Advice for a beginnner who hasnt yet begun?

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Beilana

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Apr 19, 2010
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Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Hey everyone! hopefully in the near future I will be getting a holland lop. I researched breeds and behaviors and visited bunnies in stores/shelters and hollands seem to be the best match for me. buuuut the only other bunny ive owned was a netherland dwarf rabbit that my first boyfriend got me on a whim (i was 14) i knew nothing about buns and wasnt in a state of mind to take care of him so my good friend ended up taking him (where he lived a long and happy life i might add) but now ive researched and researched bunnies and feel I am prepared to give one a forever home. Ive thought about adoption but im very set on having my first bunny from a baby. I was wondering what are hollands like exactly? from the ones ive visited they seem very cuddly and goofy. Im only planning to get one and am not planning to breed.

what are their cage requirements?

toys? food? also how is litter training? do you find it to be easy? hard? im guessing it depends on the rabbit :p ummm what else.....

oh any advice from current holland lop owners about the breed or their individual bunnies?

Ive looked at a ton of websites and browsed the forum here but I cant seem to fill my head with enough information. Any advice, help, experiences, etc are very much appreciated!!!

p.s. do you find their behaviors change drastically from baby to adult? can you take them for walks/to the park/camping ? hmmm lol im sure ill think of more to ask later. sorry for all the questions! thank you anyone who took the time to read and answer this!

 
Here is a link to a really good rabbit care guide:

http://www.columbusrabbit.org/chrsbooklet.pdf

Ive thought about adoption but im very set on having my first bunny from a baby
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You might check to see if any local rescues have any babies. We had an adopter that really wanted a baby. We just happened to have a litter that was ready to be separated, but weren't old enough to be spayed yet and we don't adopt until this is done. We felt this was going to be a great home and worked it out that the home would be a foster until the bunny was spayed and then we would complete the adoption. It was a win/win situation.
 
I have a holland Lop I have only had her for about a month.

You know what today is her one month anniversary.

She fits a Lop from everything I have read. They are very smart most bunnies are though. She gets herself into a lot of trouble. But funny trouble. She has her moments where I wish I could kill her and her moment where she reminds me that she loves me and I love her.

she has to approve everything that comes into her pen or cage. She has her attitude but at the same time she is two weeks out from a spay. But her attitude is not bad to me its funny.

She is defiantly different from her soon to be bond mate Storm. My bun I have had for 15 months.

So its depends I love her personalty.
 
awe thats awesome! I cant wait until i can get one! its probably going to be a while from now though :(
does anyone ever take their bunnies for walks? to the park? camping?
 
For a Holland, the cage should be at least 2X3'. There are very few pet store cages that are suitable, and I have yet to actually see one in a pet store around here. A large wire dog crate will work and you can usually find a used one. NIC cages are great, there are several topics about them in the Cages section of the forum. I have had great luck finding the panels at garage sales. Superstore, Canadian Tire and London drugs carry them too. You can of course make the cage bigger if you have room. Many rabbits like to have levels in the cage.

Their diet is not different form most other breeds. Hay should be the main part of the diet, then veggies and pellets should be limited for adults. For young rabbits, alfalfa hay is fine, pellets should be unlimited and veggies introduced slowly. I feed Oxbow pellets and have recently found a great place to get them. I buy hay from farmers, so I don't know really good places for bagged hay.

What toys your rabbit likes depends on your rabbit. My buns like to shred and tear things, so I buy toys like grass mats, and give them phone books to destroy. Some rabbits like to throw toys around, so baby toys can work. I would buy a few types and see what the rabbit likes.

Litter training can be easy, but it can depend on the age of the rabbit. My Korr basically litter trained himself from the time I got him when he was a baby. Other rabbits I have gotten a bit older, but still have been litter trained. I use large cat litter boxes and horse stall bedding form the UFA. There are many articles around on how to litter train.

There are a few breeders in Calgary that have Holland Lops. There is a rabbit show the first weeend in May (1st and 2nd) in Chestemere. You can meet some breeders there. The Southern Alberta Rabbit Breeders Association does have a list of more local breeders. EARS (in Edmonton) also has a list, but most are around Edmonton.
There are probably a few at the Humane Society too, you can check their website to see what they have.

Behaviour can change as they get older. If you get the rabbit spayed or neutered at about 5-6 months old, most of the 'teenage' behaviours are limited. Most bad behaviours start between 5 and 9 months. The can level off, but won't really go away unless you spay or neuter.

As far as taking them for a walk or camping, it is possible, but don't expect them to behave like a dog. Taking a rabbit for a walk is more like follow the rabbit on leash. Some will follow you more, but most will not. You can take them camping, but many rabbit don't take change well. You would need a secure pen for the rabbit. You can go to a park, but avoid ones with pesticides or where there are a lot of dogs.
You can even train them to do agility.
 
wow thank you so much everyone! :) I appreciate all the input and am soaking up your advice like a sponge!
 
I know Hazel-Mom takes her bunnies camping. I don't, because we have 2 pairs that don't get along with each other, so I have no idea how we'd house them, plus I can't imagine that they wouldn't try to dig out of a tent. :dunno:
 
I have a holland and he's fantastic. He was quite shy as a baby and didn't come out of his shell and enjoy pets until at least 8 months. He is still on the aloof side. So just be patient - don't expect your baby bunny to automatically be all over you (though some are).

For a cage, my bun lived in a 4'x8' enclosure. Yes, you can get by with something smaller (4'x2' is the smallest I would go) but I think the biggest area you can possibly give is always the best. Bunnies are much more like cats, in my opinion, than a caged pet - you wouldn't keep your cat confined to a small cage for 20 hours a day either.

If you want to take your bun places, I recommend starting young. My guy aloof and a huge chicken, but we've been taking him to our parents' houses and friends houses (for bunny sitting) for a while and he's totally comfortable now. He visited my parents' for the first time in Dec and hopped out of his carrier immediately and started exploring. For some buns, a change like that would cause them to be freaked out for days, so it's a combination of individual personality and socialization when they're young I think.
 
Thank you. I definately plan on socializing young and ill see the reaction from my bunny. I know that not all bunnies are cuddly either and im willing to make a life long commitment no matter the personality :) Also I plan on having the cage for eating, sleeping and bathroom breaks other than that id like for him to be out of the cage. I wouldnt want to spend my entire day in bed...well not ALL the time lol
also I have a pomeranian. do they tend to get along ok with dogs? I know he will be good with the bunny, I hope they get along!
 
Beilana wrote:
also I have a pomeranian. do they tend to get along ok with dogs? I know he will be good with the bunny, I hope they get along!
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Dogs can get along with rabbits. I would not leave them unattended though, no matter how well they get along. You do need to work with the dog so he doesn't get too excited or rough around the rabbit. It is also a good idea to work with the rabbit so that he doesn't take advantage of the dog. You can't really expect the dog to behave himself if the rabbit is the one beating him up lol.
 
I think Jadeicing might have a pomeranian. As long as your dog doesn't have a strong prey drive, and you watch them closely, it should be fine. Some people do get dogs and bunnies to the point of being best buddies.
 
I have a Beagle and the fact that he comes from a line of dogs that have been bred to scent and hunt hares and rabbits for thousand of years doesn't seem to have ever occurred to him when he's around Chloe. They're NEVER alone together, naturally, but they get on pretty well with eachother. In fact, yesterday he came into my room and let himself into Chloe's new cage,went right up to her, and licked her on her nose.
 
I find most dogs other than terriers have a capacity to get along with rabbits. My hounds and other hunting dogs seem fine, oddly enough, but terriers tend to go nuts. Not sure why. I have known terriers who were ok, but also many who I won't even allow in my house with my bunnies. A pom should be fine! Just introduce them slowly with the dog on a leash and make sure both the dog and the bunny stay calm at all times.
 
Korr_and_Sophie wrote:
There is a rabbit show the first weeend in May (1st and 2nd) in Chestemere. You can meet some breeders there.
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Welcome to the forum Beilana! :welcome1

That is great you are doing all the research and planning ahead of time before you get your bunny. You should go to the Chestermere show in May. There are some excellent Holland Lop Breeders who will be at the show. They can provide so much more info about Holland Lops. I won't be able to attend the show this year, as I have other events that I have to take pictures at.

I do have a Holland Lop and a Netherland Dwarf who are bonded friends.
 
Hey stan I did not know we had the same set my holland and netherland are bonded also.


Great mind think alike:whistling:thumbup:rofl:
 
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