anyone owned by an english lop?

[werecatrising]

I have always admired them even though I have never seen one in person. A somewhat local breeder has one she wants to place in a pet only home. I guess he has scoliosis. The breeder says it doesn't effect her in anyway, she just wants to make sure she isn't bred.

Can anyone tell me a bit about their personalities and any special care they may need?

 

[Revverress]

I have three English Lops whom I show and [occasionally] breed. Their large ears do need special care; they are prone to ear infections, so it's important to watch out for those. You need to clean out their ears often to prevent wax build-up, and keep their nails short, as they do step on their ears. They also need a fairly large cage space, not just because they are big rabbits, but to be sure they have enough room so that they are not standing on their ears. Because of their large size, they are prone to sore hocks, so if you keep the rabbit on wire, it will need a resting board of some sort.

Personality-wide, I've noticed it varies somewhat. Most of the ones I've met are extremely laid back, and love nothing more than to lie in your lap and have their head stroked. They're pretty tolerant with being handled, and they adore attention. Others are just absolute clowns- Always causing trouble or getting into something. My younger doe is like that- curious, active, and very interested in her surroundings. However, her parents are completely laid back and just so chill; I'm fairly sure as she matures, she'll calm down a lot.

They're not the hardiest of rabbits; they should not be kept outside due to their ears being sensitive to the elements. Since they're a bigger breed, they don't live as long as the smaller buns; I've heard 5-7 years is average.

Personally, I adore the big Loppers, and I always recommend them as pets. I couldn't imagine NOT having some around to entertain me with their silly antics.

Holly

 

[Bassetluv]

My English lop not only owns me, but he rules the household as well. Check out his blog if you want a bit more of an idea on what it's like to have an E-lop own you:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=28182&forum_id=6

Yofi is one of those distinctive *class clown* E-lops. Personality Plus. Does not like to be confined. Does not like to be told what to do. Will tell YOU what to do. Bosses the other pets around. Loves to be stroked and petted. Gets mad and sulks if not stroked and petted. Absolutely, positively, HAS to know what is in the fridge, behind the tv, under the sofa, on the kitchen table, on the stovetop, on my bed, in the bathtub, etc. etc. Curiosity may have killed the cat, as they say, but curiosity never met Yofi. Eats things he shouldn't. Has the appetite of two horses. Loves to snuggle. HATES to be picked up. Loves attention. Loves life.

As for general health concerns, I think Revverress covered it pretty well. Yofi's ears don't tend to get wax buildup, but I do still check them and do a cleaning once every few months, just to be sure. There was another poster on here some time back who had a beautiful English lop, and he was highly prone to ear infections. My old English lop, Raph, never got ear infections but did get a lot of waxy buildup, and hence his ears needed cleaning once a week or so. (He was, however, disabled, so couldn't clean his ears on his own.) Raph's teeth also grew very rapidly, moreso than any other breed I've seen...though I don't know if that is common to E-lops or not; Yofi doesn't have that problem. I think too, the combination of heavier size and longer back make them more susceptible to back injuries...and I've heard that many E-lops are prone to tail injuries because it is longer than other breeds'.

Their appetites tend to be large, and English lops can gain weight easily...which can add to the danger of sore hocks. (Yofi is currently dealing with sore hocks.) Personality...many say it is more like owning a puppy than having a rabbit, with an E-lop, and I agree. As a general rule (and there are always exceptions) their curiosity can get them into trouble constantly, they often have the habit of following their owners around the house, and they are constantly on the go. But I don't know of anyone yet who has ever not fallen in love with the breed once one 'found them'.

Once you've had an E-lop, you never go back.