Palominos are big rabbits with a unique golden coat, which earned them their name, as it is reminiscent of the palomino horse.
They make playful, affectionate, sociable pets, and they are known as a sturdy breed.
They aren’t easily injured by excessively exuberant small children, and they are not intimidated by smaller dogs and cats.
In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about this relatively rare rabbit.
We will tell you a little about the history of the breed, variations in appearance, the temperament and behavior you can expect from your golden rabbit, and how to give your Palomino a happy, healthy home.
But first, let’s start with an overview of the essential facts about this amazing breed.
Essential Facts About Palomino Rabbits
Size: 9 to 10 pounds (4 to 4.5 kilograms).
Colors: Golden, lynx. Brown eyes.
Longevity: 5 to 8 years. Can live longer with good care.
Diet: Timothy hay or rabbit food pellets containing 20% fiber from timothy hay. Alfalfa hay can give Palomino rabbits kidney stones. Limit carrots to one a day. No dog or cat food.
Housing: Needs a two-story hutch with 24 inches by 36 inches (60 by 90 cm) of floor space on each level, plus 15 inches (38 cm) clearance on each floor for its ears. This rabbit needs some time in a very large room of its own or supervised playtime in the backyard every day.
Great pet rabbits for children.
History of the Palomino Rabbit
Rabbit breeder Mark Young, who lived in the town of Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in Washington State, bred the first Palomino rabbits in the first half of the twentieth century.
Young began raising rabbits for meat in 1910. He became interested in raising show rabbits, so he started saving young rabbits that had a buckskin or light yellow color to use as breeding stock.
He never disclosed what kinds of rabbits he bred with his buckskin and light yellow bunnies.
By 1951, Young decided he had perfected a new breed of rabbit he decided to call the American Beige.
The next year, he started calling his rabbits Washingtonians.
Young wasn’t happy with that name, either.
At the 1952 convention of the American Rabbit Breeders Association he placed an empty coffee can next to his show rabbits and asked people to drop in a slip of paper with a suggested name for his breed.
The name “Palomino” won out and his rabbits were recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association in 1957 under that name.
The first variety of Palomino rabbits officially recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association was the Palomino Lynx.
This variety has a pearl gray coat diluted by a tint of orange-beige. In 1958, the Association recognized Young’s Golden Palomino rabbits. They have remained the more popular variety of the breed ever since.
You can recognize Golden Palomino rabbits at a distance by their solid fawny orange color. They are hard to find, but they make great show rabbits and great pets.
Appearance of the Palomino Rabbit
Color Varieties
Palomino rabbits have two main color varieties: golden and lynx.
The golden variety has a beautiful fawny brown color, while the lynx variety has a lighter, more grayish hue.
Both types have brown eyes, a characteristic that distinguishes them from other breeds.
Coat
Palomino rabbits have short to medium rollback coat.
They have a light cream-colored undercoat and a golden-brown overcoat that might have some streaks of white throughout.
This means your Palomino rabbit’s fur will feel and look unique. However, it doesn’t require much maintenance to remain looking great.
Commercial Body Type
Palomino rabbits are considered a large breed, weighing anywhere from 8 to 10 lbs when fully grown.
Their commercial body type is characterized by well-rounded hindquarters, a muscular frame, and large feet. You’ll notice their ears are large and upright, giving them a robust and sturdy appearance.
By understanding these key aspects of the Palomino rabbit’s appearance and characteristics, you can appreciate its striking form and adapt to its care requirements.
Whether your Palomino serves as a friendly companion or a show rabbit, it will surely stand out among other breeds due to its unique features.
Temperament and Behavior of the Palomino Rabbit
Palominos are large rabbits, and they aren’t as easily frightened as smaller breeds.
This makes them self-confident, playful, sociable, and fun as pets.
These rabbits are intelligent enough to learn how to use a litter box with very little training.
They can also learn to come when called. They don’t really like being picked up and held, but they love for you to get down to their level and sit beside them, stroking them on the head.
Avoid picking up your Palomino rabbit unless necessary.
When you do pick up your rabbit, for instance, for a trip to the vet, place a clean, dry towel around their back quarters and then carry them in a bundle.
It is important to avoid allowing your rabbit to twist and turn to try to get away from you. Rabbits can injure their spines as they try to escape.
Your Palomino rabbit will enjoy having another rabbit for company. Make sure your rabbits are spayed and neutered if you house a male with a female.
Otherwise, you could be taking care of several dozen bunnies by the time your rabbits are two years old. It’s OK to house two males togehter, but two unspared females will fight.
Palomino rabbits may be compatible with cats and small dogs, like Miniature Poodles and Chihuahuas.
Do not keep any rabbit with aggressive dogs or any kind of animal that hunts rabbits in the wild, like the larger snakes.
Here are some useful tips to remember about your Palomino rabbit:
- Be gentle and careful when handling them, especially with younger children.
- Provide adequate exercise and playtime outside of their hutch.
- Establish a consistent routine for feeding, grooming, and socializing.
- Always supervise your rabbit when it’s outside its enclosure.
Taking Care of Your Palomino Rabbit
Here are two checklists. First, there is a list of things you should not do with your Palomino rabbit.
Then there is a list of things you should do.
Don’ts for Keeping a Palomino Rabbit
- Don’t let your Palomino rabbit get overheated. Palomino rabbits are uncomfortable when the temperature goes over 85° F (29° C). In warm summer weather, keep them in an air conditioned space, or at least make sure they have good ventilation in their hutch. You can freeze one bottle of water per rabbit and place it in their cage to keep them cool.
- Don’t expose rabbits to animal blood from any source, or the urine or feces of your other pets. Rabbits are prey animals. They are keenly sensitive to any odors they associate with hunting or death. Also, rabbits can pick up diseases from the urine or feces of other pets or wild animals.
- Don’t introduce your rabbit to cats or dogs. In nature, these animals attack and eat rabbits. Keeping rabbits separate from other pets keeps everyone happier.
- Don’t give your rabbit a cage or hutch with bare wire for the floors. Wire that is not rubber-coated can injure or even break your rabbit’s toes.
- Don’t play chase with your rabbit. The stress will affect their health, and they may start to dislike you. Instead, play games like roll the ball facing them. Do not make them run.
- Don’t give your rabbit a bath. Being immersed in water may cause your rabbit to panic. It may break a limb while it is thrashing around. Wipe off excessive dirt, grease, feces, or debris with a warm, moist, clean washcloth instead.
- Don’t dress up your bunnies. They become extremely stressed by clothes, hats, and glasses. They may injure themselves trying to escape.
- Don’t give your rabbit belly rubs. If a rabbit is lying down on its side, it is distressed, sick, or overheated.
- Don’t let urine and feces accumulate in the litter box. Clean it two or three times a week.
Do’s for Keeping a Palomino Rabbit
- Do pet your Palomino rabbit behind its ears, not on its back.
- Do give your rabbit a litter box. All you have to do to train them to use it is to pick up their droppings and place them in the box for about a week. The rabbit will figure out what to do.
- Do make sure your children are always gentle with their rabbit. Encourage them to get down on the floor with their rabbit rather than trying to pick it up.’
- Do make sure your rabbit has a spacious playspace. A large room with an uncarpeted floor, or a protected backyard is ideal. Make sure your rabbit plays in an area without any overhead predators, like hawks or snakes in woodpiles or brush.
- Do make sure your Palomino rabbit has a companion bunny. If you do not give your rabbit another rabbit for company, it will want to socialize several hours a day with you.
- Do protect your rabbits from loud noises. The sound of fireworks, gunshots, thunder, loud music, horror movies, or barking can cause your Palomino rabbit to become extreme anxious.
- Do give your Palomino diet of at least 70% hay or rabbit food pellets that contain 20% fiber from hay, such as Exotics Nutrition, Oxbow, Sweet Meadow, or Science Selective,
- Do keep unspayed females separate.
- Do remember that when you keep a reproductively intact female with a reproductively intact male in the same cage, you could be caring for dozens of rabbits in less than a year!
Keeping Palomino Rabbits Healthy
If you follow our do’s and don’ts, your Palomino rabbit is likely to stay healthy for many years.
It is also important to prevent contact with wild animals as well as their urine and feces. Rabbits that step into the urine of rodents, horses, cows, pigs, dogs, cats, raccoons, opossums, or weasels can get leptospirosis.
Raccoon feces carries roundworms. Wild rabbits can give your pet rabbits mites and fleas.
It is also essential to keep your rabbit on a high-fiber diet.
Rabbits that do not constantly wear down their teeth with a high-fiber diet can develop malocclusion, a condition in which they cannot shut their jaws.
Even worse, they may develop gastric stasis, a blockage of the pyloric valve at the base of the stomach that can cause them to become emaciated or dehydrated very fast.
Popular Bunny Names for Palomino Rabbits
Here’s a table with popular Palomino Rabbit names, reflecting their breed characteristics.
The Palomino Rabbit is known for its medium to large size, golden fur, and docile demeanor.
Many of these names are inspired by their unique appearance and gentle nature.
| Boy Bunny Names for Palomino Rabbits | Girl Bunny Names for Palomino Rabbits |
|---|---|
| Goldie | Honey |
| Sunny | Daisy |
| Butterscotch | Amber |
| Nugget | Buttercup |
| Toffee | Sunny |
| Blaze | Star |
| Amber | Caramel |
| Bronze | Bella |
| Caramel | Golden |
| Toast | Apricot |
These names emphasize the beautiful golden fur, medium to large size, and calm nature of the Palomino Rabbit breed, making them fitting choices for your rabbit.
Also read: Cute Names for Pet Rabbits
Frequently Asked Questions About Palomino Rabbits
Where can I get a Palomino rabbit?
Palomino rabbits are relatively rare. Check out the Palomino Rabbit Co-Breeders Association and the Palomino Rabbits For Sale page of Rabbit Breeders US.
How much will a Palomino rabbit cost?
You may be able to find a pet Palomino rabbit for US $30 to $50, but a show-quality Palomino may cost $100 to $500.
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