General Information
Common wording on Holland Lop rabbitry websites:
Buck = Male
Doe = Girl
Senior = Any bunny over six months of age
Junior = Any bunny under six months of age
Broken = A coloring that is any darker color mixed with white
Solid = Any coloring that is not in a broken pattern
SSB = Solid Senior Buck
SSD = Solid Senior Doe
SJB = Solid Junior Buck
SJD = Solid Junior Doe
BSB = Broken Senior Buck
BSD = Broken Senior Doe
BJB = Broken Junior Buck
BJD = Broken Junior Doe
Life span:
Many people do not take this into consideration but when thinking of adopting a bunny, please take into
account your new companion will live anywhere between 7 to 14+ years in age, with proper care. Most Holland
lops live wonderful lives into their 12th year.
Buck or doe?:
Probably the most common asked question. Many people have heard bucks make better pets because
does become aggressive as their hormones kick in, or that bucks are generally more friendly than does.
None of this can be further from the truth. The number one difference is the breeding, find a breeder that
considers personality as important at the breed standard itself. Many breeders while striving to produce
excellent quality show animals, along the way either do not care or do not notice that personality is not
taken into account. Also, how the animal has been raised. Has it been handled, has it been left in a cage without
human interation. A bunnies personality takes much more into account than his or her gender.
Altering:
The largest and scariest issue that comes along with pet bunny ownership. Your pet bunny MUST be altered
after 6 months of age. Neutering can run in costs of $100 to nearly $300 depending on the rabbit
veternarian, spaying a doe may be in the upper end of that. These procedures must be done by a
qualified rabbit veterinarian, as rabbits are more sensative than a normal household pet and need special care.
Altering will give your bunny a long and happy life with you. Rabbits are extremely prone to
reproductive cancers and altering will remove these risks. Please do not consider adopting a bunny if you
do not plan to alter your new companion or can not afford to have it done. Altering is for your bunnies
health.
Do bunnies need vaccines like a dog or cat?:
No, bunnies are not vaccinated in the USA currently. The only time your bunny will need to see a vet is to be
altered or because he or she is not feeling well.
What about nails?:
Yes, bunnies have nails much like other small animals (although, bunnies are NOT rodents, they are a lagomorph).
Bunnies will need their nails trimmed as they grow long or pointy, this is easy to do at home, but many owners
take their bunny to a veternarian or an experienced bunny person to have them trimmed. Bunnies nails will need
trimming roughly every three to four months.
If the bunny is taken to a vet for trimming, please speak with the
vet assisant that will likely be trimming your bunny before they do so. Many vet techs are not "well versed" in bunnies.
If a rabbit is held harshy againsts its will and struggles, the rabbit can possibly hurtselves (a rabbits body is 8% bone
mass, they can easily brake their own bones if they struggle hard enough). I have heard of vet techs seriously injuring a bunny,
in one case braking the rabbits back. Rabbits do not need to be held to trim nails. This is mostly just a warning to please speak
with whomever will be trimming your bunnies nails if you choose not to do it.
Can a rabbit be litter trained like a cat?:
Yes, you can box train your bunny! Bunnies can become full house pets without a cage.
Rabbits are a Lagomorph?:
The Lagomorphs, order Lagomorpha, are an order of mammals of which there are two families,
Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas).
Though members of order Lagomorpha can resemble rodents (order Rodentia), and were classified as
a superfamily in that order until the early twentieth century, they have since been considered a
separate order. For a time it was common to consider the lagomorphs only distant relatives of
the rodents, to whom they merely bore a superficial resemblance; however, genetic studies have
since shown that, while still distinct from rodents, they are indeed very closely related after
all.
Are bunnies noisy at night? - I work all day, will the bunny be lonely?:
For those whom plan to keep bunnies nearby or inside their bedrooms, bunnies are not active at night.
Rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk, meaning they will play most in the early morning and evening
hours. Bunnies sleep in the middle of the day and in the middle of the night. This works out wonderfully
for new owners that are home during these hours, whether you are leaving for work or for school. If you are
a late sleeper, I suggest you keep only 'soft' toys without rattles (read below about toys) in your bunnies
home. Full house bunnies (bunnies without cages that are box trained) can, and will jump on yon on your
bed, so you may want to keep a cage setup (yes, I have been woken up by my house bunny hopping on top
of me).
Can bunnies be left alone for a few days? - I go away some weekends. What if there is enough food left out for them?:
If you can have someone come and give water and food once a day, then the bunny would be fine for a weekend.
I've had a lot of clients that have summer homes and most of them just take the bunny with them (some have a cage set
up at each house, others just bring the setup). Bunnies will be fine for the weekend just as long as someone can come
and give them water and food each day.
You can not put out enough food for the weekend and leave them alone though, as some will eat the entire bowl of pellet
food at once and make themselves sick. Rabbits can have all the hay they want to eat though.
In emergency situations it is okay just to give them plenty of water and hay and one days worth of pellets if you'll be away.
They are just fine eating hay for a day or two, though it is best to not limit them very often to just hay (more so for growing
bunnies than an adult).
I just want to stress that they can be left alone, if someone can provide some care while you're away, then that's perfect,
if not then their are ways to work around it. I would not leave a bunny completely unattended loose in a home though, but a
puppy pen or a cage would be fine (with some toys and other things to keep busy).
If taking the bunny sometimes is an option, then that is great too. Rabbits love car rides and adventures too.
The only problem I can see with leaving a bunny home alone, more so in the summer time than anything else, would be the weather.
I would move the rabbit to the coolest part of the home, away from windows and such. Bunnies can have heat stress above 75 degrees.
If you're away and the bunny was in a hot house and had a heat stroke the bunny would likely pass since no one would be there to
cool the bunny down. An option for that, although I'm not big on it is to put the bunny in a room in the center of the house or near
the basement door (so the cooler air will pass by but not a draft). Generally heat strokes are extremely rare in indoor rabbits.
They normally occur above 90 degrees weather. I've not heard of a bunny having a heat stroke as a problem in a home,
I just thought I would mention it since sometimes houses can heat up a bit quickly when they are all closed up and you're away.
What is a heat stroke? signs?:
Bunnies can have a heat stroke, much like a person, but rabbits are fragile animals and domestic rabbits have very few ways to "cool" themselves
down is they overheat. Signs of a heat stroke: extreme panting, very wet nose, lathargic, shock, and even death. Overheated bunnies must be cooled down
slowly (no running cold water over them and soaking them, since as they dry the wet fur will lock in more heat!). Ice packs are the best way
to combat an over heated bunny. Soda bottles filled with water work nicely too. You lay them on the bunny to try and start cooling them down.
If you're bunny is EVER at this point though, CALL THE VET. Overly hot bunnies can dehydrate very quickly in addition to everything else. This is one
of the reasons that outdoor hutches are extremely dangerous for bunnies. An outdoor hutch can heat up very quickly, even in the shade, on a warm day.
However if the weather itself is hot and humid, rabbits are miserable in outdoor hutches and possibly being outdoors is putting the bunny in harms
way.
Housing:
Pet rabbits are to be kept indoors. You will get the most enjoyment from your bunny if he/she lives
in your home with you. Many people believe bunnies are meant to be kept outdoors in a hutch, mostly
because they have no idea what amazing and wonderful animals they can be.
Types of housing of course vary greatly. For anyone looking into a pet home, you should consider costs
of the bunny overall. Good housing will likely not be found at a local pet supply place. Caging is a major
consideration. For house bunnies you need a cage large enough to place a litter box and other supplies
into the cage and still find the bunny. For this I recommend a cage sizing 36" wide, 24" deep and at least
18" in height. You want a cage with at least two openings. A large opening on the top of the cage (for
your own ease of caring and handling your bunny) and also a door that can be opened on the side (so bunny
may come out and go back on his own when allowed too).
The next recommendation would be a wire floor. Now this sounds odd, but you do not want a solid bottom
on your bunnies cage. Any chance of the 'ground' (rather bedding) sliding out from under the bunny as he
moves or plays in his cage could be very dangerous. It's better to invest in wire floored cage with a pull
out drop pan and of course give the bunny several options to get off of the wire. All of this will be
less costly than a trip to a bunny vet to splint a broken leg.
I want to caution that wood bedding can cause liver damage long term to a bunny and should not be used in the cage or
litterbox. Hay or recycled newspaper (or products like 'Yesterdays News' are the best options).
Best recommended pet bunny cage: The Libby cage made by KW cages located in CA. Cage cost: about $90 plus OS shipping
charges (roughly $40).
The Libby cage may be directly purchased from KW cages. [ KW Cages ]
There are other safe options for housing your bunny though. Do lots of research and choose a house both you
and your bunny will enjoy.
Simple cage setup for a house bunny, cage available at petsmart.com (Medium size Wabbitat). Most economical and safe option!
Flooring:
Options for flooring on top of the wire floor in your cage:
Seagrass mats, EZ foot rest mat, carpet, dish drain mats, fleece.
As my favorite, I like to suggest giving bunnies fleece squares to sleep or sit on. At any fabric store,
go scope out the sale section for fleece material. Find one you like and buy a yard (or more!). Cut the
yard into 4 squares, and then you have fleece squares for your bunny. You can either wash these or toss them
as needed, but always keep an extra on hand so when you take one out, you have another to replace it.
Another idea is instead of cutting the yard of fleece into smaller squares, just fold it up. Buy two, then you
have two beds. They wash nicely in a washer and tumble dry (just be careful of the fabric softener and cleaner
you use, must be bunny safe).
Flooring outside the cage can also be a concern. Hardwood or tile floors are hard for bunnies to move around on.
They slip easily and can actually really hurt themsevles trying to navigate on them. If your bunnies home can not
be on a carpet flooring, I suggest a small rug be placed under the cage. Allow a couple of feet around the cage, so
depending on your cage size a 4' x 6' rug would probably be the smallest you want to have. This will allow the bunny
a "landing" for going in and out of the cage, but also a safe zone, where they will not slip or fall. For play time,
you may want to invest in a larger rug. Bunnies will not "boink" often without good flooring and if they do they could
easily slip and brake something (much like the problems with solid bottom bunny housing).
Toys:
There are many things to set up for, before you bring your new family member into your home. Some
considerations to your bunnies new house objects may be a place to start. Although older bunnies
love noisy and hard toys to play with, young bunnies and also older bunnies (in addition to harder
toys) love baby soft toys. Terry cloth stuffed animals, rattles, and small toys are a wonderful addition
for your new bunny. A stuffed toy is nice for a bunny to snuggle with and will be completely safe. In fact,
my older bunnies tend to drag their stuffed "friends" around with them, and many of my older bunnies snuggle
with them or use them as pillows.
Some suggestions of baby toys safe for bunnies.
Litter training:
**coming soon**
Diet & Health:
Hay is your number one bunny feed. A rabbit can not have a healthy life without proper
ammounts of hay in his/her diet. If you or a family member are allergic to hay, consider how you will handle
this and if a bunny is really the right companion for you. Hay is essential! A rabbits diet should consist of
about 90% forage/hay.
Hay is not all the same. Alfalfa should not be fed to your Holland Lop. Alfalfa has a high calcium content that can
be damaging in large amounts to your Holland's health. This is most noticible in your bunnies urine. Thick, clumpy,
white or even a pale yellow means your bunny has too much calcium in his/her diet. A normal bunnies urine is a dark
orange to reddish color. This is quite alarming to many first time owners, but it very healthy and shows your bunny is
not having extra calcium in his/her diet.
What's the problem with too much calcium?
Bladder stones, bladder sludge
and OCD (Osteochondrosis).
What types of hay should a Holland eat?
Timothy or Orchard grass.
The very best hay is soft, green and long stemmed. Short, stick-like hay is not good. If only stick-like hay is available in your area,
look into online stores for purchasing a better quality hay for your bunny. Not only is hay quality good for your bunnies insides, often
times the hard, stick-like hay can poke a bunny in the eye and cause quite an eye injury.
Pellet feeds are another important part of your bunnies diet. A young bunny may only eat 1/8 to 1/4 a cup daily of these pellets.
It is important to not over feed or free feed your bunny pellets. Not only can your bunnies digestive system get quite upset, but your bunny
can also become quite pudgy. On a growing rabbit, extra weight or being classed as obese can have a serious toll on his/her muslce and
skeletal structure. Adult bunnies tend to do well on 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of feed, once daily with free feedings of hay. It is important to check what is in your
pellet feed and make sure the crude protein percent does not go above 17%. Pellet feed is made heavily from alfalfa,
which is perfectly fine, as bunnies and growing bunnies need calcium. Alfalfa also contains at high amount of
protein, which is where the higher reading of protein on the feed label comes from. Protein is wonderful in small amounts,
however these small rabbits need a diet of pellets being between 15% and 17% protein. Although alfafla may seem like
a nice additive, I do not suggest feeding alfalfa hay,
as the amount the bunny will eat daily in the pellets is enough to support his or her calcium and proteins needs
when given the currect amounts, along with free feedings of timothy or orchard grass hay.
Stick like hay or better known as, small bags of hay found at major retail and pet stores. Brands will vary for these
but if your hay does not feed like grass and have a green coloring, do not feed it. I do not ever recommend purchasing
hay from anyplace other than a hay farm or a store that carries high quality animal forage products.
For feeding hay, feed hay in small amounts several times a day. Bunnies are silly and if you give them a big pile a hay, they'll eat part of it
and beg for "new" hay later in the day rather than eat what they have in front of them. Give them smaller amounts several times a day. This also
reminds them that you come with food.. and that well, humans are the food gods and thus they should love you. :) I know, but a bit of bribing
never hurts. In the long run, it also lets you know your bunny is eating properly and reduces food waste.
Brands of pellets differ and I suggest reading labels and see what is in the pellets before choosing one.
Not all pellet feeds are created equal. Please read labels. Not only does the protein % count, but also what the pellets
are made from. Many major brands found in mass stores (Petco, Petsmart, Target, Wal*Mart) include products that are
really not safe or healthy for your bunny. Back in 2006 I remember reading the back of a Kaytee rabbit pellet bag, and
listed was "animal bi-products". They added other animals fat and parts to increase the fat and protein content of the
pellet feed. So I do suggest, no matter the brand, you read and understand what is in your bunnies feed.
Anything with corn in it is a complete no no! If you see anything with brightly colored pieces of "something" put it back, as
it is likely not good for bunny.
Shedding:
Bunnies shed one or two times a year, or in they are in poor health..a few times more. Now this can be a problem, since bunnies...can not vomit and
bunnies clean themselves more than a cat. And where do those hair balls go? ... yep..you guessed it, they digest them! yucky. So how can we help? First
off, no matter what you read about pineapple juice, is false. It won't help, because by the time you open that jar or can, the acid in the juice is gone.
So although your bunny may enjoy lapping up pineapple juice or eating canned pineapple, it won't help with hairballs or the medical issue of furblock
(fur blocking the digestive track. I do suggest if this happens...bunny goes to VET! however, I'm writing this section so you can help prevent...furblock.
So basically, you're going to help bunny along when he or she is shedding so they won't end up with furblock).
So what can you? Fresh pineapple, papaya or the easiest? papaya tablets (Wal*mart supplement alse $2.88 for 100 bottle, or any healthstore! You want
straight papaya enzyme tablets). Give bunny
2 to 4 tablets each day they are shedding, they will eat the tablets all by themselves, just like candy. Or, you can cut papaya (fresh OR dried, but not
sugared!) or cut fresh pineapple. Small crunks are great. Bunnies love ALL of these. However, not all at once..or your bunny will probably get a tummy
ache. They are all wonderful treats though and there is no reason you can not feed these year round either. Bunnies generally spend roughly three weeks
shedding (or "blowing" coats). Their fur becomes very dulls before it falls out.
Sheddings starts at the nose and ears and works its way backwards towards the tail. Babies will shed their baby coats around 10 to 15 weeks of age into an
adult coat. After that they will shed again later in the year. Normally bunnies shed twice a year, for a spring and fall coat. However, if a rabbit changes
feed often or is in poor health overall they might shed several times a year. This might be a warning to possibly consider bringing your bunny to a vet
or seeking advice someone whom might be able to help.
 
Unsafe treats and feed:
Not all treats and types of feed produced for bunnies are really safe for bunnies to ingest. Lets start with
yogurt. Yogurt is a dairy product, which is something a bunny can not safely digest. Often times you may see
suggestions to feed yogurt to a bunny with a tummy ache for the good gut flora found in yogurt. However, their
are special products made for rabbits, called Probios (found at Petsmart for $3.99 a tube) that are very safe and
actually supply a better and larger amount of good gut flora, without upsetting the bunnies digestive track. There
are indeed manufactured bunny treats made from yogurt (Yogurt drops is just one example). Please refine from feeding
these to your bunny. No milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese... or other dairy products for bunnies.
More suggestions, treats, toys, diet info, litter training, housing ideas, and more to come!
Please if you plan to copy my information ask first... it's very upsetting to see what I have written on another
breeders website.
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