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I wanted to know what the most popular pet bunny rabbit breeds are, so I did the research to get a real answer. I asked thousands of actual pet rabbit owners a simple question “What breed is your pet rabbit(s)?”
Armed with data on hundreds of pet rabbits from around the world, we now have actual data to know for certain what the most popular pet bunny breeds are.
The most popular pet rabbit breed is a mixed breed bunny followed closely by Holland Lop and Lionhead Bunnies. We also learned that the crossbreed bunny is the most popular primarily because of its wide availability and lower cost.
In addition, we found that while our data included dozens of breeds of pet rabbits, the vast majority of pet rabbits were from just a handful of rabbit breeds.
The four most popular pet bunny breeds make up over 55% of all pet rabbits reported. The top ten breeds of rabbits represent over 81% of the pet rabbits reported. The other 13 pet rabbit breeds reported combined to represent less than 19% of all pet rabbits.
Let’s take a look at the ten breeds of rabbits that make up over 80% of all pet bunnies.
Below is a list of the most popular breeds with the percentages to help you get a feel for how dominant the top 3 or 4 pet rabbit breeds really are.
The 10 Most Popular Rabbit Breeds For Pets
- Mixed Breed Rabbits – 18.5%
- Holland Lop Rabbits – 15.8%
- Lionhead Rabbits – 12.7%
- Mini Lop Rabbits – 8.9%
- Mini Rex Rabbits – 6.9%
- Dutch Rabbits – 5.0%
- Flemish Giant Rabbits – 4.6%
- Netherland Dwarf Rabbits – 4.6%
- English Angora Rabbits – 2.3%
- Californian Rabbits – 1.9%
** The percentages in the list above represent the percent of the total number of pet rabbits reported.
P.S. I began this research primarily to find out how much people are actually paying for a pet rabbit. If you’d like to see the data regarding real pet rabbit price, you can read it here.
Survey Data – The Most Popular Rabbit Breeds
While I asked thousands of people for input, not everyone responded. We have data on 259 pet rabbits. Those pet bunnies represented 33 different breeds of rabbits.
I’m hoping that we can update this article soon with information from even more bunny owners. If you want to be part of the next survey, signup for the Rabbit Pros email list at the bottom of this article.
Many of the rabbit breeds had just one or two actual pet bunnies reported which indicates just how rare they are as pet rabbits. However, a few breeds represented the majority of pet rabbits which gives us a clear indication of popularity.
Table Of Pet Rabbit Breeds Reported Sorted By Popularity
| Rabbit Breed | # Of Pets | % Of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Mix Breed | 48 | 18.5% |
| Holland Lop | 41 | 15.8% |
| Lionhead | 33 | 12.7% |
| Mini Lop | 23 | 8.9% |
| Mini Rex | 18 | 6.9% |
| Dutch | 13 | 5.0% |
| Flemish Giant | 12 | 4.6% |
| Netherland Dwarf | 12 | 4.6% |
| English Angora | 6 | 2.3% |
| Californian | 5 | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 5 | 1.9% |
| Dwarf Hotot | 4 | 1.5% |
| Jersey Woolly | 4 | 1.5% |
| Rex | 4 | 1.5% |
| Havana | 3 | 1.2% |
| Polish | 3 | 1.2% |
| Velveteen Lop | 3 | 1.2% |
| American Fuzzy Lop | 2 | 0.8% |
| American Rabbit | 2 | 0.8% |
| Continental Giant | 2 | 0.8% |
| English Spot | 2 | 0.8% |
| French Lops | 2 | 0.8% |
| Harlequin | 2 | 0.8% |
| Black Satin | 1 | 0.4% |
| Cashmere Mini Lop | 1 | 0.4% |
| Chinchilla | 1 | 0.4% |
| Cinnamon Bunny | 1 | 0.4% |
| English Lop | 1 | 0.4% |
| Florida White | 1 | 0.4% |
| French Angora | 1 | 0.4% |
| Mini Satin | 1 | 0.4% |
| Silver Fox | 1 | 0.4% |
| Thrianta | 1 | 0.4% |
As we look at the data, there are a few things that pretty quickly jump out to us about the nature of the most popular breeds of rabbits for pets.
What Makes A Rabbit Breed A Popular Pet Breed?
Looking at the data from our survey of thousands of rabbit owners, we found a few things that seem to indicate what makes a breed a popular pet bunny breed.
# 1 – Many People Don’t Really Care About Their Bunny’s Breed
18.5% of people reported having mixed breed rabbits as pets, which was the most popular breed of rabbit.
To be clear, not all of these pets were reported as a ‘mixed breed’; instead, they were reported as an ‘unknown breed’, which further indicates that these bunny lovers really don’t care about the breed.
Often in the notes that accompanied the data, the pet owners told us more about what was important in selecting their bunny. The most common terms we saw in those notes, regardless of the breed of the bunny, included:
- Cute
- Sweet
- Soft
- Fluffy
Put simply, bunny owners love their rabbit because they are cute and sweet, not because of their breed.
#2 – Less Expensive Breeds Are More Popular Pet Rabbits
With the data from our rabbit owner’s survey, we learned that the most popular breeds are also some of the least expensive rabbit breeds { Click Here to see my article about the price of pet rabbits by breed. >>> }.
The most popular pet rabbit breeds were nearly all under the average price paid for all pet rabbits of $55.35. If we toss out the few very high prices paid for show-quality rabbits as pets, then all the most popular breeds were well under the average cost of a pet rabbit.
We did toss out the very rare breeds that only have a single bunny reported because the price paid just doesn’t have enough data to be considered accurate.
Most pet rabbits are chosen from less expensive rabbit breeds.
#3 – Expensive Rabbit Breeds Are Not Popular As Pets
While this seems obvious, given the last learning, it’s worth noting that very few people keep rare and expensive rabbits as pets.
In general, rare and expensive rabbit breeds are only kept as pets by owners who also breed and/or show those bunnies. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are rare.
Please remember that this survey was specifically about pet rabbits, and it doesn’t address what the most popular show rabbit breeds are. This does get a little complex, because everyone who shows rabbits is a rabbit lover, and they consider most of their show rabbits pets.
However, our data is really focused on just capturing rabbits that are kept only as pets. We chose this approach so anyone considering getting a pet can make a good choice of breed and price they should consider paying.
What Rabbit Breed Makes The Best Pet Bunny For You?
If you love a specific breed of rabbit and have the means to pay for even the rarest breed, then go for it.
However if budget is a consideration, then you should consider one of the most popular pet rabbit breeds.
- Mixed Breed Rabbits
- Holland Lop Rabbits
- Lionhead Rabbits
These are all popular bunnies because they are not only cute and sweet, but they are readily available and therefore more affordable to purchase.
Also, keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to buy a pet bunny, instead, your could rescue a bunny.
Considering A Rescue Rabbit As A Pet
Many of the crossbreed rabbits that were reported in our survey were rescue bunnies. Some were pet bunnies that someone else wasn’t able to keep anymore, and others were part of accidental litters.
In both cases, the rabbit lovers who answered our survey were able to get their mixed breed bunny for just a few dollars or even free. Even better, if the bunny was previously someone else’s pet, there is a good chance that it’s already been spayed or neutered which represents a big expense saving.
The reason rabbits like these are considered ‘rescue’ bunnies is because when they find a new home they often are saved from being abandoned which would certainly lead to their death.
Keep in mind that not all rescue bunnies are mixed breed. We had many free rescue bunnies reported in our survey, and while many were mixed breed, some were show quality purebred rabbits and some were even pedigreed.
Here is a list of great names for rescue rabbits.
Show quality rabbits often become rescue rabbits if they have some small non-conforming characteristic that makes them unsuitable for rabbit shows. When this happens, rabbit breeders often want to move on from the bunny to make room for breeding stock that better conforms to the breed’s standards.
This is sad for the bunny, but a boon for you as you can get a beautiful friend for free or at a greatly reduced price.
If what you are looking for is a cute and sweet pet rabbit, then you should consider a rescue bunny. You’ll both be better off for the choice.
Want To Participate In The Next Rabbit Pros Bunny Lovers Survey?
This isn’t our first nor our last bunny survey. As a matter of fact, we’ll be updating this survey in the coming months to get more complete data.
We’d love to have your input and if you are interested in hearing about upcoming opportunities to share your bunny love, take a second and signup for our email list below and join us in our brand new group on Facebook.
When the next survey comes out, you’ll be among the first of my rabbit friends to be given the chance to contribute.
Your Rabbit Friend,
~Stacey