It is becoming increasingly popular to own long-haired rabbits as pets. Nevertheless, rabbits with long hair can be challenging to care for, as they require more grooming maintenance.
You need to take many factors into account when thinking about adopting a rabbit. What size rabbit are you looking for? Would you prefer lop ears or erect ears? Choosing a rabbit with short or long fur is one of the most important questions you need to ask.
Here you will find a list of the 8 most popular long-haired rabbit breeds to consider if you plan to add one to your family.
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What Are Long Haired Rabbit Breeds?
Long-haired rabbit breeds are adorable, cuddly, hairy little creatures. Consequently, it is necessary to comb, brush, and detangle their long fur regularly. To avoid matting, it is important to keep them dry as well.
The rabbits with long hair are considered medium to high maintenance. However, they are a lot of work when it comes to groom them if you have a busy schedule. Furthermore, bunnies with longer coats come in a variety of breeds. We’ve made a list of different long-haired rabbit breeds for you to choose the one you can keep as a pet.
This consist of eight different breeds which include the following:
- Cashmere Lop
- Lionhead Rabbits
- Giant Rabbit
- American Fuzzy Lop
- Jersey Wooly
- French Angora
- English Angora
- Satin Angora
Top 8 Most Popular Long Haired Rabbit Breeds
Lionhead Rabbit is one of the rabbit breeds having the hairiest head that makes them look like lions. Other rabbits down the line include Angora rabbits, Cashmere lop, and many more. These rabbits are cute and have a good temperament too.
Find the perfect long haired rabbit for you and your family by looking at a few different long haired rabbit breeds. Here are the 8 most popular rabbits breeds:
Long Haired Rabbit Breeds | Long Haired Length (shortest to longer) | Appearance | Cost |
Cashmere Lop | 1.5 to 2 inches | Small, fluffy fur, & floppy ears | $40 |
Lionhead Rabbits | 2 inches | Mane around the head makes them look like a lion | $50 – $100 |
Giant Rabbit | 0.5 to 1 inches | A large, well-shaped head with erect ears | $20 – $50 |
American Fuzzy Lop | 2 to 3 inches | Broad chest, thick body & short shoulders | $25 – $200 |
Jersey Wooly | Upto 1 inch | compact semi-arched short body | $20 – $50 |
French Angora | 2 to 3 inches | Strong, oval-shaped body, wooly coat | $20 – $250 |
English Angora | 3 to 5 inches | thick, silky, & wooly coat | $80 – $255 |
Satin Angora | 3 to 5 inches | Soft & silky coat | $150 – $300 |
Cashmere Lop
Cashmere lop rabbits originated in England, are medium in size, and have dense fur, as published on Wikipedia.
They are also friendly, social, playful, and brilliant rabbits.
Cashmere Lop rabbits are smaller than other rabbit species, weighing between 4 and 5 lbs.
Rabbits can live indoors or outdoors, and because of their size, they are comfortable living in apartments.
The British Rabbit Council in the 1980s recognized the Cashmere lop as distinct from the dwarf lop.
Lionhead Rabbits
A lionhead rabbit is most noticeable because of its fluffy mane that looks like a lion’s mane.
Lionhead bunnies have a unique look and can be easily trained. They are a good show rabbit.
When grown, these rabbits will weigh between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs, considered small or mini in size.
It is not difficult to keep these rabbits, and they can live about 7 to 10 years.
As per Wikipedia, Lionheads are usually friendly and well-behaved pets, though they can be somewhat skittish when threatened.
Giant Rabbit
Giant rabbits are generally considered to be the largest breed of domestic rabbits.
Ruby’s eyes highlight the white fur of these rabbits. This animal has a round body, long wool on the ears, tail, and feet.
The best way to keep their fur looking healthy is to feed them a high-protein diet and to groom and detangle them frequently.
Several giant rabbit breeds have long hair, including the French Lop, Flemish Giant, English Lop, New Zealand White, Continental Giant, and Belgian Hare.
Their friendly nature makes them excellent home pets.
American Fuzzy Lop
American Fuzzy Lop rabbits reach adulthood weighing between 3.5 and 4 lbs.
Their life expectancy is about 5 to 8 years, which is not very long for these tiny rabbits.
This breed of rabbit makes a great companion for older people and single people and does best when kept as an indoor pet.
It’s a very playful rabbit who is highly affectionate, active, and quite curious.
The rabbit’s fur must also be brushed and groomed regularly as its fur is similar to wool. It is important to take the right steps to take care of the matting and knots to keep them from getting unruly.
Jersey Wooly
The Jersey Wooly fur is long and soft, and their diet also requires some special care.
The Jersey Wooly is one of the smallest breeds of long-haired rabbits, weighing about 3 to 3½ pounds.
They tend to do better as indoor rabbits due to their size.
You will have this adorable ball of fluff in your life for a long time as the Jersey Wooly rabbit has a life expectancy of 7 to 10 years.
Their body is rounded and compact. Face and upright ears are covered in short, dense fur; the body is covered in long, dense fur.
French Angora
They are docile, calm, gentle, and friendly, making them great pets for people with children and first-time rabbit owners.
Both the French Angora rabbit and the English Angora rabbit look very similar and are close relatives.
When they reach adulthood, these rabbits will weigh between 7.5 and 10.5 lbs.
The French Angora rabbit has a life expectancy between 7 and 12 years old.
The French Angora needs to be groomed every day to maintain its pristine coat. Due to their large size, they also need special diets and lots of space to play.
English Angora
Originally from Ankara, Turkey, this breed of rabbit belongs to the oldest breeds of domesticated rabbits.
English Angora rabbits are gentle, friendly, and docile animals, but they require an owner who has experience in rabbit caring as they can be challenging to manage.
Because these rabbits are gentle, they can get along well with families that have children.
A fully grown English Angora rabbit will weigh about 5 to 6 lbs, considered small or mini-sized.
This rabbit lives between 7 and 12 years, and it can live both inside and outside comfortably.
Satin Angora
A thick, fine layer of wool covers the satin angora rabbit’s body except for the head and the upright ears.
The lineage of the Satin Angora rabbit dates back to 1930, but it wasn’t until the 1980s in Ontario, Canada, that the breed was perfected and slowly introduced to the rest of the world.
Everyone, including kids, couples, and singles, enjoys owning this rabbit breed. They are good companions because they like human company.
It weighs between 3.5 and 9.5 pounds and is considered a medium-sized rabbit.
The lifespan of these rabbits ranges from 7 to 12 years.
2 Special Things To Consider When Raising Long-Haired Rabbits
The rabbit can be kept as an indoor animal if you provide it with all the attention it needs. A rabbit’s diet and daily meals should be specific, their quarters cleaned regularly, they should be monitored each day, and they should receive medical care from a veterinarian with rabbit experience.
Let’s talk about their diet and grooming requirement in detail:
Grooming Time
Brushing long haired rabbits at least three times a week is necessary. This brushing process helps remove loose hair and prepares them for the multiple daily brushing sessions they will need when heavy sheds begin.
Special Diet
Long haired rabbits should eat hay mostly every day, with a small number of fresh vegetables and a few pellets. Hay is the rabbit’s primary source of nutrition every day. Timothy, orchard, and brome hay are high quality and should make up most of a rabbit’s diet.
Fun Facts About Rabbits
- A kit is a newborn rabbit, a doe is a female rabbit, and a buck is a male rabbit.
- The rabbit’s teeth grow indefinitely! By chewing on grasses, wildflowers, and vegetables, the rabbit gradually wears them down so they don’t get too long.
- A rabbit’s ‘binky,’ or athletic leap, is what they do when they’re happy – twisting and kicking in midair!
- Rabbits are excellent baby-makers! The mother rabbit gives birth to up to 14 baby rabbits – called kittens – during her pregnancy.
- It is a bit less adorable that rabbits will sometimes eat their own poop after digesting a meal and process it again.
- Rabbits are incredibly hygienic. In the same way as cats, they too lick their fur and paws throughout the day to stay clean.
In Conclusion
It is easy to train these rabbits since they are quite intelligent and generally sweet creatures. The rabbit may require more attention than other bunnies, but they are worthy of the extra effort because of their affection toward humans.
You can’t go wrong when picking any of these breeds when you want a longhaired rabbit as a pet or companion.