English Lop Rabbit: Appearance, Lifespan, Temperament, Care Sheet

Rabbits are amazing animals to keep as pets, but a few breeds are especially desirable for this purpose. If you haven’t heard about English Lop, you are in for a treat! Continue reading to find out all about this cute, fluffy, and particularly fancy breed.

Breed Info List

english lop rabbit

Size

medium-to-large

Weight

11 pounds on average

Lifespan

5-10 years

Temperament

docile, friendly, lazy

Color

black, blue, orange, chinchilla, mix

Rarity

rare

Similar breeds

French Lop, Holland Lop, Mini Lop

Best suited for

exhibitions, shows, pets

Sometimes referred to as

The King of Fancy

Background And History

For such a popular and wonderful rabbit breed, little is known about its exact origin. It is thought to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest domestic breed of rabbits that didn’t develop naturally but by people.

It was quite popular in the 1800s in England, where people primarily used it for exhibitions and rabbit shows. Before that, rabbits were usually used for their fur and meat, but this breed is considered one of the first to be held as pets because of their docile temperament.

It probably originated in China a century earlier, around the 1700s, as some drawings and carvings from that time show similar rabbit breeds.

Later on, fans of English Lop continued making new breeds with the help of this one, so relatively soon, French Lops and Holland Lops started gaining popularity as well.

English Lop probably came from Europe to the United States in the early 1900s by ships. They were popular at shows and exhibitions, and many people kept them as pets.

The popularity of this breed declined sometime in the mid-1900s, but in 1971 passionate admirers formed the Lop Rabbit Club of America. They are still working on promoting and popularizing this breed and are always looking for new enthusiasts to join their team.

Appearance

english lop size

English Lop is one of the most distinctive and unique breeds of rabbits out there. They are undeniably charming and interesting. Their most authentic feature is their ears – the biggest ears ever seen in rabbits.

They can grow to be up to around 30 inches, and sometimes they are even bigger than the rabbit itself. English Lop’s ears usually drag on the floor as the rabbit moves, hanging on each side of its face.

The ears are the reason for its name as well – loppy rabbits are those that have their ears hang over their face rather than stand upright or semi-straightly.

Their head is big, and their body is semi-arched, also known as the mandoline body type. English Lop’s fur is soft, silky, and medium-length. They come in various colors, such as grey, blue, black, white, orange, or a combination of two or more of these colors.

They are large – they can weigh ten and more pounds. Their feet are straight and parallel to their body. Their bones are usually medium-heavy and strong. English Lop’s overall appearance makes them very desirable as pets because they are admirable and fluffy.

Breed Standard

english lop eared rabbit

The ARBA’s (The American Rabbit Breeders Association) standard for this breed is somewhat strict. Of course, the most considerable emphasis is put on rabbit ears.

They should be clean, soft, and without spots, pimples, or similar indications of unhealthy ears. They should be at least 21 inches from tip to tip, and they are measured when stretched. Judges are not allowed to judge a rabbit solely based on one ear.

English Lop’s body should be mandolin type, well-developed, and their feet and legs should be parallel and straight. Bucks should weigh at least nine and a half pounds, while does should weigh ten and a half pounds or more.

Their bones should be strong and medium-heavy. English Lop’s head should be broad and well-shaped, with a short neck and wide nose and muzzle. Their fur should be silky to touch, short to medium-length, well-groomed, and maintained.

The overall condition of the English Lop should be excellent – they should be well-kept and taken care of, clean, and without any sign of maltreatment.

Personality And Temperament

english lop bunny

There are many animals with a cute, friendly-like appearance that you would never want to keep in your home or even stumble upon them because of their personality or temperament. Not English Lops, though! The good news is they are not only fluffy but also very amicable.

This breed is friendly, lazy, and sociable. Lops are great to keep in a backyard or a home because they do not need much space to move around.

You can expect them to be calm, and they do like to pet and get picked up, even by people who are not in their close circle all the time.

English Lops have a tendency to become overweight, so it is essential to let them play around with their toys or just move around the house during the day.

This breed is quite good at training, and this includes potty training as well. You can expect them to understand where they should relieve themselves quite quickly, which is just another one of the reasons why these rabbits are perfect as pets. You can even teach them tricks!

English Lops And Children

If you are thinking about bringing one or more English Lops into your home, but you are worried about them being around young children, it will make you happy to know that there is not much to worry about.

English Lops get along well with children, and they are not a threat. Of course, it’s important to teach your kid(s) about boundaries they shouldn’t cross when handling and playing with the rabbit, but as long as they are behaving gently, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Introduce your new pet to your child(ren) gradually – let them get acquainted and comfortable with each other.

The important thing to avoid is leaving the rabbit alone with your child or children, no matter how much you trust them  – animals and kids are often unpredictable, and it is best to avoid any possibility of injury or stress. [7 Best Rabbits For Children (with Pictures)]

English Lops And Other Animals

If you already have a pet and want to bring an English Lop to your home, or vice versa – if you have an English Lop but want to introduce another animal to your home, it’s important to do that gradually.

This rabbit breed is tolerating and calm in general, but other animals might scare it. If you want to introduce an English Lop to a dog or a cat, they might get scared too and accidentally cause an injury.

The way to stop this is to let the rabbit and the other animal get to know each other a bit, always in your presence.

Make sure that they are entirely comfortable with each other before letting them out of your sight, and even then, try not to leave them alone and unsupervised. It is unpredictable how they may behave, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Health Issues And Treatments

lop rabbit lifespan

Before deciding to start taking care of an English lop bunny, you need to be informed in detail about common health issues this particular breed faces.

This way, you will know what you are in for, and you will be prepared for anything that may come your way. Here are some of the common medical health conditions and their treatments.

Ear Infections

English Lop’s biggest strength is probably their biggest weakness too – their ears. They are so big that often this breed steps on its ears when moving. This feature makes them prone to ear infections and inflammation.

You can notice that your bunny’s ears are infected by smell, first and foremost. If there is an unpleasant smell coming out of their ears, you should immediately take them to the vet.

Some other signs are weight loss, abnormal head movements, ear-scratching, and overall lethargy because of the pain they may experience.

This happens because wax has a lot of space to accumulate easily, allowing bacteria and viruses to spread quickly. It is unpleasant and should be treated as soon as you see the first symptom.

Treatment

When you see a sign that your bunny’s ears may be infected, take it to the vet. Unfortunately, if there is already an infection happening, there is not much you can do about it.

However, the vet can inspect your rabbit’s ears, maybe even do a scan to make a correct diagnosis.

The treatment is usually a period of antibiotics and regular ear-cleaning. Sometimes, surgery may be necessary if the infection has progressed a lot, but this can be avoided if you act on time.

Frostbites

Another thing is that English Lops are susceptible to frostbite. They don’t do well in extremely cold temperatures, so they shouldn’t be outside if the temperature is below 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit.

If this somehow happens, their ears can get frostbites, which is far from pleasant for these furry, gentle pets.

Treatment

If you notice that your bunny’s ears are too cold or that the tips of their ears are turning darker, you should go to the vet as soon as possible. While you do that, make sure that your bunny is warmed correctly – you can use a heated cloth to cover it or hold it in your arms.

The vet will probably give some antibiotic ointment for the frostbit area to prevent the tips of the ears from falling out.

Obesity

Most of the common health issues found in this breed are due to their large ears, and so is obesity. Their gigantic ears make it very hard for English Lops to be active and move around a lot, so if you combine their sedentary lifestyle with a poor diet, your bunny can get obese.

This is not good because it can lead to many other obesity-related health problems.

Treatment

The best treatment, in this case, is prevention. First, make sure your bunny moves a lot and has enough fun activities. This can motivate them to get up and move around. Second, the diet should be balanced, healthy, and limited – don’t get them used to too many treats.

Care Sheet

english lop price

If you are becoming more convinced that you need an English Lop in your life, you need to know how to care for them properly. Here are a few things that you should know.

Living Conditions

English Lops shouldn’t live at extremely cold or extremely warm temperatures. They do just well at room temperatures, so they can easily live in an apartment or a house.

If you decide to keep them outside, you need to provide them with an enclosed space and a heat lamp or an air conditioner, depending on the season.

Their cage should be big enough for them to move around freely and without limitations. It should be connected to their litter box so they can use it even when you are not around.

You should also provide them with some toys they will love playing with, so they can move around to avoid gaining too much weight.

The bedding can be anything soft and warm. You can put a blanket or a piece of silky cloth inside the space they will sleep in.

Ear-Cleaning For English Lops

If you want to take care of an English Lop, you should know that regular ear-cleaning will be involved. This is to prevent infections and wax buildup.

Consult your vet on the best cleaning solutions and methods for your bunny. Usually, it takes ten to fifteen minutes to clean this bunny’s ears safely and effectively, and you should do it every few weeks.

Nail-Clipping

Another thing that English Lops struggle with is their nails if they get too long. Since their ears are so big, they often step on them, and if their nails are not clipped, it can cause serious damage to the outside of the ears in the long term.

Clip their nails regularly and if you are not experienced in this, consult a vet or a specialist first.

Are You Ready For A New Pet?

English Lop rabbits are a fantastic pet – they are cute, fluffy, docile, calm, and love to be petted. They are a bit complicated to take care of, but it is worth it if you do it regularly! So now that you know everything about English Lops, are you ready for a new pet?

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