Questions about Rabbits...

Hello, my name is Michael and I recently have decided to purchase a rabbit. I have taken care of Guinea Pigs before so I do know that Rabbit caring is similar. I have a good sized cage with a loft, hayrack, food dish, hut, water bottle, bedding, etc. I am probably going with a Holland Lop, can anyone give me a brief summary about these guys? Do I feed them vegetables along with the rabbit food? Are they good for beginners? Any other rabbits that could work in a cage with the dimensions:
28 inches long x 18 inches wide
Loft with ladder as well?
Thanks in advanced

Welcome!!

Holland lops are great little rabbits. I actually love the breed I think they are adorable

First off I would avoid bedding in the cage and opt to litter train instead. Rabbits are very intelligent and do very well with learning litterbox habits. Bedding in the cage is messy and confuses bunny into thinking they can go anywhere. For litter avoid clay clumping cat litter it's dangerous to buns.

Your cage size is pretty small even for one bunny most store bought cages for rabbits are too small. So it is not big enough for another rabbit. Alot of bunny owners on here opt for NIC cages that you can build yourself. There are lots of threads on here that can help you with NIC cages.

Vegetables depend on bunnies age. Veggies should not be introduced until 3 months of age sometimes owners even wait until 6 months of age. Introduce slowly and one at a time to watch for any adverse reactions.

Rabbits are intelligent, funny, loving, wonderful pets. I have two that I love very much and could not imagine my life without. Rabbits are lot of work, messy and a bit high maintenance. They should not be kept in a cage 24 hours a day and do well getting out for free run in a bunny proofed room. Rabbits also make even better companions if you spaynor neuter them.

Welcome to thisnforum! It is full of lots of bunny lovers. Post pics if you get your new bun!

Okay, thank you very much! Anyone else have a litle background info on these guys?

We have a loppy, she's awesome. They have a bit of an attitude, but do seem to be a popular starting breed. They get to be about2-4 lbs. and are the smallest of all lops.

You are gonna want to make sure you feed your bunny alfalfa hay until they are 6 months old, then feed them grass hays, such as Timothy. you need a pellet made mostly of alfalfa as well for the first 6 months.

Oh, and definitely don't give fruits or veggies until the bunny is at least 12 weeks old.. Then feed them slowly, to make sure it doesn't upset their tummy. Then, if you are sure, the bun can handle them,must don't give too much, as fruits and veggies are high in sugar and carbs.

Just to give you an idea about the NIC cages that AgnestheLion mentioned, here is one I made for 2 of my rabbits.




Such a cage is quite inexpensive to make.

I'd also like to add, that since you are asking about rabbits for a first-time owner, I'd highly suggest getting an already spayed/neutered bun. Babies can be delicate. They get hormonal at 3-5 months. They're more difficult to litter train. You'll eventually have to pay the high spay costs.
Rescues have a variety of bunny breeds/types. The fixed buns have an evident personality that will allow you to choose just the right bunny for you.

Definitely needs more room--you could attach an x-pen and use it as a base.

Newbie@Rabbits wrote:

Are they good for beginners?

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Adopta full sized rabbit that looks like a rabbit. Due to theinbreeding necessary to get them to look like some kind of mutant guinea pig and subsequent genetic damage, dwarf rabbits have many more health and behavioral problems than larger rabbits.

Booger is a dwarf and man does it show in his behavior.

BunBuns Human wrote:

Newbie@Rabbits wrote:

Are they good for beginners?

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Adopta full sized rabbit that looks like a rabbit. Due to theinbreeding necessary to get them to look like some kind of mutant guinea pig and subsequent genetic damage, dwarf rabbits have many more health and behavioral problems than larger rabbits.

Booger is a dwarf and man does it show in his behavior.

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Thats wierd I have never met a rabbit that looks like a guinea pig :?
And from all the breeders that I know dwarfs have no more health problems than any other rabbit other than distocia. They have more personality than other breeds but that is because of their wild heritage.
And the OP was asking about hollands

:yeahthat:

Just like in real life, there are people on RO who are easy to spot as the ones you take what they say with a grain of salt. I've also never seen a rabbit that looks like a guinea pig.

To the original question. I think holland lops are a definite option for beginners. Their size make them easy to handle and care for and they have wonderful personalities. Of course, every rabbit is an individual but generally speaking Hollands are a great breed.

woahlookitsme wrote:

Thats wierd I have never met a rabbit that looks like a :?

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That's a mutant guinea pig.

woahlookitsme wrote:

And from all the breeders that I know dwarfs have no more health problems than any other rabbit other than distocia.

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Really? Full size bunnies aren't known tohave issues withsuicidal and kamikazi jumping, that would be dwarf lionheads that are known for that. All types of dwarf animals are known to have problems due to genetic damage from the extensive inbreeding needed to take the animal so far from the species norm. Why do think so many chihauhuas shake all of the time? And breederscan bethe last people to tell you that their breed has health and behavioral issues.

woahlookitsme wrote:

They have more personality than other breeds but that is because of their wild heritage.

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Umm...ALL domestic rabbits are descended from the same species of European wild rabbit. What you call "more personality" a lot of people, ESPECIALLY beginners would call behavioral problems. BunBun has just as much personality as Booger, but Booger certainly has behavioral issues common to dwarfs.

woahlookitsme wrote:

And the OP was asking about hollands

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Which are still dwarfs.

agnesthelion wrote:

Just like in real life, there are people on RO who are easy to spot as the ones you take what they say with a grain of salt.

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That would be you right?

I don't have any problems with my lads bonding and have to make post after post about their relationship issues. Even though the "experts" say that un-neutered males can't get along.

I didn't have to make post after post about Booger's biting and how to get him to stop. The first week that I had him, he would rocket out of nowhere, slash me and take off. He even hopped up on the bed to bite me on the nipple and opened a two inch gash on my ankle on a hop-by slashing. Now he's a smoocher, but he is still a crazy ass blue-eyed dwarf.

I also don't have to keep my lads in cages. Even though the "experts" say that an uncaged bunny will be a dead bunny.

I just take my lads on their daily leashless walks of up to a mile a day and think about all of the poor bunnies locked in cages because the "experts" say that rabbits can't be trained to do this.

And while breeders might know a hell of a lot about rabbit biology, for the most part they know next to nothing about a well adjusted rabbit's psychology. Keep a rabbit locked in a cage and you will not have a rabbit living up to its potential.

agnesthelion wrote:

I've also never seen a rabbit that looks like a guinea pig.

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That's a mutant guinea pig. There are breeds of rabbits that certainly don't look like normal rabbits and lops and lionheads are some of them.

agnesthelion wrote:

I think holland lops are a definite option for beginners. Their size make them easy to handle and care for and they have wonderful personalities. Of course, every rabbit is an individual but generally speaking Hollands are a great breed.

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It may well be that Hollands have good personalities and do not have the behavioral issues common to dwarf breeds. I don't know. What I do know is that with their lop ears and distorted head shape, they do not look like a normal rabbit and can't function as one. To me, a standard bunny, with allowances for coloration, is cuteness personified and breeding away from that norm is an abomination, YMMV. But hey, if you want a rabbit with droopy, non-functional ears go for it. Me, I enjoy seeing the lads do sensor sweeps with their ears and identifying an individual dog from 100 feet away just by the sounds that it makes, something that a lop can't do.

Hahahahaha

Like I said, grain of salt.

Carry on bunbuns, carry on

Okay guys, I think we need to relax a little and get back to the topic It doesn't really matter, and this will turn into a huge debate if we don't get back to the main topic!

I don't know if it is the same with dogs, but most rabbit breeders are very particular about the health of their rabbits. Weak immune systems or undesirable traits are simply not reproduced...there would be no benefit to breeding "bad" traits in, really.

To the original poster, Holland Lops are great! They are VERY active and curious, in general. Mine love to run around and explore and they're often a little more hesitant about being handled than other breeds. I often compare them to a dog personality...always "going going going" and just love to be around their people!

If you're looking for a more calm, laid back personality, something like Jersey Woolies or Polish might be better. They're equally as friendly, but not quite as energized.

I have a Jersey Woolie which I got from 4-H i had 2 that were neglected and needed serious help. Well anyways wasnt sure how long they normally live and symptoms of death. The last owners told us that she was 5 but were thinking she is 6 im not sure is she is dying though. She is losing hair urinating alot and drinking alot she also has been pulling her hair out she is fixed though so it couldnt be a fake pregnancy! Thx!

Oswald05 said:

I have a Jersey Woolie which I got from 4-H i had 2 that were neglected and needed serious help. Well anyways wasnt sure how long they normally live and symptoms of death. The last owners told us that she was 5 but were thinking she is 6 im not sure is she is dying though. She is losing hair urinating alot and drinking alot she also has been pulling her hair out she is fixed though so it couldnt be a fake pregnancy! Thx!

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Oswald, you should copy/paste your question and use it to start a new thread. This is tagged onto a 3 year old thread. On a new thread, people are more likely to see it and respond.