Care Guide
- Set Up Safe Indoor Housing with Soft Bedding
- Provide Fresh Hay
- Provide Fresh Greens & Fiber-rich Pellets
- Provide Fresh Water
- Set up a Litter Box with Pet Litter
- Provide Enrichment like Cardboard Boxes or Rabbit Toys
- Groom Your Bunny
- Love your Bunny
Some Netherlands Dwarf Rabbit Facts
- Netherland Dwarf rabbits can be trained quite easily and they have similar behavioral characteristics to cats and dogs. Training does depend on the dedication of the owner, but if you put the time in you will be greatly rewarded for your efforts.
- Despite being very small, this breed can handle plenty of playtime and handling. They will want lots of toys and time with you to help keep their brains active and to release energy.
- Help to keep your rabbits’ teeth healthy by providing lots of roughage that wears down the teeth, and rabbit friendly chews and gnaws.
- This breed can live happily inside and outside the home, but they will need a lot of space and exercise wherever you decided to house your pet.
- Netherland Dwarf rabbits live for 7-10 years.
- Since the Netherland Dwarf is calmer than some breeds, this rabbit is mostly kept indoors as a family pet. They are intelligent and can be trained to use a litter box, although they should be caged when not supervised to stop them from chewing wires and protect the wood items in your home.
- According to the House Rabbit Society, a rabbit’s diet should consist of pellets, fresh hay, clean water, and fresh vegetables. However, the diet varies by age, so it’s crucial to feed age-appropriate foods in order to avoid stressing your pet’s digestive system.
- Never, ever, pick a bunny up by its ears. Always support a rabbit’s hind legs with one hand and rest the bunny against your chest, to upset your bunny the least. Rabbits are pack animals, meaning they are social animals.
- Netherlands Dwarf Rabbits have an overall weight in the range of 800 grams – 1.6 kgs.
- Netherlands dwarf rabbits are fully grown between 6-8 months.
- Netherland dwarf rabbits do not jump very high, some dwarf rabbits are able to jump as high as 1m but no more.
- They love to play with cardboard and commercially available rabbit chew sticks and toys. Provide a digging box for your bunny to satisfy the natural urge to dig. A cardboard box filled halfway with shredded paper works well. Your dwarf rabbit also needs a safe, secure area outside her cage in which to play and exercise.
- Rabbits apologize by touching heads. When the rabbits groom each other after touching heads, then the apology has been accepted. Rabbits are normally peaceful and want to get along, but they can be stubborn about it. A rabbit can hold a grudge for a few hours, or even a day or two.
- Rabbits are very loving animals, they can develop an attachment to their owners quite quickly. With their refined senses, rabbits can recognize an owner’s face, voice, and smell.
- Racing rabbits are happy rabbits. Some rabbits like to be chased, as they know that they’re much faster than you are. A rabbit in an invited chase will run with its ears mostly up, while one running scared will always lay its ears backward.
- Discipline your bunny by using voice training. When your bun does something he shouldn’t be, use his name and say ‘NO’, firmly and sternly. Nose down. Take your index finger and firmly but gently push his nose down toward the floor while saying ‘Jack, NO’. Time out! Put in his cage – no playtime.
- Rabbits find classical music calming. Don’t be surprised if your rabbit starts to blink or dance along to the music. Many pets learn to love the same music that their owners enjoy, provided that it’s not played too loud.
- If your rabbit loves you, he might lick you and If your rabbit softly chews on you, it also could be an expression of love and friendliness.
- ‘Chinning’ is also a sign of love. the will push their heads up against your chin when you hold them on your chest.
- When your rabbits are happy, you will notice them hop in the air, twist a little bit, then land back on the ground. Happy and content rabbits will be constantly wiggling and twitching their noses, whether they’re bouncing about or relaxing.
- A pet rabbit will understand and mirror the emotions of its owner. If you’re happy, you’ll find your rabbit reflecting your joy. If you are depressed, your rabbit will express concern.
- Rabbits should be able to exercise whenever they want to but a minimum of 4 hours of free run a day is recommended, ideally split into two exercise periods, morning and evening for about 2 hours each.
- Rabbits are naturally more active at dawn and dusk.