Dutch Rabbit

1 Breed Overview

The Dutch Rabbit is a large family of varieties — so called because it goes by many names: Dodge rabbit, panda rabbit, mouse rabbit, and more all refer to the Dutch Rabbit. So when buying, don’t be fooled by the name; they are all one kind of rabbit.

The Dutch Rabbit has a V-shaped white patch on the face that extends to the chin. It is small with relatively short ears; the area around the nose and from the neck to the front feet is white, while the rest is black, blue, chocolate, gray, copper-iron, or other colors — currently a dozen or so color combinations have been bred. Its highly distinctive look makes it a very popular pet rabbit in Europe, America, and Australia.

Key facts: Chinese name he lan tu (Dutch rabbit); aliases Holland rabbit, Dodge rabbit, mouse rabbit, panda rabbit; English name Dutch; origin Netherlands; varieties white plus black, blue, chocolate, gray, yellow, copper-iron and other color pairings; size about 2 kg weight and 40 cm length; lifespan about 5–7 years; reproduction viviparous (live-bearing); price varies — purebred around 300 yuan, ordinary ones only 80–100 yuan.

2 Morphological Characteristics

The Dutch Rabbit is a very common pet-rabbit breed. It is called common because we often see pet-rabbit vendors selling it; if you don’t know it, you may take home an ordinary domestic rabbit, because fakes are many — a true Dutch Rabbit has the following traits.

One: The Dutch Rabbit’s color classification. It is a pet-rabbit breed with a standard weight of 3.5–5.5 lb, a relatively small member of the medium rabbits. It has about a dozen colors, but only six are recognized by ARBA: black, blue, gray-fawn, chocolate, and steel gray.

The Dutch Rabbit’s coat distribution is very unique: a white inverted-V on the face extending to the front half of the body, with a clear boundary between the front and back halves; the feet are white, and the boundary between the hind feet and the hindquarters is also clear. They have round bodies, upright ears, and short, smooth, glossy fur.

Two: Identifying features. First, the Dutch Rabbit has a V-shaped white patch on the face extending to the chin. Second, the Dutch (mini) rabbit has no body odor — even sniffing it close to the nose smells of nothing. The coat color of the front and back halves has a clear boundary. Finally, the Dutch Rabbit has very short ears and stubby feet, and its eyes are generally black or brown.

3 Care Knowledge

The Dutch Rabbit has a sweet, cute personality and is a very smart animal. When keeping one, just provide reasonable food and cage, spend time playing with it, and train small skills, and it becomes more and more lovable.

1. The Dutch Rabbit always takes its time and slowly wears you down — perhaps this is its nature in a stimulating, busy world. It wants us to sit and watch it do nothing. Your effort brings a well-trained Dutch Rabbit and also gives you a little time each day to watch the world’s most charming creature explore, hop happily, and use all its tricks to please you.

2. Because the Dutch Rabbit has a tooth-grinding habit, prepare a chew stick for it. Without chewing, a series of problems follows: its two incisors keep growing, and with nothing to wear them, they overgrow, the mouth cannot close, leading to mouth ulcers, inability to eat, and death.

3. Always provide drinking water (cooled boiled water is fine); tap water carries parasites. Some mineral waters add so-called nutrients, so they are not advised for the rabbit. Provide water 24 hours a day and change it fresh daily.

4. The Dutch Rabbit is naturally afraid of water, so it is generally not bathed. With correct care it has no odor. If you must bathe, use a Dutch-Rabbit-specific shampoo or foam cleanser; best is pet dry shampoo powder, which is less likely to cause colds or diarrhea.

4 Living Environment

Many think keeping a rabbit means just putting it in a cage, but it is not so; the cage setup is its own art. Some cages sold with pet rabbits are impractical, so give the Dutch Rabbit a larger space to live.

One: Environmental requirements. The Dutch Rabbit is delicate — it fears cold, heat, and dampness, so the hutch setup needs care. The suitable temperature is 25–32°C, humidity 40–60%; the enclosure must stay dry, at the right temperature, and well ventilated. Squirrel cages, large bird cages, and cat cages on the market can all house a Dutch Rabbit; a metal cage is best.

Two: Cage setup. The side of the enclosure can use wire mesh for good ventilation. If possible, make the enclosure as large as you can so the rabbit has enough room and does not get too fat. The Dutch Rabbit dislikes stuffiness and dampness — don’t place the cage in a stuffy room, don’t leave it in direct sun, and don’t let it get rained on. Newborn rabbits catch colds easily, so line the cage with soft cloth and keep it in a warm indoor spot.

In hot summer, prepare a fan to avoid heatstroke; in winter, drape clothes or blankets around the cage and set a light bulb for warmth. But mind the bulb’s position so the kit is not burned or does not chew the wire.

Wood shavings absorb urine and keep shed fur from floating; change them often or the rabbit easily gets skin disease such as toe hair loss or calluses. Put wood shavings in the rabbit toilet. To train it to use the toilet, pick it up and place it in the toilet as soon as it defecates, and it will learn where to go.

5 Feeding Guidelines

The Dutch Rabbit’s gut is very fragile; it is a species with no food pickiness — if you keep giving it chicken legs it will eat happily, but a rabbit is after all a herbivore, and too many snacks burden the gut, so the owner must guide it to normal food.

One: Choosing the staple. Hay is the Dutch Rabbit’s staple. Timothy is good for rabbits over a month old, especially adults, for whom timothy is the main hay; its low protein and high fiber prevent many diseases. Alfalfa can be eaten by kits and pregnant rabbits, but is too rich for adults and easily causes obesity or indigestion. Others include plantain, dandelion, timothy, alfalfa, orchard grass, ryegrass, oat grass, wheatgrass — adjust to the rabbit’s appetite. Basically, hay helps wear teeth and adds fiber to aid gut movement.

Two: Choosing snacks. Kits cannot eat fresh vegetables and fruit; adult rabbits on hay and pellets can add a little vegetable to the daily diet, about 5%. Fruits with too much sugar cause tooth decay and abscesses, so give fruit sparingly; kits must not have it. Fruit peel can be eaten in moderation.

Three: Feeding cautions.

1. Foods to limit: corn, peanuts, potato, flour-based foods, nuts, meat, honey, glucose, oat flakes, sweet bamboo sticks, etc.

2. Foods not to eat: chocolate, coffee, alcohol, onion, chives, scallion, garlic, etc.

3. The Dutch Rabbit should eat little vegetable and fruit; its gut and digestion mean it does not handle excess carbohydrates well. Too much produces gut discomfort; for kits especially, early fruit/veg causes discomfort and diarrhea. Adult Dutch Rabbits should eat no more than 300 g of fruit/veg a day; stools change by individual, so adjust to your rabbit’s condition and stop at once if abnormal.