Pedigree rabbits are classified as normal fur breeds which include Chinchillas, Californians and New Zealands; fancy breeds, including English, Dutch, Angoras, Lops, Netherland Dwarfs and Flemish Giants and the Rex and Satin breeds. The smaller rabbits whether mongrel or purebred, are to be preferred as pets to the larger breeds, which may be very difficult…
The rabbit is not prone to disease if kept in a comfortable hutch and properly looked after. However, disease may occur in spite of every care. As usual, the signs of ill-health are untidy coat, dull eye, listless behaviour and lack of appetite. The patient should be kept warm, even if this means a hot-water…
There are large numbers of different breeds of rabbit from which to make a choice of pet. It may be noticed that whereas in most small pets the various colours are known as varieties, in rabbits they are known as breeds. What is the difference between a variety and a breed? The principal difference lies…
Rabbits have to be kept singly in hutches and this means than breeding has to be undertaken deliberately, rather than letting nature take its course. Still, breeding is fun and is not difficult. Small breeds mature sooner than large, so that while a Dutch doe may be bred as early as five months, a larger…
Rabbits have been domesticated for so long that even youngsters of a few weeks display no fear. It is rare that petting or coaxing is necessary to overcome the animal’s natural caution. This makes the rabbit an ideal pet even for quite young children, who could not be trusted with a smaller animal for fear…
Proverbially, rabbits will eat almost anything and thrive on kitchen scraps and left-overs from the table. This is true and implies that a pet rabbit (or even several) need not be expensive to keep. However, one must be sensible and ensure that the animal receives a variety of different foods and those which may be…
Rabbits are kept in hutches either in a shed or in a sheltered part of the garden. Hutches are usually made of wood, preferably of tongued and grooved timber to minimise draughts. They should not be less than 36in. long, 24in. deep and 18in. high, perhaps a little smaller for the smallest breeds but about…
Rabbits make an ideal pet for most children because their larger size means that they can be handled more roughly without harm befalling them. By the same token, they can, be handled more easily. There is no question of their tameness for rabbits have been bred in captivity for so long that any wildness has…
The owner of a small garden can find room for a few rabbits, but keeping rabbits for food is not like keeping pets. They breed well in captivity and take up little space, for their natural home is a burrow in the earth, and by nature they are adapted to confined quarters. There are two…