French Lop Rabbits: Look, Behavior, Care & More (With Pics)

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When the Butterfly rabbit breed was crossed with the English Lop in the 1950s, the French Lop Rabbit was born.

The Butterfly genes give this rabbit breed a large body with thick ears, and the French Lop genes give the rabbit the classic Lop ears, which hang down the sides of the head.

They are sweet, calm, and affectionate, making them a popular pet in the bunny world.

French Lops, or ‘Frenchies,’ are medium to large rabbits, often weighing in at over eleven pounds, and are among the most friendly rabbit breeds you will ever meet.

They are sweet, calm, and affectionate, making them a popular pet in the bunny world. They are also highly intelligent, making them easy to train.

Read on to learn about it.

READ MORE: Everything About the Polish Rabbits

French Lop Color & Looks

a french lop rabbit

French Lops [1] are extremely cute and fluffy.

There is something about the Lop ears, which hang down either side of the head instead of sticking straight up, which adds to the overall cuteness of a bunny.

The ears of the French Lop are traditionally 5-8 inches long, which is not as long as the English Lop, but still pretty long.

They look as if they are always eating something.

French Lops have a thick and compact body which adds cuteness that you do not usually get from a bunny so big.

Their legs are straight and short, running parallel to the body, and they have a developed and large head with cute, chubby cheeks. They look as if they are always eating something.

The coat of a French Lop is dense, short, and soft. They are soft to the touch and love to be petted, being friendly creatures.

This breed of rabbit [2] comes in many different colors, with white, brown, blue, black, and gray being more common colors. Their coats are usually solid and do not have any distinct markings.

Take a look at this video for additional information.

How Do I Care for a French Lop?

The short coat of a French Lop usually does not need too much attention but does need a little more work when they are shedding.

Most of the time, they will only need to be groomed once a week, but you should up that to two or three times a week when they are shedding their coat [3].

French Lops are large rabbits and need a large place to live.

a french lop rabbit

When looking at the average rabbit cage, you will want one on the larger end of the scale.

All bunnies should be able to fully stand up in their cage or fully stretch out their bodies.

Being a lop, you do not need a cage that is as tall as others since the ears do not stick straight up, but you will need a long cage to allow your Lop to stretch out.

We always recommend going as large as possible. No cage is too big for your rabbit.

When you have your cage, make sure to outfit it with everything your bunny needs. The floor should be padded with something soft to protect their feet, and this same material can be used for their bedding.

French Lops are social creatures, but they still need some time to themselves. Try to have a place where your bunny can go to get away from the outside world and be alone.

French Lops also like to be outside. They do not have the thickest coats, so they do not do well in cold weather.

Most bunnies also do not do well in extreme heat [4], so monitor the weather conditions before going out there. When a bunny is outside, you should remain with the bunny at all times.

Even if your yard is surrounded, bunnies are intelligent and often find a way out. There are also some intelligent predators out there which can often find a way in.

Also Read: Everything You Need To Know About American Fuzzy Lop Rabbit

How Active Are French Lops?

a french lop rabbit

French Lops are active bunnies and need as much time outside of their enclosure as they need to be inside.

Being larger bunnies, they need a larger space to play in.

A large run will give them this space, but an entire room is better.

Some owners like to have a room, and this can be a room which you can use too, for the bunny to play in.

If you have a place where the cage can be, and your bunny can be let loose in, then you do not have to worry about an additional pen.

This also allows you to share the space with them, creating a better bond.

If you are letting a rabbit loose in a room, make sure that you bunny-proof it. Bunnies love to chew, and cords and cables are the perfect sizes for getting their little bunny teeth around.

Remove any cables or put them in a place where the bunny cannot get to.

Bunnies also love to gnaw on fabrics, so ensure that there is nothing in the room that the bunny could damage or harm to the bunny.

Look at these giant French Lops.

@henryshousegrooming

When I call them in for dinner… #rabbits #giantfrenchlop #fyp #foryoupage #viral #foryou

♬ pov – Ariana Grande

What Should I Feed My French Lop?

French Lops need the same diet as almost any other bunny.

The diet [5] should consist of around seventy percent hay, though you can give your bunny unlimited hay, and it will not be detrimental to their health.

Timothy hay is excellent for your French Lop. Along with unlimited hay, you can also give your bunny unlimited fresh water.

You should check the water dish a few times a day to ensure that it does not become contaminated, changing it as necessary.

The remainder of your bunny’s diet should be split between rabbit pellets and fresh vegetables (with the occasional piece of fruit).

Use half a cup of pellets for every five pounds of rabbit weight, giving them this amount daily. With vegetables, leafy greens are best, with carrots and fruits being used sparingly as a treat.

Here’s another video of cute French Lops!

@henryshousegrooming

I’m glad we could give you such a good life, even if it was cut short 🥺🐰❤️ #giantfrenchlop #rabbit #bunny #frenchlop

♬ I Say a Little Prayer – Instrumental – Piano Dreamers

Healthcare for French Lops

Keeping your bunny at a healthy weight is one of the best things which you can do for your bunny.

French Lops do not suffer from any particular health concerns other than what most bunnies have to deal with. The most common problem you will run into is overgrown teeth.

As long as you feed your bunny lots of fresh hay, they will naturally take care of their teeth.

If you are worried that your bunny’s teeth are getting too long, then you can always add in some chew toys too.

A balanced diet will also solve a lot of your bunny problems. Keeping your bunny at a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do for your bunny.

A healthy rabbit also means a healthy digestive system. If your bunny does not have a healthy gut, then their solid poo can turn to diarrhea, soil their coat and attract flies.

If a bunny cannot groom itself and keep its coat clean, it can develop flystrike which can be very painful.

READ MORE: Everything About the Flemish Giant Rabbits

French Lops As Pets

a french lop rabbit

Being so calm, sweet, and friendly, French Lops are the perfect pet for almost anyone.

They are great around adults and older children but can be more troublesome around younger children due to their size.

If smaller children are not trying to handle the bunnies, they will be fine.

They are bunnies that love to socialize, so all children will love the bunny once it comes accustomed to them and wants to be around them.

They do love human interaction so do not be afraid to get onto their space with them and hang out.

Being larger bunnies, they are not well suited to small apartments and thrive with a lot of space.

They are great for beginners but are on the larger size. It is recommended that you have some exposure to bunnies before handling these.

They love human interaction, so do not be afraid to get onto their space with them and hang out.

The french lop rabbit will welcome any toys which can be pushed around and interacted with. Look for toys to hide their veggies to make them work for their treats.

They will love to push around their toys and figure out how to get their food.

A great bunny for almost any owner.

a French lop rabbit

What do you love most about French lop rabbits? Please share with us below!

Resources

  • 1. French Lop [Internet]. www.pdsa.org.uk. [cited 2022 Feb 4]. Available from: https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/rabbits/french-lop
  • 2. Rabbit Breeds – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics [Internet]. www.sciencedirect.com. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/rabbit-breeds
  • 3. Department of Jobs P and R. Guidelines for keeping pet rabbits – Agriculture [Internet]. Agriculture Victoria. 2020. Available from: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/other-pets/rabbits/guidelines-for-keeping-pet-rabbits
  • 4. Summer Heat and Rabbit Production – Urban Agriculture [Internet]. Alabama Cooperative Extension System. [cited 2022 Feb 4]. Available from: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/animals-urban/summer-heat-and-rabbit-production/
  • 5. Getting a Pet Rabbit [Internet]. WebMD. [cited 2022 Feb 4]. Available from: https://pets.webmd.com/getting-a-pet-rabbit
Alina Hartley
Alina Hartley

Alina Hartley is a small-town girl with a ginormous love of bearded dragons. It all started with Winchester, a baby bearded who was abandoned at the shelter by his former owners because of a birth defect that caused one front leg to be shorter than the other. Alina originally went to the shelter looking for a guinea pig, but one look at Winchester and it was love at first sight. From that day on, Alina has dedicated her life to learning everything she can about bearded dragons. She loves helping new beardie parents start their incredible journey with these magnificent reptiles.
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