What’s the difference? Why does it matter? These are important questions that you should be asking and I’m going to answer them today.

Purebred

A lot of breeders say they breed purebred rabbits. And almost all of them do. However a pure bred rabbit is simply two idividuals from the same breed bred together. That is it. So basically a purebred rabbit could be from any breeder, good or bad as long as they are breeding within the same breed.

Pedigreed

A pedigreed rabbit is from a breeder that breeds purebred rabbits and keeps track of their ancestral lineage. Pedigrees go back 3-4 generations and they include information about each rabbit on the pedigree, including but not limited to each rabbit’s date of birth, their ear tattoo, their color, any winnings they have and their weight. Most reputable breeders will keep pedigrees although not every rabbit they sell may have a pedigree.

Why is that?
Because they don’t want someone to show/breed a rabbit that has a disqualification, or is a pet quality rabbit. This helps prevent people from breeding rabbits unethically.

However, you may run across breeders who charge $5-15dollars for a pedigree on top of the purchase price. This is fine as making a pedigree does take quite a chunk of work. But in no case should you ever be asked to pay above $15 for a pedigree. If someone is charging above that, the chances are something fishy is going on. I hope this was informational for you as you go on your journey to to find the perfect rabbit!