Is your rabbit cute or ugly?

It’s a topic that can cause some tension in rabbit groups on social media. Some people, for example, have an aversion to REWs (Red-eyed whites), saying red eyes are too creepy looking on a rabbit. Others insist all bunnies are equally adorable! Or as they say, “Everyone thinks their rabbit is the cutest, and they’re all right.”

Well, scientists found a reason to find out if there really is a preference for some rabbits over others.

About the Study

In October 2019, researchers published the results of a survey they completed in Animals, an international scientific journal.

Their goal was to find out what type of rabbit people like best. This would hopefully explain why rabbits have been slowly bred to look different than their wild counterparts. The flatter, shorter faces that domestic rabbits tend to have, can lead to painful dental problems.

My own veterinarian has commented that Baby, my lionhead rabbit, is more susceptible to dental issues because of his face shape.

Researchers got back 20,858 online surveys from people around the world. Participants were asked to rate 25 rabbits based on their faces in selected photos.

What features do the cutest bunnies have?

Through statistical data, the researchers found these are the most preferred features:

• Mildly flat faces
• Non-lopped ears
• Soft, medium-light fur
• Generally shorter fur

This was a bit different than the researchers expected. The very shortened faces that are generally considered “baby-like” were not universally preferred. There were also a decent amount of people who disliked some of the rabbits that looked too fluffy.

When deciding whether a bunny photo was cute, how soft a rabbit looked had the biggest impact, and the shape of a rabbits face was the second biggest impact.

What can we learn from this study?

There’s a lot of aspects of domestic rabbits that are unexplored by science. We should all take this research (although a fun concept on the surface) seriously.

Governments and Researchers

There isn’t a lot of global regulations surrounding pet rabbits.

This is very different from rules about breeding and treatment of dogs. Because of all the evidence about the negative impact shorter snouts, the Dutch Government actually decided to end the breeding of pugs!

Face shapes can have an even more extreme effect on rabbits, but not enough research have been done to accomplish the same progress.

Breeders

Researchers suggested breeders take this data into consideration. Why breed rabbits to have medically dangerous flat faces when mildly flat faces are preferred by buyers anyway?

Rabbits with lop ears also tend to have more health issues, especially dental problems, because of their skull and jaw shapes. For the health of the domestic species overall, researchers suggested breeders focus on bunnies whose ears stand up, like Havana rabbits.

Bunny Owners

Pet owners and perspective pet owners can be more mindful about the power of the cuteness.

Despite campaigns aimed at thoughtfulness, rabbits are impulse buys for many. One study done in 2011 found out of 52 rabbit owners, 18% decided to buy the rabbit on the same day. It’s important to look past rabbits’ beautiful faces and understand the commitment.

Source

Harvey, Naomi D., et al. “What Makes a Rabbit Cute? Preference for Rabbit Faces Differs according to Skull Morphology and Demographic Factors.” Animals [Basel], vol. 9, no. 10, 2019. Gale In Context: Science, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A617714650/GPS?u=mlin_w_wilbrapl&sid=GPS&xid=f223e41b. Accessed 22 Jan. 2021.