If you are considering getting a rabbit, you should know first of all that rabbits do not make good pets for young children. Rabbits are very timid and can even die from fright. While bunnies are cute, rabbits are very fragile and must be handled carefully. Rabbits are not likely to be happy in a home full of small children, and they really aren’t cut out to be pets for little kids. All in all, this is not a good situation for rabbits.

Keep in mind that rabbits love to be out and about, with the people they love. Many people let their rabbits roam the house; they follow their people around like dogs, but with the advantage that rabbits, like cats and unlike dogs, can be litter trained. That said, your rabbit should be either in a large cage or in a rabbit-safe, closed-off room when you’re not around to keep an eye on him. Like cats and dogs, rabbits get into stuff. And rabbits love to chew, so you should be very cautious about anything in the room that your rabbit could chew up and cause harm to himself or your belongings.

As you would expect, your rabbit needs to have constant access to fresh water, and have fresh food available. Rabbits can drink from a water bowl (get one that won’t tip easily) or from a water bottle attached to the side of the cage.

What do rabbits eat? Well, don’t rush out and buy a head of lettuce for your bunny, because that kind of lettuce has very little nutritional value. Rabbit pellets from the pet store are a good staple, along with some fresh hay (not too much), and occasional treats of leafy greens, apples and of course carrots. While a rabbit will eat almost anything, you should feed the foods that provide good nutrition and don’t upset his sensitive digestive tract.

If you can provide a calm environment, room to roam, a good, safe place to sleep and spend spare time, and the right food, your rabbit will have almost everything it needs. The only thing lacking will be your love and attention, which you are no doubt ready to give in huge quantities.

The more space your rabbit has, the better. If you have dwarf rabbits, don’t be fooled by the cages at the pet stores saying they are for “guinea pigs and dwarf rabbits.” Dwarf rabbits are very active and need a lot of room to move and jump and play and run.

Rabbits need a lot of stuff, and that stuff takes room. Your bunny will need a full-size litter box, and if you have two rabbits, you might need two litter boxes. You’ll need a hay box, a food bowl, and a water bowl or (preferably) water bottle. And that’s just for nutrition and personal hygiene! Your rabbit needs “stuff” to play with. You can find all kinds of cool toys for rabbits online or at your local pet store.

You might consider a largish dog crate as a bunny home, and you could build in “stories” so your friend can have some vertical space to move around. In fact, these crates make excellent indoor hutches for bunnies. You can also find large rabbit cages, but they’re often every expensive. A better solution may be building your own cage.

If you’d like to build your own rabbit cage, you can use the wire-grid organizing cubes you find in the housewares departments of stores like Target and Costco. These cubes are usually called “Neat Idea Cubes”, because they’re for keeping stuff neat (not our name, but kind of clever). You can find cage ideas by searching online for “Neat Idea Cube crates” and similar terms. You can build some really cool cages for rabbits and other small animals using
these cool cubes and some cable ties.

If you’re going to have rabbits, and they’re not going to have the run of your home (which they’re probably not), then the best thing you can do for them is give them plenty of room to roam when they’re in their “room.” Like any living being, rabbits want freedom to move and play and stretch out. Give them that, and they’ll be healthier and happier, and you’ll have more fun owning rabbits.

Rabbits are crepuscular. That means they’re most active at dawn and dusk. Since rabbits are “officially” lagomorphs (lagomorph is the order, and both hares and rabbits belong to the leporidae family),you can have fun with your friends. Instead of saying you have pet bunnies, try saying your pets are crepuscular lagomorphs. That should get some looks!

You may be surprised that your domestic rabbits don’t hibernate, but in fact, rabbits do not hibernate at all, either in the wild or when domesticated. So don’t worry that your bunny’s not hibernating; she’s not supposed to. There’s a common belief that rabbits hibernate, so this is an interesting fact not everyone will know.

As you may know, rabbits are great jumpers. Bunnies can hop three feet in the air, and sometimes higher, if they’re really strong in the back legs. So if you don’t want your bunny getting into or out of something, make sure you have sufficient protection against a three-foot jump!

Rabbits can do some things humans do. For instance, rabbits snore. Not all rabbits snore, but some rabbits do snore, just like people, cats and dogs. But rabbits cannot vomit. They can gag, but can’t regurgitate food, so be careful to make sure your bunny doesn’t eat anything she shouldn’t. If she does, call your vet or the poison control line to find out what to do.

You probably see wild rabbits around your yard or in your neighborhood occasionally. Wherever you live, unless you happen to live in Antarctica, where rabbits aren’t native, you can find rabbits. They’re not native to Australia, either, but a large population of wild rabbits has developed from ancestors brought from other countries. Wild rabbits live in burrows, and a group of them (or domesticated bunnies, for that matter) is called a herd.
And yes, wild rabbits do breed well like bunnies, but if their babies are abandoned, only about 10% survive, which is why they’ve evolved to have so many offspring.

The following are a few steps which is necessary for dwarf rabbit care:

1. Firstly, the dwarf rabbit’s home needs to be set up. Several people allow their pet rabbits to run around in the house. However, if this is not what you like, then consider purchasing a cage for you dwarf rabbit. Make sure that the cage has a litter box. This is because rabbits can easily be litter trained.
2. Purchase high quality orchard grass or timothy grass or even timothy hay pellets for the dwarf rabbit. It is essential that you provide constant hay supply to your pet dwarf rabbit. Dwarf rabbits that are under 6 months can have as much pellets as they desire but those over 6 months need to be given only ¼ cup pellets per day.
3. All rabbits kept at home should be provided with dark, fresh, leafy greens. It is best to give 2 cups of vegetables for dwarf rabbits each day. Baby carrots, banana or apple can be given as treats.
4. House rabbits should be provided with toys such as toilet paper-rolls and old books. Even plastic baby keys can be given.
5. Pet dwarf rabbits should be given a box so that they can chew, hide and climb on it. Boxes are an ideal place for rabbits to hide when they are scared. Also, these boxes act as an entertainment source for the rabbits.
6. Dwarf rabbit care also involves ensuring that the rabbit has a minimum of 4 hours exercise each day. Also, make sure to keep computer wires, phone wires and other such stuff out of reach from the rabbit. Like all rabbits, dwarf rabbits too love chewing on things.
7. Take your pet rabbit for health check-ups which will ensure that the rabbit is healthy. Also, get the dwarf rabbit neutered; this is ensuring the prevention of unwanted children. This is important for the dwarf rabbit’s good health.
8. Dwarf rabbit care also involves giving the pet the much needed love and attention. So, spend plenty of time playing with your dwarf rabbit.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Back To Raising Rabbits Homepage

There are specific types of rabbits that are raised for their meat, while other types are domesticated pets. There are mainly 5 different genera in the rabbit family that can be classified: Silver, Angora, Lop, Belgian hare and Netherland Dwarf. Many people are not aware of these 5 genera of rabbits.

Following is a brief explanation of the types of rabbits:

Netherland dwarf – The Netherland Dwarf are usually referred to as Dwarf rabbits. These rabbits are fancied by many people due to their distinctive appearance: they have short ears that are perched above and have apple-round heads. Moreover, these dwarf rabbits have compact bodies. Netherland Dwarfs or Dwarf rabbits have beautiful coats and come in several beautiful colours. These rabbits are also well known for even dispositions of colour.

Belgium Hare – This type of rabbit is considered to be the most intelligent type among all the rabbits. The rabbits of this type are generally very attractive and weigh anywhere between 2.7 kilograms to 4.5 kilograms. These rabbits have attractive lush fur that is mainly reddish-tan in colour. This body shape of these rabbits bears a close resemblance to a hare. These rabbits are characterised by very long ears and legs.

Lop – The distinctive feature of these rabbits is that they have soft, long, “lop” or dropping ears. The larger breeds of Lop can have their ear lengths measuring about 50 centimetres. The English Lop is known to have the biggest ears among all the rabbit types. All the Lops have great coats with beautiful markings and colours. These rabbits make great pets.

Angora – These rabbit types can be recognized easily by their distinctive coat quality. The rabbits of this type are usually seen having white coats, but come in other colors as well. When compared to other rabbit types, it is a little difficult to look after Angora rabbits. However, if some time is dedicated to cleaning, clipping and brushing these rabbits, they remain healthy and beautiful.

Silver – The last category of different types of rabbits is Silver. The rabbits of this type are available in many colours. The highlight of this breed is the characteristic silvering. Adult rabbits of this breed may weigh between 1.8 to 3 kilograms.

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Rabbits should constantly feel secure; hence a major portion of taking care of rabbits involves providing them with a reasonably constant atmosphere that is quiet and peaceful. This can be attained by providing a proper housing for the rabbit.

The two fundamental options available for rabbit-keeping is to cage them or to let them loose. Generally, rabbits are housed in hutches or out-door cages. These cages are known to have a wiring at the sides and at the bottom. They have a solid top and nesting box made of wood. This is a good option but care must be taken to make the out-door cage water-proof. Those who wish to keep the pet rabbits in-doors, a structure similar to a hutch can easily be integrated inside the house.  Rabbits love being close to their owners so keeping them inside the house is also a good option. Rabbits are also tidy creatures so it will not cause too many problems when they are kept inside. Rabbits can also be kept in rabbit-proof rooms by getting rid of chewables like papers, books, toys or electric wires. Also, all openings and small-holes should be covered so that they do not squeeze into these holes.

After the housing is taken care of, the other major factor to be considered while taking care of rabbits is to ensure the availability of proper food and fresh water all the time. The diet of a rabbit should mainly consist of rabbit pellets, fresh hay, and treats like leafy greens, apples and carrots. It is best to feed a rabbit what it desires to eat. Rabbits are known to have delicate digestive-systems and hence introduction to foreign foods should be avoided.

Taking care of rabbits involves providing the right environment, suitable housing and proper care of its diet. Once you keep these points in mind, you can go ahead and make a rabbit as your pet. Above all, provide the pet rabbit with companionship and unending affection.

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The main reason for choosing rabbits as a meat source is that rabbits convert close to 20% of the food consumed by them into meat. Before beginning with rabbit farming, one needs to consider the farm space. However, the space needed for farming rabbits is very small when compared to what is required for sheep or cow farming. Moreover, the labour cost incurred by the farmer is also much less.

A rabbit’s diet consists of grass and vegetables. They even feed on kitchen waste that can be attained at very low prices. Rabbit farming can be done in a garden, in backyards or indoors also. Rabbit meat contains lesser amounts of cholesterol and is also very nutritious. Moreover, the bone-content in rabbits is less than that of chicken. For farming rabbits, one has to invest less when compared to meat sources. In addition to this, the return after starting a rabbit farm will usually start in 7 or 8 months. Based on the breed, rabbits grow close to 3 or 6 kilograms in a period of 3 months. Rabbit meat is a cheaper protein source in comparison with chicken meat. This is due to the fact that rabbits feed on kitchen waste, alfalfa, grass, etc.

The manure obtained from rabbits is profitable for the farmers as they can easily be sold for fairly good prices. The ventilation in the soil can be increased with the use of rabbit fertilizer. In addition to this, rabbit farmers can also make profits from the rabbit skin. Rabbit farms are known to provide the much needed raw materials to a number of industries related with this type of business. Another advantage of rabbit farming is that rabbits do not make noise like cattle or chickens.

If a farmer has limited space, then the best choice is to opt for rabbit farming. Also, for all those farmers who do want to invest huge amounts, then this is an ideal option. Angora rabbits are a good choice and their wool is warm, light and has a very fine texture. As a farmer you can also get a good price.

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The presence of runny or loose stool is an indication that the rabbit is suffering from internal duress. With the poopy-butt rabbit illnesses, it is essential to monitor the behavioral changes and the eating habits as well as keep the abdominal and rectal areas of the rabbit clean. Sometimes, the owners even shave such areas so that skin irritations and diarrhea, caused due to the fecal matter stuck to their fur, can be avoided. Digestive and intestinal problems in a rabbit should be checked, diagnosed as well as treated by a vet. If such illnesses prolong, then issues such as dehydration could even prove fatal.

Heat tilt is regarded as among the most serious rabbit illnesses. This may be caused due to different sicknesses but usually occurs due to equilibrium problems. With this illness, a rabbit could suffer from rolling eyes, loss of balance and appetite. This problem can be cured if treatment is given on time. Vets usually give a dose of antibiotics. Also, nervous system and brain tests may also be carried out.

Another illness seen in rabbits is canker. This is an ear ailment that cannot be noticed externally. If the rabbit tends to scratch its ear continuously and you notice signs of inflammation, then the rabbit should be taken for check-up or treatment. The treatment for canker begins by wiping the ears with hydrogen-peroxide. After this, a suitable anti-biotic is used to dust the ears. It is always advisable to get these procedures done from a vet.

Stasis is one among the most severe rabbit illnesses. This is malfunction in the digestive tract of the rabbit. If a rabbit stops eating of relieving itself, it is advisable to take the pet to a vet. This may be a tumour, blockage or a flu that could be the reason for discomfort and pain in the rabbit. By keeping a constant eye on the rabbit and responding to symptoms, if any, will go a long way in keeping the rabbit healthy and ensuring its longevity.

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Typically, rabbits’ diet consists of hay, water, fresh vegetables and pellets. Other treats and fruits are usually given in moderate quantities as they could cause obesity. Rabbits need to be provided with fresh water at all times as they tend to dehydrate very quickly.

Several sources suggest that a rabbit should mainly be fed with grass hay. If a rabbit is given too many vegetables, then it may cause digestive problems and diarrhoea.

Pellets – generally, rabbits are fed with pellets available at pet stores, farm supplies and supermarkets. Originally, pellets were designed for the rabbit breeders so that vitamins food energy can be provided inexpensively. Rabbits’ diet on pellets is optimal only when they are being bred due to experimentation or food.

Adolescent and pre-adolescent rabbits can be fed with pellets based on how much they can consume, but feeding additional vegetables is preferable. Older rabbits (those over 6 years) should be given more amounts of pellets if they are unable to maintain constant body weight. Alfalfa pellets are best suited for growing, young rabbits and for older rabbits that are under-weight. Timothy hay pellets are best suited for rabbits that have surpassed the growing age.

Hay – Hay is an important part of rabbits’ diet. Hay should be supplied steadily for rabbits in order to prevent digestive tract illnesses in rabbits. In addition to this, hey also provides many essential minerals and vitamins. Rabbits love chewing up hay, and constant availability of hey reduces the tendency of the rabbit chewing on other things. Timothy hey is said to the healthiest. A steady diet of alfalfa hay could cause obesity in rabbits.

Treats – Treats will prove to be unhealthy for rabbits if given in large amounts. However, the best and the healthiest treat that can be given to rabbits is fruit. Fruits such as orange, berries, kiwi, apple, peach, pineapple and banana come under acceptable fruits for rabbits. It is advisable to give treats and fruits in moderation. If given in excess, rabbits may suffer from over-weight issues and other health-problems. Fresh fruits should never be given to baby rabbits under 4 months as it leads to enteritis which causes sudden death. The universal myth is that rabbits should be fed with lettuce. This is not true as lettuce has little nutritional value a rabbit.

Caecal pellets – rabbits’ faeces are known as caecal pellets. The caecal pellets are an essential part of rabbits’ diet. By providing the mentioned feed, a rabbit can live healthily.

The Holland Lop rabbits are one of the most popular and the smallest rabbit. The name of this animal is called Holland Lop rabbits because it is named after the county Holland. The breeding of Holland lops rabbits started in the year 1949 and it was finalized in the year 1960. In 1976, it was brought to the U.S and became popular as a pet animal and for butchering.

These very small rabbits are good for breeding if you are doing it for the first time. This type is very loving and charming. They like to hop and play around. Holland lop rabbits do not need a lot of space for breeding and you can keep them as a domestic animal. These rabbits eat smaller amounts of food than the bigger rabbits, so you will definitely save some money. Their favorite food is carrot and hay as is the case with the majority of the rabbits. If you keep them for breeding purposes then you need to take especially good care of them. Keep them warm in cold temperature, as they cannot bear cold.

Well, many people say that the origination of Holland lops are from Netherlands. In 1964 and 1979, the Netherlands’s Governing Rabbit Council and the American Rabbit Breeders Association accepted these rabbits. After that, they became an accepted domestic animal throughout the world.

They have a non-aggressive nature and sweet personality. During breeding, you need to know that from zero to six months they are considered juniors and in seven months, they can be considered as seniors. You can get these rabbits in many colors like white, fawn, tortoise shell color and black and white colors. You can get a Blue Holland Lop, Blue Tortoise Shell lops rabbits, Broken Smoke Pearl lops rabbits, and Broken Black lops rabbits. Holland lop rabbits have big long ears and they have a nice bone structure and weighs around 3.5lbs. There are many different types of rabbit but the Holland Lop rabbits are definitely a good choice.