09/24/2026
Something I’ve Been Thinking About in the Rabbit Hobby 🐰
This is something I’ve personally noticed more and more lately, and I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit.
I see a lot of people buying really nice rabbits from established breeders, showing those rabbits, winning with them, and being proud of those wins—which is completely understandable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with purchasing quality stock from another breeder. Almost every breeding program has to start somewhere, and good foundation animals can make a huge difference.
But to me, one of the most rewarding parts of this hobby is what happens after you buy that rabbit.
Are you studying that rabbit? Are you learning its strengths and weaknesses? Are you pairing it thoughtfully? Are you trying to produce something even better in the next generation? Are you working toward your own consistent line instead of relying on someone else’s breeding program forever?
Personally, that is what breeding and showing mean to me.
With my American Fuzzy Lops I’ve worked incredibly hard over the years to improve my own line. I’ve paid attention to type, balance, quality, and the things I personally needed to strengthen in my herd. It didn’t happen overnight. There were breedings that worked, breedings that didn’t, rabbits I kept longer to see how they developed, and plenty of learning along the way.
And honestly, one of the proudest feelings in this hobby is walking up to the judging table with a rabbit that I bred and raised myself and watching that rabbit compete successfully.
Some of my homegrown American Fuzzy Lops are now beating rabbits that originally helped establish my program including rabbits that are already Grand Champions. To me, that is such a rewarding feeling because it shows me that the years of studying, making breeding decisions, and trying to improve generation after generation are actually paying off.
Winning with a rabbit you bought is exciting.
But winning with something you produced because of the decisions you made as a breeder feels completely different.
For me, breeding isn’t just about owning the nicest rabbit I can find. It’s about asking, What can I build from this? It’s about creating consistency, improving weaknesses, preserving strengths, and hopefully leaving the breed a little better than when you started.
I think there’s also something valuable about eventually being able to look at a rabbit on the table and recognize your own program in it the head, the body, the coat, the balance, the overall look you’ve been working toward for years.
That’s the part of the hobby I love most.
Everyone has different goals, and there’s nothing wrong with simply enjoying showing rabbits. But personally, I don’t want my accomplishments to stop at what another breeder produced. I want to keep learning, keep improving, and see how far my own homegrown animals can go.
And seeing that progress happening in my American Fuzzy Lops right now makes me incredibly proud of how far my program has come.
And because every program has a beginning… here’s just a cute little photo of Harlow’s GC Trinka, one of my very first American Fuzzy Lops and one of the rabbits who helped get me started in this breed. ❤️ She’ll always be a special part of the story behind my program.
