to the rounded shape of the muzzle and drooping ears, the head of the animal resembles the head of a ram. Relative to other breeds, these rabbits are quite large, weighing about 2.7 kg, have a strong body with well-developed muscles. Dwarf sheep are loved for their playfulness, affection, lack of fear of people.
5. Rex is a large decorative rabbit weighing up to 4.8 kg. The popularity of the American breed is due to the special structure of short hair: there are no hard guard hairs, so the coat looks and feels like velvet. These rabbits are friendly, but they choose to be the owner of a person who pays them more attention.
6. Hermelin, aka the Polish rabbit, is a miniature pet with snow-white fur, weighing up to 1.3 kg. He is loved for his good looks: rounded muzzle, short ears, expressive eyes.

Conditions for keeping a decorative rabbit

Decorative rabbits are sensitive to direct ultraviolet light, heat, dampness and drafts. They should be kept at a temperature of +18 to +20 °C and air humidity of about 50%. To keep a decorative pet in the apartment does not require a lot of things. Must be purchased:

• cage (so that the animal does not feel cramped, its length must be at least 1 m);
• bowl (you should take a bulky metal or ceramic bowl so that it is difficult for the pet to turn it over);
• drinker (you need to buy one that is attached to the bars of the cage, as the rabbit will turn the bowl of water over);
• tray (preferably with a slatted cover so that the animal does not get its paws dirty);
• house for rest and sleep;
• veterinary clinic carrier;
• wool brush;
• claw cutter.

You also need to purchase a filler for the tray, always woody, not flavored. Bedding in a cage is chosen from straw or sawdust, lay it in a layer 5-8 cm thick.

If you plan to take your pet for a walk, you should buy a leash. Decorative rabbits are playful and active, so it is advisable to place toys in the cage: a wheel, balls, hollow pipes.

The tray filler is changed and the cage is cleaned every 2-3 days. A warm aqueous solution of vinegar is used as a disinfectant. Chemicals should not be used, they can harm the he alth of the animal.

Hygiene procedures

Caring for a decorative rabbit is easy. It is combed out once a week, during the procedure they check for fleas and skin diseases. Bathing the animal is not worth it, this procedure is a big stress for him.If the fur is dirty, then only the contaminated area is washed, trying not to splash water on the ears and muzzle. After washing, the animal is wrapped in a terry towel until the coat dries. Do not dry washed rabbit hair with a hair dryer. The noise of the device will frighten the animal, and the flow of hot air can burn the delicate skin.

Also care includes checking the ears for parasitic damage once every 2 weeks, examining paws for tumors and ulcers. Claws should be cut off as they grow, it is advisable to entrust this procedure to a veterinarian.

Tolerable and unacceptable food

The diet of a decorative pet includes:

• meadow hay;
• fresh grass (in summer they pluck in an ecologically clean area, in winter they buy wheat grain for sprouting);
• vegetables and tops (carrots, zucchini, pumpkin);
• tree and shrub branches (apple, pear, raspberry, aspen);
• fruits and berries (apples, pears, watermelon and melon peels, grapes).

Water is changed daily, even if it's not all drunk. The rabbit is fed 3 times a day.

You can not treat a decorative animal:

• sweets and pastries;
• fermented milk products;
• citrus and other exotic fruits;
• plums;
• onions and garlic;
• human food.

Grain and cabbage are given to the rabbit in a minimal amount. Grain feed is saturated with carbohydrates, with excessive use it causes obesity, and cabbage provokes flatulence. Chalk and s alt stone are placed in the cage. These are the sources of mineral elements for the animal.

Diseases and compulsory vaccinations for rabbits

Since decorative rabbits are the result of selection, their immunity is rather weak, and some breeds are prone to genetic diseases and complications associated with anatomical features.

The most common in decorative rabbits are:

• viral hemorrhagic disease;
• pasteurellosis;
• myxomatosis (sign - nodules on the body);
• infectious rhinitis;
• inflammation of the bronchi and lungs (due to unsuitable temperature conditions and drafts);
• diarrhea and flatulence (due to poor sanitation and poor nutrition);
• inflammation of the genitourinary system (sign - blood in the urine);
• conjunctivitis (due to unsanitary conditions);
• helminthiasis accompanied by diarrhea and sudden weight loss;
• flea infestation;
• damage by skin mites (a sign - bald spots on the coat);
• growing teeth into cheeks;
• uterine tumors in females.

You cannot treat an animal on your own, this should be done by a veterinarian.For prophylactic purposes, the pet is vaccinated at regular intervals. The first time against a hemorrhagic virus is vaccinated at the 6th week of life, a second injection is done after 3 months. Further, hemorrhagic disease is vaccinated once a year.

Animals are vaccinated against myxomatosis for the first time at the age of 10 months. Further, the vaccination is done 2 times a year from April to October, when insects carrying the infection are active. Preventive treatment of worms is carried out every 2-3 months.

If a decorative rabbit is well cared for, it will live 7-9 years.

Sexual issue in rabbits and reproduction

Decorative rodents reach puberty by the 3-4th month of life. If breeding is not planned, then individuals of different sexes must be resettled. The sexual activity of a rabbit is determined by several signs:

• aggressive and agitated behavior;
• increased physical activity;
• ignore tray;
• the desire to mark corners (typical for a male);
• the desire to equip the nest (typical of the female).

For mating, the female is added to the male. It’s impossible otherwise, since the gentleman will be carried away by exploring unfamiliar territory, he won’t bother to pay attention to his girlfriend. In the process of mating, animals mate in several approaches. Knitting is repeated in a day. If there is no need to breed decorative animals, then it is advisable to castrate the male. Then he will behave calmly, stop marking corners.

Is it worth walking on the street

It is not necessary to walk a decorative domestic rabbit, but if you wish, you can take it out to the lawn during the warm season. For a walk, choose a clear day when there is no strong wind. They walk the pet on a special rabbit leash.

But even if the rabbit does not leave the house, he should not be in the cage all the time, otherwise obesity and skeletal pathologies cannot be avoided. The animal must be released daily so that it can frolic and run around the floor.

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