Are Tan Rabbits Good Pets?

In this article we tell you everything about the character, attitude and care of the tan rabbits.
Is this the ideal breed for families and children?
The answer is here!

Profile of tan rabbits

Size: about 40 centimeters
Weight: two to three kilograms
Age: ten to 15 years
Colors: black with tan belly and markings, blue
Character: good-natured, calm, intelligent, playful
Keeping: in small groups, outside keeping conditionally possible

Character of the tan rabbits

The to the small rabbits tan rabbits are good-natured and very quickly trusting. They can become extremely affectionate and are fundamentally people-oriented.
However, their otherwise calm and even-tempered nature does not mean that they are not also active and playful.

They are curious and intelligent, which is why you can quickly teach them tricks.
However, because of their intelligence, they need to be kept busy enough. Otherwise, they get bored and can react aggressively. They also need plenty of space to live out their playfulness.
If you decide to get a tan rabbit, you will need to keep at least two animals. They are very social and need the company of other rabbits.

When buying a rabbit, keep in mind that you should spend a lot of time with them.

This helps to keep them busy and occupied, which is important for their enjoyment and quality of life. Plan at least one hour of time together every day.
If you can’t or don’t want to arrange this, the tan rabbits are not for you.

However, because of their friendly and trusting nature, they are a good choice for beginners and children, as well as anyone else who likes to spend a lot of time with the animals.
Coat colors and coat texture of tan rabbits
Tan rabbits are found in two color varieties. The so-called blue is a light gray with a bluish tinge. This color is comparatively rare.

Much more common and typical is the dark variety.

In this, the head and back are black. On the nose, ears, chin, belly and legs, however, the animals are tan. This is a light, reddish brown.
The structure of the coat is smooth. The individual hairs are short and grow densely. As a result, the tan rabbits have a light, silky sheen and very soft fur, which is nevertheless easy to maintain.

Care of the tan rabbits

Due to the hair coat, hardly any dirt gets caught in the coat of the tan rabbits. Therefore, it is enough to brush them regularly.

This grooming has several advantages:

loose hairs are removed
dirt, dandruff and dust are loosened
blood circulation is stimulated
changes and injuries are noticed more quickly
parasites can be detected early

Another advantage of brushing is that the animals get used to being stroked and examined more quickly and therefore do not suffer stress during inspections.

This is a crucial point when keeping sensitive animals. Because they can be immensely affected by stress in terms of health.

Therefore, accustom them slowly and patiently to grooming as a starting point for other factors in their care. Among these controls of:

Eyes
Claws
Mouth and teeth
Ears
Anus
Genital area
Abdomen

Look for:

Discharge
Redness
Swelling
lumps under the skin
strong scaling
sensitivity to pain
damp or sticky coat
length of teeth
Length of claws
Both teeth and claws can grow too long if they do not wear down sufficiently. You can trim the claws yourself.

If the teeth are too long, a veterinarian must perform a correction.

Keeping the tan rabbits

The two most important basic factors in keeping tan rabbits are sufficient space and conspecifics for company.

You should provide at least two to three square feet per animal for housing alone.

A standard cage cannot provide this for a single animal. Therefore, a room enclosure in connection with a multi-story rabbit home is better.

In addition, the animals need daily free run in the apartment or in a larger, rabbit-safe room.

At the same time, it is worthwhile to offer a rabbit litter box and get them used to it. This is because house-trained animals will give you much less cleaning hassle.

You can conditionally keep the tan rabbits in the garden.
During the mild and warm seasons this is possible with a secured enclosure and a simple hutch as well as a roof as protection against blazing sun, precipitation and birds of prey.

In winter, outdoor housing is much more difficult and requires more effort.

Apart from the space requirements, tan rabbits need company. Therefore keep at least one pair or even better three animals. More are also possible, if you can offer enough space.
Also, keep in mind that even the otherwise peaceful and docile tan rabbits can become aggressive if they are not given enough resources.

This can lead to competition and injury. Resources are food, water and space, but also your attention.

Aggression often occurs with the onset of puberty.

Even if your animals previously got along very well and cleaned each other, played with each other and slept cuddled up to each other, they can then fight rank battles.
Therefore, have them neutered in time.

This prevents injuries as well as unwanted offspring.

In addition to a species-appropriate and varied diet, employment plays an important role in keeping tan rabbits. In order to be balanced and good-natured, trusting and intelligent, the animals must be allowed to be active.

How you can do this in a species-appropriate and fun way, you will learn below.

Keeping tan rabbits occupied

Species-appropriate activity for tan rabbits begins with the place.

The animals should be able to run, jump and hit hooks. Then they can play, exercising their muscles and stamina. In many ways, this is crucial for their quality of life and health.
Therefore, daily free running and a large, secure enclosure in the home or garden are essential.

This is because in the wild, rabbits spend much of their waking hours foraging for food or fleeing from threats.

As a result, they often move around a lot. As a pet, this may not be necessary, since you are caring for them and keeping them safe. However, physical activity is important.

Here we have just touched on the second point of activity: Foraging.
Allow the tan rabbits to find their own food. You can accomplish this in a number of ways.

Possible ways include:

Hiding vegetables and fruits in the hay
Offer green fodder in hanging feed balls
Use feeding trees
Fill feed balls with treats
Provide cardboard rolls with food and hay
You can position the food in different places every day and alternate the way of offering it.

This way there will be no boredom, because the rabbits will always have to search or find out how, for example, an intelligence toy works.

However, because of their curiosity and their great desire to learn, these activities are not yet enough. They also need mental challenges.

You can achieve this with small obstacles, such as tunnels, tires or small bridges. Lure the rabbits through or over them with homemade treats.

With this common variant of the occupation the connection between you and the animals is strengthened. In addition, you promote them physically and mentally at the same time.
Our tip: Provide your tan rabbits regularly with twigs and branches that are still leafy if possible. Gnawing on the bark and chewing is strenuous for the animals and takes a long time. This is also a form of exercise.

Frequently asked questions

When are tan rabbits sexually mature?

Puberty, and thus sexual maturity, begins at about three months of age.

From this time on, the behavior of the animals can change significantly. They often react more aggressively, fight for hierarchy and may produce offspring.
Therefore, have the tan rabbits neutered in time to prevent such problems. By the way, another advantage of neutering females and males is the prevention of diseases.

How big are the litters of the tan rabbits?

Up to twelve kittens are possible per litter.

The gestation period is only four weeks. Accordingly, a pair can quickly become a whole group.

Keep in mind that the kittens can also reproduce from about the third month of life. The number can explode if you do not neuter the rabbits in time.
How old do tan rabbits live?
Tan rabbits live surprisingly long: you should expect them to live 10 to 15 years if they are well cared for. This is a long time for the extensive responsibility for several animals.

Therefore, think carefully about whether you want to buy tan rabbits and can afford the extensive care for such a long time.

For whom are tan rabbits suitable?

For all people who want to and can spend a lot of active time with the animals and also have enough space available.

Due to their good-natured nature, the animals can also be kept by older and calmer children, as long as they have assistance in caring for them.

Where should I buy tan rabbits?

Occasionally, tan rabbits can be found in pet stores.

However, here you should ask if they are really purebred animals. Not every store buys rabbits exclusively from reputable breeders. For example, you may also find mixed-breed rabbits that grow significantly larger.
Buying directly from a breeder, on the other hand, ensures that the rabbits have examined parents that are suitable for breeding. This reduces the risk of inherited diseases.

How much do tan rabbits cost?

You should expect to pay between 30 and 50 dollars per tan rabbit.

However, this is the smallest portion of the total cost.

Already an enclosure and rabbit home or stable as well as bedding, food, sleeping houses, drinkers and vaccinations, castration and other veterinary costs are added and are significantly higher in price.