In This Chapter
- Discovering the differences in age and sex
- Bringing home more than one rabbit
- Getting a grip on variations in coat type, size, and head shape
- Choosing between a purebred or mixed-breed rabbit
To be honest, this process can
also be one of the most daunting parts of getting a rabbit. Is it possible that
just one bunny is the perfect match for you? Probably not. Even people who’ve
had and lost “the best rabbit in the world” usually end up with another equally
amazing rabbit sooner or later.
A large part of the selection
process is deciding whether you want a purebred rabbit or a mixed breed. You
have good reasons for choosing each. If you’re starting out with only one bunny
at first, then you have to make a choice.
In choosing your pet, you also
have to make decisions about her age, sex, and size. Whether you have a
particular rabbit in mind or you’re still weighing your options, you can
discover a lot about the different types of rabbits, which can help you through
what may be a confusing, even emotional, process.
So, with all the rabbits out there, how do you
know which one to get? In this chapter, you find out everything you need to
know to select the rabbit that’s best for you.
Pinpointing the Right Age
Regardless of whether you plan to
get a purebred or mixed-breed rabbit, you need to think about the age of the
rabbit you want. Many rabbits live ten years or longer, so you should factor
that into your decision-making process. Rabbits of all ages can be terrific
pets, but it’s helpful to know ahead of time about some of the challenges that
come with each age.
- Baby bunnies (younger than three months): Baby bunnies are cute, and saying no when you see one is difficult. However, baby bunnies should also come with a warning label: Not as easy as they look. Though they’re notorious for destructive chewing, the most serious problem associated with baby bunnies has to do with their health; combining the stress of moving to a new home to the stress of being weaned can result in illness and even death. Plus, baby bunnies are, well, babies, and prone to litter box accidents. Finally, you can’t be sure what kind of personality your baby will have when she grows up. If you’ve considered all these factors and still want a young rabbit, look for one — preferably from a shelter or rescue group — around 12 weeks old who should be better able to adjust to change.
- Adolescent rabbits (typically 5 to 12 months): Before a baby rabbit can become an adult, he must go through the dreaded adolescent stage — the rabbit equivalent to being a teenager. Many people prefer to skip this rather bratty period in rabbit development by adopting an adult rabbit. Keep in mind that these hormonally charged behaviors — chewing, digging, spraying (see Chapter Reckoning with a Bad Bunny), aggressiveness, and territoriality — are part of a phase that should pass or at least diminish. Though not an instant fix, spaying or neutering your pet, which we cover in Chapter Nipping Common Health Problems in the Bud, can also help.
- Adult rabbits (1 year and older): At this point in a rabbit’s life, he has probably emerged from adolescence and has mellowed a bit. Without all the hormonal surges, you’ll be able to get a good sense of his personality and temperament. As far as litter box training goes, an adult rabbit is not too old to learn new tricks, and many can adapt to indoor life with litter boxes.
- Senior rabbits (generally 4 years and older): Like other senior animals, older rabbits may be slowing down, but they’re still a wonderful choice for a companion, delighting owners with their curiosity, cuddles, and leaps. And take heart, because your older rabbit can still make good use of a litter box. Depending on the breed, the average lifespan of a companion rabbit is generally between 7 and 12 years.
Is it a boy or girl?
Though you’re most likely going
to have a vet determine your bunny’s sex, knowing how to do it yourself can’t
hurt. It’s a good idea to be sure of your rabbit’s sex because males should
be kept apart from females, even when they’re babies. Rabbits as young as 4
months old are capable of reproducing.
To determine your rabbit’s sex
1. Gently place the rabbit on his back in your lap. If the rabbit panics, let him rest a minute and then try it again. If he continues to resist, leave this exam up to your vet. 2. Using your thumb and forefinger, spread apart the hair on the area just beneath your rabbit’s tail. 3. Push down gently in this area, and the vulva of a female or the penis of a male becomes visible. You can see the difference in the accompanying figure. The male is on the left; the female is on the right.
Mature males (over 6 months)
have scrotal sacs with testicles under the tail. They can pull the testicles
up into the body at times, but you can still see the wrinkled area of the
sacs.
You can perform this procedure
on rabbits as young as a few weeks. The older the rabbit, however, the easier
it is to tell whether you’re looking at male or female reproductive organs.
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Deciding Between a Boy or Girl
Another decision is whether to
get a male or female rabbit. Depending on whom you talk to, both genders have
their benefits, and the final decision is usually a matter of personal choice.
Each sex generally has the following characteristics:
- Bucks (males): Having a reputation for being aggressive with people and other rabbits, males also tend to be distracted by their constant impulses to breed. This generalization isn’t true of every buck, of course, but enough male rabbits act that way to make it a valid one. Bucks also have the unpleasant habit of marking their territory, spraying urine around the house on vertical surfaces.
Remember
- Does (females): Often said to be territorial and aloof, females care about reproducing to the point that they even conjure up false pregnancies if they aren’t bred. Much like the buck, some female rabbits spray urine to mark their area.
Face it — neither one of these
options sounds particularly appealing. In fact, if you read them again, you may
start to wonder why anyone would ever want to keep either gender for a pet. It
seems that raging hormones are the problem for both genders and are a large
part of the reason that rabbits are so well known for reproductive tendencies.
Luckily for those who love to share their lives with rabbits, a solution
exists. Simply have your buck neutered or your doe spayed (see Chapter Nipping
Common Health Problems in the Bud), and
you’re relieved of many of these behavioral problems. In fact, the sooner you
spay or neuter your rabbit, the more likely your pet will never develop any of
the unpleasant behaviors discussed here and in Chapter Reckoning
with a Bad Bunny.
Opting for an Only Rabbit or a Bunny with a Built-in Companion
More than one bunny means all the
more fun, right? Sure it does, but it also means more work and a bit of
planning and thought, too, for several reasons:
Remember
- Most rabbits love other rabbits. Rabbits are social creatures and love the companionship of their own species. If the time that you have to spend with your rabbit is limited, providing a home to at least two bunnies can ward off loneliness for both pets.
- Some rabbits don’t like other rabbits. Although rabbits are social creatures and enjoy the company of other rabbits, like people, each has its own personality as well as likes and dislikes. In other words, not all rabbits get along well together. Putting strange rabbits together, whether intact or not, is serious business and should be done with great care. Some rabbits never get along.
Unless two rabbits grow up together, they’re likely to fight or at least be disagreeable toward each other in the beginning. Introductions need to be made slowly and carefully to ensure that the rabbits don’t get into a literal bunny free-for-all. Putting several rabbits together requires a large space. See Chapters Shacking Up with an Indoor Rabbit and Stocking Up on Carrots for more details on housing your rabbits.
In fact, rabbit fights can be downright dangerous, and rabbits have been known to seriously injure and sometimes kill each other. Keeping siblings together is the best bet for rabbit harmony, as long as both pets are spayed or neutered.
- Two rabbits mean double work. When it comes time to clean up after your rabbits, two rabbits are twice as much work as one. You have much more to do when you have two rabbits sharing a hutch or two rabbits in their own cages. Also, you need to feed two rabbits, provide water to two rabbits, and give exercise and vet care to two rabbits. All these extra chores are more time-consuming and costly.
- If you want a rabbit for a companion, stick with only one rabbit. Rabbits who spend more time with other rabbits than humans tend to have a stronger bond with members of their own species rather than their human caretakers. If you want your rabbit to be more focused on you rather than a rabbit companion, have only one rabbit and spend a considerable amount of time with your pet.
- Littermates do well together. However, if they’re male and female, as soon as they’re of age (4 months), littermates do what rabbits do — incestuous or not.
If you plan to have more than one
rabbit, introducing the bunnies carefully to avoid a fight is important.
Rabbits are territorial, and it may take some convincing to get your resident
bunny to accept a newcomer. Also, because rabbits have strong hierarchies in
their social groups, your rabbits will probably scramble to see who is going to
be the boss (see Chapter Thinking
Like a Rabbit).
Remember
The first step toward a successful friendship between rabbits is spaying and neutering. Raging hormones can cause rabbits to fight when they might otherwise get along. Altering your rabbits means getting rid of those pesky hormones, resulting in a calmer and more docile bunny.
When deciding whether two rabbits
can become friends, keep in mind that sex can be an important factor, too.
Spayed females tend to get along best with neutered males. If you end up with
two of the same sex, some rabbit folk report that two females are a better
match than two males, who can be more territorial. Of course, like anything
with rabbits, much of this dynamic has to do with individual personalities.
When making the initial
rabbit-to-rabbit introduction, follow these guidelines:
1. Make the introduction on neutral territory.
Pick a spot where neither rabbit has had a chance to stake a claim, such as a room in the house where neither has ever been. Placing the rabbits on unclaimed turf will temper their instinctive urge to defend territory.
2. Keep the rabbits in individual cages at first and put the cages next to each other so that they can see one another.
Leave them together in this arrangement as often as possible.
3. After the rabbits seem comfortable with each other through their cages, place them together in the neutral territory while they’re wearing leashes and harnesses.
Make sure your rabbits have plenty of hiding places to allow escape should it be necessary. Let them spend time together (as much as you can) but don’t allow them to get too close to each other.
4. Look for signs of trouble.
Be aware of the signs that a rabbit is ready to attack: Ears will be bent back at a 45 degree angle, and the rabbit’s tail will be raised. Rabbits that are biting or screaming during a scuffle should be separately immediately.
5. When the rabbits seem comfortable together and you don’t detect any aggression, allow them to get a little closer while still on their leashes.
If they do start to fight, you can separate them more easily because they’re leashed.
6. If you don’t see any signs of hostility, you can let the rabbits loose together in the neutral space.
If they do squabble, break it up by squirting a water gun or spray bottle at them. Provided that you’re dealing with neutered rabbits, the two can eventually work things out between them. If they do fight in the beginning, their personalities may be such that they never become best friends, but they at least need to tolerate each other.
After considering these factors,
you may opt to just keep one rabbit for now. You can always add another bunny
to your household later on. Or you may find that one rabbit is just right for
your family and your situation. Again, if you’re sure that you want to add more
than one rabbit to your household, study up on the best way to make the
transition for successful results. For more on how on how rabbits relate to
each other and to help your bunny get along with your other pets, see Chapter
11.
Mixing it Up: Bunny Mutts
A mixed breed is just that — a
mix of different breeds that results in a unique, maybe surprising, kind of
rabbit. If you’re simply looking for a companion rabbit and have no notions of
breeding or showing (see Chapters Coping
with Other Health Woes and Aging Issues and Getting
Hoppy with Your House Rabbit, respectively, for more on these
topics), a mixed-breed rabbit is a wonderful choice. In fact, you’re more
likely to find a mixed breed in need of a home at animal shelters or rabbit
rescue groups than a purebred.
Remember
Here are some good reasons to bring home a mixed-breed rabbit:
- If you go to a shelter or rescue group to adopt a rabbit, you’ll be providing a home to a bunny who desperately needs one. This feeling is great!
- Rabbits within a breed tend to all look alike to the untrained eye, but mixed-breed rabbits are truly unique. No two are exactly alike.
If you choose to adopt a rabbit
from a rescue group or animal shelter (a terrific idea that’s covered in
Chapter Hiding
in Shelters, Holes, and Shops), you’re likely to end up with a rabbit of unknown parentage.
However, if you study photographs and descriptions of each rabbit breed in
Chapter So
Many Breeds, So Lit tle Time, you can use your detective skills and probably see purebred elements
in your mixed-breed rabbit. Known in the rabbit world as scrubs, rabbits who
are obviously not purebreds to a trained eye are assumed to be a mixture of
breeds.
Tip
Of course, you don’t need to know your mixed breed’s ancestry to love her, but it may come in handy when dealing with issues such as coat care, ear care, and size. Mixed-breed rabbits come in a variety of shapes and sizes as a result of their varied bloodlines. If you want to adopt a mixed-breed bunny, you should think about its coat type, ear type, head shape, and its size.
Rabbit coat types
Generally speaking, rabbits come
in two different coat types: longhair and shorthair, both of which are shown in
Figure 2-1.
Longhair rabbits need frequent
grooming. If your rabbit seems to have fur that looks similar to an Angora’s
coat (see Chapter So
Many Breeds, So Lit tle Time for more information on what that looks like), your bunny
probably has some Angora breeding and should be treated like an Angora when it
comes to grooming. Brush a longhair rabbit to keep the hair from matting, which
can lead to skin disease. In the case of matting around the anal area, brush
out the hair to avoid the accumulation of stool and urine that can burn the
skin.
Shorthair rabbits, on the other
hand, do need grooming but not as often as a longhair rabbit.
Figure 2-1: Longhairs to the left, please. Shorthair? To the right.
Head shape
The breeds that have shortened
faces or small heads have a higher incidence of dental disease caused by
malocclusion (the upper and lower teeth aren’t properly aligned). Rabbit teeth
grow throughout their lifetime, and they must wear properly on each other in
order to stay in alignment. Therefore, in rabbit breeds such as the lop-eared,
which has a flatter face, and the dwarf, which has a smaller head, pay
particular attention to the appearance of the teeth when looking for a pet.
Some dental disease won’t show up
until the rabbit is 4 months old. It’s therefore important to have your rabbit
checked by an experienced veterinarian within its first year of life.
Myth of the hairballs
Contrary to popular myth, hair
is normally in a rabbit’s stomach because rabbits are constantly grooming
themselves. In a normal rabbit, this hair leaves the stomach and moves on
through, ending up in the litter box. The malady traditionally called
hairballs is really a dehydrated mass of hair and food that doesn’t want to
move. This condition can be caused by any illness that results in dehydration,
but is more common in rabbits eating a diet that is low in certain types of
fiber. The hair in itself is not the problem, but the diet is, and the
situation demands immediate attention. For more on rabbit diet, see Chapter Cleaning
Behind Those Great Big Ears and More; Chapter Nipping
Common Health Problems in the Bud discusses gastrointestinal issues in detail.
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Size
Just like with purebred bunnies,
you’re likely to see a wide range of sizes in mixed-breed rabbits. Mixed breeds
can range from 4 to 12 pounds. Most mixed-breed bunnies fall somewhere in
between:
- Small is 2–6 pounds.
- Medium is 6–9 pounds.
- Large is 9–11 pounds.
- Giants are over 11 pounds.
Remember
Size is an important consideration because the larger the rabbit, the more space the pet needs. On the other hand, the smaller the rabbit, the harder the rabbit is to handle because small rabbits tend to be flighty and nervous. Although the 2-pound Dwarfs (see Figure 2-2) are a problem to handle, rabbits that are 4 to 5 pounds are a better choice for children.
Warning!
Young children shouldn’t be permitted to lift and carry any rabbit because of possible injury to the bunny. (See Chapter Making Fitness and Fresh Air Fun for Your Bunny for more on lifting and carrying rabbits.) A smaller rabbit is particularly vulnerable — not necessarily just due to its size but because of its temperament. Conversely, older children who are gentle, responsible, and carefully monitored should be able to lift and carry both medium-size and smaller bunnies without a problem.
Figure 2-2: A dwarf is a dwarf, of course, of course. . . . A giant
breed is to the left, a dwarf breed to the right, as compared to an apple.
Living the High Life: Bunny Bluebloods
In the last hundred years or so,
rabbit fanciers around the world have worked hard to create the various breeds
of rabbits that exist today. But not all breeds are easily available in North
America and in many other parts of the world.
If you lean toward a purebred,
you have many rabbits to select from. The American Rabbit Breeders Association,
Inc. (ARBA) recognizes 47 rabbit breeds (purebred rabbits other than the 47
ARBA breeds are out there, too), and if you want a purebred rabbit, you’ll most
likely be choosing from one of these fascinating types. However, you’ll be
happy to know that even though so many rabbit breeds exist, each one is
distinctive enough in appearance to make your decision easier. (The breed
descriptions are outlined in Chapter So
Many Breeds, So Lit tle Time.) Size, coat type, and color — even
personality — can differ significantly between rabbit breeds.
Remember
Don’t forget that you have all the various mixed-breed rabbits to pick from as well, with characteristics of the breeds, but each different from the other.
Purebred reasoning
Before you decide on a
mixed-breed or purebred rabbit, give the following issues some consideration:
Tip
- Appearance: If you prefer a rabbit with a particular type of fur or general appearance, you can get exactly what you want if you go for a purebred. Also, keep the coat type in mind. Different rabbit breeds have different coat types. English Angoras and Jersey Woolies, for example, are known for their profuse coats. These coats are beautiful to look at but require considerable time and care to keep groomed. Shorthair breeds, such as the Rex and Dutch, on the other hand, need little grooming. Think long and hard about whether you have enough time and interest for a longhair rabbit.
- Breeding: If you’ve done your research and are certain you want to get involved with rabbit breeding, you should get a purebred. Please keep in mind that the world has many bunnies out there in need of homes, so breeding rabbits for a hobby without the purpose of improving the breed is irresponsible. Responsible rabbit breeders are involved in the business of purebred rabbits, understand the ins and outs of rabbit husbandry, and have good homes lined up for the rabbits before they breed.
- Disposition: Many breeds of rabbits have distinct dispositions that are unique to them. If you want a quieter rabbit, opt for one of the larger breeds, which are known for their more gentle temperament (see Table 2-1). If you prefer a challenge, go for a smaller, feistier breed. (Of course, all rabbits are individuals, and temperament can vary even within a particular breed.)
Remember
- Showing: If you plan to show your rabbit in the American ARBA shows, you must have a purebred. (For more on the ARBA, check out the resources in the Appendix.) If your child wants to show rabbits in 4-H, a purebred offers more opportunities for showing than a mixed breed. See Chapter Getting Hoppy with Your House Rabbit for more showing details.
- Size: With a purebred rabbit, you know exactly what size the bunny will be when he’s grown; Table 2-1 has the breakdown. For example, if you buy a young purebred New Zealand rabbit, you know that it will grow up to weigh about 10 pounds, max, because that’s typical of the New Zealand breed. Purebred rabbits come in an assortment of sizes, from the tiny 2-pound Netherland Dwarf to the huge 14-pound Flemish Giant and a number of sizes in between. The smaller breeds are easier to house than the larger breeds. The large breeds require bigger cages and bigger biceps to lift. The majority of breed sizes is in between, which is the typical size that most people think of when they imagine a pet rabbit.
Table 2-1
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Rabbit Breeds According to Size
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Small (2–6 lbs.)
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Medium (6–9 lbs.)
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Large (9–11 lbs.)
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Giant (11 lbs. And Over)
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American Fuzzy Lop
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American Sable
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American
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Checkered Giant
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Britannia Petite
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Belgian Hare
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American Chinchilla
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Flemish Giant
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Dutch
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English Angora
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Beveren
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French Lop
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Dwarf Hotot
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English Spot
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Californian
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Giant Chinchilla
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Florida White
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French Angora
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Champagne d’Argent
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Havana
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Harlequin
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Cinnamon
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Himilayan
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Lilac
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Creme d’Argent
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Holland Lop
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Rex
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English Lop
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Jersey Wooly
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Rhinelander
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Giant Angora
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Mini Lop
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Satin Angora
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Hotot
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Mini Rex
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Silver Marten
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New Zealand
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Mini Satin
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Standard Chinchilla
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Palomino
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Netherland Dwarf
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Satin
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Polish
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Silver Fox
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Silver
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Tan
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Thrianta
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You pure about that?
You may be wondering what
exactly makes a rabbit purebred. A purebred rabbit or animal of any kind is a
member of breed — a group of individuals within a domesticated species that
has common ancestors and characteristics that are different from other groups
of individuals within the same species. Rabbit breeds are similar to dog
breeds, such as Cocker Spaniel and Collie, in that respect. Both dog breeds and
rabbits breeds have distinct body types, head shapes, colorations, and other
traits that when combined result in a unique kind of dog or rabbit.
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Different breeds, different looks
Technical Stuff
Rabbits come in a vast array of colors and patterns according to ARBA. The group declares that a few coat variations exist within the breeds, too. “What’s the difference?” you ask. Well, I’ll tell you:
- Coat: The kind of fur a rabbit has. Rabbits come in one of four different kinds of fur, the first three of which are considered shorthair:
- Normal rabbit fur is the kind of coat that you see on most rabbits. It comes in two layers: an overcoat and undercoat. Both layers are about an inch in length. The undercoat is soft and serves as insulation to keep the rabbit warm.
- Rex fur is found only on Rex rabbits and breeds with Rex lineage. This fur looks and feels like velvet and is shorter than normal fur. Cottony and airy to the touch, Rex fur stands upright instead of laying flat against the rabbit’s body.
- Satin fur has a silky, shiny appearance, the result of its fine, somewhat translucent hair shafts. Satin coats are about the same length as normal fur coats but can be distinguished by their distinctive luster.
- Angora coat is long (2 to 3 inches in length) and fluffy and is often used for spinning because of its warmth. Because it’s used to make clothing, the Angora coat is often referred to as wool. The fur stands away from the rabbit’s body, giving it a fuzzy, puffy appearance.
- Color: Rabbit colors are arranged in pattern groups. Individual colors exist within each pattern group. (Some have the same name as the pattern group, but are considered distinct colorations and not just pattern groups.) Each breed has its own breed standard and allowed color varieties, but a host of common colors can be found in many different breeds.
- Patterns are made of the following:
- Agouti: Agouti-colored rabbits have three or more bands of color on each guard hair shaft, usually with a dark gray base. (Guard hair is the coarse, outer hair on most mammals.) Two or more alternating light or dark rings are also present. The head, feet, and ears of a rabbit of this color are usually ticked (darker), while the circles around the eyes, the fur on the belly, and the fur under the jaws tend to be lighter. Agouti-colored rabbits come in chestnut, chocolate, sable, lilac, and smoke pearl.
- Brindle: Brindle, a color also seen commonly in certain dog breeds, such as the Greyhound and American Pit Bull Terrier, is an intermingling of two solid guard hair colors, a dark and a light. Black and orange as well as black and white are the prevalent color combinations. The brindle pattern appears consistently throughout the body.
- Broken: Two different subdivisions can be found within the broken pattern: bicolor and tricolor. A bicolored broken pattern consists of any normal rabbit color appearing with white. For example, a bicolored rabbit may be white with black spots. A tricolored rabbit, on the other hand, has white along with two other colors.
- Marked: Rabbits of marked patterns are usually white with patterns consisting of another color throughout their bodies.
- Pointed white: Much like a Siamese cat, this type of rabbit is all white with a darker color on its nose, ears, feet, and tail.
- Self: Used to describe solid-color rabbits, this term applies to those bunnies who have a uniform color throughout their entire body.
- Shaded: Shaded rabbits show a gradual shift in color, beginning with a darker color on their backs, heads, necks, ears, legs, and tails. This color eventually turns into a lighter version of the same color when it reaches the rabbit’s sides.
- Solid: Similar to the self-pattern, described earlier in this list, this pattern may also include agouti and other mixed-color fur, as long as colors don’t create a pattern or marking.
- Ticked: Contrasting the rabbit’s main color, solid or tipped guard hairs throughout the coat distinguish this pattern.
- Wide band: Rabbits of this coloration have the same color on their bodies, heads, ears, tails, and feet. Their eye circles, underside of tail, jaws, and belly have a lighter coloration.
- Common colors: In addition to black and white, the colors in the following list are those you’ll see most often:
- Beige: Rabbits of this color have a beige pigment throughout their bodies except for the napes of their necks, which is lighter. They have a bluish-white color on their bellies, along with eye circles (coloration around the outside of the eye) of the same color. Their eyes are brown with a ruby glow.
- Blue: The blue coloration in rabbits is best described as a medium shade of gray with a blue or lavender cast. The eyes of a bluecolored rabbit are blue-gray.
- Castor: A rich dark chestnut color, castor has also been described as mahogany brown. Castor fur is lightly tipped with black evenly distributed over the body, head, and legs. The belly of a castor rabbit is white or tan, and the eyes are brown.
- Chinchilla: Chinchilla-colored rabbits possess a blend of black and pearl hairs with a dark gray base. Named after the coloring seen on actual chinchillas, a rodent known for its lush fur, chinchilla rabbits also come in a chocolate version.
- Chocolate: A deep dark brown, the chocolate coloration features a light gray undercoat. The eyes are brown with a red cast in subdued light.
- Fawn: Fawn-colored rabbits are a deep golden color over their backs onto their flanks and chests. Their eye circles, insides of ears, under jaws, tails, and bellies are white. Fawn-colored rabbits have gray or brown eyes.
- Lilac: This coloration features a medium-gray hue with a pinkish tint over the rabbit’s entire body. The eyes are the same color as the fur and have a ruby glow in subdued light.
- Lynx: The body and the top of the lynx-colored rabbit’s tail are tinged with lilac and light orange with a sharper orange color showing through. Areas underneath the tail, belly, and jaw are white. The eye circles and insides of the ears are also white. The eyes of a lynx-colored rabbit are blue-gray.
- Opal: Opal-colored rabbits feature a pale bluish color on the top of the hair shaft with a fawn band below it and a dark gray undercoat. The ears of the opal are laced with blue. The eye circles and underside of the rabbit are white with a dark gray undercoat. The eyes are gray.
- Siamese: Not surprisingly, Siamese-colored rabbits look much like seal-point Siamese cats. They have dark brown color on their ears, head, feet, belly, and tail with a lighter body color so that the dark points can be seen. The eyes are brown.
- Squirrel: Although it’s a strange color name for a rabbit, squirrel is often used nonetheless. The hair shaft of rabbits with the squirrel coloration consists of a blend of gray and white bands. This color extends from the rabbit’s back down to its sides, where it’s met by white on the belly and top of the hind feet. The nape of the neck, chest, and eye circles are a lighter version of the original color. The upper part of the ears has a dark blue edge. The eyes are gray.
- Steel: This interesting color pattern comes in black, blue, chocolate, lilac, sable, and smoke pearl. The entire body of the rabbit features one of these colors, the hairs of which are diffused with a small amount of gold or silver tipping, depending on whether the rabbit is a gold steel or a silver steel. The eyes are brown or gray.
- Tan Pattern: Different from beige, the tan coloration features a solid color on the head, back, sides, outside of ears, back legs, front of forelegs, and top of the tail. A lighter color appears on the eye circles, nostrils, jaw, chest, and underside of the rabbit’s body.
- Tortoiseshell: Rabbits with this coloration don’t have a shell that they can duck into, but they sport a lively orange on their bodies, which mingles into a grayish-blue shadowing over the rump and haunches. The top of the tail matches the orange color, but underneath is the color of the shadowing. Tortoiseshell-colored rabbits have brown eyes.
Tip
Even though it may seem hard to visualize the patterns and colors listed in descriptions of these breeds, they can be broken down into more simple terms. Start with the various types of coats that rabbits have and then move on to the different colorations and patterns.
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