Characteristics and Care of the Mini Lop Rabbit ▷➡️ Postposmo

If you want to have a Mini Lop Rabbit as a pet, better known as Dwarf Rabbits, you must first know what care and feeding it requires. In this article we are going to tell you everything you need on this subject, so do not stop reading it, since this information can be very useful to you.

Mini Lop Rabbit

Mini Lop Rabbits are those that along with the Dutch rabbit and the lionhead rabbit are classified as dwarf rabbits. The mini lop stands out for its ears, since they fall to the sides of the head, it is a variety of the Belier rabbit, they are docile animals with an image that causes a lot of tenderness and adorableness, which is why it has become one of those preferred by cuniculture or rabbit breeding.

From

Its origin is from the Belier rabbits that date from the year 1800 and are from the leporidae family, but these were quite large rabbits with very long ears, the miniature version that is the one that interests us began to be created from the year 1950 in the Countries Low and it took more than 10 years for their cross characters to be fully fixed in their genetics.

By the 70s, they began to be exhibited at animal fairs or exhibitions in Germany. It came from the crossing of a Belier rabbit with other varieties such as the Chinchilla, to try to give it a smaller size. Later he continued to make crosses with other types of rabbits until he got this one in 1974, which they called Klein Wideer or also "Dangling Ears".

This breed was accepted by the American Association of Rabbit Breeders in 1980, being officially recognized and at the same time one of the most preferred as pets. They arrived in Australia in 1998 from the United States and England, and were brought there by breeders from New Zealand.

Its term lop is derived from its ears that are very long, wide and fall to the sides almost touching the ground. The intention of his creation was to develop a breed of rabbits that were easy to handle and adapt to and that children could carry easily.

These rabbits as well as any other type of rabbit can be lifted by the ears, they must be taken under the front legs to firmly support their body, if it is taken properly it will not escape, nor allow children to take it unexpectedly or run away with them or grab them by the back, as this causes them discomfort.

Physical characteristics

Mini lop rabbits have a series of specific characteristics that are unique in their breed, among them we can tell you the following:

They have a small size that almost never exceed one kilo six hundred grams in weight. That is why it is called dwarf or toy.
They have a life expectancy between 8 to 10 years, but if well cared for, they can live up to 14 years of age.
Their body is quite compact with strong and developed muscles, which makes them look like a furry ball.
The legs are short and hairy, the front ones are straight and the back ones are the strongest and most muscular.
They have a short neck and their heads are larger and have a curvilinear profile with a wide snout and marked cheeks.
Its most distinctive feature is its broad-based, long, round-tipped ears that hang down to the sides of the head, so that the insides of the ears are not visible.
His eyes are slightly larger, round and bright, which are consistent with the color of his fur, which can range from brown to blue.
Its hair can be short or medium depending on the type of specimen, it is abundant, very soft to the touch and very shiny, it is more abundant on its ears, legs and on its tail, the latter is also straight and its hair is more abundant and tight giving the feeling of being a speck.
It has a great variety in its color that can go from cinnamon, grayish blue, orange, white, brown, chinchilla and mixed. In some cases they may have a white base on their chest. Or have mixed colors. The one with completely white hair usually has blue eyes.

Types of Mini Lop Rabbits

There are several types of dwarf councils, among them you have the standard mini lop that has short and very soft hair that is the best known variety; the satin mini lop, whose hair is pearly and shiny and the mini lop rex with short curly hair in the form of frizz. They differ from the Belier because of their size and their drooping ears, the biggest difference is that the mini lop will always be a little smaller and lighter, and its character is more active than the Belier.

Behavior

When it comes to behavior, they are friendly animals that require activity, they are playful and very tame and docile, they like to be caressed and given affection, so it is not surprising that when you are sitting down they look for you to pick them up and caress They are not aggressive animals, so they are ideal for children's pets, for the elderly and people who live alone, since they have a lot of patience.

If they don't get enough physical activity, they start to get nervous so they start to move everywhere, that's why they need a large space and above all put toys around them so they can move with them.

Care that must be taken

Like any pet, these animals require certain care to keep them in optimal health and to keep their character in balance. The first thing is that they have a good space to run around, it is not necessary that you put them in a cage, and if you do so it should only be for a short time, and it must be a clean cage, with good conditioning and supplies of water and food.

As for their hair, it should be brushed frequently, every other day, to remove dead hair, it is not recommended that they bathe them and even less so shave them. Combing them helps prevent hairballs from forming on their stomach because they tend to groom themselves with their tongues.

As far as food is concerned, this should be made up of fresh vegetables, hay and food that is specific to its breed. You must put clean and fresh water every day. As for the vegetables and fruits that you cannot give them and that are prohibited for them, we have potatoes, sweet potatoes, garlic, onions, turnips, leeks, plantains and bananas, avocado, bread and any type of seeds. You should also not give them sweets or fatty foods.

They need to have a suitable place to sleep, which must be in an elevated place and have enough space where they can stretch their legs comfortably. This place must have a ramp for it to climb on its own, put some cloth or clothing that is dry and clean, which must be changed every week. This place, which are usually cages, should be conditioned so that they see it as their place of rest or refuge and not to keep them locked up since this causes them frustration and they will get sick.

In the same way, their nails and teeth require maintenance and cleaning since they grow throughout their lives, which can create problems for humans since they can be scratched or bitten unintentionally, so a piece of wood so that they gnaw it from the first moment this will prevent the teeth from growing out of control and cut the nails periodically, but ask a veterinarian to tell you what is the proper way to do it.

Mini Lop Rabbit Health

There are many factors that can affect the health of the mini lop rabbit and these have more to do with their anatomy and the shape of their ears that make them sensitive to suffering from hearing conditions or otitis. These are very painful and cause a lot of damage to your health, as well as a lot of itching and discomfort, so we must avoid them by regularly cleaning them with specific products for this purpose.

It is recommended that you take it to a veterinarian and that they teach you how to clean it, and of course it must be completely dry since if it remains damp it can cause a worse problem with bacteria. Other diseases that they can suffer from are:

uterine cancer in females
Develop hairballs on your stomach from tongue preening,
Viral hemorrhagic disease: it is a condition that attacks young rabbits and rabbits which causes convulsions and nosebleeds, so they must be vaccinated for this disease.
Problems with their teeth: it happens if they don't have a proper diet, that's why they should be given fodder and fruits so they can gnaw them with their teeth.
Coccidiosis infections: these are infections caused by microorganisms that cause them to become gassy and give them diarrhea, as they stop eating and drinking water, they tend to suffer from dehydration.

They are susceptible to environments, so in very hot or cold conditions they can get sick from Pasteurella multocida or infectious respiratory disease.

Can these rabbits be adopted?

If you are really thinking about a rabbit of this breed being part of your family, we must tell you to think about it, since it is a commitment that will last the entire life of this animal. If you agree to an adoption, the ideal is that the miso is small so that it adapts to your family and is sociable, but if it is an already large animal that has never been in your home, it will be a bit surly and it will be difficult for it to get used to be with people as they are very distrustful.

You must try to get his personality used to being in your presence so that he can develop an emotional bond, for this to work you must give him space to walk and run around the house, let him explore all the environments and then try to play with him . The toys that you can put them to interact with can be stuffed animals, specific toys for rabbits, a cardboard tube, etc.

We can tell you to finish that these rabbits are very intelligent, and you must have patience to train them, since little by little they learn all the tricks that you teach them, and once you start doing it, give them pieces of food or fruit as a reward. You can also help yourself with a sound device or clicker, so that when it sounds it immediately comes looking for you.

In Europe, buying one of these rabbits should range between 60 and 10 euros, depending on the area where they have been raised and the veterinary treatments they have been given since they were born. If you want to buy it, look for a facility where you are sure that it will give you a mini lop.