What rabbit should i get

The Holland Lop is a small rabbit with big personality! These rabbits are known for their floppy almond-shaped ears and adorable looks. They come in a huge variety of colors including some pretty weird ones. Holland Lops have no serious genetic health issues and live longer than most rabbits, that is 7 to 14 years.

They are quite active and need a lot of space to roam about. These rabbits will be a great choice for a small family with older children. Have you ever seen a tiny white rabbit with black rarely-chocolate circles around their eyes and short V-shaped ears? These fancy rabbits bond well with their owners and are highly social, playful and active. Their life expectancy is 7 to 10 years. The medium size Havana rabbits are calm, gentle, affectionate and bond well with their human family.

The name of the breed is misleading: Havana rabbits come from Netherlands, not Cuba. Harlequin rabbits are medium size rabbits with beautiful short colourful fur. Their coats have patterns in shades of brown, orange, blue, lilac, white and black. Harlequins are playful and curious bunnies who love exercise and playing with toys.

They can live for up to 8 years. Rabbits are most easily paired male-female, but they are very picky about mates since they bond deeply and for life. Female-female and male-male pairings are possible as well. Rabbits must be altered to be good companion rabbits. Males may spray and hump anything that moves. Spaying and neutering solve these problems, usually within days. It is as cruel to keep a rabbit in an outdoor hutch as it would be to keep a dog that way. If you want to keep your rabbit in a hutch, think about going out twice a day no matter what the weather, to give food and fresh water and getting nothing in return.

Such rabbits become nothing but a chore for their people. Why would anyone choose to take on another chore with no benefit to themselves? People who keep rabbits in outdoor hutches usually end up asking a shelter or other people to take over their responsibilities. This is unfair to the rabbits and to the shelters, alike!

It is extremely dangerous to let rabbits run freely in a fenced yard. Rabbits who have done so safely for years almost always end up as tragedies. Even if she gets killed, she will have had a lot of fun. If rabbits must be kept outdoors, or if you really want them to have the pleasure of running around outside, they should have a chain-link run.

Chicken wire does not protect from predators, which include cats, dogs, coyotes, fox, hawks, eagles, and raccoons you may not see them, but they are literally everywhere. The chain-link should be buried a couple of feet to prevent rabbits digging out as well as preventing predators from digging in.

The top of the run must be covered with chain-link or something strong. In the winter, this box should be filled with straw to keep the rabbits warm. The world of domestic rabbits is immense and diverse, with a long list of breeds, and within those breeds, varieties.

From the 2-pound Netherland Dwarf to the pound Flemish Giant, rabbits come in all sizes, shapes and colors. They also have varying temperaments and needs. Currently 49 domestic rabbit breeds are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association, an organization with over 20, members worldwide.

This group promotes all aspects of the rabbit industry and hosts a national convention each year where rabbit breeders can competitively show their rabbits.

If you start really paying attention, there are so many differences. To make matters more complex, rabbit enthusiasts continually develop new breeds and color variations through selective breeding practices.

Getting a breed to be officially recognized by ARBA requires a process that includes showing the new breed for three years at the national convention. This demonstrates that the breed has distinct and consistent characteristics that can be passed on from generation to generation. As its name implies, the tiny rabbit — weighing just over 3 pounds — has a distinctive mane of fluffy fur that poofs out all the way around its head.

In addition to competing in shows, rabbit breeders raise rabbits as pets, to be cuddled and even walked on harness on leash. Rabbits are also raised for meat, fur or wool. And most breeds are versatile, capable of serving multiple purposes.

Nevertheless, some types of rabbits are considered to be more desirable pets than others based on their temperament, size and needs. Like dogs and cats, rabbits require socialization to be comfortable around people, Cammock said. In addition, some breeds are known to be more docile and friendly, while other breeds have a tendency to be a bit more skittish or high strung.

Holland Lops, for example, are considered one of the friendliest breeds. This means they require a smaller cage and less food than some other rabbit breeds , which ups their appeal as a pet. All four are small breeds that have reputations of being gentle.

That being said, all types of domestic rabbits have the potential of being good pets. Many larger breeds — including the Flemish Giant — are known for being affectionate and easy-going. Other breeds — such as the hare-like Checkered Giant — are more active and need plenty of space to move, which may pair well certain pet owners. National clubs exist for most rabbit breeds and are an excellent source of information. Things to research include the size of cage the rabbit requires, whether or not the rabbit needs to be groomed, and how active the breed tends to be this will be important if you want to bring it for walks on a harness.