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Is there a hairless bunny breed?
No. The American Rabbit Breeders Association recognises more than 50 breeds, and not one is hairless. The shortest coat on the list is the Rex, whose fur is short, dense and velvety, but still a full coat. If you see a photo online of a "hairless bunny breed", it is almost always one of the situations below, not a breed you can buy.
Some people also mix up rabbits with hairless guinea pigs. Skinny pigs and Baldwin guinea pigs are real, bred types of guinea pig. There is no rabbit version.
Why is my baby rabbit hairless?
Because all rabbits are born that way. SPCA New Zealand says kits are born without fur, blind and deaf, and start to grow fur two or three days after birth. Their eyes and ears open around day ten. A nest of pink, wriggling babies tucked into the mother's pulled fur is exactly what you should see.
- Kits are warm, round-bellied and huddled together in the nest
- A fuzz of fur appears within the first few days
- Eyes open at around 10 days
- Kits start nibbling solid food at around 3 weeks
Ring a vet if one kit stays bald while the rest grow fur, if a kit feels cold, or if bellies look flat and wrinkled. SPCA New Zealand suggests a hot water bottle under a blanket beside the nest for cold kits, never in it.
Are furless rabbits real?
Yes, but they are very rare. MediRabbit, a vet-written rabbit health reference, describes two kinds of hairlessness that rabbits can be born with:
- Juvenile hair loss. A young rabbit thins out or loses fur over much of its body. The cause is not well understood, and the fur often grows back within a few weeks.
- Inherited furlessness. When the fur never grows back, MediRabbit links it to a rare recessive gene. These rabbits keep only a few coarse guard hairs and are sensitive to cold.
A furless rabbit needs a vet to rule out other causes first, then extra care: a warm indoor home, soft bedding, and protection from sun and scrapes. Nobody should breed for this, because a rabbit's coat is its weather protection.
Why is my rabbit losing fur?
An adult rabbit going bald is showing a symptom, not a breed trait. PetMD says no age, breed or sex is more likely to get it. PDSA calls stress a very common cause. This table brings together what PDSA, PetMD and MediRabbit list, and what each usually looks like.
| Cause | What you might see | How urgent |
|---|---|---|
| Fur pulling by a companion (barbering) | Neat bald or clipped patches on the back, head or shoulders of one rabbit; skin looks healthy | Vet visit and a look at space and bonding |
| Stress or boredom | Rabbit pulls its own fur, often the flanks or belly | Vet visit within days |
| Fur mites | Dandruff that seems to move ("walking dandruff"), often along the back | Vet visit within days |
| Ear mites | Crusty ears, head shaking, bald skin round the ears | Vet visit within days |
| Fleas or ticks | Scratching, black specks in the fur, a tick on the ears or neck | Vet visit within days |
| Ringworm (a fungus) | Round, crusty, red patches, often starting on the head | Vet visit; can spread to people |
| Wet or dirty bottom, urine scald | Bald, red, sore skin round the tail and back legs | Same day in warm weather (flystrike risk) |
| Sore hocks | Bald, pink or scabby patches under the back feet | Vet visit within days |
| Hormones or false pregnancy | A doe pulling belly or chest fur to build a nest | Normal if she doesn't go bald; ask about spaying |
| Arthritis or pain | Overgrooming one spot, or fur loss where the rabbit can no longer reach to groom | Vet visit within days |
| Skin infection, abscess or tumour | A lump, wound or smelly patch with fur missing over it | Vet visit within a day or two |
Bald, wet or dirty skin at the back end in warm weather can mean flystrike, where flies lay eggs that hatch into maggots in the skin. PDSA calls it life-threatening, and hair loss round the rear end is an early sign. Check the bottom now, and if you see maggots or eggs, ring a vet at once, day or night.
Is it moulting or fur loss?
Moulting is normal: rabbits change their coat a few times a year. PDSA says they usually shed in large tufts but should not go bald. The difference is the skin underneath.
| Normal moult | Fur loss that needs a vet |
|---|---|
| Fur comes out in tufts, often with a "tide line" of new coat | Bare skin with no new fur coming through |
| Skin underneath is pale and smooth | Skin is red, flaky, crusty, wet or scabbed |
| Rabbit is not itchy | Rabbit scratches, chews itself or shakes its head |
| Eating, drinking and droppings are normal | Other changes: quieter, eating less, smaller droppings |
During a moult, brush daily with a soft brush. Rabbits groom like cats but can't bring fur back up, so swallowed fur adds to the risk of gut slowdown. Plenty of hay keeps it moving.
When should I call a vet about a bald rabbit?
PDSA says to see a vet whenever a rabbit starts losing fur, because some causes are irritating or painful. PetMD says to go straight away if you see any of these:
- Open wounds, bleeding or sores
- Skin that seems painful to touch, or sore feet
- Urine scald or a wet, dirty bottom
- Maggots or fly eggs anywhere on the body
- Not eating, not passing droppings, or sitting hunched and quiet
Our guide to rabbit health and signs of illness covers the other warning signs worth knowing.
What will the vet do?
Expect questions about diet, bedding, housing and any companion, then a close look at the skin. PetMD lists the usual tests: a skin scraping or tape strip for mites, a look at skin cells under the microscope for bacteria or yeast, a fungal culture or UV lamp check for ringworm, and blood tests if a body-wide cause is suspected.
- Don't bathe your rabbit first. PetMD advises against it, because washing can remove what the vet needs to see. Bathing also chills and stresses rabbits.
- Take photos. A picture of the bald patch every few days shows whether it is spreading.
- Write down the basics. Note the food, bedding, any new products, and whether the rabbit lives indoors or out.
- Bring the companion if you can. If barbering or mites are possible, the vet may want to check both rabbits.
Treatment depends on the cause: parasite treatment from the vet for mites or fleas, antifungals for ringworm, and fixing the cause of a wet bottom. PetMD says most cases improve within one to three weeks, with full regrowth taking several weeks more.
How can I help my rabbit's coat at home?
While you wait for the vet and afterwards, these all help, and none of them hides symptoms:
- Clean, dry, soft bedding, with wet patches changed daily (see our rabbit bedding guide)
- Unlimited hay and a measured amount of pellets, to keep weight healthy so your rabbit can reach to groom
- Enough space and things to do, which cuts stress and barbering (ideas in our rabbit enrichment guide)
- A twice-daily bottom check from spring to autumn
- No flea or skin products made for cats or dogs unless your vet says so
If one rabbit in a pair has a neat bald patch and the other has a perfect coat, the full-coated one may be doing the trimming. More space and a second hay station often help, and our rabbit bonding guide explains how pairs settle their pecking order.
A rabbit with thin fur also feels the weather more. Our rabbit temperature guide shows how to keep it comfortable, and our complete rabbit care guide covers everything else.
Hairless rabbits: common questions
Is there a hairless rabbit breed?
No. The American Rabbit Breeders Association recognises more than 50 breeds and none of them is hairless; the shortest coat is the velvety Rex. Rare furless rabbits do exist because of a recessive gene, and MediRabbit describes them as sensitive to cold, but they are a genetic oddity, not a breed anyone should set out to create.
Are baby rabbits born hairless?
Yes. Kits are born without fur, blind and deaf. SPCA New Zealand says fur starts to grow two or three days after birth and the eyes and ears open around day ten. A nest of pink, hairless babies is normal. One that stays bald while its littermates grow fur needs a vet.
Is a hairless rabbit in pain?
It can be. Mites, fungal infections, urine scald and flystrike can all make the skin itchy, sore or infected, and PDSA says some causes of fur loss are irritating or painful. Red, flaky, wet or scabby skin, scratching, or a rabbit that flinches when touched all mean a vet visit.
Will my rabbit's fur grow back?
Usually. PDSA says fur loss in rabbits is often treatable and rarely permanent, and PetMD says most cases improve within one to three weeks of treatment, with full regrowth taking several weeks more. Fur over scars or badly damaged follicles may never fully return.
Can rabbits catch hair loss from each other?
Some causes spread. Fur mites, fleas and ringworm pass between rabbits, and ringworm can spread to people. If one rabbit in a pair has bald patches, have both checked, and wash your hands after handling them until your vet tells you what it is.
Why is my rabbit's bottom bald?
Most often because it is staying wet or dirty. PDSA says a wet bottom for more than a few days often leads to hair loss, urine scald and infected skin. Common reasons include being overweight, arthritis, dental pain or a bladder problem. Bald, damp skin at the back end in warm weather is a flystrike risk, so call a vet today.
