M. Falk · Public domain — Wikimedia Commons

Small Pets · Rabbits

Dutch Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

The classic white-blazed breed, steady and beginner-belovedIntermediate

Lifespan: 6-9 years
Weight: 1.8-2.5 kg
Social needs: Social, keep neutered bonded pair
Time: High (daily, long-term)
Cost: High
Diet: Herbivore: unlimited hay-based

Overview

What is this animal?

The Dutch is one of the oldest and most recognisable rabbit breeds, marked by a white blaze, collar, and saddle over a coloured coat.
Compact and famously even-tempered, it is a frequent recommendation for first-time rabbit keepers.

A Dutch is still a rabbit through and through: intelligent, long-lived, and highly social.
The welfare standard is a neutered, bonded pair with ample space, enrichment, and daily exercise — never a lone rabbit in a hutch.

Temperament

Dutch rabbits are known for steady, gentle, people-oriented temperaments, which is much of why the breed has stayed popular for over a century.
Like all rabbits they are prey animals that prefer four feet on the ground and dislike being carried.

They communicate with body language, binky leaps, and territorial behaviours, and benefit greatly from a bonded companion.
Neutering improves temperament, litter habits, and pairing success, and reduces uterine cancer in females.

A good fit for

First-time rabbit keepers ready for the real workload
Homes with space for free-roaming rabbits
Owners committed to a bonded neutered pair
Families wanting a calm, even-tempered breed

Common mistakes to avoid

Small hutches and single, lonely rabbits
Low-hay, pellet- or treat-heavy diets
Ignoring gut stasis or summer flystrike
Skipping neutering and core vaccinations

Enclosure

Minimum 30,000 cm² of floor (4,650 sq in) — for the pair

Cannot be kept alone. The minimum is 2, and the space above is for that group.

Provide a secure base of at least around 3 square metres, ideally a converted shed, room, or large pen, plus daily access to a much larger exercise area for several hours, as small hutches are wholly insufficient.
Rabbits need room to perform several consecutive hops, stand fully upright, and stretch out.

Keep them safe from predators, damp, and temperature extremes, bearing in mind they are far more sensitive to heat than cold.
Offer hides, tunnels, platforms, and litter trays, as rabbits readily learn to use them.

Check your enclosure

Supplies

Setup

Housing and secure exercise space
Litter trays, bowls, carrier, hides

Ongoing

Grass hay by the bale or the largest box available
Plain uniform adult rabbit pellets (no seeds, no coloured bits)
Mixed leafy greens for daily feeding
Heavy ceramic water bowl (tip-proof)
Hay rack or hay-filled litter tray
Eggcup or small scale for measuring pellets
Untreated willow or apple chews
Airtight bin to keep pellets fresh

Safe substrate: Paper-based litter in the tray, topped with hay · Fleece or washable mats on the living floor · Straw for outdoor warmth

Work out the cost

Care routine

Daily

Check droppings and appetite
Company and time out
Fresh greens and a measured pellet portion
Fresh water
Spot-clean the enclosure
Top up unlimited hay
Watch them while they are awake

Weekly

Change the litter trayevery 2 days
Brush out loose coatevery 3 days
Hands-on health check
Rotate enrichment
Weigh-in

Monthly

Deep-clean and change beddingevery 2 weeks
Check supplies and dates

Less often

Trim nailsevery 6 weeks

Vet: Annual exam, vaccinations and dental check — every 12 months (every 6 months from 5 years old)

Top resources for more info

Independent creators and organisations we would send a friend to. We have no affiliation with any of them, and nothing here is sponsored. Links checked 2026-09-19.

YouTubers

Lennon The BunnyRabbit care basics, free-roaming, fostering and advocacy Sincerely, CinnabunLiving with a free-roam house rabbit; care and wellness tips Bobo Ellie BunsDaily life with bonded Holland lops; more company than tutorials

Sites

House Rabbit SocietyCare and behaviour library from the US rabbit-welfare charity Rabbit Welfare Association & FundCare guidance and vet-backed advice from the UK rabbit charity RSPCA: rabbitsHousing, diet, company and health guides for pet rabbits

Go deeper

Diet

Unlimited grass hay should form the vast majority of the diet, as it is essential for wearing down continuously growing teeth and keeping the gut moving.
Add a daily portion of leafy greens and only a small measured amount of pellets.

Limit sugary treats, fruit, and carrot, which are not staple foods.
Provide constant fresh water, ideally from a bowl.
A correct high-fibre diet prevents the most common and dangerous rabbit health problems.

Health

Gut stasis is a life-threatening emergency whenever a rabbit stops eating or passing droppings.
Dental disease, flystrike (especially in warm months), and obesity are major risks, and vaccination against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease is essential in many regions.

Breed traits matter: flat-faced lops and dwarfs are prone to dental and tear-duct problems, giant breeds to heart and joint strain, and angora-type coats to matting and gut blockages.
Check the rear daily in warm weather.

Is your enclosure big enough?

Minimum floor area30,000 cm² (4,650 sq in) of continuous, unbroken floor

CompanyCannot be kept alone. The minimum is 2, and the space above is for that group.

Length

Width

Height

Units

Is this urgent?

A rabbit that stops eating is an emergency, not a wait-and-see. Nothing else on this page is as time-critical.

Go now

Not eating, or not producing droppingsCall an exotics vet. Some sources treat 3 to 4 hours as the point to start worrying and 12 hours as an outright emergency; do not wait to find out which camp is right for your rabbit. Gut stasis can become life-threatening within 12 to 24 hours, and every hour of delay makes it harder to reverse.

8 hours

Hunched with the belly pressed to the floorGo now. A rabbit in this posture is in significant pain.

Now

Loud teeth grindingGo now. Distinct from the soft purr of a content rabbit. This is a pain signal.

Now

Hard, bloated abdomenGo now. Do not force-feed and do not massage. Bloat may need decompression rather than gut motility drugs, and the two treatments conflict.

Now

Maggots or fly eggs near the rearGo now. Flystrike. Check the rear twice a day in warm weather, every day, for every rabbit.

Now

Cannot cope with heat — panting, wet nose, lying flat and unresponsiveMove to shade, offer a wrapped cool pack, wet the ears, and go. Rabbits cannot pant effectively to cool themselves; distress starts around 28C and rises steeply.

Now

Today

Head tilt, or eyes flicking side to sideBook today. Outcomes are far better with early treatment.

Today

Weight down 50 g or more since last weekCall today with the weight history. Fur hides body condition completely. The scale sees it first.

Today

Two rabbits are the minimum, and a bonded pair will also tell you when something is wrong — a rabbit sitting apart from its partner is worth a second look.

This is general guidance for a healthy adult, not a diagnosis. An exotics vet who knows your animal always overrides it — and the time to find one is before you need one.

Can a dutch rabbit eat that?

Hay first, greens second, everything else barely at all. A rabbit fed mostly pellets and treats is a rabbit with dental disease waiting to happen.

Check a food

The full list

Never (23)

AlcoholNo safe amount at any body weight on this site.

never

AvocadoPersin, concentrated in the skin, stone and leaves. Implicated in cardiac damage across birds, rodents and reptiles.

never

BindweedToxic, and it grows through hedges where people forage.

never

Bread and baked goodsRefined starch ferments in the hindgut and causes gas and stasis. No nutritional case for it either.

never

ButtercupProtoanemonin, an irritant toxin. Common in lawns, so check what you pick.

never

CaffeineCoffee, tea and energy drinks. Cardiac and neurological toxicity at tiny doses for an animal this size.

never

ChocolateTheobromine and caffeine. Small mammals and reptiles cannot clear either.

never

DairyAdults are lactose intolerant and the gut flora cannot handle it.

never

Dried fruitSugar concentrated several times over, and it sticks to the teeth. Most commercial small-pet treats are exactly this.

never

FoxgloveCardiac glycosides. Fatal.

never

GarlicSame allium toxicity as onion, and more concentrated by weight.

never

Iceberg lettuceAlmost entirely water with negligible nutrition, and it contains lactucarium, which causes diarrhoea in quantity. It displaces food that would have been useful.

never

LeekAllium family. Same mechanism as onion and garlic.

never

MeatA hindgut fermenter has no way to process animal protein. It disrupts the gut flora the animal depends on.

never

MushroomsNot part of any of these animals' natural diet, and the risk from misidentified varieties is not worth the zero upside.

never

NutsFat and phosphorus loads a herbivore is not built for, and a choking risk.

never

OnionOrganosulphur compounds damage red blood cells. The whole allium family is out.

never

PotatoSolanine in the skin and any green part, plus a starch load the hindgut cannot handle.

never

Raw beansLectins. Also a gas producer in a species that cannot vomit or belch.

never

RhubarbVery high in soluble oxalate, high enough to cause acute kidney injury. The leaves are worse than the stalks.

never

Salty or seasoned human foodSalt, oil and seasoning. Crisps, chips, seasoned leftovers and processed meat are all out.

never

SweetcornThe hulls are indigestible and are a recognised blockage risk in small herbivores.

never

Yogurt dropsSold in every pet shop for rabbits. Dairy plus sugar, and there is no version of this that is appropriate.

never

Rare treats (13)

AppleSugar. The seeds contain a cyanogenic compound and must be removed. A thin slice, once or twice a week. Never the seeds or core.

rare treat

BananaVery high in sugar and starch, and most animals will overeat it given the chance. A slice the width of a fingernail, rarely.

rare treat

BlueberrySugar, but a small portion size makes it easy to control. One or two berries, twice a week.

rare treat

Brussels sproutsHighly gas-forming. Half a sprout, rarely.

rare treat

CarrotSold as the archetypal rabbit food and it is nothing of the kind: carrot is a root vegetable with a high sugar content. The leafy tops, by contrast, are an excellent green. A thin slice as a treat. The tops can be fed freely.

rare treat

CauliflowerOne of the most gas-forming brassicas. A very small piece, occasionally.

rare treat

GrapesVery high in sugar. Halve them, because a whole grape is a choking hazard. One halved grape, rarely.

rare treat

OrangeAcidic and sugary; can irritate the mouth and gut. A tiny segment, rarely if at all.

rare treat

PearSugar. Remove the seeds. A thin slice occasionally.

rare treat

PeasHigh in starch and sugar. The pods and leaves are better than the peas. A few pods occasionally.

rare treat

StrawberrySugar, though lower than most fruit. The leaves are actually the better part. Half a small berry, once or twice a week.

rare treat

TomatoThe ripe flesh is safe in small amounts. The leaves, stems and any green fruit contain solanine and must never be offered. A small piece of ripe flesh, occasionally. Never the plant.

rare treat

WatermelonSugar and a very high water content, which together can loosen the gut. Remove the seeds. A small cube in hot weather, rarely.

rare treat

Occasional (18)

BasilSafe and well liked. Rotate rather than relying on it. A few leaves.

occasional

Bok choyGood green, mildly goitrogenic like other brassicas. A leaf or two a few times a week.

occasional

BroccoliNutritious but a notable gas producer. Leaves and stalk are better tolerated than the florets. A small floret or a piece of stalk, twice a week.

occasional

CabbageA brassica. Gas-forming in quantity, and goitrogenic with heavy long-term feeding. A small piece, once or twice a week.

occasional

CelerySafe and well liked. Cut across the stalk so the long fibres cannot catch. A short piece, cut into segments.

occasional

ChardSame oxalate issue as spinach. A small leaf, occasionally.

occasional

CourgetteSafe and mild. Serve raw. A few slices a few times a week.

occasional

CucumberSafe, but it is mostly water with very little in it. Useful for hydration in warm weather, poor as a staple. A few slices.

occasional

DillSafe in rotation. A few fronds.

occasional

Green beansSafe cooked or raw in small amounts. Gas-forming in quantity. One or two, occasionally.

occasional

KaleHigh in calcium and a mild goitrogen. Genuinely nutritious, but not the everyday green it is often sold as. A leaf or two, two or three times a week.

occasional

MintSafe in small amounts; strongly flavoured and not every animal wants it. A leaf or two.

occasional

ParsleyNutritious but relatively high in calcium. Fine in rotation, not as the whole green portion. A few sprigs, a few times a week.

occasional

PelletsA uniform pelleted nugget, not a muesli mix. Muesli lets a rabbit pick out the sweet bits and leave the fibre, which is how dental disease starts. An eggcup per rabbit per day, no more.

occasional

PumpkinSafe and well tolerated in small amounts. A small cube occasionally.

occasional

RocketPeppery and well tolerated in rotation. A small handful, a few times a week.

occasional

SpinachHigh in oxalates, which bind calcium and contribute to bladder sludge and stones in animals prone to them. A single small leaf, no more than once or twice a week.

occasional

WatercressNutritious, strongly flavoured, high in calcium. A small handful occasionally.

occasional

Everyday foods (9)

Bell pepperOne of the best everyday vegetables here: high in vitamin C, low in sugar, no oxalate problem. Remove the seeds and stalk. A few strips daily.

everyday food

Bramble leavesBlackberry leaves are excellent forage and rabbits take them readily. A few leaves daily.

everyday food

Carrot topsThe leaves are a proper green and much better food than the root. A handful as part of the daily greens.

everyday food

CorianderWell tolerated, aromatic, and most animals take it readily. Part of a daily mixed handful.

everyday food

Dandelion leavesOne of the best greens available, and free. Pick well away from roadsides and anywhere that may have been sprayed. A generous handful daily.

everyday food

GrassFresh growing grass is excellent. Lawn clippings are not: they ferment in the bag and cause severe gut upset. As much as they will graze. Never mown clippings.

everyday food

Grass hayShould be about 80 percent of what this animal eats, available at all times. It is what wears the teeth down and what keeps the gut moving. Unlimited, always.

everyday food

PlantainA common lawn weed and one of the better forage plants. A handful daily.

everyday food

Romaine lettuceDark leafy lettuce with real nutritional content and a good water balance. A generous handful daily as part of a mixed selection.

everyday food

That plant or food is not on our list. Do not offer it — a rabbit cannot vomit, so anything that goes in has to go all the way through. Check with an exotics vet.

A rabbit that has not eaten for 8 hours needs a vet, whatever the reason. Diet changes are the most common trigger for that, which is why new foods go in one at a time.

What it really costs

Setup, monthly, first year and across a whole life, itemised and with the electricity worked out from the actual wattage. Published figures for the same animal disagree by a factor of four, so the calculator shows ranges rather than picking one.

Region

How many animals

Your electricity price, per kWh

Buying the setup