The American Fuzzy Lop is an incredibly cute rabbit. It is no wonder that it is regularly purchased for use as a pet. However, this isn’t the only reason as to why the American Fuzzy Lop is so popular.
As a dwarf rabbit breed with its small size weighing between 3 and 4 pounds (1.4 -1.8 kg) , fluffy fur and energetic nature, it is a real eye catcher for anyone looking to own a pet rabbit. Let’s we take a look?
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The Big Search to Find Out Where American Fuzzy Lops Come From
If you think that the American Fuzzy Lop looks similar to the Holland Lop, or even as a smaller version of the Angora rabbit, then you would be correct.
There are many suggestions as to how this breed was developed, but the certainty is that, the American Fuzzy Lop is a relative of the Holland Lop.
Another theory been that, an occasional long haired Holland Lop would become the result of breeding attempts between the Holland Lop and the Angora rabbit, either way the American Fuzzy Lop is now certainly a breed of its own.
For a long while, the American Fuzzy Lop was nothing more than a variation of the Holland Lop. Breeders tried to cross the Hollands with various other breeds of rabbit in order to introduce more color variations to the breed.
However, over time, it started to vary a little bit from the Holland Lop. It eventually became an officially recognized breed in the United States at the tail end of the 1980s.
As you can probably imagine from the name, the American Fuzzy Lop can really only be found in the United States. Sure, other countries will have a small breeding population, but they can be tricky to find. When you do find one, it is often quite expensive due to how rare they are as a breed outside of the United States.
Since this is a relatively new breed in comparison to most other rabbit breeds, having only really been seriously bred in the last 30-years or so, it is likely that we are going to see huge things come from the American Fuzzy Lop over the years.
The Look of the American Fuzzy Lop
They are a very small breed. In fact, they are so small that an American Fuzzy Lop over 4lbs in size would not actually qualify as a competition American Fuzzy Lop.
Small in size and sporting many attributes you would expect to see from a rabbit, but what makes the American Fuzzy Lop stand out from the crowd is their fur, well I say fur, their coat is actually wool and very good wool at that, often known as the “head of fancy”.
In fact, the fur is wool. It is quite short, never more than 2-inches in length, but it helps to give the American Fuzzy Lop that cute look that pet owners love so much.
Their ears will flop down to the side.
Petite with a compact yet muscular stature, ears that lop to the side as opposed to standing erect and the array of different color combinations, it is no wonder that these rabbits are often bread for shows across the country.
The average American Fuzzy Lop lifespan is around 5-8 years but they often live up to 10 years in captivity. Purchasing rabbits in pairs can also increase their lifespan up to a couple of years.
The American Fuzzy Lop as a Show Rabbit
The original purpose of the American Fuzzy Lop was to be a show rabbit. Most rabbit shows nowadays should have a few of this breed ‘on show’.
However, you may want to remember that the show requirements for this breed will often be regarded as much tougher than other breeds of rabbit.
This means that you probably will not want to be showing off this rabbit unless you have a perfect specimen. The competition can be quite high.
Because this rabbit is not so prominent outside of the United States, it is rare that you will find shows outside of that country.
This is unlikely to be something that changes. If you really want a rabbit to show that looks similar to this, then going down the route of the Holland Lop is probably going to be your safest bet.
Breeding The American Fuzzy Lop
In the past, it was difficult to breed the American Fuzzy Lop. This is because the gene that gives them this ‘fuzzy’ look is regressive.
If you bred two fuzzy rabbits together, you would only have a one in four chance of producing a fuzzy bunny.
However, the breed has been refined to the point where most of the American Fuzzy Lops that are born should be fuzzy.
There are no special breeding requirements for the American Fuzzy Lop. However, if you do purchase this rabbit as a pet, you may want to steer clear of breeding.
Rabbits breed like crazy, and it won’t be long before you are overwhelmed with baby bunnies everywhere.
Sure, they are going to look incredibly cute but, trust us, they are going to take up a lot of space, and they will require a lot in the way of care for them! That being said, if you want to breed for profit, then this is always going to be a rabbit that sells quite well.
As with any pet, when purchasing a rabbit it is important to take into account its needs, ensuring it has a safe place to live, eat and sleep.
A fresh supply of food and water should be given daily and the rabbit should be let out of its enclosure to exercise and socialise as often as possible, it is during this time that you can really bond with your rabbit and build a trusting and loving relationship.
For a complete guide and ALL about “What you need” and “How to care” please read our article: How to care for a bunny.
Do American Fuzzy Lop’s Make Good Pets?
The quick and very simple answer to this is, they make incredible pets!. This breed is very loving and affectionate, they love to be cuddled so can be perfect for someone who is a first time rabbit owner looking for a companion.
The energetic and playful nature of this breed also makes them the number one choice for families wanting to introduce their children into the world of owning and caring for animals.
Whilst the doe can be more skittish and shy around loud noises than the buck, with the right love and affection either sex can be the perfect addition to any loving home.
Overall this small energetic loving rabbit really stands out from the crowd and whilst small in stature it surely is an animal with a big heart. A lot of love and affection could lead to many years of happiness for both you and your rabbit.
This breed is, honestly, going to be a brilliant pet for most people. It thrives both indoors and outdoors. It works in both small and large areas. There isn’t a violent bone in its body. It is even going to be great for new pet owners.
Your main concern with owning this rabbit is that it is wool, and this wool is fairly long. This means that you will need to be brushing the rabbit fairly regularly otherwise the fur will end up becoming matted.
For this reason, this is a breed that would probably do better indoors than outdoors. If it is outdoors, then it tends to get a bit dirtier, and this is going to make it a whole lot more difficult to clean.
Other Uses
The main use of the American Fuzzy Lop nowadays is as a pet. However, there is one other use for this rabbit.
As we said; this is a rabbit that has wool coat. This wool can be used in the same way that you would use any other type of wool.
Some people have actually made clothes from the American Fuzzy Lop’s coat. Obviously, it is not the best wool rabbit in the world, but this is certainly going to be an option.
Buying an American Fuzzy Lop
If you’re interested to buy an American Fuzzy Lop bunny, make sure you do your research and go to a good breeder or reliable rescue. You can search for rabbit rescues in your area before buying from a breeder.
However if you have decided to buy an American Fuzzy Lop from an official breeder then check the list of US American Fuzzy Lop breeders bellow.
- A list of breeders on the official American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) site – ARBA breeders list
The average American Fuzzy Lop price is around $50, but you’ll want to make sure you get a well-raised rabbit to avoid ending up with one that’s potentially aggressive.