What Rabbit Breed Should I Get

One press picks a rabbit breed to read up on, with its top weight and its coat.

What Rabbit Breed Should I Get

Show all 53
  1. CalifornianMaximum weight 10.5 lb. Developed in Southern California in the 1920s; one of the most popular.

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How it works

Not sure which rabbit to bring home? These are the 53 breeds the American Rabbit Breeders Association recognizes, with the top show weight it prints for most and a line on the coat, ears or temper.

Read the full guide

Size comes first

The association prints a maximum weight for most breeds: 11 of them stop under 5 lb, and five of the biggest have no maximum at all. It says a Checkered Giant, a running breed, needs a large cage to move comfortably.

The coat is the upkeep

The four Angoras, American Fuzzy Lop and Jersey Wooly carry wool, and a Giant Angora must be shorn because it does not molt. Rex and Mini Rex have short, plush fur; Satin and Mini Satin have a sheen.

Plan for two

Whatever the breed, the RSPCA says a rabbit should be kept with at least one other friendly rabbit, that rabbits typically live 8 to 12 years, and that a hutch on its own is not enough.

Questions and answers

What is the best rabbit breed for a first-time owner?

There is no single answer. In its breed notes the association calls the Lilac an ideal choice for a beginner, the Himalayan laid back and easy to handle, and the Dwarf Hotot easy for children to handle.

What is the smallest rabbit breed?

Of the 53 recognized breeds, Britannia Petite and Netherland Dwarf have the lowest printed maximum weight, 2.5 lb. Dwarf Hotot follows at 3 lb, then Jersey Wooly and Polish at 3.5 lb.

What is the biggest rabbit breed?

Flemish Giant: the association sets no maximum weight and says it often tips the scales at over 20 lb. Checkered Giant, French Lop, Giant Angora and adult English Lops have no maximum either, and Giant Chinchilla stops at 16 lb.

Which rabbit breeds are calm?

The association’s notes call the American calm, the English Lop placid, the Flemish Giant, French Angora and Lilac docile, the French Lop placid and relaxed, and the Himalayan laid back. They call the Britannia Petite more high strung than other breeds.

How many rabbit breeds are there?

The American Rabbit Breeders Association recognizes 53, and Mini Californian is the newest. Around the world there are many more: Wikipedia’s list counts at least 305 breeds of domestic rabbit as of 2017.

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All 53 rabbit breeds

Small: 4.75 lb or less 11

  • American Fuzzy Lop Maximum weight 4 lb. Sweet tempered, with lopped ears, a large head and a wooled coat.
  • Britannia Petite Maximum weight 2.5 lb. One of the smallest breeds; active and more high strung than most.
  • Dwarf Hotot Maximum weight 3 lb. The markings of the Blanc de Hotot on a dwarf breed; easy for children to handle.
  • Himalayan Maximum weight 4.5 lb. Laid back and easy to handle; the body type is called cylindrical.
  • Holland Lop Maximum weight 4 lb. A dwarf lop with a compact body and a large head; one of the five most popular.
  • Jersey Wooly Maximum weight 3.5 lb. Bred as a small pet rabbit with wool that is easy to care for.
  • Lionhead Maximum weight 3.75 lb. A mane round the head gives it the look of a male lion.
  • Mini Rex Maximum weight 4.5 lb. A plush coat in many colors; a top entry at the association’s conventions.
  • Mini Satin Maximum weight 4.75 lb. A small rabbit with the Satin’s sheen, in 16 show varieties.
  • Netherland Dwarf Maximum weight 2.5 lb. A tiny breed first produced in the Netherlands; 25 recognized color varieties.
  • Polish Maximum weight 3.5 lb. Small but not a dwarf breed: its ears are longer than a Netherland Dwarf’s.

Medium: 5 to 8 lb 14

  • Blue Holicer Maximum weight 7.25 lb. Stocky and upright, with thickly furred ears and dense steel blue fur.
  • Czech Frosty Averages around 7.5 lb. A medium-size, frosty-colored rabbit with an upright cylindrical body.
  • Dutch Maximum weight 5.5 lb. Known by its distinct markings; one of the ten most popular breeds.
  • English Angora Maximum weight 7.5 lb. Silky wool sought after for spinning; the only compact Angora.
  • English Spot Maximum weight 8 lb. A butterfly nose mark, eye circles and a chain of spots; a running breed.
  • Florida White Maximum weight 6 lb. A white rabbit first developed as a smaller breed for laboratories.
  • Havana Maximum weight 6.5 lb. A compact breed with mink-like fur.
  • Lilac Maximum weight 8 lb. Pinkish dove-gray and docile; called an ideal choice for a beginner.
  • Mini Californian Maximum weight 6 lb. The look of the Californian in a smaller size; the 53rd and newest breed.
  • Mini Lop Maximum weight 6.5 lb. Stocky and compact, with lopped ears and a softball-sized head.
  • Silver Maximum weight 7 lb. White guard hairs give the coat a silvery luster; black, brown or fawn.
  • Standard Chinchilla Maximum weight 7.5 lb. The lightest of the three Chinchilla breeds; a fur breed of the 1920s.
  • Tan Maximum weight 5.5 lb. Lithe, long limbed and sleek; first found in a wild colony in England.
  • Thrianta Maximum weight 6 lb. Brilliant orange-red from nose to tail.

Large: 9 to 12 lb 21

  • American Maximum weight 12 lb. A calm, rare breed shown in two colors, blue and white.
  • American Chinchilla Maximum weight 12 lb. The rarest of the Chinchilla breeds.
  • American Sable Maximum weight 9 lb. A brown coat that shades from dark sepia on top to lighter sides.
  • Argente Brun A dense, glossy, silky coat with a deep chocolate brown undercolor. The association prints no weight; Wikipedia’s list gives 8 to 10.5 lb.
  • Belgian Hare Maximum weight 9.5 lb. A lithe, elegant body; one of the oldest breeds in America.
  • Beveren Maximum weight 12 lb. Active and energetic, and rare in the United States; black, blue or white.
  • Blanc de Hotot Maximum weight 11 lb. Snow white, with black “eyeliner” round the eyes.
  • Californian Maximum weight 10.5 lb. Developed in Southern California in the 1920s; one of the most popular.
  • Champagne d’Argent Maximum weight 12 lb. A silvery coat; may have been in France by the mid 1600s.
  • Cinnamon Maximum weight 11 lb. Named for its rust-colored coat, with gray ticking across the back.
  • Creme d’Argent Maximum weight 11 lb. Creamy white over a bright orange undercolor; one of the rarest breeds.
  • French Angora Maximum weight 10.5 lb. A wool breed with a docile nature.
  • Harlequin Maximum weight 9.5 lb. Two colors that alternate in blocks over the head, ears, feet and body.
  • New Zealand Maximum weight 12 lb. Developed in the United States, despite the name, and recognized in 1916.
  • Palomino Maximum weight 11 lb. Named for its color, like the horse; golden or lynx.
  • Rex Maximum weight 10.5 lb. Short, dense, velvet-like fur in 16 color varieties.
  • Rhinelander Maximum weight 10 lb. Trim and athletic, marked orange and black or fawn and blue; rare in the US.
  • Satin Maximum weight 11 lb. Fur with a brilliant sheen, in 11 colors.
  • Satin Angora Maximum weight 9.5 lb. Silky wool with a distinct sheen.
  • Silver Fox Maximum weight 12 lb. Standing fur with silver-tipped and white hairs shot through the coat.
  • Silver Marten Maximum weight 9.5 lb. Began as black rabbits in Chinchilla litters; four color varieties.

Giant: over 12 lb or no top weight 6

  • Checkered Giant No maximum weight. Bold markings and an arched body; a running breed that needs a large cage.
  • English Lop No maximum weight for adults. The longest ears of any breed, and a placid, easygoing nature.
  • Flemish Giant No maximum weight, and often over 20 lb. Docile: its nickname is the Gentle Giant.
  • French Lop No maximum weight. Massive and heavy boned, with a wide head; placid and relaxed.
  • Giant Angora No maximum weight. The largest Angora; its wool must be shorn, as this breed does not molt.
  • Giant Chinchilla Maximum weight 16 lb. Developed in the US in 1921 for Chinchilla fur on as large a pelt as possible.

Dwarf and mini breeds 1

  • Dwarf Papillon Began in Germany as the Dwarf Check; recognized in 2020. The association prints no weight for it.