DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, WE WILL NO LONGER BE RASING TEDDYWIDDERS AT MOORE 'N' MOORE BUNNIES. PLEASE SEE THE AVAILABLE ADULT TEDDYWIDDERS LOOKING FOR NEW HOMES ASAP. CONTACT US FOR FURTHER INFO.
Teddywidder Care Tips
Teddywidders are still a fairly new breed. Their gorgeous, long and soft-as-air fluff is the most lovable thing about them. At the same time, it comes with a bit of a cost: the extra grooming time. However, the “cost” is more than worth the snuggly, super fluffy and sweet-tempered nature that only a Teddywidder can give. I will be more than happy to share what I’ve learned along the way in my Teddywidder raising venture!
Feeding:
Formax is highly recommendable and is what I raise my Teddywidders on (an “all-you-can-eat buffet amount”). But if you prefer a different rabbit feed that you’ve had good results with, you can always mix the sandwich-bag-sized Forax that I will send with you with the feed of your choice: 1:1 ratio. When they’ve eaten all of that, just feed them your preferred feed, free choice.
Grooming:
I recommend grooming your new Ted every day for best results for you and your Ted. This only takes a few minutes. However, once or twice-a-week grooming is usually sufficient. If your Ted is going through a shedding stage (late spring) or growing thicker fur for colder weather (fall), then grooming your Ted every day to every other day is recommended. However, once a day is never too often! Grooming is one of the best opportunities for bonding time and emotional therapy for those who want/need it. When done gently, grooming keeps your Ted gentle and accustomed to your handling and care. When combing your Ted’s fur, it’s important to be gentle with their thin, soft, skin. At the same same, you have to make sure you’re combing all the way down to the skin and thoroughly combing over their whole body. Make sure you don’t miss under the chin and the backs of their legs as these spots tend to mat up more quickly than the rest of the body. This is when you will especially appreciate your Ted’s easy-going and trusting temperament, as most bunnies don’t care at all for being combed. I train mine to let me lay them on their backs on my lap so I can groom their undersides’ without a fight. This will go a long way in helping you as well! Sometimes, when you haven’t been able to give your Teddywidder as much grooming attention and the fur is more thick or matted in places, it helps to use the comb at an angel. In other words, instead of using the whole width of the comb per stroke, try using just the tip of it, so that only a little fur at a time is being groomed. This will help your Ted be more calm and comfortable. Again, be very gentle, as using just the tip of the comb can make it easier to hurt your Ted.
The best comb that I’ve found is this one from amazon:
Any small pet scissors will do. Since mats just happen, keep scissors handy with your comb. Be careful not to cut into their fragile skin. The best way to make sure you don’t cut your Ted, is to feel for the end of the mat, where the mat meets (or comes close to) the skin. You should be able to feel the difference. If you’re younger or inexperienced with grooming furry animals, get someone older or more experienced to help learn how to do this. It can be easy to cut your Ted’s skin. When you’ve figured out where the mat meets the skin, hold your fingers between the mat and the skin and carefully uses your scissors with your other hand to trim off the mat. The benefit of Teddywidder grooming is a sense of responsibility and good-stewardship. If you’re anything like me. You will feel SO good when you keep that gorgeous Teddywidder’s fur well-groomed.
Trimming around the eyes:
Sometimes I trim around my Teddywidders' eyes, though it is not always necessary, depending on if your particular bunny is prone to eye infections or not. Trimming may help prevent eye infections. The fur will always grow back though, so you could always see how you and your Ted like it. ;) When I do trim around the eyes, it’s impossible to keep from trimming their long eyelashes with the fur, so it’s perfectly ok to do so. The lashes will grow back too. ;) You can cut however much you want to. I personally like to only cut about 1/4" all around the eye. Their long fur is very forgiving and will fall around where you’ve cut, so your Ted will still look very cute and fluffy!
Keeping Your New Ted Cool:
One thing that makes the Teddywidder so special is that they have super long fur all over their body. No other rabbit has this feature. Even the Angora has shorter fur on the face than a Ted. This makes the Teddywidder one of the most adorable and snuggly looking bunny out of all of the breeds. In my opinion, it is THE cutest of all, which is why I chose to raise them. ;) That said, your Ted will need a cool environment. Either run a box fan constantly on high in the warm months or better yet, keep them inside or in a temperature controlled building.
Deworming Care:
I recommend using Safeguard. You can purchase this at Tractor Supply. The dose is 1 milliliter (or CC - same thing), per 5 lbs. You will need to weigh your Ted and apply the right dosage. Repeat once a day for 5 days in a row. Safeguard covers a broad spectrum of parasites and is very safe for rabbits.
Fun Facts:
The Teddywidder is an extremely rare breed that was first developed in Germany. They are a dwarf rabbit that are usually around 3-4 pounds, making them much easier to groom and cheaper to feed than larger breed rabbits.
Teddywidders were developed from the double mane Lionhead, Fuzzylop and Angora - popular and super furry breeds. With the Teddywidder, You get the best of them all!
They develop lop ears as they mature and grow extremely long, SUPER SOFT hair, (up to 4" long) covering their entire bodies.
Teds have sweet, calm, laid back temperaments, making them THE PERFECT emotional support or therapy pets... or just a super fluffy, snuggly friend.
Teddywidders look and feel much likea Fuzzy Lop!
Your Teddywidder is just like a plush, toy bunny, come to life! It’s gentle, easy-going disposition make it SO endearing and lovable.
Pictures just don't do the Ted justice. You have to get your hands on them to fully appreciate just how soft and snuggly they really are!