At a glance the quick version
UK breed page gives an ideal weight of 4-5 kg; another guide gives 7.5-10 lb (about 3.4-4.5 kg).
Coat and looks how to spot one
dense, soft silvered fur about 3 cm long; lop-eared
Looks like a lighter-built French Lop, with a compact, slightly long body, a rounded back and long ears hanging beside a rounded head. Its soft, dense coat is sprinkled with silver-tipped hairs that give it a shimmering look, something unusual among lops.312
Personality what they are like
Known for a calm, gentle nature, yet often a little livelier and more playful than other lops. It tends to enjoy attention, stroking and play sessions with its people.21
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Needs daily playtime and space to move around outside its sleeping area.14
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Can live indoors or outdoors. Brush the dense coat regularly, and more often during moults, and check nails routinely.1
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. A spacious enclosure is a must for a rabbit of this size.41
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.41
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.4
The story where it all began
The Meissner Lop comes from the area around Meissen in Saxony, where breeders crossed lop rabbits with silvered breeds to create a lop with a silvered coat. One account credits Leopold Reck around 1900, while the UK breed page places its creation in the late 1920s or early 1930s and says it reached Britain soon after.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
Recognised by the official bits
- British Rabbit Council
- Recognised breed, looked after by the Rare Varieties Rabbit Club.3
- British Rabbit Council
- Listed under the Rare Varieties Rabbit Club.2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Meissner Lop. 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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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 [email protected] and we will fix it.
- PetGuide: Meissner Lop petguide.comused for history, breeder, weight, coat, colours, temperament, care
- Fur & Feather: Meissner Lop furandfeather.co.ukused for origin dates, weight, colours, temperament, club
- Meissner Lop (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.orgused for BRC recognition, comparison with French Lop
- RSPCA: Rabbit environment rspca.org.ukused for space, diet, companionship
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.