Fun Facts About Rabbits

Rabbits are one of the most popular pets in the Netherlands, and we understand why! They’re not only fluffy and cute, but also incredibly fun. We’ve gathered a few fun facts about rabbits for you. If you have an interesting rabbit fact yourself, we’d love to hear it!

Did you know that…

• …there are over 800,000 pet rabbits in the Netherlands, which is about 1 rabbit per 10 households.
• …rabbits are not rodents? Rabbits have what are called “peg teeth,” small incisors that grow behind their upper front teeth. Rodents do not have these peg teeth; they only have the two large upper incisors.
• …there are approximately 47 different rabbit breeds? Rabbit breeds are categorized as dwarf rabbits (< 1.7 kg), small rabbits (1.7–3 kg), medium rabbits (3–5 kg), and large rabbits (> 5 kg).

• …rabbits are true social animals. To be happy, a rabbit prefers not to live alone but with one or more companions. Who can blame them? We’d probably feel the same way!
• …rabbits should not be fasted before surgery? Many other animals (and humans) must fast before anesthesia due to the risk of vomiting. Rabbits, however, do not vomit, so this risk is virtually nonexistent. Moreover, it is very important that a rabbit’s digestive system keeps moving properly.
• …rabbits are very intelligent? With a little attention, they can even be trained quite well.

• …rabbits stomp their hind feet on the ground to signal danger? This is also where the name of Bambi’s famous friend comes from—Thumper (for the Disney fans).
• …a rabbit’s teeth keep growing throughout its entire life? And not just a little—on average, they grow about 2 mm per week! Don’t worry about them getting too long, though: chewing on hay, fresh vegetables, and pellets keeps them worn down naturally.
• …rabbits love to make crazy jumps in the air when they’re happy or feel comfortable? These joyful leaps are called “binkies”.

• …when rabbits are even happier, they can perform a “death bunny flop”? This is when they suddenly flop onto their side or back and stay there. Don’t be alarmed if they do this, it’s a sign they’re very happy, so it’s all positive!
• …rabbits like to keep themselves clean? They groom themselves frequently and usually use only one specific spot for their bathroom, so they can be considered litter-trained. If a rabbit has a dirty coat, it’s often a sign that they are not feeling well.

Do you have any more fun rabbit facts? Don’t hesitate to share them with us, we always love hearing them! You can reach us via email or WhatsApp; our contact details can be found on the contact page.