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Are Lop Eared Rabbits Friendly? Calm, With a Health Cost

Lops are genuinely placid and easier to handle than most breeds — and the same skull shape causes ear and dental problems. The honest trade.

By Zakaria 2 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
A fawn lop sitting on grass with both ears hanging either side of its head
Photo: Paul_Henri, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay
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Lops really are the calmest rabbits. The skull shape that makes the ears fall is also why they get more ear infections and more dental disease than any upright-eared breed.

The trade, stated plainly

lopupright-eared breed
Temperamentcalmer, more handleablemore reactive
Startle responsereducednormal
Ear infectionsmarkedly higherlower
Wax impactionhigheruncommon
Dental diseasehigherlower
Routine care neededear and tooth checksstandard

What to watch for

signlikely
Head shaking, scratching an earear infection or wax impaction
Head tiltadvanced ear infection — urgent
Dropping food, wet chindental disease
Eating pellets but refusing haydental pain
Discharge or smell from the earinfection

Head tilt is an emergency

A rabbit holding its head to one side needs a vet the same day. In a lop the commonest cause is an inner-ear infection that has progressed, and the outcome depends heavily on how quickly it is treated.

If you want the temperament without the risk

Mini Rex, Dutch and Himalayan are upright-eared breeds with good reputations for calmness, and they carry neither the narrowed ear canal nor the crowded jaw. A rescue adult of any breed is the other honest answer — temperament is already visible in a grown rabbit, which it is not in a kit.

Sit on the floor rather than lifting

A rabbit that approaches you is relaxed; one held off the ground usually is not, whatever the breed. Reserve lifting for carrier transfers and health checks, support the hindquarters fully when you do, and the relationship goes better for both of you.

Common questions

Are lop eared rabbits friendly?

Generally yes — lops have a deserved reputation as the calmest and most handleable rabbits, and Holland and Mini Lops in particular are among the most tolerant of being picked up. Part of that is temperament and part is simple physiology: with ears down, a lop detects less of what is happening around it, so it startles less than an upright-eared rabbit. The friendliness is real; the reason for it is not entirely flattering.

What is the health trade-off?

The skull shape that produces the lopped ear also produces narrowed ear canals and a shortened, more crowded jaw. The consequences are a markedly higher rate of ear infections and wax impaction, and a higher rate of dental disease from misaligned teeth. Studies of UK veterinary records have found lops considerably more likely than upright-eared rabbits to be diagnosed with both. It is a known, predictable cost of the breed rather than bad luck.

Does that mean I should not get one?

Not necessarily — it means going in informed and budgeting for it. A lop needs its ears checked regularly for wax and discharge, its teeth checked by a vet at least annually, and an owner who recognises head tilt, head shaking, scratching at the ear, or dropping food as problems to act on rather than quirks. Pet insurance is more worthwhile for a lop than for most breeds.

Which lop breed is the best pet?

The Mini Lop and Holland Lop are the most common and most consistently good-tempered, at a size one person can handle easily. The French Lop is large — 4.5 kg and up — and generally placid but needs real space and strength to handle. Mini Rex and Dutch, which are not lops, are worth considering if you want the temperament without the ear and dental risk.

Do rabbits actually like being held?

Most do not, lops included. A rabbit is a prey animal and being lifted off the ground mimics being taken by a predator — the stillness people read as contentment is often fear. Lops tolerate it better than most, which is not the same as enjoying it. The better approach with any rabbit is to sit on the floor and let it come to you, and to reserve lifting for health checks and carrier transfers.

Are lops good with children?

Better than most breeds, with the same caveat as any rabbit: they are not a pick-up-and-cuddle animal, and a startled rabbit kicks hard enough to injure its own spine. Supervised floor-level interaction works. A child who wants to carry a pet around is better matched to something other than a rabbit, whatever the breed's reputation.

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