Pet Rabbit: Animal behaviour and problems.

General information

The dwarf rabbits live in groups under conditions close to nature, dig caves allowing them to retreat if they want to as well as for cub rearing, and mostly move around running and lolloping. They are very curious, scout out extensively their habitat and also need material like little trees and bushes where they can wear out their teeth.If they get the possibility for it, the dwarf rabbits, who have been bred from the wild rabbits over many generations, still live this behaviour pattern. The life expectancy of the dwarf rabbits is 8 to 10 years. It is, however, very important that they have the possibility to move a lot and live in a large enclosure. Don't keep dwarf rabbits! DThis advice is very urgent especially in those cases where pet ownership is only possible in a small cage in the apartment instead of a spacious enclosure in the open air. Keeping a dwarf rabbit alone in an individual cage borders on cruelty to animals!

Social behaviour

All the dwarf rabbits are gregarious animals. They need the contact to fellow species. It borders on cruelty to animals if one keeps just on single dwarf rabbit. Two bucks (males) get along together only during the first months of life. From the age of four months up the social ranking fights start. These can also lead to injuries. Two does (females), however, get along very well together if they grow up jointly from the very beginning. Couples always produce cubs over and over again. In order to avoid this, a castrated buck and a doe is ideal. They even lie close together and lick each other's head. A newcomer is being sniffed at intensively in order to find out whether he is welcome or not. A socialization with other pets is possible. Cats and dwarf rabbits may even become friends. If one wants to keep guinea pigs and dwarf rabbits together, there must be at least two animals of each species. The animals urgently need the fellow species so that they can communicate and feel well.

Behavioural disturbances

Most of the abnormal behaviour patterns, like for instance gnawing at grilles and gratings or biting the pet owners, are exclusively the result of keeping the animals in ways not appropriate to their species. The person who keeps dwarf rabbits too close together, possibly even without fellow species, locked up behind gratings, must not be surprised if the group animals who love to move and to communicate suffer, fall ill or develop behaviour disorder. Keeping single animals in individual cages cannot be accepted! If two does quarrel, it is advisable to integrate a castrated buck. Two bucks get along well together only during the first two months. Violent social ranking fights with injuries are not a behaviour disorder, but a normal social behaviour. Dwarf rabbits must like each other, too. It happens that new integrations require a lot of patience.

Man-Animal communication

Whoever would like to understand his dwarf rabbits, must know their body language, especially so because their vocalization is rare and in most cases almost not audible. Ears put back, head stretched forward and tail sticked out mean danger. The animal might bite at any time. If the animal squeezes up flat against the floor, he wants to take cover. Drumming with the hindlimbs are warning signals, a threatening gesture and signs of fear. Animals of the same species are thus warned and can disappear in their hiding place as quick as a flash. Standing up on their hindlimbs - for instance in the high grass - is a behaviour pattern which allows the animal to have a better overall view or to better sniff smells. It takes dwarf rabbits only little time to get used to the voice and the smell of a human being and then he is tamed within a very short time.

Animals "talk" to their fellow species by body posture, position of the tail, facial expression, vocalization and many more. If the human being has the position of companion and substiute for fellow species, then he must try to make up a little bit for the big deficit. The easiest way to do this is to talk calmly to his pets. Also dwarf rabbits are capable of learning and understand very quickly what words or the tone of voice want to say.

Undesirable behaviour

Dwarf rabbits should only be allowed to run free around the apartment under supervision, for they might get up to mischief by gnawing at carpets, wires and furniture and also could endanger themselves. In order to wear out their steadily regrowing incisor teeth, dwarf rabbits have the natural need to gnaw at everything. A wire made of tough synthetic material is an absolute point of attraction for them! Furthermore, for reasons of territorial behaviour the animals deposit their droppings and urine and can also have an accident as a result of rash fright reactions and getaway behaviour. The pet owner can, therefore, take preventive measures himself and avert bad happenings, if he detects an undesired behaviour.

Rabbit racing in the apartment? Admittedly, it is much fun to watch the quick little bunny hopping animals darting sideways and hastily running away. If this happens under supervision, there is nothing to be said against it, because free run is necessary. Nevertheless, possible dangers must be taken into consideration. The ideal thing would be to prepare a run-out yard for one's pets in the garden.

Mood barometer

A glance at the body posture tells already a lot. If the dwarf rabbit puts his ears back and pauses in a crouching posture, then he is frightened. If he stretches his head forward and sticks out his tail, again with his ears put back, he is ready to bite at once. In principle, also the dwarf rabbit should not be touched while eating or resting and one should let them have these quiet moments without disturbance. Also in the mating season and during the rearing period of the cubs special rules are valid.

Psychology of animals

The fact that the beautiful but not particularly economic dwarf and "sport" breeds are gaining ground shows that rabbit ownership has turned from a mere meat production into a hobby. We must not forget that also dwarf rabbits have, regardless of the type of use, the same needs for contact with fellow species, run-out yard, retreat possibilities etc. and that these needs are in the center of attention when keeping and looking after these pets.