Rex rabbits, satin and hermelin

The coming year 2023 promises to be calm and harmonious, because according to the eastern calendar, its symbol will be the Rabbit – a soft, friendly and affectionate animal.

In China, they believe that this animal promises hope, fertility and prosperity, and people born this year will be ambitious, successful and very responsible. The Chinese horoscope is tied to the lunar calendar, so the year of the Black Water Rabbit will begin on January 22, 2023. Why is the year of the Rabbit also called the year of the Cat? Rabbit and Cat are somewhat similar creatures – both are fluffy, affectionate and at the same time know how to land on all fours after a fall. But different cultures treat them differently.

Thus, the upcoming year for the Chinese and Japanese is associated with the Rabbit, while the Cat is revered by the Thais and Vietnamese. This is due to local differences in horoscopes. The Rabbit is one of the most beloved signs of the zodiac in Chinese astrology, it is considered to be the luckiest in the Eastern calendar. In Russia, which happily accepted all this symbolic oriental “ikebana”, both animals took root as symbols at once, so we call 2023 the year of the Rabbit and the Cat at the same time.

Decorative rabbits were specially bred for keeping at home, so they are more socialized and quickly attached to people. All decorative rabbits are much smaller than regular ones. Since they are artificially bred, they usually have various features: tassels on the ears, folded ears, or soft, plush fur, they are more fragile than ordinary ones.

To date, there are more than 80 breeds of decorative rabbits in the world. Each of them has distinctive features of appearance and individual character traits: short-haired colored dwarfs, rex, hermelin, fold-eared angora, dwarf fox, lion-headed and even lop-eared ram!

Irina Voroshina, the owner and breeder of the Narnia company, said: “We breed two breeds of decorative rabbits – rex and satin. The weight of these rabbits is up to one and a half kilograms. They live only at home, they are not allowed out into the street. For a comfortable stay, you definitely need a well-maintained aviary with a length of at least 1 meter. Mini-rabbits are very similar to cats – they also go to the tray, they need a bowl of water, they are fed with special food. It is very important that rabbits have hay in their diet. Rabbits are very useful fresh herbs. As an experienced breeder, I can say that the Rex breed is the smartest among dwarf and decorative breeds. They are easily tamed, can carry out different commands, remember the faces of people, go to the name. Such rabbits in favorable conditions can live 8 – 10 years.

It’s nice to get an eared fluffy talisman of the year, but so that the joy is not overshadowed by tears from the loss of the animal, think it over a million times. Before you get yourself such a pet, you need to collect as much information about it as possible. It is necessary to prepare the children in advance and explain that you need to be gentle and affectionate with the rabbit, in no case use force.

If the rabbit bites, then this is a response to rough handling. He usually does this when he is unexpectedly grabbed or hugged too tightly. That’s why it’s so important to talk to your kids about rabbit behavior before you adopt a pet. Think a thousand times over the need to buy an animal, think over all the nuances of the pet’s future life in a new home, and even more so – the place of its purchase. And this is exactly what you need to pay attention to.

Rabbits cannot be bought in the markets and pet stores. The sellers in these places don’t care about the animals, they just want to get the money. All breeders call such places “prolific” from the word to produce – to produce rabbits without observing certain rules for genetics, nutrition, without observing certain standards. After all, for example, if both parents are aggressive, then their offspring will also be angry. Eating disorders also have a bad effect on the life expectancy of pussies. Sometimes they sell rabbits that still feed on mother’s milk and without it they will die at lightning speed.

Rabbits bought in dubious places usually live no more than 2 – 3 months. The breeder from the nursery gives his coordinates and is not afraid for his reputation, as he is confident in the health of his animals. The breeder can always get answers to your questions. And when buying a rabbit without documents and feedback, you will not have the opportunity to return the animal. It is alarming that in advertisements for the sale of rabbits on various sites about animal care, as a rule, very little is said, as if they are not selling living creatures, but soft toys with extended functionality.

For novice breeders, before purchasing rabbits, it is necessary not only to familiarize yourself with the breeds of animals offered on the market. The conditions of keeping rabbits largely affect life expectancy. For maintenance, it is required to create special conditions, otherwise the animal will not meet the expectations of its owner. A person must understand his responsibility for the one he has tamed. Like any animal, rabbits need good nutrition, cage cleaning, hair care, treatment and vaccinations, claw trimming, ear cleaning … Each of the decorative rabbits is individual: some like to be stroked, others prefer to be left alone. In any case, all such pets require communication, they are social and live in packs in natural conditions, loneliness is a big stress for them.

The director of the Moscow zoo, Svetlana Akulova, also warned against buying a rabbit for the New Year as a gift in her Telegram channel. According to the expert, a person should acquire a pet on their own, assessing their capabilities: “At first glance, it may seem like a good idea to give a loved one a symbol of the coming year – a rabbit. However, the animal requires a lot of responsibility. People who did not want a pet often do not know what to do with it and how to care for it. As a result, the animal suffers, stresses and gets sick, and soon dies altogether. In addition, the content of a rabbit has many nuances that not everyone is ready to observe. Please don’t give rabbits. However, like any other animal. This may turn out to be a very unfortunate surprise. A person must decide on his own to acquire a pet, carefully weighing his strengths and capabilities before that, ”wrote Svetlana Akulova.

The year of the rabbit is coming, and breeders are saying in unison that you don’t need to buy an animal as a souvenir-symbol for the holiday! First of all, it is a living being that requires care, attention, and significant expenses. Are you ready after all the holidays to give free care and care to your new family member for 10 years? Clean up the cage and toilet after him, let him run around the room and just play with him, provide timely assistance if needed? Refuse a recreational trip if there is no one to leave the animal with? And if you bought a rabbit for your child, are you ready to explain to him what is not and what is possible? Will a helpless eared baby become just a whim? Will you follow the children’s lead and for the sake of their joy neglect the health and mental state of the animal?

If you comprehend all these questions and honestly answer yourself, then the decision to buy a rabbit will come immediately. And remember that if you listen to the advice of a breeder from the nursery, then your rabbit will be tame, joyful and healthy. A living gift is, first of all, a new family member, and not a soft toy that you can play with and forget!

Mikhail Kovalyov.

Photo courtesy of the nursery “Narnia”