Most rabbits make excellent pets provided that you care for them properly and give them lots of love, attention and play time.  I have listed below just a few of the most popular breeds.  The breeds listed tend to be the smaller rabbits and maybe their popularity is due to their size.

A rabbit hutch should be approx. 3 times the length of your rabbit and have enough height to allow your rabbit to stand on its hind legs easily.  The smaller the rabbit, the less cage it requires although as with most pets, they need as much room as you can offer.  Therefore, the largest rabbit hutch you can afford or can fit in your garden will ensure you have a happier, healthier pet.

Even with a large rabbit hutch, your pet will need extra room to exercise so if your pet does not have the run of the garden then purchase a large rabbit run so that you rabbit can have plenty of room to hop around in.  Remember that rabbits need just as much room to hop around and play in winter as they do in summer !!

You will also need to purchase some straw or hay for your rabbit to bed down in and to eat and provide him with a good quality feed and access to plenty of clean, fresh water daily.  ideas-4-pets can provide you with a selection of hutches, rabbit runs and bedding to suit your requirements.

The Netherland Dwarf is the smallest domestic rabbit. Adult Netherland Dwarfs weigh around 2.5 pounds and their fur is very short and easy to maintain.  They can sometimes be a bit timid and shy compared to the lop and lionhead rabbits mentioned below, but with patience and lots of one to one care, they can be just as loving and make just as good pets as the lops and lionheads.

The Mini Lop is the smallest breed of Lop rabbit and an adult will weigh around 3.5 pounds.  The mini lop is a really docile, laid back rabbit and have excellent temperaments.  Because of this, they also make great house rabbits. Mini lops love attention and enjoy being picked up, handled and petted. They are very easy to house train and their short hair makes them ver yeasy to maintain. Although their ears droop to the side of their heads, their hearing is just as good as the standard straight eared rabbit.

The Dwarf Lop is a bit bigger and heavier than a Mini Lop but still makes an adoring, loving pet.  However, due to their larger size, they are not ideal pets for very young children when it comes to handling. An adult dwarf lop weighs around 4.5 to 5 pounds. Like the Mini lop, the Dwarf Lop is also very laid back and loves petting and cuddles. The Dwarf Lop is extremely loving and will provide you with plenty of unconditional love if you give him the interaction he deserves on a daily basis. They are just as easy as a smaller breeds to house-train so will make a wonderful house rabbit.

Some people tend to think that Lionheads are a large breed of rabbit, but in fact they are a small breed, around the same size as the Mini Lop. The weight of an average adult Lionhead is approx. 3.25 pounds.    Because of their size, they make an ideal sized rabbit for a child. Because their fur is short, although a bit thicker than that of a Lop, they are quite easy to maintain and look after. They have a mane around their face which is why they are known as Lionheads, but again, this is very easy to maintain and doesn’t require daily grooming.  Once a week should keep it clean and tidy and stop the formation of knots.  Your rabbit will love this attention and grooming is a good way to bond with him, even with short haired rabbits such as lops.  Lionheads have lovely temperaments and make great companions. Lionhead’s ears stand up rather than droop.

Lionhead Lops are a lop eared rabbit but sport a mane around their head/neck and ears. Their fur is not quite as thick as the straight eared Lionhead and is only around its head.  It’s fur tends to think out as the rabbit grows and undergoes the moult. Again, this breed is low maintenance apart from combing once a week to keep knots and tangles at bay. Again, the Lionhead Lop is a very laid back rabbit with an excellent temperament and will make wonderful house rabbit and companion. They love lots of attention and enjoy being picked up, cuddled and handled. Lionhead Lops are also very easy to house train. As they are a relatively new breed to the UK, their size and weight depends a lot on the parentage and pedigree of the rabbit.