Silver Fox Rabbit: Breed, Color, Lifespan, Care and More

Last Updated on May 11, 2023 by

While, in the past, the Silver Fox rabbit was immensely popular, the difficulty breeding and the lack of uptake on the animal has resulted in it becoming one of the rarest breeds of rabbits out there.

In fact, it is likely that the rabbit will become extinct soon. This means that if you do want one as a pet, it is going to be exceedingly difficult to track one down. Not impossible, just difficult.

On this page, we are going to introduce you to everything you need to know about the Silver Fox rabbit.

The Origins

The Silver Fox breed was developed in Ohio in the early 1900s. We aren’t quite sure what rabbits went into the breeding of the Silver Fox rabbit, but best guesses mean that it was probably a combination of these four breeds:

• English Silvers
• American Blue
• Checkered Giants
• Champagne D’Argent

What we do know, however, is that the breed was first recognized as a distinct rabbit breed in 1925. We also know that it has gone through several name changes over the years.

This includes American Heavyweight Silver, and American Silver. The current name was settled on when a lot of people started to note that the fur looked similar to the fur of an Arctic Fox.

As you may imagine by looking at it, as well as some of the rabbit breeds that have gone into making the Silver Fox rabbit, this is a breed that is pretty much all about the meat and fur.

It is likely that this is one of the main reasons as to why the popularity of the rabbit plummeted so far. Rabbit meat and fur consumption went all the way down and, as a result, a rabbit breed that was never really pushed as a pet breed ended up getting rarer and rarer. Thankfully, this is starting to change a little bit.

Recent Years

In fact, you will actually find that the Silver Fox rabbit is exceedingly popular in the world of homesteaders.

Obviously, it can be raised as a pet, and it is good as a ‘pet’ animal for a lot of people, but it is great if you are homesteading and want an animal for meat and fur.

The Look of the Rabbit

The Silver Fox rabbit is a very large breed, with some being able to hit around 12lbs in size. The body type is commercial, and they have an astonishing amount of meat on them.

If you own some of these rabbits, then you are going to need to have a ton of space for them.

As we mentioned before; the rabbit breed was named after the Silver Fox due to the similarities in the coat. If you stroke the rabbit, you will notice something very unique. The fur is short and dense.

If you stroke it, the fur will stand up straight. This is the only breed of rabbit that has a trait like this. It is also probably one of the main reasons as to why it was raised so extensively as a fur rabbit.

There are both black and blue, chocolate, lilac, and white Silver Fox rabbit colors around, although only the black is recognized nowadays. The blue version of the Silver Fox rabbit was dying out so quickly that it was not viable to run shows for the rabbit breed.

Silver Fox Rabbit Lifespan

This is one of the shorter-lived rabbits. This is, mostly, down to the size. You can expect a Silver Fox lifespan to be somewhere between 5 and 8 years.

The lifespan of the Silver Fox rabbit was never something that was really worked on by breeders, mostly because the intention was to have the rabbit turned into meat and fur as fast as possible. Not that we can envision that many improvements made to the lifespan, simply because the rabbit is so large.

The Personality of the Rabbit

Despite never really being designed to be a pet animal, a lot of people have remarked that the Silver Fox bunny is fantastic for those who are looking for a good pet.

Honestly, this is probably one of the most docile and friendly rabbits that you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. This is something that seems to apply across the board too.

With most rabbit breeds, even if they are friendly, you are going to find a couple of bad eggs here and there. That isn’t the case with the Silver Fox. All of them seem to love human interaction. They are also not prone to wild behavior that can end up causing a mess in the home you live in.

Because of the calmer nature of this rabbit, we recommend it to just about everybody. We actually believe it would make a good family pet and, assuming your kids are not too rough, it is probably going to love playing about with your children.

Caring for your Silver Fox Rabbit

The care requirements for the Silver Fox bunny are minimal. Despite the unique fur, it doesn’t take that much in the way of brushing. Once or twice a week is fine.

It just needs a normal and balanced diet, mostly the same as for any other rabbit breed. The rabbit should have access to high quality hay for rabbits 24/7, pellets, vegetables and fruits (as a treat only!).

With a normal diet, there are not really any health issues associated with the breed. However, one thing we should point out is that this is a rabbit breed that does not necessarily do well outside when it is a bit colder.

This is due to the shorter fur. It can be outside, but it is probably not going to be happiest out there. Keep it indoors.

It will be warmer, have a lot more space to roam about in, and it is going to have a fantastic amount of fun socializing with your family.

Silver Fox Rabbit For Sale

You may try to find a Silver Fox Bunny for sale in your local pet store, however it is always a better idea to buy it from a professional rabbit breeder.

In the following sites you will find Silver Fox rabbit for sale near you. The lists contain rabbit breeders from all across the US.

• National Silver Fox Rabbit Club – Official club
• Silver For for sale – Breeders for each individual US State
• Breeders list of Silver Fox – Official American Rabbit Breeders Association