The Dwarf Hotot rabbit, is a dwarf breed weighing in at 2.5-3.5 pounds. These rabbits are well recognized because of their pure white, snow like coats accompanied by their dark eye markings that looks like eyeliner.
Let’s take a little look at this breed in a bit more depth, shall we?
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The Origin of the Dwarf Hotot Rabbits
The breed became recognized by the America Rabbit Breeders association in 1983 and despite its name, the Dwarf Hotot is not a smaller version of the Hotot, a larger breed with the same name. The original large Hotot was developed in France in the early 20th century by Baroness Bernard.
It is however a relative, as this dwarf breed was achieved by breeding numerous other breeds with the Hotot. Two breeders, one from East Germany and the other from West Germany worked together to cross variations of the Netherlands Dwarf and White Hotot to create this dwarf breed.
Despite being a smaller breed, the history of the Dwarf Hotot rabbit started with the meat and fur industry.
For this industry, larger rabbits were desired. This meant that the Blanc de Hotot rabbit was produced. Although, due to the rabbit industry suffering somewhat of a decline, it wasn’t a successful breed.
Dwarf Hotot Bunny Characteristics
This unique bunny stands out because of its pure white fur and its dark eyes. A small rabbit with short yet thick erect ears.
They have a short yet dense and shiny rollback coat, meaning that the fur will stand up when brushed in the opposite direction to that of the way in which the hair naturally falls.
Whilst this bunny is known for its shiny white fur there are other color variations of the breed, such as English Spotted kits or Dutch Markered. However, ARBA recognizes black and chocolate Dwarf Hotot colors as well.
The Liliac dwarf Hotot will be a show standard in a few years.
Whilst these are seen more commonly as pets, if you want to show your rabbit you would have to purchase one with its commonly known white fur and black eyes.
The rabbit will never weigh over 3lbs. This means that it is going to have quite a compact, rounded body.
The shoulders and the hips will have the same width, which helps to create that rounded look. The rabbit’s head should be quite broad, with two short v-shaped ears sitting on top of it.
The Dwarf Hotot lifespan is around 7 – 10 years. Purchasing rabbits in pairs can also increase their lifespan up to a couple of years.
Practical Uses for This Dwarf Breed
There are no practical uses for the Dwarf Hotot rabbit. This is one of only a few rabbit breeds that is purely a fancy rabbit.
This means that it is either used for shows or, at a push, as a pet. Nothing else. You cannot use them as rabbits for meat or for fur. It is simply too small.
The Dwarf Hotot Rabbit as a Show Breed
The dwarf Hotot Rabbit is always going to be a popular show breed. Nearly all breed development nowadays takes place with the intention of taking this rabbit to shows. It is very rarely going to be bred as a pet. This is more of a side industry to the show purposes of the rabbit.
The interesting thing about the show purposes of this breed is that because the breed is much newer than other rabbits, the breed standard is still under review.
This means that there are regular changes as we start to understand more about this breed. For example; they are planning on making the lilac band around the eyes a ‘show standard’.
Do bear in mind that despite being a European rabbit breed, the bulk of rabbit shows are in the United States.
Care – Dwarf Hotot Rabbit as a Pet
Since the dwarf Hotot rabbit is a fancy breed of rabbit, it probably shouldn’t come as much as a surprise that it is going to be used as a pet too.
In fact, the majority of the rabbits that do not end up being show quality specimens are likely to end up as pets. For the most part, they should be a decent breed of rabbit to have as a pet too.
For starters; they are small. This means that they are not going to need to have a huge amount of space to roam around in.
As a result, they are a great rabbit breed to own if you live in a smaller apartment. This is because it is not going to take up a huge amount of space with the hutch.
However, do bear in mind that this can be quite an active breed of bunny. This means that it is probably going to need to have a bit of space to roam around in outside of the hutch for a few hours per day. However, we are positive that you already knew that part.
Due to the smaller size, they will eat far less food than your average rabbit. This means that you will need to pay attention to their portions to ensure that they do not overeat.
In terms of personality, this can be a friendly rabbit, although they are known to have mood swings. No. They will not be aggressive towards you. It is that there will be times where they will let you know they do not want you to watch them.
It is worth noting that this pet is probably not going to be well-suited for families with smaller children.
This isn’t because there is a risk of the Dwarf Hotot rabbit attacking the children. There is no risk of that. It is more the fact that this is such a fragile breed of rabbit.
If somebody drops it, even from a small height, then there is a risk that it could seriously injure or kill the rabbit. Since children are more likely to drop the rabbit, they shouldn’t handling it.
In terms of issues, this rabbit can have a condition known as malocclusion. This means that both the top and the bottom teeth will grow in line with one another. In normal rabbits, the front teeth should be growing in front of the back teeth.
Now, this is not something that will cause a major issue most of the time. However, the rabbit may accidentally pull their teeth out at times. This means that you will find loose teeth around your rabbit’s cage.
It may also cause the rabbit a small amount of pain. However, they are going to grow back. Just check the area to ensure that there is going to be no sign of infection.
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 socialize as often as possible, it is during this time that you can really bond with your rabbit and build a trusting and loving relationship.
See also: How to care for a bunny – everything you need to know.
This breed would also benefit from some wooden or simple rabbit toys for mental stimulation, this could be something like an empty toilet roll, wooden ball or wooden blocks, rabbits are naturally inquisitive creatures who love to take an interest in new things.
Buying a Dwarf Hotot
If you are in the process of considering getting a new pet, yet aren’t sure which kind to get, this bunny can be a nice fit for you.
They are smart, adorable, affectionate and friendly. What more can an owner wish?!
If you’re interested to buy a Dwarf Hotot 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 a Dwarf Hotot bunny from an official breeder then check the list of US Dwarf Hotot breeders below.
- A list of breeders on the official American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) site – ARBA breeders list
The average Dwarf Hotot 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.
Final Thoughts About the Dwarf Hotot
The Dwark Hotot is a playful, sweet and affectionate bunny and can make a good pet as long as it it handled daily.
They can become very attached to their human care givers very quickly, this can be seen by them excitedly hopping out of their cage when the door is opened, so this is something to become aware of.
The breed isn’t generally as active as others and can tire easily so homes with older children maybe more suited.
This small, beautiful little bunny could make an amazing companion, quickly becoming entrusted in your love and care, with its unique markings, you will only need to glance once at this bunny to fall in love love.