Care_information

Cage Space:

At the minimum, a Dutch rabbit should have a cage that is 18”x24”x16” and a
brood doe should have no less than 24”x24”x16”. Wire bottom cages with a
slide pan are the easiest to clean and make for less hutch stain than solid
bottom cages. Some rabbits may require a resting mat on all wire floors to
prevent sore hocks. If you are keeping a Dutch rabbit as a pet only, try to get
the largest cage you can afford and your home space allows.

Feeding:

On average, an adult Dutch rabbit needs only 1/2 cup of quality pelleted feed
per day, combined with all of the hay that they can eat.
Bunnies under 12 weeks do best on an unlimited pellet ration with unlimited
hay. At 12 weeks they should slowly be reduced, over two weeks or so, to the
1/2 cup ration..16% protein is good for Dutch pets and show animals. A high
production doe, one that is bred back before her litters are weaned, will,
however, require 18% protein.

The best hay is timothy or oat hay. A timothy mix is often best as the rabbits
are inclined to eat more and it can be found at most feed stores.

Always make sure there is plenty of CLEAN fresh water available at all times. I
like using a water crock however, a bottle with drinking tube is fine too.

Grooming:
For the most part, rabbits groom themselves, sometimes, however, they need
some help. The best grooming tool is your hands. A damp hand run the
wrong way through your Dutch rabbit’s coat every day will remove the loose
and dead hairs better than any brush. Some people choose to use a moist
towel.

For stains on the pretty white markings there are two things that can be used.
The first is an unscented baby wipe or a cloth with a mild rabbit cleanser.
Pinch the hairs that need cleaning with the cloth and wipe up the shafts of
hair. Do Not wipe across the marking as it will likely spread the stain. For
particularly tough stains on white, use a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide.
This will bleach out the ugly brown or yellow urine stains.

Brushes aren’t all useless. I like to keep a slicker brush and a cat size
shedding blade handy. The slicker brush is good for a once over after other
tools are used. The shedding blade comes in the most handy during molting
time to remove large amounts of dead hairs faster. Brush your bunny at least
once a week with a cat brush.

Toys:

Rabbits get bored too. A happy rabbit tends to be healthier than an unhappy
one. Giving your rabbit toys to play with helps keep them from being too
bored. Suitable toys are; paper towel or toilet tissue tubes, any toy suitable for
a large parrot (remove any bells), and hard plastic cat toys (again, make sure
the bells can’t come out).