Silver Fox Rabbit: Info, Care, Diet, Pictures & More
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If you are looking for a unique rabbit breed to own and care for that’s perfect for a first-time pet owner, we have the ideal candidate. The Silver Fox Rabbit is a unique, large breed weighing up to 12 pounds. They are charming, lovable, playful, and friendly, even with small children. Because of their intelligence, they are easy to maintain and train. Read more about this rabbit breed, its unique features, and how to take care of it below.
| Size: | Large |
| Weight: | 9 to 12 pounds |
| Lifespan: | 7 to 10 years |
| Suitable for: | First-time owners, families with children |
| Temperament: | Calm, affectionate, docile |
One of the more stunning rabbit breeds you’ll come across—especially this large—is the Silver Fox Rabbit. These creatures look absolutely gorgeous with their various coat colors, all decorated with a distinctive, silvery pattern. They are easy to keep and maintain and can even be trained due to their high intelligence. They are perfect for families of all ages and types, including children, seniors, and first-time owners.
Silver Fox Rabbit Breed Characteristics
How Much Do These Rabbits Cost?
The Silver Fox Rabbit’s price can vary between $20 and $50 depending on its color and rarity. Since the breed is generally rare, it is more likely to cost up to $50. If you plan on keeping this rabbit indoors, it will need a spacious cage. Large cages tend to cost up to $100, while a large enough hutch can cost you around $300. Along with the initial purchase, you will also need to acquire proper bedding and food and include all potential vet care costs.
Temperament & Intelligence of the Silver Fox Rabbit
While the Silver Fox Rabbit was initially bred for meat and fur purposes, it became the ideal house buddy and companion over time. Despite what many people believe, these rabbits are quite gentle and docile due to their large size. This part of their personality is essential to consider because it makes them ideal around children. They are easy to socialize and train and very friendly and affectionate. They are also highly intelligent, so training them will be effortless, even for first-time pet owners.
Do These Rabbits Make Good Pets? 👪
Silver Fox Rabbits are excellent companions for both families with children and even seniors because of their low maintenance needs. While calm and docile, they can have sudden bursts of energy, which require a large area for running and jumping around.
Does This Rabbit Get Along with Other Pets?
A Silver Fox Rabbit is generally very friendly with everyone when appropriately socialized, although they might be frightened by larger animals. Suppose you have a larger dog—make sure to slowly introduce it to your Silver Fox Rabbit so that the rabbit doesn’t fear your second pet. Never leave a rabbit unsupervised near large dog breeds because some breeds might see it as prey.
Things to Know When Owning a Silver Fox Rabbit
Food & Diet Requirements 🥕
Feeding the Silver Fox Rabbit is simple. Most of the food you give a Silver Fox Rabbit should be hay—around 70%—while the rest should be from high-quality commercial rabbit food, and it is also always a good idea to include fresh, rabbit-safe vegetables in your rabbit’s diet.
Habitat & Hutch Requirements 🏠
A Silver Fox Rabbit can live both indoors and outdoors. When setting up an ideal space for your rabbit to rest, you need to consider its large size. If you decide to keep your rabbit outdoors, keeping them in wooden hutches is better. These wooden hutches are at least 12 feet wide and preferably raised from the ground to protect from predators. The cage itself is best made from wire, while the inside should be lined with hay or shredded paper.
Exercise & Sleeping Needs 🐇
It is crucial to provide your rabbit with enough time for active playtime since they used to spend most of their days running in the wilderness. Rabbits are crepuscular animals, meaning they are primarily awake and active during dusk and dawn. During the day, they sleep between 6 and 8 hours.
Training 🥎
Since rabbits are incredibly intelligent, they can easily be trained to use a litter box, fetch, jump, and even spin on command. Training any animal, but most especially rabbits, needs a lot of patience and consistency.
Grooming ✂️
The Silver Fox Rabbit will need occasional grooming, as with any other rabbit breed. Regularly clean the underside of your rabbit with a damp cloth to remove any urine or droppings, although they do not need to be bathed—in fact, bathing can cause them a lot of stress. Besides the regularly recommended cleaning, rabbits should be brushed fairly regularly. Regular brushing will keep the shedding to a minimum by removing loose hair and keeping your rabbit’s coat in good shape.
Lifespan and Health Conditions 🏥
While the Silver Fox Rabbit is generally a healthy breed with very few potential medical issues, there are some conditions you may come across. Flystrike is a common parasitic infection for rabbits, especially if their hygiene isn’t a priority. Rabbits are also prone to mites, usually when their hutch or cage is dirty and neglected. Rabbits are also prone to overgrown teeth, so providing enough hay to chew on can make a significant difference.
- Overgrown teeth
- Mites
- Flystrike
Male vs. Female
To determine the sex of your Silver Fox Rabbit, you need to take a closer look at their genitals. Although it can sometimes be difficult to tell with such a dense coat, you can notice clear signs of testicles or a vulva on a rabbit’s underbelly. Another way to see a difference between these two sexes is their size. Females tend to be a bit larger than males, weighing 10 to 12 pounds, while males weigh 9 to 11 pounds.
The 3 Little-Known Facts About the Silver Fox Rabbit
1. The Silver Fox Rabbit is born either black or blue.
The silver fur of this rabbit breed is their most unique feature, which takes around four months to fully develop. These rabbits are born either entirely black or blue, and their stunning silvery patterns appear at around 4 weeks.
2. The origin of the Silver Fox Rabbit is unknown.
It is thought that the creator of the Silver Fox Rabbit breed was Walter B. Garland during the 1920s. He wanted to keep the origin of the breed unknown, so it is still a mystery which two rabbit species are the parent breeds of Silver Fox Rabbit.
3. The Silver Fox Rabbit has a “threatened” status.
The Silver Fox Rabbit is considered threatened by the Livestock Conservancy Conservation, with fewer than 100 registrations annually in the US and an estimated global population of less than 1,000.
Final Thoughts
After reading about the Silver Fox Rabbit breed, you can understand how unique it is and why its appearance amazes many people. These large rabbits have stunning silvery coats, making them stand out from the other rabbit species. These rabbits were initially bred for their meat and fur, but their affectionate and calm nature makes them amazing friends and companions. They can be kept both indoors and outdoors as long as their hutch is the appropriate size.
See also:
- Rhinelander Rabbit: Info, Care, Pictures & More
- Argente Brun Rabbit: Pictures, Care Guide, Lifespan & Traits
Featured Image Credit to: Linn Currie, Shutterstock
