A Dutch rabbit sitter needs hay, movement and gut information first
Leave a sitter caring for a Dutch rabbit information built around his digestion and his movement, because those two systems decide how well a rabbit copes with a change of carer. A Dutch rabbit — the compact breed with the white blaze, saddle marking and dark eye patches — still has the full rabbit gut underneath the markings: it must keep moving, which means hay going in and droppings coming out every single day of your trip.
Feeding notes that protect a Dutch rabbit's digestion
Write that hay is the main food, available without limit day and night, and tell the sitter where the hay supply lives so a rack is never left empty. List the exact leafy greens your Dutch rabbit already eats and the small measured amount of pellets, and warn against introducing a novel vegetable mid-sit to be kind — a new green can upset a rabbit gut that was perfectly settled. Note his known favourites for tempting him if he is shy with a new person, and ask the sitter to refresh water in both bottle and bowl if he uses both.
Space, litter and chewing instructions for the sitter
Explain how much out-of-pen time your Dutch rabbit normally gets and which room or run is rabbit-proofed, because a rabbit confined to a hutch for a whole week becomes stiff, bored and more gut-prone. Cover litter specifics: which corner tray he uses, what litter is safe, and that scattered droppings outside the tray during the first day often settle once the routine feels familiar. Add a chewing warning with practical direction — provide his cardboard, willow and hay-based chews so cables, skirting and the sitter's furniture are not the substitute.
Behaviour the sitter should expect from this rabbit
Tell the sitter that a Dutch rabbit may thump at unfamiliar footsteps, hide from a new voice on the first visit, and still be eating perfectly well overnight. Ask for approach from the side at floor level, no picking up unless the rabbit is used to it and it is truly needed, and no chasing to return him to the pen — herd him gently with a favourite green instead. Note any companion bond clearly if this Dutch rabbit lives with a partner, because bonded rabbits must be fed, checked and never separated during the sit.
The gut warning signs that override every other note
Make one instruction unmissable for a Dutch rabbit sitter: no eating plus no droppings, a rabbit sitting hunched with teeth grinding, or a swollen tight belly means a veterinarian the same day, ideally within hours. Rabbit digestion slowing down is an emergency in a way a skipped meal is not for many other pets. Also ask for a call if the sitter finds fly eggs around the rear end in warm weather, persistent runny droppings, or a head tilt. Leave the vet number and your own number at the top of the page.
Daily reporting that suits a rabbit's quiet habits
Ask the sitter to report hay eaten, droppings seen, greens taken and exercise time given, because those four lines describe a Dutch rabbit's health better than a general all-fine message. A photo of the litter tray may sound odd, but experienced rabbit sitters understand exactly why you asked. KinsLe Care Pass puts the unlimited-hay rule, the proofed exercise space and that same-day gut warning into one temporary sitter view, so the person stepping in protects the digestion this breed depends on.