What type of rabbits make the best pets

Nor does this breed take well to being handled, especially by inexperienced hands, so this is not a good choice of rabbit for a child. Indigenous to Sweden, the Gotland Rabbit developed naturally over time. Modern Gotlands are descendants of Rabbits discovered on Gotland Island in the s.

Today, there are breeding programs to keep this breed from becoming extinct. Gotlands are medium-sized rabbits with compact bodies. The Gotland should weigh between six-and-a-half and eight-and-one-half pounds at maturity and has an average life expectancy of nine years. This breed has fine, usually straight short coats that may be nearly any color.

Likewise, Gotland Rabbits may have any color eyes. First exhibited by a Mr. Ridderhof in Deli, Netherlands, the Deilenaar is a compact, medium-sized breed that grows to between five and seven pounds. Like the Gotland Rabbit, the average lifespan of a Deilenaar is nine years. Deilenaar Rabbits boast distinctively-colored dense, silky, medium-length coats. The base coat is a rich slate gray, while the intermediate color is a rusty brown. Friendly and lively, Deilenaars are a great choice of pet.

They can be lively and prefer to live outdoors, though, and are therefore recommended for experienced rabbit owners. When Holland Lops were bred with French Angora Rabbits to produce a long-haired Lop, the result was a breed that possessed a recessive gene for a long coat. In other words, only a very few long-haired lops could be bred this way. Patty Green-Karl is credited with having developed the long-haired cuties that displayed the recessive gene into the breed as it is known today.

A dwarf-sized, compact-bodied rabbit, the American Fuzzy Lop will weigh between three-and-one-half and four pounds fully grown. The coat of this breed is actually wool and can be made into yarn. All American Fuzzy Lops have distinctive markings on their noses, circles around their eyes, and tinted ears.

Known to be active, playful, and curious, the American Fuzzy Lop makes an adorable and affectionate pet. Like many rabbit breeds that prefer to live indoors, the American Fuzzy Lop likes ample time to romp and explore the outdoors, supervised, of course! One of the most popular rabbit breeds worldwide, the adorable Holland Lop is a dwarf-sized rabbit with a compact body. At maturity, this breed will weigh between two and four pounds. Bred by Adriann de Cock in the s, the Holland Lop has a lifespan of seven to fourteen years.

The Holland Lop Rabbit sports a dense, glossy, smooth coat that may be solid or broken in color. Solid-colored Holland Lops are either chestnut, chocolate, or chinchilla in hue, whereas the broken-colored variety comes in tortoise, seal, or sable mixtures. Curious and affectionate, the Holland Lop makes an excellent pet for first-time rabbit owners. Though they prefer to live indoors, they enjoy time outside. Just be sure and keep an eye on your Holland Lop when you let them explore the outdoors.

See our lop eared rabbits care guide. Bred in Germany and recognized as a distinct breed in , the German Lop is a large rabbit, weighing between six and eight pounds at adulthood. This docile breed has a life expectancy of between nine and twelve years. The German Lop has medium-length, dense fur that is recognized in the following range of different and exciting color varieties:.

The agouti type is either chinchilla, chestnut, or opal. The broken variety is white with colored spots. A German Lop with blue, black, chocolate, lilac, or sable fur tipped with either gold or silver is known as ticked. Shaded lops have sable fur with either pearl, sable, or tortoise mixed in and, finally, the wideband variety is either cream, fawn, red, or orange. Docile and affectionate, German Lops make great pets for first time rabbit owners, and for families with children.

A giant-sized rabbit with a mandolin, or semi-arched body type, the Continental Giant can grow to weigh anywhere from thirteen pounds to thirty-five-plus pounds. These friendly, docile rabbits will live, on average, from four to seven years. The breed comes in various colors, including white, light gray, steel grey, fawn, sandy, and black.

Obviously adorable, the Continental is also very smart. Pet Continentals have been known to play games, learn tricks, and even respond to their names. This breed prefers to live indoors but needs plenty of space due to its large size. See our caring guide for giant rabbits. First exhibited in Netherlands by J de Graaf, the Hulstlander is a small to medium-sized rabbit with a compact body. This striking breed weighs between five and six pounds at maturity and has an eight-to-ten year lifespan.

Playful and intelligent, this breed enjoys being social and loves to be the center of attention. Hustlanders do best with a near-constant companion and dislike long stretches alone, making them wonderful pets for owners with lots of time, love, and attention to give. The English Lop was first noted in England in the mids, but the breed may have its origins in Africa. A medium-sized rabbit with a semi-arched body and distinctive oversized ears, the English Lop should weigh nine or ten pounds fully grown and has a life expectancy of five to seven years.

English Lops have smooth, short coats that may be one of many colors, both broken and solid. They may be white, fawn, chinchilla, or blue, among other less popular colors. Curious and friendly, English Lops make lovable pets. They like to be picked up and petted and will remain playful throughout their lives. A large-sized breed, New Zealands will weigh between ten and twelve pounds when fully grown. A suitable pet for rabbit lovers of all experience levels, New Zealands will live, on average, between five and eight years.

Sporting chic coats of short, soft fur, New Zealands come in various colors, five of which have been recognized by ARBA: red, white, black, blue, and broken. Native to South America and Brazil, in particular, Brazilian rabbits may have been brought from Europe by Portuguese sailors. Brazilians are medium-sized rabbits, weighing between seven and eleven pounds at maturity. Brazilian Rabbits have dense fur with thick undercoats.

They vary in color, though most are shades of blue, black, and opal. Social, gentle, and calm, Brazilians make great pets. The breed is prone to infection and colds, though, so be sure not to expose your Brazilian to drafts or sudden temperature variations.

They have semi-arched bodies and coats of gorgeous thick, glossy fur. They are affectionate and enjoy lap-sitting, but a word to the wise: Flemish Giants grow nervous quickly if mishandled, so they may not be ideal for small children.

See our Flemish giant care guide. Question: Where did the Alaska Rabbit originate? This breed was actually developed in Germany by Rabbit Judge Max Goth and named for the Alaskan Fox, whose coat he was trying to emulate with his new rabbit. First exhibited in Europe in , Alaska Rabbits are medium-sized, weighing between seven and nine pounds as adults. This intelligent, friendly breed will live between seven and ten years and have dense coats of long, glossy hair.

Alaska Rabbits are great pets for people who have children or other pets, as they are friendly, outgoing, and calm. Be sure to give your Alaska plenty of together time, as they love being with people.

A large rabbit with a life expectancy of five to eight years, the Silver Fox will grow to weigh between nine and twelve pounds. The Silver Fox is even-tempered and calm, making it a great choice of pet for families with children who have enough room to accommodate a large rabbit.

Owning a domestic rabbit is a rewarding and enjoyable experience. All of the above rabbit breeds have the potential to be excellent pets; your particular circumstances will determine which breed might make the best companion for you and your family. Always remember that small children should be supervised, even when handling a rabbit breed known to be suitable for young people. Your email address will not be published. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contents hide. Best Outdoor Rabbit Breeds. Best Indoor Rabbit Breeds. Conclusion Related Articles:. Overweight Rabbits. How Well Can Rabbits Hear? As long as you handle them with care , they love to be held by their owners and strangers alike. They are smaller in size than the American Chinchilla , which makes them ideal for children because they can handle them easily and with greater care. The Standard Chinchilla has a calm temperament and is known for its sweet disposition. If you are looking for a rabbit with a sweet disposition and one that is friendly, affectionate and loving, this list of 10 introduces you to best-tempered rabbits that make great pets for children and seniors alike.

Rabbits are an ideal pet and companion for people of all ages. She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe. Skip to content. Oct 25 View this post on Instagram. Nicole Cosgrove. Lionhead Rabbit 2. Mini Lop Rabbit 3.

Harlequin Rabbit 4. Polish Rabbit 5. Rex Rabbit 6. English Spot Rabbit 7. Jersey Wooly Rabbit 8. Himalayan Rabbit 9. Havana Rabbit Standard Chinchilla Rabbit Conclusion Related. Related Posts. November 8th, Auto Draft. Terms of use Affiliate Disclaimer Credits Menu. Facebook Instagram Twitter. While playful and affectionate, they do require a considerable amount of grooming. They weigh between 2. On average, Californian Rabbits weigh between 8 and From a parental view, there are some potential issues.

The California rabbit requires plenty of exercise, and can shed quite a bit in the spring! English Lop Another larger breed, the English lop, has an average weight of 11 pounds.

While they also need exercise, they are best suited to be indoor pets. As for health concerns: be advised that their iconically large, floppy ears - while cute - can be a hindrance. Such big ears can make robust activity difficult, which means English lop rabbits can become sedentary, and overeat. Angora Rabbits These rabbits are famous for their wool, and as such, they require frequent grooming think daily brushing. On the small end of the angora spectrum at pounds is the gentle and easygoing Jersey Wooly.

The frequent grooming that angora rabbits need could be a problem for some pet owners. However, if you want an angora rabbit with a coat that needs less-frequent care, French angoras may be an excellent choice. Dutch Rabbits For the middle-of-the-road rabbit breed in terms of maintenance, temperament, and size, you may prefer Dutch rabbits. Weighing between 3. They have fun, outgoing personalities, but they need lots of space, maintenance, and food.

These big bunnies make fun pets, just know that they are rather labor-intensive and a little more costly to maintain. New Heritage Feed Company Complete Rabbit Pellet Whichever rabbit you and your children choose, make sure you give them a complete nutritious diet.

The best diet nourishes and protects the best pet rabbits so that they look and feel their best.