Everyone melts like butter when they see a rabbit with its ears hanging down. We might forgive an otherwise naughty cartoon rabbit or forget that a real one just chewed through yet another phone charger cord. The lop-eared rabbit breeds are sweet, loving creatures, but we have to ask what lop-eared rabbit breeds are the best?
We’re going to show you which of these wonderful rabbits would make a great addition to your home!
What Are Lop-Eared Rabbits?
Lop-eared rabbits are rabbits with ears that droop down instead of standing up straight. That’s it! Of course, they are highly prized because they tend to look cuter than other rabbits. That’s why so many people want to find the perfect lop-eared rabbit breed for a pet— they’re always a good partner to pick up your mood!
A lop bunny come in many shapes and sizes, and they also need special care. Their ears can dip into their water bowls and become wet. Wet ears and a cold night can spell sickness for your little pet! Of course, these rabbits also have individual needs that you must consider such as training and environmental factors.
The 10 Best Lop-Eared Rabbit Breeds Are:
1. Velveteen Lop
The Velveteen Lop Bunny was originally a crossbreed between the Rex Rabbit and the English Lop. This lop-eared rabbit has the same body shape as the Mini Rex. These rabbits are best-known for their velvet-like fur and their exceptionally long ears that measure roughly 14 inches from tip to tip.
They can come in a wide assortment of colors and typically weigh between 6 and 12 pounds, making them a rather large addition to the lop-eared breeds. People seeking a large, lovable rabbit would find it hard to have another pet that is as lovely as the Velveteen Lop.
2. American Fuzzy Lop
The American Fuzzy Lop Bunny is a very popular lop-eared rabbit breed that shares many similarities with the Holland Lop. As their name suggests, the American Fuzzy Lop is a breed of rabbit that is known for having fuzzy, wooly hair instead of the soft, velvet-like fur that many other rabbits have. In that sense, they are similar to the Angora breeds, except the hair of the American Fuzzy Lop is much shorter and less dense.
People love these pets because they’re very fuzzy and soft, and they also have floppy ears that people value so much. This lop eared bunny has also achieved a level of popularity owing to its unique face shape. Its muzzle is similar to a housecat’s rather than the average wedge-shaped rabbit face. These beautiful creatures are a very desirable pet, especially because they are only 3-4lbs!
3. English Lop
The English Lop Bunny is prized for having some of the longest ears of any rabbit along with a prominent body. Unlike other lops, the English Lop can grow to sizes of 11 pounds or more, making it similar in size to other common pets like cats and small dogs. Another thing that people love about the English Lop is that it is a very easygoing rabbit instead of being skittish. That makes them great for respectful children and adults alike.
This breed can present many different colors such as orange, fawn, black, and more. Interestingly, this breed holds the record for the longest ears on any rabbit totaling over 30 inches from tip to tip! People seeking the perfect rabbit companion would do well to remember everything this rabbit has to offer.
4. Miniature Lion Lop
People looking for a smaller lop-eared companion should check out the Mini Lion Lop. The name gives us a lot to unpack. For the mini part, these animals only reach about 3.5 pounds in weight as adults. That makes them a lot smaller than the English Lop and other giant breeds.
The Miniature Lion Lop Bunny is also known for its trademark mane, a growth of fur that occurs all over their head except for above their nose. This gives them a very rare lion-like look that people love. These rabbits come in a variety of different colors such as gray, agouti, white, black, and chocolate. Anyone that wants a very cute lop eared bunny in a small package would love the Mini Lion Lop-Eared rabbit.
5. Holland Lop
The Holland Lop Bunny is another very popular breed of rabbit. They are beloved both for their iconic looks as well as their relatively small size. These rabbits only grow to about 4 pounds in weight, and their ears are floppy and prominent without being too long to manage.
Rabbit owners love these creatures because they have a wide variety of different available colors and patterns. They’re also great pets because of their calm demeanor and ability to be handled. However, they are chewers, so they need to have something to toys to chew on or they will turn their attention on other things in their environment.
6. French Lop
The French Lop Bunny is a very large rabbit variety that might just be the biggest lop-eared rabbit breed on average. These animals can weigh upwards of 11 pounds and reach into the 20-pound range. They were bred by combining the English Lop with a Flemish Giant, so the offspring was bound to be big!
These rabbits need a lot of space in which to live. They do best when they’re not kept in a cage. French Lop rabbits come with some health concerns, though. Although they are far larger than most other rabbits and even other house pets, they are easily startled. That means they have a chance of dying from heart attacks if they are scared too badly! All in all, though, they’re great large, cute, lop-eared rabbits!
7. Cashmere Lop
The Cashmere Lop Bunny is a compact rabbit that weighs about 4-5 pounds on average and can live for up to 12 years with proper care. These rabbits are known for their long, thick fur coats compared with other rabbits. They are often seen at rabbit breed shows where they always elicit glee for their beautiful looks and floppy ears.
These rabbits come in a wide variety of colors including their famous light brown. They’re also available in steel, sable, lynx, and far more. They’re lovely creatures that are easy to train.
8. Dwarf Lop
Also called the Mini Lop, the Dwarf Lop Bunny is a lop-eared rabbit breed that weighs about 4-5.5 pounds. Although that’s not as small as some other rabbits, they’re far smaller than many of the other lop-eared breeds we’ve mentioned.
The Dwarf Lop is known for being incredibly playful, so it will do great in households with careful owners that know how to play with rabbits. These rabbits can take on many appearances in terms of color, but they all tend to have very round bodies and wide heads.
9. Miniature Cashmere Lop
The Miniature Cashmere Lop Bunny is very similar to the standard Cashmere Lop, but this one is smaller. They will reach a size of no more than 3.5 pounds when they are fully grown. Miniature Cashmere Lops can live for 7-14 years, but they can live even longer under the right conditions.
Like the standard version, the miniature Cashmere has been recognized in a wide variety of different colors, and they all look good on this small lop eared bunny!
10. Meissner Lop
People that want a rare variety of a lop-eared rabbit should check out the Meissner Lop. They are often compared to the French Lop, but they are smaller, capping out their weight between 7.5 and 10 pounds. They are often seen with the silvery ticking on their coat, and their hair is dense but soft.
These rabbits are sweet and kind, but they can get into some trouble chewing on cords and other things. When you let your Meissner Lop out of its cage, you need to make sure the room it’s in doesn’t have much in the way of hazards. Other than that, you can easily socialize with these beautiful rabbits!
Final Thoughts on Lop-Eared Rabbit Breeds
Many people enjoy lop-eared rabbit breeds because they look cute. While they certainly exceed expectations in that department, these rabbits are also great in other ways, too. Many of them are capable of taking part in competitions for looks or skills.
Although there are not a lot of lop-eared rabbit breeds, there are certainly enough good breeds out there for you to choose from. You can find very small breeds alongside breeds that border on being giants. The one thing they all have in common is their sweet, floppy ears.
After you take a look at this list of the best lop-eared rabbit breeds, you should have a very good idea of which ones you want to consider as a pet. Although every rabbit has the potential for mischief, they can also be trained to behave when they’re in your home and out of their enclosure.
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