WE INTRODUCE YOU TO THE RABBIT!
Bunnies often don't like being picked up, with all four paws on the ground is definitely their preference. But when it comes to petting, things are very different, which is what most bunnies love. Some bunnies also really actively ask their owner for attention! Rabbits belong to the lagomorpha family. You would think that a rabbit is a rodent, but that is not the case at all! The reason why the rabbit does not belong to the rodents are the two extra false teeth that can be found behind the upper incisors. These two teeth do not have rodents. Furthermore, rabbits of course have their beautiful long ears that stand or hang. The rabbit's hind legs are strongly muscled and well developed for pushing off, making them particularly quick and agile in their movements. The wild rabbit has gray-brown fur and a light underbelly. Rabbits live on average between 8 and 10 years. RABBITS IN NATURE You've probably seen them in the wild. Bunnies sprint across a meadow and quickly shoot into their hole. Rabbits live in large groups in the wild. They prefer to be in grassland, dunes and heathlands. They mark their territory with the help of droppings, pee and they also have a scent gland under their chin. With the scent gland they rub over objects and thus release a scent for other rabbits. Rabbits live in a strict hierarchy, which means that they have determined a hierarchy among themselves. The animals dig burrows and tunnel systems with multiple exits. Rabbits spend quite a lot of time above the ground to eat, run and play, among other things. Between noon, however, it is quiet for a while, because then rabbits like to take a nap. They prefer to do this together and in the meantime they also like to take care of each other's fur. RABBIT BREEDS Although we would love to show them all... then we would be short of pages... there are more than 50 different rabbit breeds! The differences are not only in the colors, but also in the construction. There are rabbits with floppy ears, small dwarf rabbits such as the color dwarf of 1.5 kg and large Flemish Giants that can weigh up to 8 kg. When it comes to rabbits, the choice is truly huge! There are often big differences in behavior as well. It is also often the case that the smaller varieties are a bit spicier than their larger counterparts. Pools, for example, are known for being very bright.
HOUSING RABBITS
Most rabbit breeds can be kept indoors or outdoors. For a Teddy Dwarf bunny, the damp and cold conditions outside may not be very pleasant and for a Flemish Giant, there may be a lack of space in the living room. Rabbits generally do not tolerate temperature differences very well. It is therefore wise to slowly accustom indoor rabbits to the outdoor climate in spring or early summer. It is not wise for outdoor rabbits to keep bringing them inside during the winter. The temperature differences in winter between the living room and the garden can be immense, which can make the rabbit sick. Rabbits that always live outside put on a winter coat in winter. This fluffy thick undercoat protects the animals from the cold, but it is still important to provide the rabbits with enough straw or other bedding so that they can burrow in nice and warm. Whether rabbits live indoors or outdoors, they all need space. In addition to a stay, it is therefore good to offer the rabbits a run at all times in which they can move freely and even run a bit or act crazy :) A nice tip is to partly place the outside run on the tiles so that the nails of the bunnies can wear down. In addition, a sandbox is also very nice. Some people use the blue children's sandpit shell as a rabbit sandpit... they love to dig! With an outdoor run you always have to be careful that the rabbits do not burrow under the run. In addition, everything must be properly closed so that no predators can get to the rabbits. The size of the outdoor enclosure strongly depends on the type of rabbit and the number of rabbits. For two dwarf rabbits, 160 x 50 x 50 cm is a good start. It would be best if the run is linked to the enclosure and that the bunnies can freely enter the run. A good size for a run is 4 m 2 for two dwarf rabbits. For the larger rabbits of 2 kg, at least 220 x 80 x 60 cm for the enclosure and a run of at least 5 m 2 . An indoor run can sometimes be a challenge, that's okay. In that case, let the animals run loose through the room for a few hours a day so that they can run and play. Of course always under supervision and take measures against broken power cables! It must be safe for them. HOUSES FOR RABBITS
Each rabbit hutch must not be in a draft, in front of the window, near the heating, in the sun or the wind. If the bunnies are allowed to roam freely through the room, the cables should preferably be concealed in cable ducts and poisonous plants should go out to another room or a place where the bunnies cannot reach them. You sometimes don't realize that our houseplants can be really dangerous for the animals. For example, consider the
For rabbits outside, a first layer of bedding such as: corn grains, cotton, paper, cardboard, hemp fiber is well suited. A layer of straw must be placed on top of that. Be picky when it comes to sawdust. Sawdust that is too dusty can irritate the airways of the animals. RABBITS TOILET
NB! Never use clumping cat litter! This can cause blockages in the intestines when eaten. THE RABBIT HOUSE Finally, the rabbit house should not be missing in the accommodation. Rabbits like to be able to retreat. They like to do this by lying under or in something. A house gives them the peace they need to take their nap at noon. A night hutch is sufficient for the outdoor rabbits.
RABBITS HANDLING AND CARE To pet? Please! Lift? No thanks! It's good to know that most rabbits don't like being picked up. If you take this into account when dealing with the animals, they will appreciate it! Rabbits that are really anxious may bite or thrash their hind legs very hard when picked up. This allows them to scratch and hurt you, but even worse they can even break their backs if they struggle too hard! If you pick up your rabbit, you must do so very carefully, with your hind legs firmly fixed. LIFTING THE RABBIT IS HOW WE DO The head should be facing you so that the rabbit can see you. Then put one hand around his bottom and slide your other hand under his chest. You can now lift the rabbit and place it against you, preferably with its head under your arm. This way you have a stable grip on the rabbit and he feels safe because he lies against your body. A rabbit that struggles a lot or is not used to being picked up and reacts wildly can best be handled in the following way: To pick up the rabbit as safely as possible, it is best to grab the skin between the shoulder blades. Not to be confused with the skin in the net that should not be, really between the shoulder blades and with the other hand under the bottom you can pick up the rabbit and put it against your body again. NB! Never pick up a rabbit by its ears. This is sometimes depicted on cartoons, but is cruel to animals and painful for the animals.
Particularly in the moulting period, some rabbits need thorough brushing! The short-haired rabbits especially need to be brushed when they are moulting. The long-haired rabbits must always be brushed regularly because their fur tangles easily. Preventing tangles is much more pleasant for you and your rabbit than fixing them! A comb and soft brush are ideal for brushing rabbits. During the daily cuddle session you can check the fur for tangles with your hands, if you feel one, grab it immediately to prevent worse. Don't forget the buttocks and the tail, the coat often tangles there too. Be careful with the tail. It can sometimes be an advantage to clip long-haired rabbit breeds once every two months. You can do this yourself with special rabbit scissors or have it done at a rabbit trimmer. Pay attention to the face and be well informed how short you can cut the coat. If you cut the coat too short or incorrectly, coat problems can arise. CUTTING NAILS IN RABBITS The rabbit nails should be checked regularly and if they are too long they should be trimmed. There are special rabbit nail scissors for this. Be careful not to cut into the life of the nail. This is the part of the nail through which the blood vessels and nerves run. It is extremely painful if you cut into this! With light rabbit nails you can see the life running through the nail, cut off the nail above that. With dark-colored nails, life is almost impossible to see, so you can use the fur border as a guideline. If you find it scary to cut the nails yourself, go to a rabbit groomer or the vet. These people can show you how to do it so you might be able to do it yourself later! CLEANING THE RABBIT HOUSE How often you have to clean the coop depends very much on how you have set it up and what bedding you use. For example, if you don't have a floor covering, but only a toilet, you'll be done quickly and you only have to clean the toilet every few days. Clean the drinking bottle regularly and watch out for algae growth. This can happen both indoors and outdoors. There are special thermo covers that prevent algae growth in the drinking bottle. For outdoor rabbits it is very important to keep the hutch hygienic so that no flies come to it. Use safe cleaning agents and rinse cleaned parts well with water. For urine deposits , CSI Urine Spray can be used or Eco Pets Urine Buster r. These agents are safe and remove urine through the use of a special composition of enzymes. RABBIT FEEDING
Grass and vegetables also contain a lot of fiber, but before the rabbit can eat this, it must get used to this food. Build this up slowly. Rabbits should not be given just any vegetable. Gaseous greens are especially bad for them. This includes cabbages and leeks. Other vegetables such as endive, carrot tops, radish leaves and chicory are fine. They can also have fruit, but not too often. fruit contains sugars that can cause the animals to become overweight. In addition, sugars are not properly processed by the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to hay, rabbits also need rabbit food in the form of hard food. Here we have a choice of mixed food and all-in-one kibble. The big advantage of the all-in-one chunks such as biks is that the rabbits cannot eat selectively. Some rabbits eat selectively and only pick the tasty things from the food, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies, vitamin deficiencies, overweight or underweight. Whichever rabbit food you choose, the highest fiber content is preferred in our opinion. Hay must be the staple food at all times! The amount of hard feed that must be given can differ per feed brand. This strongly depends on the composition of the feed. Therefore, always look closely at the back of the packaging where the manufacturer provides nutritional advice. In addition, you also have to make a good estimate yourself, because an active outdoor rabbit needs more food than a quiet indoor rabbit. Different life stages can also play a role. Think, for example, of young animals, pregnant and lactating rabbits and of course the older rabbit. All of these groups have different nutritional needs. Fortunately, there is special food for all these life stages. You can also weigh the rabbits for the first time and keep track of the weight. Did you know that rabbits eat their night droppings? The appendixes. We call that with a very expensive word: "Coprophagy". The animals do this to obtain all their nutrients, especially vitamin B12, from the diet. Rabbits eat these droppings directly from their anus. They are small shiny droppings. If you often find these in the enclosure, there is a good chance that your rabbit is getting too much food.
Rabbits may not belong to the rodent group... they like to gnaw! In fact, they really need it. The teeth of rabbits also grow throughout their lives and must wear well to prevent dental problems. Good rabbit gnawing material is:
RABBITS HEALTHYou can recognize a healthy rabbit by its active and alert attitude, clean eyes, clean and dry coat. You can recognize a sick rabbit by the following symptoms:
In addition, the droppings are an important pillar when it comes to the health of your rabbit. Small hard droppings indicate a constipation or too little food. Soft or even wet droppings can be an indication of intestinal complaints. In most cases, incorrect nutrition or too fast switching of feed is the culprit. Is your rabbit not eating? Then you need to go to the vet immediately! A rabbit cannot go too long without food, a day can be life-threatening or deadly. Supplementary feeding is almost always necessary in such a case. Not wanting to eat can be due to various things, intestinal complaints, dental problems, pain, stress, etc. Dental problems occur regularly, such as incorrectly growing teeth and molars. In that case, a veterinarian should always be consulted. There are also two particularly dangerous and contagious diseases in rabbits. Those are Myxomatosis and VHD (RHD). These two are almost always fatal to the rabbit. VHD spreads very quickly and easily. Vaccination is highly recommended by vets. We know of two virus variants of VHD in the Netherlands. A vaccine is given annually against myxomatosis and VHD type 1. VHD type 2 should be vaccinated every six months or annually. The latter depends on the vaccine.
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There is so much to tell about rabbit housing! But we try to keep it as short and concise as possible. As mentioned, rabbits are group animals and should always be kept together with at least two animals. Rabbits really need space to run and play. In addition, the rabbits must always be able to stand upright in their enclosure.
Rabbits are clean animals and also potty trained! They prefer to do their business in one fixed place in the enclosure and preferably in a corner. So keep the corners of the enclosure free in the beginning. As soon as you find out in which corner the rabbits have made their toilet, place a 
BRUSHING RABBIT
A rabbit is a herbivore, that means herbivore. Rabbits therefore need a vegetable diet with a lot of fiber. The best source of fiber is 
In case of such symptoms, always take your rabbit to the vet. If you see this when purchasing, do not buy the animal.
