At a glance the quick version
UK breed page gives 2.15-2.38 kg (4-5.25 lb); other guides give 4-5 lb or about 2.5 kg.
Coat and looks how to spot one
long, dense, silky fur (not wool); compact lop-eared body
A short, broad, well-muscled little lop with a luxurious coat about 4-5 cm long. The heavier top hairs sit over a softer undercoat, and the coat should feel silky rather than woolly.13
Personality what they are like
A friendly, playful and clever rabbit that often comes to greet familiar people and enjoys being stroked. Well-socialised Cashmere Lops are gentle and can make good family pets, and many can be litter trained.145
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Needs a few hours of safe free-roaming time each day outside its sleeping area to run, play and explore.56
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
The long coat needs regular attention: young rabbits under about five months benefit from frequent combing, and adults need grooming at least weekly, more during moults. Tease out tangles gently and keep nails trimmed. The UK breed page recommends talking to experienced breeders first.125
Home where they are happiest
Welfare guidance asks for a combined shelter and exercise area of at least 3 m x 2 m x 1 m high for a pair of medium rabbits, tall enough to stand up on the back legs and long enough to stretch out fully. It can live indoors or outdoors as long as the hutch is weatherproof and shaded.61
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Unlimited hay or grass should form the bulk of the diet, with fresh water always available, plus some leafy greens and a small measured portion of pellets.61
Company who they like around
A sociable animal that should share its home with at least one compatible rabbit, plus regular gentle time with people.61
The story where it all began
Around 1980 a Welsh breeder, Miss Turner, spotted a few Dwarf Lop babies with noticeably longer, thicker coats, and these became the start of the breed; another account links it to Holland Lop and English Angora crosses. Its soft coat reminded people of cashmere goat fibre, which gave it its name, and the British Rabbit Council recognised it in the mid-1980s.1243
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
The breed is named after the cashmere goat, because its coat felt as soft as cashmere fibre.2
- 2
It started as a surprise: long-coated babies turning up in ordinary Dwarf Lop litters.2
- 3
A smaller version, the Miniature Cashmere Lop, followed about ten years after the original.1
- 4
Content Cashmere Lops may softly grind or 'chatter' their teeth.5
Recognised by the official bits
- British Rabbit Council
- Recognised breed with a standard, separate from the Dwarf Lop since the 1980s.3
- ARBA
- Not recognised.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Cashmere Lop. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- BrushingLong wool mats quicklyevery day
- Wool trimevery 8 weeks
- Nail trimevery 6 weeks
- Teeth checkTeeth never stop growingevery week
- Fresh hayUnlimited hay every dayevery day
- Spot cleanevery day
- Full cleanevery week
- Bottom checkCheck the fur around the tail stays clean, especially in summerevery day
- Free roamAt least 4 hours of running space a dayevery day
- VaccinationsSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- PetGuide: Cashmere Lop petguide.comused for history, coat, colours, lifespan, temperament, grooming
- Fur & Feather: Cashmere Lop furandfeather.co.ukused for history, name, weight, care, colours
- Cashmere Lop (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.orgused for origin, BRC recognition, weight
- Omlet: Cashmere Lop Rabbits omlet.usused for alternative origin account, weight, temperament
- Hepper: Cashmere Lop Rabbit articles.hepper.comused for lifespan, exercise, grooming, fun fact
- RSPCA: Rabbit environment rspca.org.ukused for space, diet, companionship
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.