At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
normal fur
A small, neat rabbit in a soft pale blue-grey with a faint brownish haze, most visible on the head and feet. Unlike the related Perlfee it has no pearly tipping on the hair ends.12
Personality what they are like
A friendly rabbit with a lively, cheerful nature.3
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Needs daily time out of any hutch or cage to run, hop, stretch and dig, plus toys, forage trays or puzzle feeders to keep it busy.5
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
A short normal coat needs only a weekly brush, a little more often while moulting. Keep plenty of hay available so the constantly growing teeth wear down naturally.5
Home where they are happiest
The RSPCA recommends a living area of at least 3 m x 2 m x 1 m high so a rabbit can move, play, hide and stand up fully; a hutch alone is not enough and works only as a base joined to a large run or free-roam space.5
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Unlimited fresh hay as the main food, a daily portion of leafy greens, a small measured amount of rabbit pellets, carrots and fruit only as occasional treats, and constant fresh water.5
Company who they like around
Rabbits are social animals and the RSPCA advises keeping them with at least one compatible neutered rabbit companion, plus calm daily contact with people. Lift them with the back and bottom supported.5
The story where it all began
Breeding started in Marburg, Germany, in the 1910s: German Wikipedia credits a breeder named Sandemann, who in 1912 found an odd-coloured kit in a Havana litter, while Omlet describes crosses of Vienna Blues with Havanas and then with pale black Silvers. The aim was a pelt resembling Siberian squirrel fur, and the breed was recognised in Germany in 1916 or 1920, depending on the source.132
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Its name joins its home town of Marburg with 'Feh', the fur-trade term for Siberian squirrel pelts it was meant to imitate.1
- 2
It helped create the Lux rabbit breed.3
- 3
The same colouring is known as Lilac in Britain and appears as a slightly lighter strain called Gouwenaar in the Netherlands.1
- 4
It is almost unknown outside mainland Europe.3
Recognised by the official bits
- Germany
- German Wikipedia dates official recognition to 1916; Omlet gives 1920.1
- Germany
- Officially recognised in Germany in 1920.3
- British Rabbit Council
- Listed as BRC-recognised in the Wikipedia breed list; German Wikipedia notes that the breed is known in Britain as the Lilac. The BRC standards index has no entry under the Marburger name.4
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Marburger Feh. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- BrushingDaily while moultingevery week
- 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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Lilac Rabbit
Perlfee
Havana RabbitLike what we are building? Buy us a coffee.
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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.
- Marburger Feh - Wikipedia (German) de.wikipedia.orgused for origin, history, breeder, recognition, weight, colour, name origin, other names
- Feh de Marbourg - Wikipédia (French) fr.wikipedia.orgused for origin, colour description, date
- Marburger Rabbit - Omlet omlet.co.ukused for history, recognition, weight, temperament, Lux link, distribution
- List of rabbit breeds - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for weight range, colour, BRC listing
- Rabbits - RSPCA rspca.org.ukused for space, diet, social and enrichment guidance
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.