White Rabbit Breeds | The Complete UK Guide

Explore the most popular white rabbit breeds, from red and blue-eyed whites to small, black-eyed varieties, plus a full UK owner's care guide.

White rabbit breeds guide featuring a red-eyed white rabbit on grass

White rabbit breeds range from red-eyed albinos to striking blue and black-eyed varieties.

There is something quietly magical about a rabbit with a coat as white as fresh snow. Across rabbit shows, pet shops and cosy UK households, white rabbit breeds have earned a devoted following, prized for their striking looks and, in many cases, their gentle, easy-going temperaments. Yet not every white rabbit is the same underneath that snowy coat. Some carry deep red eyes, others a piercing shade of blue, and a select few have dark eyes framed by delicate black markings.

This guide walks through the most popular white rabbit breeds, explains the genetics behind their colouring, and offers a few pointers on keeping one happy and healthy in a British home. For a broader look at bunny varieties beyond the white ones, our rabbit breeds guide covers the full spectrum of popular pet rabbits kept across the UK.

Why Are Some Rabbits Completely White?

Comparison of red-eyed, blue-eyed and black-eyed white rabbit varieties

Red, blue and black eyes in white rabbits each come from a different gene.

Before getting into the individual white rabbit breeds and their characteristics, it helps to understand what actually makes a rabbit's coat turn out pure white, because the answer varies more than most people expect. Colouring in rabbits comes down to a handful of genes, and white fur can be produced in at least three genetically distinct ways.

Red-eyed whites, sometimes called ruby-eyed whites, are true albinos. Their colouring comes from a pair of recessive genes at what breeders call the C locus, which switches off pigment production almost entirely. Because there is no melanin in the iris to absorb light, what an owner actually sees is the colour of the blood vessels behind the eye, giving that unmistakable pink-red glow. This is the genetic story behind most white rabbits breeds with red eyes, including well-known names like the New Zealand White and the Florida White.

Blue-eyed whites work rather differently. Their colouring is governed by the Vienna gene rather than the albino gene, and a rabbit needs two copies of it to appear fully white. Unlike true albinos, blue-eyed whites retain a trace of pigment in the iris, just enough to scatter light and produce that striking blue tone rather than pink. The White Vienna and some lines of the White Beveren are classic examples of white rabbits with blue eyes breeds.

Then there are the dark or near-black-eyed whites, which are not albino at all. Breeds such as the Blanc de Hotot and Dwarf Hotot carry a normal amount of eye pigment, giving them deep brown eyes that can look almost black, framed by their famous eyeliner rings of black fur. These are the closest thing rabbit fancy has to a genuine white rabbits with black eyes breed, and they tend to be the ones that catch a stranger's eye at a county show.

Is it normal for white rabbits to have red eyes? Yes, entirely. It simply reflects the absence of pigment rather than any underlying health problem, though red-eyed rabbits are more sensitive to bright light and benefit from some shade outdoors. Our rabbit health and safety guide goes into more detail on protecting sensitive eyes and skin, whatever colouring your rabbit happens to carry.

The Most Popular White Rabbit Breeds

From compact show rabbits to gentle giants, here is a closer look at some of the different white rabbit breeds most commonly kept as pets and exhibited across Britain, Europe and North America. Our full breeds section has further profiles if you would like to compare white varieties against other coat colours.

New Zealand White

Large, calm and endlessly patient, the New Zealand White is one of the most recognisable white rabbit breeds names in the fancy. It typically carries the red-eyed albino gene, weighs a substantial eight to twelve pounds, and has a reputation for being an unusually sociable companion that enjoys being handled and adapts well to a variety of homes.

Florida White

The Florida White is a compact, easy-going breed popular with first-time owners.

Originally developed for laboratory use before finding its way into family homes, the Florida White is a small to medium breed with a compact, sturdy build and the same red-eyed colouring. Owners tend to describe the breed as easy-going and well suited to first-time rabbit keepers, needing only moderate space to thrive.

Blanc de Hotot

The Blanc de Hotot is arguably the most distinctive of all the white rabbit breeds, thanks to its thin bands of black fur circling each dark eye. Bred in Normandy in the early twentieth century, it remains a rare and somewhat endangered breed, but its striking appearance has made it a favourite among enthusiasts who want something a little different from the usual red or blue-eyed white.

Dwarf Hotot

A smaller cousin of the Blanc de Hotot, the Dwarf Hotot shares that same eyeliner marking but in a compact frame weighing only two to three pounds. It is playful, energetic and often recommended among small white rabbit breeds for owners with limited space, though its lively character means it needs plenty of daily interaction.

English Angora

Recognisable by its long, wool-like coat, the English Angora can appear in a striking white variety with either red or blue eyes depending on the line. The breed is calm and undemanding in temperament, though its fur requires regular grooming to prevent matting, something our rabbit care and grooming guide covers in detail.

White Beveren

A large breed with a glossy white coat and a soft blue sheen, the White Beveren is known for being unusually docile even by rabbit standards, which makes it a popular choice for households with gentle, considerate children.

Britannia Petite

The energetic Britannia Petite is known in Britain as the Polish rabbit.

Known in Britain as the Polish rabbit, the Britannia Petite is a small, energetic breed with a fine white coat and an alert, upright stance. It tends to be livelier and more highly strung than some of the larger white breeds, so it suits owners who enjoy an active, interactive pet rather than a lap companion.

American White

Sturdy and friendly, the American White was originally bred for commercial purposes but is now most often kept simply as a companion animal. It gets along well with children and other household pets, and its calm nature makes it a sensible choice for beginners.

White Vienna

Medium in size with a plush white coat and clear blue eyes, the White Vienna is one of the breeds most closely associated with the Vienna gene responsible for blue-eyed whites. Its docile, easy-going nature makes it a reliable choice for families looking for a calm, handle able pet.

Himalayan

A slightly different case, the Himalayan is mostly white but carries dark points on its nose, ears, feet and tail, along with red eyes from the same albino gene family. It is one of the oldest recognised rabbit breeds and remains popular for its calm, gentle disposition and manageable size.

Small White Rabbit Breeds for Compact Homes

Group of small white rabbit breeds sitting together in a hutch

Compact breeds like the Dwarf Hotot and Britannia Petite suit smaller homes.

Not every household has room for a giant rabbit, and several small white rabbit breeds make excellent companions in more modest spaces. The Dwarf Hotot, Britannia Petite and the red-eyed white variety of the Netherland Dwarf are among the most popular choices, typically weighing under four pounds fully grown. Despite their size, these breeds are not necessarily easier to care for. Smaller rabbits can be more highly strung and often need just as much daily exercise and mental stimulation as their larger cousins, along with careful, confident handling.

Caring for a White Rabbit at Home

Whatever white rabbit breed you choose, the fundamentals of good care remain much the same as for any other colouring. Fresh hay should make up the bulk of the diet, supplemented with leafy greens and a modest amount of good-quality pellets, a topic our rabbit food and nutrition guide explains in full.

Red-eyed rabbits in particular benefit from shaded areas when housed outdoors, since their eyes are more sensitive to strong sunlight than those of pigmented breeds. Regular grooming matters too, especially for the wool-coated Angora varieties, and our care and grooming guide walks through brushing routines and seasonal moulting in more depth. If you are weighing up a rabbit against another small companion animal, our sister site's cat breeds section is worth a browse, since coat and eye colour genetics follow strikingly similar patterns across species.

A Sweet Aside: White Rabbit Sweets

Traditional White Rabbit milk candy in classic wrapper packaging

White Rabbit Creamy Candy is a popular Chinese sweet, unrelated to the rabbit breed.

Anyone searching for white rabbit breeds online will occasionally stumble across a very different kind of white rabbit altogether: the iconic Chinese sweet. White Rabbit Creamy Candy has been produced in Shanghai since 1943 and remains one of China's best-known confectionery brands, each piece wrapped in an edible rice-paper layer beneath its familiar packaging.

The sweets briefly disappeared from shelves in several countries, including the UK, in 2008, after testing revealed traces of melamine linked to a wider contamination scandal in Chinese dairy products at the time. Following stricter manufacturing and testing standards, White Rabbit sweets returned to international shelves under closer scrutiny and are now generally regarded as safe to eat when bought from a reputable retailer.

It is an entertaining bit of trivia, but worth stressing that these sweets have nothing to do with the rabbit breeds discussed above, and chocolate, sugary treats and dairy-based sweets of any kind should never be fed to a pet rabbit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of bunnies are white?

White rabbits generally fall into three genetic groups: red-eyed albino whites such as the New Zealand White and Florida White, blue-eyed whites carrying the Vienna gene like the White Vienna, and dark-eyed whites such as the Blanc de Hotot, which are not albino at all.

Is it normal for white rabbits to have red eyes?

Yes. Red eyes in a white rabbit simply indicate a complete absence of pigment rather than a health issue, though these rabbits do need extra protection from bright sunlight and strong artificial light.

How rare is a white bunny with red eyes?

Red-eyed whites are actually one of the more common forms of white rabbit, since the albino gene appears in many established breeds. True blue-eyed and dark-eyed whites tend to be rarer, particularly breeds like the Blanc de Hotot, which is considered an endangered variety in several countries.

What are the most popular white rabbit breeds?

The New Zealand White, Florida White, Blanc de Hotot, English Angora and White Vienna are among the most widely kept white rabbit breeds, prized for their striking looks and generally gentle temperaments.

What sweets do rabbits like?

Pet rabbits should never be given sweets of any kind, including chocolate or sugary treats, as these can seriously upset their digestion. Safe, occasional treats include small pieces of apple, banana or carrot, always given sparingly alongside a hay-based diet.

Final Thoughts

From the ruby-eyed New Zealand White to the black-eyeliner charm of the Blanc de Hotot, white rabbit breeds offer a genuinely varied group of companions once you look past the shared coat colour. Whichever variety catches your eye, the basics of good rabbit care stay much the same: plenty of hay, regular company, and a watchful eye on those sensitive white-furred features.