Dwarf Bunnies Care

Dwarf bunnies have earned a name for themselves as the third most popular house pets after dogs and cats. They are wonderful creatures that are tiny and cuddly. They are normally quiet and sober.

However, you will be surprised to know that you will come across days when your bunny will make a lot of noise and even growl. They growl when angry, squeal when panicked, and you will hear small noises of contentment when they curl up.

The types of dwarf bunnies include the Mini-Rex, the Jersey Wooly, Netherland dwarf, Polish Dwarf, Dwarf Hotot, Lionhead, and the Holland lop. You should keep in mind that Mini-lop is not a dwarf bunny despite its name.

Dwarf bunnies do not require much space and you can choose a small cage for your pets. The recommended size for cage is about 30" x 30" x 14". The rabbit should have plenty of room to move about and hop around.

You can use a wire cage and if you need to cover the area with wood, then keep a minimum amount of wood inside the cage. This is because rabbits love to chew on everything. Provide a box to hide in, climb in, and chew on.

You can bring a pair of dwarf bunnies, as they enjoy the company of their own kind. You will find that a pair is inseparable. They will eat, sleep, play, hop around, and even laze around together. They will help each other with their daily cleaning and reach the tough spots over the top of their heads, behind the ears, and around the eyes.

The normal body temperature of a dwarf bunny is about 39.5° C. Their pulse rate is 300 per minute. They follow caecotrophy, that is, they ingest their own feces. Rabbits produce two types of feces. The hard pellets that you need to clean from the cage and the soft droppings that are rich in microorganisms and water.

These soft droppings are eaten by them as soon as they are passed out. These are produced between 9 am and 5 pm.

Their diet consists of fresh and waste fruits and vegetable. You can also include hay supplementation in their diet. If their diet mostly consists of green food, then they will not drink a lot of water.

This is perfectly normal, as they get the water they need from their food. Even so, you must provide them with fresh, clean water daily, as they may want a little sip. You can also feed alfalfa in moderation and grass hay as much as they want.

Dwarf rabbits are very clean by nature. You will notice one spot in the cage where they usually answer nature's call. In case of a buck (male rabbit), he may mark his territory by spraying urine everywhere. Dwarf rabbits love to burrow and if you have no floor in the cage, then they might dig a tunnel and escape into the garden.

You should beware, as two bucks will fight each other when put in the same cage. Even neutering or spaying won't solve the problem. As far as their temperament goes, they become tame when handled by humans from birth. French lops are very docile and do not mind handling by humans. Many times, dwarf rabbits may be very nervous and aggressive as compared to other rabbit breeds, although there are always exceptions to this temperament.

Many times, you may take out a dwarf bunny from its cage to cuddle it, but get gnawed by sharp claws and teeth. This is a very common behavior when the animal reaches sexual maturity. It may also be seen in a pregnant doe (female rabbit). The best way to avoid bites and scratches is opening the door of the cage and allowing the rabbits to come out on their own. Then you can handle them.

You need to give at least 4 hours of exercise time to your pets. They are very social creatures and love all the attention you give. You can speak to someone who already owns dwarf bunnies as pets for more tips on their handling. You need to spend a lot of quality time and give proper pet care (including vet care) to them.