Himalayan Rabbit – Everything You Need to Know

The Himalayan Rabbit has a different body type to all the other rabbits. It has a cylindrical body type and beautiful color markings which make it a very different looking rabbit.
They also make really great pets for families, singles and the elderly. They are quite easy to maintain and so they are also a good choice for the novice rabbit owner.

BREED PROFILE OVERVIEW
Breed Name:	Himalayan
Other Names:	Egyptian, Black-nose or Chinese
Country of Origin:	Asia
Breed Purpose:	Pets and, exhibition
Breed Size:	Small to medium
Breed Weight:	Female/Doe: 2.5 to 5 lbs. Male/Buck: 2.5 to 5 lbs.
Breed Color(s):	Black, Blue, Chocolate, and Lilac
Physical Appearance:	The Himalayan rabbit has a cylindrical type body that is long and slinky. It has a wedge-shaped face and medium length ears that are held erect from the head and do not touch at the base. Their coats are soft, short and flyback type fur that does not require any special maintenance to keep it groomed. Their body coat is always white with points of color across their muzzle, legs, and ears.
Temperament:	They are quite calm rabbits that are docile and gentle creatures

BREED CHARACTERISTICS

They have a decent sized litter and the females make very good mothers. Most rabbits have good maternal instincts and some breeds can be a bit testy and protective when they have young. They can also be uncharacteristically moody during mating season.
Their young open their eyes around 7 to 14 days with an average of 10 days after birth. When their eyes have opened, they can start to be introduced to food such as alfa pellets and water.
Even when the young start to eat it does not mean they are quite ready to be weaned from their mothers. The mothers will know when it is time to wean her young. It is important for the baby rabbit’s health, growth, immune system and development of a proper digestive system that they do not be removed from their mother for at least 8 weeks. They usually require her milk for a minimum of 8 weeks after birth.
Their average lifespan is 5 to 8 years although there have been some breeds that have lived to 10 years with the proper care.

Good Pets?	They are good for the novice, elderly, families with children and singles. They can also be both an indoor or outdoor pet.
Child Friendly?	Children should be supervised around animals and properly taught how to look after them and handle them. Rabbits can bite and scratch
Ideal Climate:	All climates – rabbits should never be left outside without proper shelter and housing that must be raised off the ground and predator safe.
Conservation Status:	Not Listed by the *ALC Status/Rarity: They are not listed by the American Livestock Conservancy
Recognized by the ARBA?	Yes, they are recognized in a few color variations by the American Rabbit Breeders Association.
Rabbit Associations/Clubs:	American Himalayan Rabbit Association
Where to buy them?	A good place to find information about the breed and breeders is to contact the American Himalayan Rabbit Association. The USA Rabbit Breeders Directory is a useful resource to find breeders, clubs, and information about the breed.
Note: *ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy

GENERAL INFORMATION

For a slicker more glossy or shiny pelt, it is advisable to groom them every two to three weeks. During the molting season, it is advisable to groom rabbits every week to remove stray hairs.

Rabbits can be quite lively and energetic and need quite a bit of exercise and stimulation. It is a good idea to have a nice safe and secure run for them to play in and stretch their legs.

Toys, tubes and various obstacle courses for them is a good way to help them expend some of their energy and they are really fun to watch at play.

They are also sociable animals that do like to have a friend or two to play with.

Regular health and critter check once a week or every second week should become a habit. This will help to keep your rabbit(s) in excellent condition and health. Grooming does not require a lot if their coats are low maintenance. But it is a good idea to give them a nice gentle brushing to help remove any excess hairs regardless of the length of their coats.

It is also a good idea to check on the state of their teeth to ensure that they are not too long and causing the rabbit any discomfort.
Rabbits teeth never stop growing and getting fresh hay on a regular basis helps to control the growth of their teeth.

Rabbits need a good diet of quality pellets that are filled with their daily nutritional requirements. They do love dandelions, cabbage and various fruits as a nice tasty treat.

Rabbits that have quite a short coat are not really at risk for most of the digestive problems long fur seem to cause rabbits. They can still get other ailments such as flystrike, ear mites or overgrown teeth. These can all be controlled/maintained or avoided altogether with the proper health and grooming care of the rabbit(s).

If you have two rabbits and do not want to breed them it is possible to spay female rabbits and neuter male rabbits.
The females can be spayed as young as four months old, but vets prefer to wait until they are at least six months old before doing so.
The young males can be neutered as young as found months old.

Rabbits, just like any other pet, should be dewormed on a regular basis. Check with your local vet for proper guidance on the administering of worm medication to your animals.

HISTORY

The Himalayan Rabbit breed is said to be one of the oldest rabbit breeds although its origins are not really that well known.
They are known by so many names all over the world that it is quite hard to establish most of its history.

In the United States, the Himalayans first arrived from England in the early 1900s. Where they were mainly raised for their valuable fur and to show. It was said that they had the best fur of all the rabbit breeds back then and they were known as the Ermine fur of rabbits.