Velveteen Lop Rabbit: All You Need to Know About This Floppy Eared Cutie

Last Updated on May 11, 2023 by

Have you heard of the book “The Velveteen Rabbit“? Well, let us introduce you to the Velveteen Lop Rabbit, an adorable bunny with varying colors, from grey or brown.

Though it doesn’t really look like the Velveteen Rabbit, its name comes from that book. This is an incredibly popular breed and a surprisingly good pet.

Where Did Velveteen Lops Come From?

The Velveteen Lop rabbit is a combination of the English Lop and the Rex rabbit breed (not the Mini Rex rabbit). The breed was originally developed in California by Virginia Menden. However, her version of the Velveteen Lop rabbit is not the same as the version that we know today.

While she originally developed the breed back in the 90s, she never took it to shows. It was Mary Crawford a few years later that was the first to present the rabbit to the world.

The rabbit that she developed back then is the one that we know and love today. Her rabbits were larger than Virginia’s, and the ears, one of the most defining features of the rabbit, are much longer than they were ‘back in the day’.

After almost 30-years of breed development, the Velveteen Lop Rabbit finally became a recognized breed with ARBA. However, it still has a long way to go here. This rabbit does not qualify for the main competition run by ARBA; Best in Show. Will probably be a long, long time before that happens!

The Look of the Velveteen Lop Rabbit

The Velveteen Lop Rabbit’s breed standard says that it is supposed to have a mandolin shape to the body. This, essentially, means that the back of the rabbit is going to be arched. The breed standard also stipulates that the head of the Velveteen Lop should be of a wedge shape.

Due to the arching of the back, the head of the rabbit will look as if it sits closer to the ground than on other rabbit breeds. We can assure you that this is not the case. It is all down to how high the back of the rabbit appears to be.

The real highlight of this particular rabbit is the length of its ears. They drape down to the side of the rabbit. So, as the rabbit hops along the ground, they are going to be dragged alongside them. These long ears are the result of later breed development. Of course, the original intention of the rabbit was probably to include some long ears in there at some point. If it wasn’t, then they would never have used the English Lop. However, we do know that the rabbits we see now have far longer ears than the ones that came before them.

Despite the ear length being a stand-out feature of this breed, it is not where the rabbit is going to be mostly judged. The bulk of the points are still going to be focused on the shape of the rabbit’s body. Although, this is something that may change over time since there seems to be a lot of focus being placed on the development of the ears now.

The fur of the Velveteen Lop rabbit is going to be very similar to that of the Mini Rex. This means that it is going to be incredibly soft when you touch it. It is also available in a multitude of different colors.

This rabbit is going to weigh around 7 lbs.

The Velveteen Lop Rabbit as a Show Rabbit

Since it has only been recognized as an official rabbit breed for the last year or so, in a world that isn’t really having that many public gatherings, the shows that the Velveteen Lop has taken part in properly are quite limited. However, whenever a rabbit breed starts to become incredibly popular, we see a lot of breeders spring up that try to breed it.

It is likely that we are going to see the same with the Velveteen Lop, even if it is not going to be winning any “Best of Show” awards any time soon. There is a long way for this breed to be developed.

As this breed starts to become more and more popular, you will start to see breeders making a lot of money from this breed. New breeders mean that older, established breeders can start to share their show standard rabbits with the rest of the world….for a price.

Even if you are not planning on breeding this rabbit for show, it is a beautiful, unique-looking breed. This means that it is going to be fantastic if you just want a rabbit that looks good.

The Velveteen Lop Rabbit as a Meat Rabbit

This rabbit will not be used for meat purposes. We suppose that some people may be using their rabbits that do not live up to the breed standard for meat, but we do not believe that this is happening on a grand scale. The rabbit is just going to be far too small for that.

The Velveteen Lop Bunny as a Pet

This rabbit makes a fantastic pet. This is because the breeders put an astonishing amount of time into developing the personality of the Velveteen Lop Rabbit. It is friendly and calm. It is also not so small that it could easily be harmed by children.

This is a rabbit that probably wouldn’t require that much in the way of space. As a result, we reckon it would be a very good fit for those people that want to have a rabbit in their apartment. Although, it would do just as well outside.

What is the Average Size of the Velveteen Lop Rabbit

A medium-sized rabbit, the Velveteen Lop bunny can grow up to 6 to 7 lbs. Their most recognizable feature is the ears, which may reach between 15 to 20 inches in length. That’s almost twice the length of an adult palm!

The Personality of the Velveteen Lop Rabbit

Velveteen Lop Rabbits are a great choice for people who want an affectionate, outgoing, and playful pet. They have mild temperaments with social tendencies that allow them to be calm or enthusiastic depending on the situation. These rabbits can sometimes be very skittish though and should not live in households where they would feel threatened easily by other animals like cats or dogs.

On the flip side, most breeders will tell you that the Velveteen Lop Rabbit is a challenge. They are prone to overgrooming in their nest box, and this often leaves them with partial ears. I’ve also seen many baby bunnies who would end up chewing on each others’ ears due to boredom or separation anxiety; quite common among rabbits when they’re babies!

The winter poses an additional problem: frostbite can destroy ear tissue if not taken care of quickly enough – especially for those cute little rabbit’s big fluffy bunny-ears!

What is the Velveteen Lop Rabbit Lifespan

You will likely see a lifespan of a Velveteen Lop Rabbit to be between 5 and 11-years.

This rabbit does not have any known health issues. However, the lifespan of the rabbit is quite unpredictable. We suppose that this is down to the fact that it is a newer breed of rabbit. If you buy one of these as a pet, then you may want to check out the rabbit’s heritage to see what you can expect from your rabbit.

Other than this, there are no special care requirements. All you really need to do is groom it regularly. And of course, show your Velveteen Lop bunny friend a lot of love and affection!