Rabbits can make lovely pets as they’re incredibly adorable, intelligent, and capable of forming deep bonds with humans. However, not all rabbit breeds are suitable for domesticated life. Some are shy and skittish and may never come around to life indoors. If you’re adopting a rabbit soon and want one that’s friendly and calm, you must keep reading. While breed doesn’t always determine temperament, it can give you a good idea of the traits commonly seen in most individuals.
Read on to learn more about the calmest rabbit breeds to decide which fits your lifestyle best.
The 13 Calmest Rabbit Breeds
1. Alaska Rabbits
| Size: | 7–9 pounds |
| Colors: | Black |
| Lifespan: | 7–10 years |
The Alaska Rabbit is a jet-black rabbit with a dense coat that requires moderate grooming. It is a highly intelligent and eager breed to which you can even teach tricks with the right amount of patience and practice. It can often get along well with other household pets, especially if raised together as babies. Alaska Rabbits are laid-back, gentle, and not prone to aggressive tendencies unless handled incorrectly.
2. Chinchilla Rabbits
| Size: | 5.5–16 pounds |
| Colors: | Bands of pale gray, slate gray, and black |
| Lifespan: | 6–10 years |
There are three chinchilla rabbit breeds, all bred to have a coat resembling a chinchilla. The Standard Chinchilla has a compact body, weighing between 5.5 and 7 pounds. The American Chinchilla weighs between 9 and 12 pounds, while the Giant Chinchilla can tip the scales at 16 pounds.
All Chinchilla breeds have similar temperaments. They’re very docile and easy to handle, but this is especially true of the Giant Chinchilla. They make great pets for first-time rabbit owners as they’re friendly and crave nothing more than time spent with their people.
3. Dutch Rabbits
| Size: | 3.5–5.5 pounds |
| Colors: | White, black, blue, chocolate, gray, chinchilla, steel, tortoise |
| Lifespan: | 5–8 years |
Dutch Rabbits are easy to distinguish from other breeds thanks to their long V-shaped markings on the head. They are a smaller rabbit breed, with adults not usually weighing more than 5.5 pounds.
Dutch Rabbits are one of the most popular breeds to keep as pets in the United States. They’re very easygoing and calm. When properly socialized, they’ll make curious and friendly pets. They’re very friendly and can even be trained under the right circumstances.
4. Harlequin Rabbits
| Size: | 6.5–9.5 pounds |
| Colors: | Black, white, orange, blue, chocolate, lilac, |
| Lifespan: | 5–8 years |
Harlequin Rabbits are a colorful breed bred specifically around coloration and markings instead of fur or body type. They come in two types—Japanese and Magpie. The Japanese variety will have a mostly orange coloring with black, blue, chocolate, or lilac mixed in. The Magpie variety will be mostly white with either blue, chocolate, black, or lilac. The ideal Harlequin has a split between two colors on its head, feet, and body.
These gentle rabbits are playful, docile, calm, and intelligent. It can be trained to come when called and learn to use a litter box. Many Harlequin Rabbits are curious, playful, and outgoing, making them great pets for households with children.
5. Havana Rabbits
| Size: | 4.5–6.5 pounds |
| Colors: | Chocolate, blue, black, broken |
| Lifespan: | 5–8 years |
The Havana is a short, round rabbit with short, soft fur that doesn’t require much grooming. It loves playing and running around, making it a great family pet. However, this breed is quite agile and can run fast, so its cage must be secure to prevent escapes.
The Havana is generally friendly and affectionate toward its family. It is docile, laidback, and relaxed, all personality traits that lend well to show rabbits.
6. Himalayan Rabbits
| Size: | 2.5–4.5 pounds |
| Colors: | Black, blue, chocolate, lilac |
| Lifespan: | 5–8 years |
The Himalayan Rabbit is one of the oldest and calmest rabbit breeds. Unfortunately, it is exceedingly rare, but it can make the best family pet if you can get your hands on one.
Himalayan Rabbits thrive on attention and companionship, so they don’t do well when separated from their family (be it humans or other rabbit companions) for too long. This breed is known to be calm, docile, and gentle. For these reasons, this is one of the best breeds for households with children.
7. Flemish Giants
| Size: | 15–22 pounds |
| Colors: | Sandy, fawn, white, gray, black, blue |
| Lifespan: | 8–10 years |
Flemish Giants are the largest breed of domestic rabbits. Don’t let their large stature fool you, though; these rabbits are one of the most docile breeds available. These beautiful pets are often described as gentle giants because of their sweet nature. They will generally get along well with other pets and people. Additionally, they’re highly intelligent and can thrive in households where their humans are committed to training them.
This large breed needs much more space than most other domesticated rabbits.
8. French Lop Rabbits
| Size: | 10–15 pounds |
| Colors: | White, brown, blue, opal, fawn, steel, black |
| Lifespan: | 5–7 years |
French Lops are large rabbits with a calm and docile temperament. Their large, floppy ears and unique coat colors make them a beautiful breed to keep as a pet. These gentle giants have huge personalities, thrive on human interaction, and often do very well in multi-rabbit households. They are laid-back, affectionate, and fun-loving, making them great pets well-suited to family life.
9. Jersey Wooly Rabbits
| Size: | 1–3.5 pounds |
| Colors: | Black |
| Lifespan: | 7–10 years |
The Jersey Wooly tips the scale at 3.5 pounds, making it a dwarf breed. Their square, bold heads earn them the nickname “Mug Heads”. These sweet rabbits are known for being gentle, good-natured, and calm. They’re known as “no kick” rabbits because they’re not prone to streaks of aggressiveness or are rarely, if ever, seen kicking their handlers. This breed makes a great pet for first-time rabbit owners, though their highly social nature means they thrive best in multi-rabbit households.
10. Lionhead Rabbits
| Size: | 2.5–3.4 pounds |
| Colors: | Black, blue, lilac, chocolate, ruby-eyed white |
| Lifespan: | 7–10 years |
Lionheads are petite rabbits with a fluffy wool mane similar to lions (hence their breed name). These compact rabbits have large ears compared to their body size, adding to their adorableness.
Lionheads are generally friendly, social, and calm, though some may err on the side of timidness. They’re energetic and thrive best when played and socialized with often. This breed is good-natured, and, unlike most other rabbits, most don’t have any problem snuggling up in your lap for a cuddle.
11. Mini Lop Rabbits
| Size: | 4.5–6.5 pounds |
| Colors: | Black, blue, chocolate, sable, lilac, chestnut, lynx |
| Lifespan: | 7–14 years |
Mini Lops are a small breed, though not quite small enough to be considered a dwarf. They are stocky with trademark lop ears that hang over their faces.
Mini Lops are generally very calm, though they can be prone to high-energy outbursts. They’re very friendly and sweet, often thriving in households with much human interaction. They’re pretty intelligent, so they can be taught to use a litter box and come when called.
12. Rex Rabbits
| Size: | 3.5–10.5 pounds |
| Colors: | Blue, amber, red, chinchilla, opal, black, white, broken |
| Lifespan: | 5–6 years |
The term “rex rabbit” refers to one of at least nine domestic rabbit breeds, though there are two main breeds—the Standard Rex and the Mini Rex. Regardless of breed, rex rabbits are known for their plush fur with a velvety texture. They’re docile and friendly, with many enjoying a good cuddle now and then. These even-tempered rabbits don’t mind being picked up and petted. Most rex rabbits will bond intensely with one family member.
13. Siberian Rabbits
| Size: | 7–9 pounds |
| Colors: | Black, brown, gray |
| Lifespan: | 5+ years |
Siberian Rabbits are medium-sized with smooth, glossy, and dense coats. They’re known for their docile and easygoing personalities. They can tolerate cuddles and being held, provided they were properly socialized when young. This laid-back, calm rabbit is an ideal companion for families with children as they’re patient and agreeable.
What Is Socialization for Rabbits and Why Is It Important?
Early socialization is the key to encouraging friendliness and calmness in a pet rabbit. This is essential for bonding with your new pet and encouraging proper interactions between him and other rabbits or pets.
The quickest and easiest way to socialize your new pet is to spend time with them in a way that makes them feel comfortable. They feel safest when all four feet are on the floor, so be prepared to spend much time on the floor. Reward any positive interaction with something they love, like a back scratch, ear caress, or tasty treat.
Rabbits are naturally social creatures who thrive on companionship. In the wild, they live in groups reaching up to 30 individuals. For this reason, most experts would agree that keeping rabbits in pairs is better than having just one. Rabbits kept in isolation without another long-eared companion can become bored and depressed. If you’re your rabbit’s sole provider of companionship, you may find it just isn’t enough to keep your pet happy and thriving. This can affect its entire personality, making it skittish and less calm or friendly.
Final Thoughts
The above breeds are some of the calmest among all rabbits. Of course, this isn’t true of every individual rabbit in every breed, though. There are always outliers, rabbits that march to the beat of their own drum. Though if you’d like to increase your chances of adopting a calm pet, the breeds we reviewed today are a great jumping-off point.
It is important to remember, however, that rabbits are wild animals. Sometimes even the most well-intentioned owners adopt a stubborn rabbit that will never learn to be calm or let its guard down.
Featured Image Credit: karin claus, Shutterstock
