Originally developed as a smaller meat rabbit and for laboratory purposes, the Florida White rabbit is more popular as a pet and show rabbit. With completely white coats and albino red eyes, the Florida White is a quintessential rabbit.
So, how big do Florida White rabbits get? The Florida White is a small breed of rabbit. They have compact bodies, small bones, small heads, and small feet. The ideal weight of a senior Florida White rabbit is five pounds, but they can weigh from four to six pounds. Junior Florida White rabbits should weigh from 2.25 to 4.5 pounds.
If you are looking for a calm and quiet all-white pet rabbit, the Florida White is an ideal choice! Read on to learn more about this breed and see why these pure white bunnies make fantastic pets to people of all ages!
What Is a Florida White Rabbit?
The Florida White is a breed of domestic rabbit originally developed as a smaller rabbit for laboratory uses and a meat rabbit. This breed is also an excellent show animal and a popular pet rabbit.
The small Florida White rabbits are best known for their all-white fur and albino red eyes.
Florida White Rabbit History and Origin
The Florida White rabbit breed was developed by judge Orville Miliken, a certified rabbit show judge. Once Mr. Miliken realized that the laboratories using New Zealand rabbits as test subjects would prefer smaller rabbits to experiment on, he set on creating a new breed that would meet their needs.
In the 1960s the judge crossed an albino Dutch rabbit, a red-eyed albino Polish rabbit, and a smaller New Zealand White rabbit. Within two years Miliken started to produce a small number of all-white rabbits and that’s how the new breed was born.
The breed originator decided to name the new rabbit after his home state, and that’s how the Florida White rabbit came to be. The new breed was officially recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association ARBA in 1967.
While the Florida White rabbit breed was originally developed to serve as a laboratory and meat rabbit, nowadays they are mostly raised as show rabbits and are very popular as pets.
Florida White Rabbit Characteristics
The Florida White is a relatively small breed of rabbit with a small head, short neck, small feet, and firm flesh. When judged at rabbit shows the appearance of their bodies is the most important for show judges and carries the most points.
Although finely boned, these bunnies have a well-muscled back, shoulders, and hindquarters which is somewhat unusual for such a small rabbit. The hind part of their bodies is also somewhat wider than the shoulders.
Size, Weight, Shape
As mentioned previously the Florida White is a small rabbit with a compact body type. Adult Florida Rabbits should weigh from four to six pounds, with five pounds being the ideal weight for show purposes.
Color Varieties
As their name suggests, Florida White rabbits come in only one color and that is white with bright red eyes. The coat shouldn’t have any other colors or markings.
Coat
These rabbits have a short, dense, and soft coat that is relatively easy to groom. They typically don’t shed much, so you won’t have to worry about rabbit hairs getting embedded in your clothes and upholstery.
Like all other rabbits, the Florida White bunnies are clean animals that know how to clean their coat and remove any loose hair. However, once the shedding season starts you’ll have to give your bunny a helping hand and groom them once or twice a week.
Use a slicker brush to gently comb your rabbit’s fur, remove loose hair, and keep shedding under control.
While bathing may seem like the only way to keep your bunny’s pure white oat clean, you should never bathe a rabbit (source)! Bathing is an extremely stressful experience for rabbits and can lead to cardiac arrest. Instead, spot clean your rabbit’s coat using a damp cloth.
Lifespan
Florida White rabbits have an average lifespan of five to eight years. These small bunnies make hardy pets and can easily reach old age completely healthy if properly cared for and taken to regular veterinary checkups.
Bear in mind that spayed and neutered rabbits live longer than their unaltered counterparts so consider fixing your pet rabbit as advised by your vet (source).
Temperament
Florida Whites are generally good-natured, quiet, docile, and relaxed bunnies that make wonderful companions to people of all ages. Due to their small size and sweet demeanor, they make excellent first-time pets to younger or older children.
If you want to teach your kids what it means to be responsible for a pet and how to care for one, the Florida White bunny is a perfect choice! Unlike most other small rabbit breeds, the Florida White isn’t a bouncing ball of energy nor do they have aggressive tendencies, which makes them ideal for kids.
Depending on their individual personality, some Florida White rabbits may be slightly lazier, while others are more active. Regardless of their activity levels, all Florida Whites need a few rabbit-safe toys and a wooden block to gnaw on.
While rabbits are slightly more challenging to litter train than cats or dogs, they can still, however, learn how to use a litter box. However, litter training a rabbit is a bit different than litter training a cat.
The best way to litter train your Florida White rabbit is to place several litter boxes around your home. This way, your rabbit will have plenty of choices to do the deed and will, in time, figure out that litter boxes serve for pooping.
Florida White Rabbit Care
The Florida White is a hardy rabbit that doesn’t have any specific care needs. However, they still need a dedicated owner who will make sure that their basic needs are met. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Housing
Florida White rabbits can be kept both indoors and outdoors. However, if you plan to own one as a pet, you should consider keeping your bunny indoors only so it can interact with the whole family.
Since they are small in size, Florida Whites don’t need very big enclosures like their New Zealand cousins. For a rabbit of this size, a 24” by 36” enclosure should do just fine, but you can always go bigger.
Make sure that the cage is made from strong and durable wire and that it has a plastic or metal bottom. Standing on wires can injure your rabbit’s feet and cause sore hocks, so always choose a cage with a solid bottom.
Line the inside of the cage with shredded newspaper, wooden pellets, hay, or some other type of rabbit-safe bedding. Spot clean the bedding every day and replace it completely once a week to keep the cage clean and smelling fresh.
Diet
The diet of a Florida White rabbit is no different than the diet of any other rabbit breed and should consist of 70% high-quality timothy hay. The rest of your bunny’s diet should include a balance of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and rabbit pellets.
Besides regular meals and ample hay, your pet rabbit should also have unrestricted access to clean and fresh water.
Health
These small and hardy bunnies don’t suffer from any hereditary health problems and are considered generally healthy. However, like any other rabbit, Florida White bunnies can develop common rabbit diseases.
Overgrown teeth are one of the most common issues seen in pet rabbits and are caused by the lack of hay in a rabbit’s diet. Since rabbit teeth are growing continuously throughout their lives they need to be filed down by chewing on roughage.
Make sure to check your rabbit’s ears for wax buildup and mites regularly and clean them as instructed by your vet. If by any chance you find something out of the ordinary or your rabbit seems ill, take them to the vet as soon as possible for a complete checkup.
Florida White Rabbit Price
Pet quality Florida White rabbits on average cost from $25 to $100. On the other hand, if you plan to breed or show your rabbit be prepared to spend up to $400 for a show-quality Florida White rabbit.
Conclusion
While originally bred to serve as a smaller rabbit for laboratory uses and meat production, the Florida White became a popular pet and show rabbit. Hardy and completely white, the Florida White makes a good pet for people of all ages and can even be an excellent first-time pet for children.
Their small size coupled with their good and relaxed nature makes these bunnies amazing companions for anyone looking for a low-energy and easy to care for, furry pet.
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