Why Are Bunnies So Cute?

The reason why bunnies and other animals are cute is that humans appreciate aesthetics or beauty. Our brains are formed and wired in a way that we experience feelings of joy and endearment when we see particular animals and things. Our biological programming pushes us to react to physical features in a rather corny way.

Humans have a particular empathy that they direct to babies, which is why baby animals turn them on. Experts know this as the baby schema. No matter how aged a rabbit will become, their entire self will be an image of cuteness – big and rounded eyes, a small nose that keeps twitching, and ever-warm fur. To build upon their cuteness, rabbits combine their lovely looks with utmost silence. That way, rabbits remain adorable animals with baby features.

The A To I Of The Cutest Bunny Breeds

No matter the breed, bunnies rank very well among the planet’s cutest critters. It is difficult to resist the charm evoked by rabbits when they look at you with the signature noses and long ears. Ranging in size from the 20-pound Flemish giant to the two-pound Holland lop, this list presents you will all the famous bunnies that are at loggerheads with the Easter Bunny in terms of personality and looks. Read on.

1. The American Chinchillas

Among the many breeds, this is the one that shares a lot of looks with the Easter Bunny. These are classical rabbits known for their unique coloration that resembles the South American type of chinchilla – hence the moniker. The three types of chinchilla bunnies are the Giant, Standard, and American.

The urban legend that explains the breeding of the first chinchilla goes this way –  a French rabbit breeder and engineer named Monsieur Dybowski bred this rabbit by accident. Later, the engineer came to be known as ‘Le Bonhomme Chinchilla.’ This name cropped up once the people looked at the colored fur of the progeny rabbits – slivery-pearl and gorgeously gorgeous.

The breeding of the American Chinchilla was guided by the ideas of making a supersized version of Dybowski’s creation. Generally, the animal weighs at least nine and at most 11 pounds. Compared to the standard chinchilla, the American Chinchilla is weightier (between 5 and 8 pounds). Giant chinchillas, as their name suggests, are more prominent and weigh between 10 and 16 pounds.

2. The Angoras 

Those who breed Angora rabbits do so for the animals’ wool – which is silky and soft. This rabbit was first bred in Turkey, together with angora goats and cats. In the mid-18^th century, members of the French royalty loved this pet, and it became trendy among them.

The rabbits entered the United States at the start of the 20^th century (the early 1900s).

The ARBA or the American Rabbit Breeder’s Association recognizes four of the several angora breeds. They are French, English, satin, and giant and Chinese, German, Swiss, Korean, Finnish, and St. Lucian.

The Angora breed of rabbits consists of fluffy, docile, and calm animals. These rabbits need a lot of cleaning and brushing to maintain the condition of the locks, which are long and silky.

3. The Lionheads

Of the breeds mentioned in this listicle, this one is a newcomer. It was initially bred in Belgium and made its way into the United States in the 90s. It took around twenty years before it was recognized and accepted as a stand-alone breed in 2014. The rabbits of this breed are named after the African cats because they have something that looks like a mane. But compared to lions, this breed consists of diminutive creatures that weigh between 2 and 4 pounds.

The categorization of Lionheads is dependent on the number of possessed mane genes. Single-maned rabbits bear a good look – the classical fur round their heads, chin, ears, and sometimes chest and butt. As they get older, the rabbits tend to shade off their mane. The lion heads that have two of the mane-gene copies – Double-manes – have a mane encircling their entire heads together with their flanks. Sometimes, the reference used for the mane is a ‘skirt.’

4. The Lops

If you are a lop or the lop-eared rabbit, it is likely that your ears are dangling. As you may already have guessed, the lops – which are absolute cuties – are known for their ears, which hang low. Within the lop family, there are around 19 rabbit breeds. Of that number, the most popular ones are the Holland lop, the American fuzzy lop, the French lop, the English lop, and the mini lop. Do you think the mini lop is the smallest? Well, you’re mistaken – those guys weigh at least 5 pounds, going up to 8 pounds.

The crossbreed of a lop and an angora rabbit is the American fuzzy lop, bred to have both the fluffy fur and the signature low-hanging ears. The English lop rabbit breed is one of the oldest, and it was bred in England in the mid-19^th century (the 1800s). The breed went ahead to become one of the most popular rabbit breeds in the Victorian era, typically owned by the rich.

5. The Belgian Hare

Despite its name, this rabbit breed is not a hare. Instead, it is a domestic rabbit that was bred to take on a wild hare’s looks. As the name suggests, this hare-rabbit was first bred in the Kingdom of Belgium in the early 18^th century. Then, the hares made their way into the United States in the mid-1800s. Compared to other domestic rabbit breeds, the Belgian hare is slender and sleek and has long ears with a back that is even longer.

What the Belgian hare breeds are mostly known for is their smartness. Many rabbit lovers of repute consider the Belgian hare to be the most intelligent domestic species of rabbits. They are good companions, although some may behave skittishly. But the reference probably comes because of their need to exercise a lot and their love to play. The hares do not need a lot of grooming since they have short and sleek hair.

6. The English Spots

In the bunny word, the English spot stands out because of its signature markings. As its name suggests, the rabbit has spots along each of its body’s side. The bunnies also have cheek spots, eye circles, colored ears, butterfly-looking nose markings, and a colored line that traces the spine or the herringbone.

Apart from being medium-sized, the English spots are curious and friendly. Also, they have the right amount of spunk to be good playful companions. As you may have already deduced, this rabbit breed was originally bred in England in the mid-1800s. In the US, the breed has been popular since it crossed and entered in 1910.

7. The Fleming Giants

The Flemish giant is a beastly breed. You cannot compare it with the others that are tiny and cute. It is less of a rabbit and more of a small dog. It is among the giant domestic species of rabbits and weighs from 20 pounds going up. Also, they grow in lengths of up to 32 inches. Despite their overwhelming and intimidating style, the rabbits are tolerant and gentle with other animals and humans. But there’s a catch to that – their tolerance depends on whether they get treated nicely.

Historians that study the Flemish giant have a controversy among themselves about where the rabbit originates. However, most of them say that the breed was born in the Kingdom of Belgium in the 1500s. Since 1890, the breed has been popular in the United States since the late 19^th century. Originally, the breeding of the Fleming Giants was for meat and fur. Their docile demeanor, however, made them good pets.

8. The Harlequin Rabbits

This breed of rabbits consists of colorful bunnies that have coats resembling the calico breed of cats. Originally, there were bred in France because of the coloration rather than their body type or fur. The Harlequins are playful and gentle and are broken down into the following two types:

a) The Japanese Harlequins – these rabbits appear with the color orange plus others such as blue, black, lilac, or chocolate.

b) The Magpie Harlequins – these are predominantly white.

Generally, Harlequin breeds weigh about 7 pounds.

9. The Jersey Woolies 

This is the progeny of crossbreeding the French angora and the Netherland dwarf rabbit, a smaller breed of the domestic rabbit. What the Jersey woolies are known for is their puff of fur and their petite size. Bonnie Seeley, who is a New Jersey native, is credited for making the breed famous. She did that when she introduced the breed at a 1984 convention of the ARBA.

The bunnies are gentle and small, with silky soft fur the same as that of angoras. The fur does not mat quickly, so it easy to groom the rabbit. The rabbits of this breed weigh about 3 pounds, making them fluffy and adorable companions.

Rabbit Facts That Will Fascinate You

Rabbits are more than what you see, you know, the carrot-munching and the cuteness. Pop culture has made rabbits be more than what they are out to be. In this section, you will get opened up to some facts that are worth knowing about the beloved rabbits:

1. For Rabbits, Carrots Are To-Die-For – But Not Exactly

Cartoon picture rabbits are having a diet of carrots only. Contrary to that belief is a green fact about wild rabbits – they neither eat nor enjoy vegetables. Actually, rabbits would prefer munching on greens like grasses, clovers, and weeds than nibbling on carrots.

However, do not lock your rabbit out of eating carrots. Give the root vegetables as an occasional snack but avoid overdoing it. Remember that carrots have high sugar content. Statistically, carrot eating contributes to tooth decay in around 10 – 11 percent of pet rabbits.

2. Some Rabbits Grow Into The Size Of A Toddler

People think that all rabbits are tiny and cute, but there are exceptions. As captured in the previous section, there are giant rabbits. One of them is the Flemish giant rabbit, which grows into a monstrous size. This rabbit breed is the largest in the whole world. It goes up to 22 pounds in weight and as long as 2½ feet. The fortunate thing is that the giants are kind and gentle. 

3. The Young One Of Rabbits And Cats Share The Same Name – Kittens!

While many people know that young rabbits are called bunnies, that is not true. Baby rabbits use the word kits or kittens, just like cat babies.  A mature female rabbit is called a doe, while a grown adult male rabbit is called a buck. Bunny is just a cutesy term, like doggy and kitty. The word does not have any scientific basis, but it bears a lot of meaning.

4. Rabbits Breed Like Crazy

Rabbits get busier that busy. When a rabbit is around 3 to 8 months old, their body is ready to start breeding. When they achieve sexual maturity, they can engage in copulation for 8 of the 12 months of the year. This will happen for the rest of their 12-year life span.

Unlike other animals, the reproductive system of a doe is not shaped in cycles. Instead, intercourse is what triggers ovulation. When the doe’s 30-day gestation period elapses, she gives birth to a litter of between 4 and 12 kits.

5. When They Are Happy, Rabbits Do The ‘Binky.’

If you like to spend your time next to rabbits, you will see one of the cutest mannerisms in nature. In moments of euphoria, rabbits will hop and do a mid-air twist. This action – which is super adorable – has an equally cute name – a binky!

6. Rabbits Eat Their Doodie

The urban dictionary has the word doodie as a synonym for poop. Many other animals have been observed eating their poop, which is less adorable.

Rabbits eat their poop to process it for a second time. While it may seem gross for us, it is beneficial for the rabbit. Rabbits need it as part of their diet. Cecotropes are special types of poops that are meant for eating. They are usually softer than the normal poop pellets. The digestive systems of rabbits are fast-moving, so they redigest waste quickly. This allows the rabbit’s body to absorb the nutrients that it missed the first time.

7. Rabbits Are Self-groomers, Just Like Cats 

The hygiene behavior of rabbits is remarkable. Like cats, they lick their paws and fur throughout the day. Technically speaking, rabbit owners do not need to bathe their pets like other pet parents. 

8. Vomiting Doesn’t Happen For Rabbits

When a day of self-grooming ends, it is likely to see a cat coughing out hairballs. Well, that can never happen to rabbits. The rabbit’s digestive system is not capable of moving in the reverse direction.

So, instead of a rabbit coughing out hairballs, they eat a lot of roughage. This helps to push the hairballs through and out of the digestive tract.

9. Rabbits Can Jump!

While a bunny’s back legs look impressive, they are not just for the show. This is an anti-predator adaptation. The Guinness Book notes that 3.26 feet is the highest a rabbit has ever jumped, and 10 feet is the farthest ever reached. Rabbit jumping competitions give owners a chance to showcase their pets’ prowess and agility.