Q&A for How to Care for Dwarf Rabbits

No. Rabbits are a prey species, and, to protect themselves from predators, they are careful to keep clean and have no smell. If, however, they are not cleaned daily and urine accumulates in their bedding, this will smell. With scrupulous regular cleaning, there should be no problem.

Rabbits can eat fruit as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Keep it as a treat, offering around 1-2 tablespoons a day (because of the sugar content). Also, offer a variety of fruits, changing what you offer from one day to the next. Also, when feeding apple or pear, be sure to remove the seeds, as these contain traces of cyanide.

Yes. Dwarf rabbits are relatively intelligent, can be litter trained, and enjoy a family environment. However, they are more likely to be friendly if they have been handled from an early age, so try to find a breeder or rescue agency which makes a point of socializing their young rabbits and having a variety of people handle them.

Fresh growing grass is the ideal food for rabbits, so providing access to grass is ideal. If you can't put a run on the grass, then pull the grass up and feed it to your indoor rabbit. However, avoid feeding grass cuttings, as these readily ferment and can lead to bloat, stomach cramps, and distress.

Absolutely! There is good evidence that exposure to natural, unfiltered sunlight is highly beneficial for vitamin D synthesis, which leads to strong bones and healthy teeth. Obviously make sure the hutch is secure from predators and out of the direct, unshaded sun, wind, and rain. If the rabbit is not used to eating fresh grass, then put him out for 20 minutes initially and gradually increase the amount of time he spends outside. This allows his gut to get used to rich fresh grass and avoids an upset stomach.

Yes. Dwarf rabbits can be trained to use a litter box and make good house rabbits. Be sure to rabbit-proof the apartment by hiding electrical cables and removing precious objects that could be chewed from floor level. Also, it's great to harness train the rabbit to take her outside into the sunshine to boost her vitamin D levels for healthy teeth and bones.

The smallest rabbit breed in the world, I believe, is the Columbia Basin Pygmy rabbit. These little chaps reach a maximum weight of 1 lb. They are, however, very rare; at one time, it was thought they had become extinct. Happily, this is not the case but they remain elusive to find.

When kept in good conditions and fed a healthy diet, dwarf rabbits can live to old ages. Some dwarf rabbits live to be 10 or even 12 years of age.

As one of the smallest rabbit breeds, Netherland Dwarf rabbits do make good pets, but probably more for adults than for children. The small size of their bones makes them prone to fractures, so rough handling or being dropped by a child runs a real risk of injuring the rabbit.

My personal recommendation is that guinea pigs make the better pet for responsible kids. Guinea pigs tend to be more sociable than rabbits, and make a range of endearing noises that tell you what mood they are in.

Rabbits need to eat for around 20 hours a day (when eating a diet of grass and herbage), so you could say they are constantly hungry. This is because their natural diet is low in nutrients so they have to eat and process a lot of it to meet their nutritional needs.