Rabbit Breed Profiles: The Himalayan

When I was a child, I had the good fortune of owning one of these magnificent rabbits, and I was quickly captivated by his charming personality and sleek appearance. Throughout the ages, they have been prized for their sleek fur and bred for their unique appearance, but it's the true charm of this rabbit's personality that captivates again and again. To know a Himalayan rabbit is to love them.

The History of the Himalayan Rabbit

One of the oldest breeds of rabbit in the world, the Himalayan breed can trace its roots back to ancient China, Russia and Tibet. While some say that the breed originated in the Himalayan Mountains, there's little evidence to substantiate this claim and, in truth, the true origins of this unique little rabbit have been swallowed by the sands of time. He is known by many names throughout the world, including the Chinese, the Egyptian rabbit, the Russian, and even simply "The Black Nose."

Regardless of the foundation rabbits that created this breed, two things are known to be true - that the Himalayan rabbit has been around long enough that they will almost always breed true to a certain type, and that the only variety of Himalayan that is not man-made is the black. While very unusual in appearance, this seems to have been a natural-occurring coloration in the rabbit breed.

The Himalayan rabbit first appeared in the United States somewhere around the early 1900s. Imported from England, around the same time that the Belgian Hare was introduced, they quickly gained popularity and were often kept a secondary breeds by those who bred other rabbits. In no time, they had earned the title of the Ermine furs of the rabbit world and were prized above all other rabbit fur breeds, due to the sleek white coat and pristine color of these beautiful rabbits.

The Other Varieties

As it was said earlier, the black Himalayan rabbit was the only variety to occur naturally, and without human intervention. The blue Himalayan would be the first variety created by man, when breeders decided to cross-breed other rabbits into the Himalayans, in an attempt to dilute the black color. This endeavor seems to have started in England, though it was documented that it took the breeders many years, as they found it very difficult to achieve proper body type with these cross-breeds. The first acceptable specimens were not accepted into the AHRA until 1962 and, even then, very few people were interested in the blue Himalayans. It was only through the dedicated efforts of a few select breeders that this variety managed to stay alive.

According to records, the chocolate gene was introduced to the Stateside Himalayan rabbits by crossing the Himalayans with another popular breed known as the English Spot. By this time, the four varieties of Himalayan were already recognized in England. It took a great deal of dedication and selective line breeding to create a chocolate that possessed the same body type and fur qualities of the black Himalayan, but AHRA Hall of Fame member, Ron Smelt, was determined to create this variety. Once he had the chocolate, he then bred these rabbits to the blue varieties (blue being the genetic dilute of black) and was able to create lilac Himalayans (lilacs being the diluted chocolate gene).

While the original lilacs were rejected by the Standards Committee (who did not like the dark shade of the originals), further cross breeding - this time using lilac Mini Rex rabbits, would produce the desired color. Then, with selective line-breeding to restore the proper body type, these rabbits would go on to produce the lilac Himalayan as he is known today.

The Appearance of the Himalayan Rabbit

Weighing in at a slight 2.5 to 4.5 pounds, the Himalayan rabbit is very svelte and cat-like in appearance. They are the only breed of rabbit that is classified as having the cylindrical or tube-like body shape. Unlike many breeds that are shown posed sitting up or free-moving, the unusual Himalayan is posed in a stretched out, laying position, which emphasizes their cylindrical form. It's almost amusing to watch a line-up of Himalayans all stretched out on a show table - all looking like they are relaxing and getting ready for a nap.

Himalayan rabbits have a pristinely white coat, save for their marked points - the ears, nose, feet, tail and eye circles. Their eyes can be either pink or blue-gray, and the only accepted varieties at this time are the black, blue, chocolate, and lilac.

Is a Himalayan Rabbit Right for You?

Many people find the Himalayan rabbit to be an excellent choice, for either exhibition or pet. Small in size and lightweight, they don't require a lot of space and food costs are relatively low. Additionally, the Himalayan rabbit is known for his exceptionally calm demeanor and easygoing personality. This makes him an excellent companion rabbit, who usually enjoys sitting on a person's lap, being brushed or being petted. While the breed is no longer popular for his fur, he still remains a favorite rabbit of many, throughout the world.