Here Bunny
Scientific Facts
| Common Name: | Swedish Hare |
| Scientific Name: | – |
| Life Span: | 8 to 12 years |
| Size: | No more than 5 pounds |
| Habitat: | Domesticated |
| Country of Origin: | Sweden |
Swedish Hare Information
While this particular breed of a rabbit still is considered a domesticated one, the major difference between the Swedish Hare and the other types of rabbits that are bred to pet was that this variety was supposed to be used for sports. Athletic and strong, the Swedish Hare has the physical tools that allow it to excel in rabbit sports. In fact, it was specifically bred when rabbit sports all over the world became popular. The Swedish Hare was selectively bred from different rabbits to produce a variety that is more athletically gifted and active than most other domesticated breeds.
Physical Description
The Swedish Hare is considered one of the smaller breeds of rabbits due to how it was specifically bred to be fine-boned in the sense that it will not grow up to be as plump and as stocky as the other breeds of domesticated rabbit. In that sense, expect the Swedish Hare’s overall body build to be quite slender and a bit muscular. Its front legs should be straight and long while its flank should be made up of pure lean muscle. This rabbit’s head and long are also longer than other domesticated breeds. Meanwhile, their ears tend to be quite long and erect, as well. The length of their ears should be about as long as the distance from its nose up to the top of its head where the ears should start.
A Swedish Hare’s coat should not be too thick and is supposed to sit quite close to its body. Its fur should be about less than an inch long and is quite smooth. These rabbits are not prone to matting because of how their coat tends to be quite short, fine, and very easy to take care of. Color does not tend to be an issue when it comes to the Swedish Hare as these rabbits come in all sorts of different colors. Instead, their body build and their genetic lineage are usually what dictates its breed.
Personality
Swedish Hares are similar to their fat, and domesticated cousins not in the sense of their body build but in the sense that they are quite friendly and charming creatures that do not mind interacting with humans and with other domesticated pets. They are quite docile when it comes to getting handled by humans and will easily submit to how their humans are caring for them. In that regard, it will be quite easy for the owner or even strangers to handle these rabbits as the Swedish Hare tends to be quite a submissive kind of breed.
As mellow and as friendly as the Swedish Hare is, what sets it apart from all of the other domesticated rabbit breeds is the fact that it has a personality that is quite active. Bred to be athletes in the rabbit world, the Swedish Hare is a rabbit that will love to play with its owner and will most likely be fond of running or roaming around a large room so that it can exercise its personality and nature as a pretty active and athletic rabbit. This personality, when coupled with its friendly nature, makes the Swedish Rabbit one fun pet to be around with for any kind of family even though they are not into competitive rabbit sports.
Life Span
Swedish Hares, due to their overall athletic and active nature and their healthy diet, usually have a lifespan that is longer than their other domesticated counterparts. These rabbits can live for up to 12 years so long as you provide them with the proper care, diet, and exercise that they need. Most of these rabbits get to live at least 8 years with minimum care on the part of their owner.
Reproduction
The reproductive behavior of a Swedish Hare is similar to other domesticated rabbits. They can reach the age of sexual majority around 4 to 6 months old. They can also give birth to a litter that has about 1 to 5 baby rabbits. Swedish Hares can reproduce multiple times in a single year due to how short their gestation period is.
Behavior
A Swedish Hare is pretty active and enthusiastic about life in terms of its overall behavior. It is very rare for you to see one that does not like moving around much. They thrive when left in an area where they can roam around and feel free so that they can exercise those athletic legs and muscles. In that sense, time outside of their cage tends to be quite a good idea for these rabbits.
Playful and pretty friendly, Swedish Hare also behaves in a way that is quite endearing due to their active nature. You will love to have one around you if you prefer to have pets that are really playful and sweet in their own way. The Swedish Hare will not make you feel alone as it will always seek to interact with you and would want to have some playtime.
Eating Habits
Swedish Hares should be given a diet that is similar to its other domesticated and captive-bred counterparts. As herbivores, they thrive on a diet that is composed of grass and hay. However, your rabbit can do well if you give it a diet that is about 70% hay. They will get most of their essential daily nutrients from hay.
The rest of the 30% should be a combination of different types of vegetables, greens, and fruits to supplement their hay-based diet. You can also feed your Swedish Hare with commercial rabbit pellets that can be found in many pet stores. But, when choosing vegetables, greens, and fruits for your Swedish Hare, always make sure that you feed it with ones that are not toxic to it. Also, do not overfeed it with pellets as they are not as nutritious as hey for your rabbit.
Water
Fresh clean water is essential for your Swedish Hare. They need to drink a lot of water on a regular basis due to how active they tend to be.
Cage
Swedish Hares are quite small and are not as big and as plump as other domesticated rabbits. However, just because they are small, it does not mean that you should just place them in a commercial rabbit cage that lacks space. These rabbits are pretty active and would prefer to be housed in a cage that has a bit more space. Maybe a cage that is about 3 feet long will be enough for these athletic rabbits. You do not have to be quite choosy with the type of cage as Swedish Hares are not too shy or too picky. As long as they have enough space, the type of habitat will be suitable enough for them.
Also, you can choose to house our Swedish Hare in an outdoor habitat so long as the climate is suitable. Housing it outdoors allows it to have more space to roam around. However, due to how small the Swedish Hare is compared to other rabbits, it might be susceptible to birds of prey and to other types of predators when you house them outdoors.
Availability – Where to Get one
Swedish Hares are not pretty common in the United States, but you can still find them from breeders that sell rabbits for sporting purposes. They might not be readily available from breeders that only sell domesticated rabbits that are strictly meant to be pes.
How to Care for a Swedish Hare
When caring for your Swedish Hare, you only have to give it the type of care that a domesticated rabbit needs. It is not the most demanding type of pet to have since it does not have the thickest coat, and it does not require a complicated type of diet. However, what it really needs is for you to give it the necessary activities; it needs to feel free as these are quite the active types of rabbits.
Interacting with your Swedish Hare is the best way to make it feel active. Take it out of its cage on a regular basis to give it some exercise. Allow it to roam around the room freely but under your supervision so that you will know what it is doing. Play with it from time to time and handle it if it pleases you. This will not only give it some exercise but will also tighten the bond between you and these friendly rabbits.
FAQs
Is the Swedish Hare a good pet to have?
With their generally friendly nature, Swedish Hares are great pets to have but might not be ideal for older owners due to how active they are.
Are Swedish Hares great for athletic competitions?
Rabbit sports were the main reasons why Swedish Hares were bred. In that regard, they are great for athletic competitions made for rabbits.
Are Swedish Hares friendly?
Swedish Hares are quite friendly and are pretty caring in their own way.
Is it okay if you do not enter your Swedish Hare in sports?
While they may have been bred for sporting purposes, Swedish Hares can do well strictly as household pets so long as you allow them to have the exercise they need to stay active.
