Long haired rabbits are growing in popularity, not only as show rabbits but as pets too. However, rabbits with longer hair may not be for everyone as they require more grooming maintenance than their shorter haired counterparts.
If you are thinking about welcoming a long haired rabbit breed into your family, this article will list the most popular breeds to consider.
7 Long Haired Rabbit Breeds
Here are some of the most popular long haired rabbit breeds for you to consider:
- English Angora Rabbit
- Long Haired Lionhead Rabbit
- Jersey Wooly Rabbit
- French Angora Rabbit
- Satin Angora Rabbit
- Cashmere Lop Rabbit
- American Fuzzy Lop Rabbit
Which of these long-haired rabbit breeds are good with children or first-time owners? What are some of the pros as well as cons to owning a long-haired rabbit? Let’s look at these points and more.
Rabbit Breeds With Long Hair
Long haired rabbits are adorable and are growing in popularity for both show rabbits as well as pets, and it’s easy to see why. Not only are they cute, but they tend to have good-natured temperaments too.
Let us have a look at a few long haired rabbit breeds so you can find the best long haired rabbit for you and your family.
1. English Angora Rabbit
This rabbit is one of the oldest domesticated rabbit breeds, and it originated from Ankara, which is in Turkey; it then made its way to the United States in about 1939.
The English Angora rabbit is sociable, docile, and gentle in nature, but it does require an owner that has experience with rabbits as they can be difficult to take care of.
If you have owned rabbits before, then these rabbits can do well with families that have children due to their gentle nature. These rabbits are considered to be small or mini-sized rabbits, and they will weigh about 5 to 6 lbs (or 2.2 to 2.7 kgs) when they are fully grown.
The English Angora rabbit has a life span of approximately 7 to 12 years, and this rabbit can live comfortably both indoors and outdoors; and due to their small size, they can adapt to apartment living quite easily.
2. Long Haired Lionhead Rabbit
The long haired Lionhead rabbit was originally from Belgium, but it made its way to the United States in the late ’90s. The long haired Lionhead rabbit is a good show rabbit as they have a unique look and they are easy to train.
This rabbit is very friendly and affectionate, but they do have a lot of energy, so they need space to run and play. These rabbits are considered to be small or mini in size and will only weigh between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs (1.1 and 1.5 kg) when they are fully grown.
Even though these rabbits have a lot of energy, due to their small size, they can live comfortably in apartments, and they actually do better as indoor rabbits. The long haired Lionhead rabbits are good with children as well as first-time rabbit owners.
These rabbits can live for about 7 to 10 years, and they are not too difficult to look after. However, you should still do some of your own research on how to properly take care of their long hair.
3. Jersey Wooly Rabbit
This rabbit is an extremely popular show rabbit, but they make for excellent pets too. They originated in High Bridge, New Jersey, and were accepted in the ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) in 1984.
The Jersey Wooly rabbit has a very gentle, docile, sweet, and playful temperament, which makes them perfect for families that have children as well as first-time owners. These tiny rabbits are considered to be dwarf rabbits and will only weigh between 1 and 3 lbs (0.4 and 1.3 kg) when they are fully grown.
Due to the size of these rabbits, they tend to do better as indoor rabbits, and they can live just as comfortably in apartments as they do in houses. The Jersey Wooly rabbit has a life span of between 7 and 10 years, so you will have this adorable ball of fluff in your life for a while.
4. French Angora Rabbit
The French Angora rabbit is the closest relative to the English Angora rabbit, and these two rabbits look a lot alike too. In fact, they were generally grouped together as the same rabbit breed. This was until the ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) split them into two separate breeds in 1944.
This rabbit is a very friendly rabbit that is calm, gentle, and docile, which means that they are great for first-time rabbit owners as well as with children. These rabbits are considered to be large in size and will end up weighing between 7.5 and 10.5 lbs (3.4 and 4.7 kgs) when they are adults.
Due to the size of these rabbits, they can live quite comfortably outside, but they do just as well living indoors too; they just cannot live in apartments as they are a bit too large for this type of home environment. The French Angora rabbit can live to about 7 or 12 years old.
5. Satin Angora Rabbit
The Satin Angora rabbit’s linage can be traced back to 1930, but the breed that we now know as Satin Angora was only perfected in the 1980s in Ontario, Canada. This rabbit has a curious, friendly, sociable, and sweet temperament.
The Satin Angora can live both indoors and outdoors; if you want them to live indoors, however, you need to ensure that they have some outside time in your yard during the day, so they are not suitable for apartment living.
This rabbit breed does well with just about everyone, first-time rabbit owners, children, couples, and single people. These rabbits love human company and, therefore, they make good companions.
The Satin Angora rabbit is considered to be a medium-sized rabbit and can weigh between 3.5 and 9.5 lbs (1.5 and 4.3 kgs) when they are adults, and these rabbits can live for approximately 7 to 12 years.
6. Cashmere Lop Rabbit
The Cashmere Lop rabbit is a newer rabbit breed that was discovered by accident in the 1980s by a lady named Miss Turner who lived in Wales. This rabbit is now a highly popular show rabbit, but they make for excellent pets as well.
These rabbits are highly intelligent rabbits, and they are friendly, social, and playful. These rabbits can get agitated if they are not handled correctly, which can lead them to bite; for this reason, they are not suited for families with young children. However, older children are fine.
These rabbits are also suited for owners who have little to no rabbit owning experience, as they are quite easy to look after. The Cashmere Lop rabbit is considered to be a small rabbit and will weigh between 4 and 5 lbs (1.8 and 2.2 kgs) then. They are adults, and they generally live between 8 and 12 years.
These rabbits are comfortable living indoors and outdoors, and due to their size, they can adapt well to apartment living.
7. American Fuzzy Lop Rabbit
The American Fuzzy Lop rabbit originated from America and took four years to develop into the breed, so many people love today. This rabbit was presented to the ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) in 1985 and was accepted.
This rabbit is a very playful rabbit and is active, affectionate, and quite curious; they love human company and are great with children as well as first-time rabbit owners. These rabbits make good companions for single people and seniors, and they do best when they are kept as indoor rabbits.
The American Fuzzy Lop rabbit is considered a dwarf rabbit and will only weigh around 3.5 and 4 lbs (1.5 and 1.8 kg) when they reach adulthood. Unfortunately, these tiny rabbits do not have a very long life span as they generally only live for about 5 to 8 years.
Pros Of Owning Long Haired Rabbits
Long haired rabbits are adorable, and although their personalities will vary they generally have good temperaments, they love their humans, and they can be quite cuddly too.
These rabbits can provide you with wool, and if you are an avid knitter, this can prove useful; you can also sell the wool to make some money if you do not want to keep it, this can be a good way to help pay to the upkeep of your rabbit.
Most long haired rabbits are on the smaller side, so even if you do not have much space, you can probably still own one.
These rabbits make good companions, so if you are lonely or going through a rough patch, these rabbits can help pull you through your toughest days.
Cons Of Owning A Long Haired Rabbit
Long haired rabbits do require a lot more care and grooming as their hair can get matted easily. These rabbits can also be susceptible to wool block, this is where they swallow their own hair when they groom themselves, but it then gets stuck and creates a blockage in their digestive system, which can be deadly.
Long haired rabbits are also susceptible to wool mites, which is a skin parasite that is commonly found in long haired rabbits. This will cause the rabbit’s skin to become flaky, and it will require treatment.
If your long haired rabbit is or is going to be an indoor rabbit, then you need to ensure that they have toys and things to keep them occupied because if they get bored, they can become destructive and chew things in your house.
Conclusion
These rabbits are sweet and generally well-natured creatures and are easy to train as they are quite intelligent. Yes, they may require more care than other rabbits, but their affection for their humans and companionship is worth the extra effort.
Whether you want a long haired rabbit for show or just as a pet, you can hardly go wrong when picking any of these breeds.