Dwarf Hotot Rabbit

Facts about Dwarf Hotot Rabbits. The Dwarf Hotot Rabbit is a domestic rabbit breed, exemplified by a completely white coat, excluding a circle of another color around each of its eye. It is one of the current breeds to be accepted by the American Rabbit Breeders Association, gaining recognition in 1984. By no means, the Dwarf Hotot Rabbit breed has been without a strong following, but it has never been in the midst of the most admired breeds, as well. The Dwarf Hotot Rabbit breed is a fancy breed, and it is too petite to be of commercial importance.

"Scientific name for Dwarf Hotot Rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus". "Fear of Rabbits Leporiphobia". All rabbit breeds are "lagomorphs" various plant-eating mammal of the order Lagomorpha ; a hare, rabbit, or pika.

Temperaments of the Dwarf Hotot Rabbit can vary from outgoing to unstable, but generally they are welcoming rabbits and well suitable to a pet life. The Dwarf Hotot Rabbit breed are considered one of the cutest rabbit breeds.

History of Dwarf Hotot Rabbit

The much bigger Blanc de Hotot Rabbit was developed during the early nineteenth century in an attempt to create a black-eyed white color rabbit for fur and meat. During that period, big size rabbits were appreciated for their saleable value. However, during later years, huge bunnies went out of fashion and people started following dwarf breeds.

During the 1970s, two rabbit breeders each from East Germany and West Germany started functioning on a Dwarf Hotot Rabbit. One breeder crossed a Blanc de Hotot Rabbit to a REW Netherland Dwarf, whereas the other breeder did not employ a standard Hotot Rabbit breed at all. He crossed a Dutch Rabbit breed to a black Netherland Dwarf and developed markings, leaving only the eye bands. Finally, the two strains were combined to create a rabbit breed, known as the Dwarf Hotot Rabbit breed.

Features of Dwarf Hotot Rabbit

The Dwarf Hotot breed is a small size rabbit, with the maximum body weight of 3 lbs (1.4 kg). They have a snow white body, which looks like a snowball. The most recognizable feature of the Dwarf Hotot Rabbit breed is their chocolate or black banded eyes. It has compact, fancy eyes and a gentle rollback coat. Hence, the Dwarf Hotot Rabbit breed has a pet name, “Eyes of Fancy”. The ears of this rabbit are carried in an erect V shape, with a length of less than 2.75 inches (6.9 cm). Their eyes are surrounded by thin bands of colored fur. The Dwarf Hotot Rabbit have an ideal eye band, with the width equal to the thickness of their two pennies, and the color bands are even all around their eyes.


Dwarf Hotot Rabbits have an outstanding sense of vision, smell and hearing. Having eyes on the side of their head and being so big, gives them nearly 360 degrees vision, allowing the Dwarf Hotot Rabbit to see predators from all directions. The Dwarf Hotot Rabbit can see everything behind and in front of them and have just a small blind-spot in front of their nose.

Behavior and grooming of Dwarf Hotot Rabbit

Usually, the Dwarf Hotot Rabbit has a friendly character, making them a good option as a show or pet rabbit. The Dwarf Hotot Rabbit small body size makes them ideal show and pet rabbits, as well. As the Dwarf Hotot Rabbit breeds include rollback coats that require little grooming when they are not in a molt. The rabbit needs grooming at least once a week by means of a slicker brush or even with damp hands, which is usually enough. At the time of molting, the rabbit needs frequent grooming. The Dwarf Hotot Rabbit are usually fed with ample hay in the captive. One cannot expect all the kits in a litter will be fancy. Some kits will contain colored marks on their body or partial eye bands.

The male Dwarf Hotot Rabbit is called a buck and a female Dwarf Hotot Rabbit is called a doe, also both known as a bunny. A young rabbit is called a kit "kitten" or baby bunny.

For bedding, give Dwarf Hotot Rabbits wood pellets or aspen. You can use pelleted horse bedding. Do not give them pine or cedar. Clean the cage with either white vinegar or a cage safe cleaner; don’t use bathroom cleaner or other things that are toxic for the pet cage.

De-worming is a major concern and should be done in the spring and fall. A pea sized amount of de-worming paste in the rabbit's mouth is sufficient for the Dwarf Hotot Rabbit.


Dwarf Hotot Rabbits are born without fur and its eyes are closed. Half of the rabbits in the world live in North America. Rabbits are comfortable living in groups. European rabbits like to live in burrows underground. Warren is known as a group of burrows. Cottontail Rabbits are the only rabbit that does not live under ground.

Pet Dwarf Hotot Rabbits should be kept in pairs for Companionship, its important for a Dwarf Hotot Rabbits happiness and it can live longer with a companion. In the wild, rabbits are very social. Female Dwarf Hotot Rabbits can produce about 2 to 4 litters of bunnies per year with 4 to 6 babies.

The average lifespan of a rabbit is around 5 to 6 years and in captivity can live up to 8 years. Dwarf Hotot Rabbits have 28 teeth and an incredible fact, a Dwarf Hotot Rabbits teeth never stop growing throughout its life.

Dwarf Hotot Rabbits are very clean animals and will groom themselves and also each other. Dwarf Hotot Rabbits are crepuscular-(meaning the are most active at morning and evening) and do most of there feeding in the evening. Dwarf Hotot Rabbits on average sleep about 8 hours.

Dwarf Hotot Rabbits as pets enjoy wet food, carrots, hay or lettuce, dark leaf lettuce is good. (Iceberg lettuce contains too much water and too little fiber to be suitable.) Limit giving them fruit with sugar in it. Alfalfa provides the high caloric content necessary for baby bunnies development. Once Dwarf Hotot Rabbits reach seven months of age, gradually switch them over to timothy hay, oat hay, or orchard grass. Avoid giving the Dwarf Hotot Rabbit yard clippings, since grass is often sprayed with fertilizer, insecticides, pesticides, and other chemicals rabbits should not be eating. Their diet should consist of 70% of Hay and make sure they have fresh water every day.