Rabbits are perfect pets if you want an easy-to-train and cuddly animal you can play with without making a big mess. However, neither all rabbits have the same temper nor require the same amount of care. For instance, some are lazy while others are highly active.
In the same way, some breeds enjoy picking them up, while others prefer playing on the ground. Therefore, the best way to get an ideal pet for you and your family is to do some research before adopting one. For a start, let’s look at the most common & popular rabbit breeds you can find on the market.
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Most Common & Popular Rabbit Breeds
Rabbits are cute, friendly, and almost undemanding pets most Americans want to keep in their homes. As expected, some breeds are most popular because of their calm temperament, friendliness, and affection. Let’s take a look.
Most common & popular rabbit breeds |
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| Breed | Personality | Weigh | Lifespan |
| Flemish giant rabbit | Relaxed and cuddly | 9 to 20 pounds
(4 – 9 kg) |
8 to 10 years |
| English Lop rabbit | Easy-going and calm | 9 to 10.5 pounds
(4 – 4.8 kg) |
5 to 7 years |
| Palomino rabbit | Docile and friendly | 8 to 11 pounds
(3.6 – 5 kg) |
5 to 8 years |
| Californian white rabbit | Cuddly and gentle | 8 to 10.5 pounds (3.6 – 4.8 kg) | 5 to 10 years |
| Rex rabbit | Patient and playful | 7 to 10 pounds
(3.2 – 4.5 kg) |
6 to 8 years |
| Sussex rabbit | Curious and affectionate | 7 pounds
(3.2 kg) |
6 to 8 years |
| Harlequin rabbit | Playful and gentle | 6.5 to 9.5 pounds
(2.9 – 4.3 kg) |
5 to 8 years |
| Angora rabbit | Friendly and independent | 5 to 11.5 pounds
(2.3 – 5.2 kg) |
5 to 12 years |
| English Spot rabbit | Cuddly and gentle | 5 to 8 pounds
(2.3 – 3.6 kg) |
6 to 8 years |
| Standard Chinchilla rabbit | Calm and dedicated | 5 to 7 pounds
(2.3 – 3.2 kg) |
5 to 8 years |
| Havana rabbit | Gentle and calm | 4.5 to 6.5 pounds
(2 – 2.9 kg) |
5 to 8 years |
| Mini Lop rabbit | Cuddly and cheerful | 4.5 to 6 pounds
(2 – 2.7 kg) |
5 to 10 years |
| Thrianta rabbit | Docile and gentle | 4 to 6 pounds
(1.8 – 2.7 kg) |
5 to 10 years |
| Dutch Lop rabbit | Gentle and calm | 4 to 5.5 pounds
(1.8 – 2.5 kg) |
5 to 8 years |
| Mini Rex rabbit | Quiet and calm | 3.5 to 4.5 pounds
(1.6 – 2 kg) |
5 to 7 years |
1. Flemish Giant rabbit
The first record of the Flemish giant rabbit comes from 1860, but experts believe that their origins date back to the 1500s. These gentle giants average 15 pounds (6.8 kg) but can sometimes grow up to 22 pounds (10 kg).
Although their size can look frightening, these lovely creatures are actually excellent family pets. They are social, docile, and very sweet-natured. Believe it or not, they are highly intelligent animals and can learn how to do tricks when trained well.
You can expect your new buddy to be friendly with other animals. However, it may tend to kick, scratch, and bite when getting scared, so you should make sure it feels safe and protected.
2. English Lop rabbit
These little fellas typically grow to an average length of 18 inches (45.7 cm) and usually weigh about 10 pounds (4.5 kg). However, finding one to reach 33 inches (84 cm) is not rare. Considering their average size, English Lops need enough space to run and play.
Incredibly friendly and docile, these bunnies won’t mind sharing their habitat with other animals. They like playing and jumping around, but you can often see them lounging and relaxing without any intention to move.
These rabbits successfully handle weather changes as their 23 inches (58.5 cm) long ears act as heat regulators. If you keep your pet inside, there is no need to provide additional heat sources. However, a small space heater or warm blanket will do the trick if your pet’s habitat is outside.
3. Palomino rabbit
Palomino (Tawnies, Washingtonians) rabbits have a great temper and are excellent pets for first-time rabbit owners. Their size is medium-to-large since most weigh 8 to 10 pounds (3.6 – 4.5 kg). The best part is their beautiful golden fur, specific for this particular rabbit breed.
This friendly bunny doesn’t require much grooming and adores being around people as much as possible. Be sure that your furry friend will like spending time around you most of the time and quickly adapt to the new environment.
4. Californian White rabbit
California white bunny weighing 8 to 10.5 pounds (3.6 – 4.8 kg) is a crossbreed of Himalayan white, Chinchilla, and New Zealand white rabbits. You can effortlessly recognize this lovely creature by white fur with dark spots on the nose, ears, feet, and tail.
People typically breed them for their high-quality meat, but their popularity has grown thanks to their cuddly and gentle temperament.
This friendly creature is often quiet and shy in a new environment but can quickly open up once it gets to know you and other family members. Be careful and never leave this bunny alone for long to prevent anxiety and destructive behavior.
5. Rex rabbit
Originally from France, the Rex rabbit is famous for its thick, plush fur that comes in sixteen colors, including the most popular amber, blue, red, and black otter. The standard bunny is sizable and typically weighs up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg).
These playful animals are perfect pets for children since their nature is tame and patient. Plus, their larger size makes them resilient to tight snuggles, and the appealing fur feels like nothing you felt before.
6. Sussex rabbit
Sussex rabbits were created in the 1980s as a crossbreed between Lilac and Californian breeds. Due to their gold or cream fur color and cuddly personality, people often compare this breed to Teddy bears. They are relatively rare because they are still a new breed, but their popularity has rapidly increased.
The best option to understand this bunny’s temper is to compare it with a Labrador Retriever. Your new friendly, affectionate, and curious buddy will enjoy the attention.
This breed is also intelligent and easy to train, meaning your pet will quickly learn to do tricks without much effort and immediately understand how to use a litter box. Its pleasing nature makes them perfect for first-time rabbit owners that are not quite sure about the breed they should adopt.
7. Harlequin rabbit
Harlequin rabbits came from France and were created in the 1800s as a crossbreed between Tortoiseshell Dutch and wild rabbits. Their appearance and dual-colored fur make them stand out from the crowd. The coat is short, stuffed, dense, and created for cuddling.
This unique bunny weighs up to 9.5 pounds (4.3 kg), and the females are usually more sizable. Although these sweet-tempered bunnies are popular pets, people commonly use them as show rabbits because of such unique appearance. That is one of the reasons why they are more expensive in comparison to other rabbits.
8. Angora rabbit
You can find five Angora rabbit subspecies, including English, French, German, Satin, and Giant, and all are popular and desirable pets. These bunnies weighing 5 and 11 pounds (2.3 – 5 kg) produce incredibly soft wool you can spun into yarn or use for craft projects.
If you decide to adopt this friendly and independent creature, you should be aware that it requires weekly grooming. Even though it can groom itself, it is not recommended because of possible digestive system blocking with wool due to swallowing its own fur.
9. English Spot rabbit
This bunny comes with butterfly fur markings on the nose, colored ears, a strip down their back, spots left and right, and lovely eye circles. You can expect this breed with elegant, short, and dense fur to weigh approximately 5 to 8 pounds (2.3 – 3.6 kg).
This bunny is perfect for you if you are looking for an easy-going but not very active pet that fits well with families with kids. Your new buddy will enjoy being picked up, cuddled, and petted. In most cases, it gets quickly attached to its owners and happily spends time with them and its favorite toys.
10. Standard Chinchilla rabbit
These 5 to 7 pounds (2.3 – 3.2 kg) heavy rabbits were an instant hit in 1919 when they were created. They originated from France and were a mix of wild rabbits with Beverens or Himalayans.
Even though this breed comes in different colors, the American Rabbit Breeders Association accepts only a chinchilla shade. If you decide to adopt this gentle-temperament creature, you will get a calm, curious, and dedicated companion.
11. Havana rabbit
Havana rabbits come in four colors, including blue, black, chocolate, and broken. The name can mislead you since the breed originated in the Netherlands and got named because of a similarity to Cuban cigars’ color.
These gentle and calm bunnies are excellent pets for seniors and families with children. They are not overly active, prefer socializing on their own time, and quickly bond with their human families.
12. Mini Lop rabbit
The adorable-looking and affectionate Mini Lop is probably the most popular bunny pet breed in the US and is often considered the cuddliest. They come with massive and thick fur in different colors and typically weigh up to 6 pounds (2.7 kg).
Originally from Germany, this bunny is a crossbreed between a German Lop and a Chinchilla rabbit. People adore these lovely and friendly creatures because of their hanging ears. However, these ears provide a sad appearance even though these bunnies are not like that. This breed is an excellent option for families with kids.
13. Thrianta rabbit
The Thrianta rabbit originated from Holland. One school teacher developed a new breed in honor of the House of Orange, the royal house of the Netherlands. This lovely creature quickly became a Dutch Royal family’s pet, but not for long.
Soldiers hunted them for tender meat during World War II, bringing them to the brink of extinction. The breed survived thanks to a handful of breeders, and these bunnies with unique reddish fur happily thrive nowadays as pets and show rabbits.
These curious and active pets enjoy exploring but sometimes prefer staying indoors, lying back, and cuddling. Their only disadvantage is the difficulty of getting used to the litter box, but nothing is impossible with enough time, patience, and treats.
14. Dutch Lop rabbit
The Dutch Lop is a breed from the Netherlands. It is the smallest member of the Lop family, weighing only 4 to 5.5 pounds (1.8 – 2.5 kg). You can quickly distinguish these lovely creatures by their lop ears, compact bodies, and flat faces.
Although docile and calm, these rabbits have a lot of energy, so you should let your pet out and provide it with frequent exercise. Additionally, this breed requires a lot of space to play, jump, run, and stand on back legs. In most cases, it will be enough to carefully feed and maintain your bunny to get an excellent and dedicated companion.
15. Mini Rex rabbit
This breed is a perfect choice for people looking for a small rabbit with soft velvety fur recognizable for its unique texture and density. Such perfection is a result of the undercoat and hairs’ equal lengths.
This tiny rabbit rarely exceeds 4.5 pounds (1.8 kg), although some individuals can reach 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg). This perfect little snuggle toy comes in twenty different colors.
Typically, these bunnies are friendly, but it depends on individual characteristics. That makes prior acquaintance with the parental litter necessary. Be sure to play with your pet on its own terms, and you will get a dedicated friend that enjoys your company.
Summary
Rabbits are among the most affectionate pets you can have. They are cuddly, love to play around, and rarely require the same amount of care as other pets. They are also a perfect company for your kids and senior family members while requiring only reasonable care, daily exercise routines, and loving surroundings.
