10 Calmest/Friendliest Breeds of Rabbit (with Images)

Rabbits make the loveliest pets; they are cuddly, intelligent, and can form a deep bond with their owners.

However, you need to handle them carefully, as rough handling can result in painful bites.

So, make sure to keep an eye on your kids when they are interacting with pet rabbits.

Plus, if you’re looking for a rabbit to add to your family, it’s best to look for the calmest rabbit breed.

Read on to find out what is the calmest breed of rabbit!

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10 Calmest and Friendliest Breeds of Rabbit

Here are the calmest rabbit breeds that you can keep as your pets:

Dutch Rabbits

Dutch Rabbits are mini or small rabbits that weigh about four to six pounds.

They are widely regarded as one of the calmest, most docile rabbit breeds. They have a round body and short, glossy, soft fur.

This rabbit breed originated in Holland and gained popularity in the UK for its easygoing nature.

Dutch Rabbits have white bellies, shoulders, and legs, and short and broad ears.

They have shorter front legs and a rounded head. Their short fur is easy to groom even during their seasonal molting period.

These rabbits have a white blaze from their foreheads to their noses.

These rabbits are recognized by their dark-colored romps, tails, and ears that can be grey, brown, or black. The Tortoise Dutch Rabbit has a cream and bright orange coat with dark brown eyes.

The Steel Butch Rabbit is mostly black-hued, with some cream-hued tips and brown eyes. The Chinchilla Dutch

Rabbit is blue-grey and dark brown, with the white bits covered in speckled grey.

These rabbits are healthy and sociable. They thrive under proper care and loving company and can be curious and trainable.

They live up to five to eight years and have no evident health problems.

Holland Lop

Holland Lops are easily one of the most loved breeds worldwide due to their adorable faces and friendly personalities.

These dwarf rabbits weigh only two to four pounds.

They have an incredibly sweet and calm temperament. When it comes to Holland Lops, intentional biting or scratching is almost unheard of.

They are one of the easiest breeds for kids to handle.

These sweet rabbits have medium-length, thick, and glossy fur that comes in various hues, such as lilac, tortoise, white, and more.

You only need to brush their fur once or twice a week.

Holland Lop Rabbits were bred to become pets, which explains their sociable and sweet personalities.

They are also curious and energetic, so they need a fair bit of room to stay active and play.

These rabbits can quickly adjust to new homes and live up to seven to fourteen years.

They are not prone to any specific health issues, but their floppy ears need to be cleaned regularly.

You should also trim their nails to keep their feet comfortable and prevent accidental scratches.

Since they are so small in stature, make sure to give them small portions of food.

Mini Rex Rabbits

The Mini Rex is a European rabbit breed known for its calm, gentle nature and soft, velvety fur that makes it look adorable.

It weighs about 3.5 to 4.5 pounds and doesn’t take too much space.

This small rabbit breed has a short neck, a fancy, distinctive, short coat, and long, erect ears.

It has a friendly and calm demeanor, making it the ideal pet for a household with young children.

However, like all breeds, the Mini Rex can get startled by fast movements. So, make sure to teach your kids to stay calm when handling the rabbit.

Mini Rex Rabbits have a recessive gene due to which their coat stands out rather than lying flat on their skin.

The plush coat comes in many hues, such as sable, lilac, blue, etc.

Their fur can feature broken and solid patterns.

These rabbits don’t need regular brushing. Instead, they will be happy if you run a lightly damp cloth over their body to remove loose hair.

Mini Rex Rabbits have a lifespan of five to seven years and are a generally healthy breed of rabbit. However, your rabbit might develop sore hocks because it doesn’t have for on its feet.

You must give it a high-quality diet and set an exercise routine for optimal health. Also, make sure to consult a vet to trim its curling whiskers regularly.

Himalayan Rabbits

Himalayan Rabbits are gorgeous fluffballs with endearing personalities.

They have a long, cylindrical body and a docile, loving, and friendly nature, making them ideal pets for children.

This breed originated in the Himalayan Mountains and was first spotted in the US in the early 20^th Century.

These are pretty small and lightweight rabbits that only weigh 2.5 to 4.5 pounds.

Himalayan Rabbits feature a mostly white coat with attractive colored markings on their feet, ears, nose, tail, legs, and around the eyes. These markings can be blue, lilac, chocolate, or black.

These rabbits have calm personalities, and they don’t mind being handled.

In fact, they love being petted and enjoy snuggling. Plus, their short, fine coat makes them pretty low-maintenance pets.

Havana Rabbits

Havana Rabbits originated in the Netherlands. Their name comes from their recognizable hue that resembles a Havana Cigar.

These are medium-sized rabbits with a laid-back, calm temperament.

These pretty rabbits have short, round bodies that weigh about 4.5 to 6.5 pounds. They have straight, short legs, short ears, and full cheeks.

Havana Rabbits have short, soft, and easy-to-maintain coats. They come in lilac, blue, chocolate, black, and mixed hues.

They only require proper grooming once a week and twice during shedding season.

These rabbits make great family pets and get along well with older children. But make sure your kids don’t handle them roughly and supervise their playtime with the rabbits.

Even though these rabbits are typically calm, they have individual personalities. Some might enjoy petting more than playing and vice versa.

When cared for properly and compassionately, Havana Rabbits form strong bonds with their families and be extra affectionate.

They are even-tempered and docile rabbits ideal for first-time owners.

Moreover, since Havana Rabbits aren’t the most energetic breed, they are ideal for seniors looking for affectionate companions. They can live up to ten years.

Harlequin Rabbits

The Harlequin Rabbit is a medium- to a large-sized rabbit that weighs 6.5 to 9.5 pounds. It’s one of the oldest rabbit breeds from France.

It’s a great show and pet animal due to its docile and clever nature.

These rabbits have short, soft fur with distinctive bands of contrasting, vivid hues. They have ears that are differently colored from each other and their face.

Even though Harlequin Rabbits have outgoing, curious, and playful personalities, they are calm and good-natured.

It makes them ideal pets for kids and first-time adult owners alike.

They are affectionate pets who love back scratches and pets. But they will certainly not sleep on your lap.

These rabbits are also quite sharp, so you can try teaching them a few tricks.

Harlequin Rabbits are not susceptible to any specific health problems. But you should get them checked up by a vet annually. They can live up to five to eight years.

They are one of the more energetic breeds on this list. So, they will need a lot of space for exercise and daily activity to keep healthy.

They will also need to be brushed every week or two.

Lionhead Rabbits

The Lionhead Rabbit is a distinctive breed recognized by its fluffy fur encompassing its head.

This miniature rabbit breed is relatively new, but it’s already known for being calm and affectionate.

This playful and friendly breed only weighs about 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. Its tiny stature makes this rabbit easy to handle.

That said, you should always supervise children when they’re playing with rabbits.

As the name suggests, these rabbits have a unique “mane” of soft hair. This mane can be wispy or thick.

They come in many colors, but their fur doesn’t typically feature any pattern.

To avoid matted fur, a Lionhead Rabbit needs to be brushed at least a few times every week.

However, you can make use of the grooming time to bond with your sweet rabbit.

These rabbits are not just good-natured, but they also love playing and interacting with their human family.

Make sure to provide them with various toys to make playtime more enriching.

Unlike some breeds, Lionheads don’t have any qualms about sleeping or snuggling in your lap. They love cuddling and gentle handling.

These rabbits will eat smaller portions due to their small size. They will also need regular brushing during shedding season. They will also need some space for daily playtime.

Lionheads don’t suffer from specific diseases, but you should still take them to the vet for regular checkups.

These rabbits can live up to seven to ten years with proper care.

Flemish Giants

As the name suggests, Flemish Giants are large rabbits that weigh about nine to fifteen pounds.

However, despite their giant statute, these rabbits are one of the most docile breeds worldwide.

Flemish Giants have short, thick, and shiny fur that comes in various pretty hues, such as black, sandy, light gray, steel-gray, blue, fawn, and white.

They have an adorable double-chin look due to the fold of skin under their neck. Their ears are large and thick and stick straight up.

These rabbits are often known as gentle giants due to their incredibly sweet nature. They get along pretty well with other rabbits and people.

Plus, they are intelligent enough for you to train them. These gentle giants will hop around the house and sit in your lap when kept indoors.

Since they are quite huge, they need more space to move around.

These rabbits can live up to five to eight years. Due to their size, they need large portions of food. They also need large single-level hutches. Give them large chew toys to satiate their chewing instinct.

Also read: How Fast Can a Flemish Giant Rabbit Run?

Mini Lop Rabbits

Despite their misleading name, Mini Lops are typically bigger than Holland Lops. However, their personality and appearance are almost identical.

Mini Lops are calm and incredibly friendly.

These rabbits weigh around four to six pounds, making them small enough for kids to handle. But they are not as delicate as some dwarf breeds on this list.

They have a compact, muscled body, a short neck, and a big head.

Their coat is medium length and can be white broken, agouti, shaded, ticked, etc.

These sweet bunnies have a lifespan of five to ten years. They are super easy to take care of and enjoy human interaction due to their sweet disposition.

Since they have drooping ears, they can be prone to ear infections and mites. So, make sure you clean your Mini Lop’s ears regularly. Other than that, it’s a healthy breed.

Clip their nails regularly and brush them to remove loose fur, especially during shedding season.

If you pet them with love and care, they will become affectionate and cuddly with you.

They make great pets for children since they can tolerate being picked up and handled frequently.

They are happy when they get lots of attention and pets from their owners.

Mini Lops are also pretty smart. You can train them rather quickly to perform tricks, use the litter box, and hop over to you when called.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a pet rabbit who can cohabit with your kids, choose the calmest rabbit breeds from the ones mentioned above.

These breeds are known for their docile, loving, and friendly nature.

These rabbits won’t mind being handled, and they will not bite or scratch your kids or you.

Moreover, these bunnies love being affectionate toward their owners and cuddling with them.

The best part about these breeds is that they are ideal for first-time owners, kids, and the elderly.

Other calm rabbit breeds include Standard Chinchilla Rabbits, Polish Rabbits, American Rabbits, California Rabbits, and English Lops. They are among the gentlest and sweetest pets.

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