English Lop for Pet?

[J.Bosley]

Hey!
So I have been looking into getting another Bunny, as Chive is going to be fixed in a few weeks! Hopefully... haha. I've been flirting with the idea of another Holland Lop as I love my boy Murphy. While searching for Lops on Kijiji, I stumbled upon an English Lop! Now I have a few questions about them...

1) What is their personality like?
2) What issues do they have due to their huge ears?
3) Do they need any special care due to their ears?

I found a bit of information on them, but really love asking people who have had them/have them! They seem like sweet buns, so whats everyone's opinions?!

 

[Revverress]

I got my first pair of English Lops in 2007 and have been in and out of the breed ever since. Though I'm currently on hiatus from raising them, ELops are definitely my favorite breed.

1) What is their personality like?

Just awesome; they love to sit and your lap and have their heads rubbed. I did a lot of therapy work and education events with mine in the past, and they were perfect because they would just lay there and let the kids pet all over them. The bucks and younger Elops tend to be very silly and clownish.

2) What issues do they have due to their huge ears?
3) Do they need any special care due to their ears?

They'll step on their ears, so keep those nails cut short and make sure they have a large floor space in their cage. Wax buildup is common, so keep on eye on that. I've found that wiping out their ears with a soft gauze pad with some mineral oil every few weeks keeps their ears clean and healthy. If you keep the rabbit outside, don't give crocks in the winter, as their ears can get wet and freeze to the cage floor. Other than just keeping an eye out for ear infections, their ears honestly don't require a lot of extra work.

While breeders today are being much more cautious about breeding only healthy rabbits, I've seen a lot of Elops with chronic sneezing and abscessing problems. I would recommend finding a breeder who does show their rabbits (as sick rabbits are disqualifications at shows!), and who takes breeding for health seriously.

Just for fun, here's my 5 year old spayed girl, Sparta. She retired from the show tables with 13 legs, and I retired her last year from therapy/volunteer events. She's my last English Lop and my favorite pet.

 

[J.Bosley]

:biggrin2: Thank you so much for replying!! I have a soft spot for Lops, I love the floppy ears and I know my Holland Lop's personality is to die for. He (hoping to get a male) would be an indoor rabbit! I have a room dedicated to my smaller pets, and am planning to almost divide it in half so Chive, and the new addition can each have half the room to themselves. I am *hoping* to be able to bond Chive and the new bun once they are both fixed, but if it doesn't work it isn't a big deal!

I know that cutting Chive's nails is a huge ordeal, she is a more active and curious bun, so I am assuming with English Lops as long as I start from a young age with the nails and ears I should be fine? My Holland Lop would easily let me cut his nails or clean his ears! I am hoping the breeder has a Male available. She gave me a bit of information on them which was great!

 

[woahlookitsme]

Great info given! If you start from a young age then yes they should be fun. Always try and make it a positive experience. You might want to start slow only doing a couple of nails if you arent very quick at clipping nails. Giving treats when you're done also helps. If you are going to a breeder and have choices you can try flipping the babies over and see which one takes it the best.

 

[J.Bosley]

Great info given! If you start from a young age then yes they should be fun. Always try and make it a positive experience. You might want to start slow only doing a couple of nails if you arent very quick at clipping nails. Giving treats when you're done also helps. If you are going to a breeder and have choices you can try flipping the babies over and see which one takes it the best.

Great advice! Thanks!! Chive was also a "stray" baby bunny. So who knows her past. She has come a long way in the few months we have had her! She now enjoys being patted, will tolerate being brushed, and climbs onto my lap now. :biggrin2: I have even taught her to go back into her cage when asked!

 

[J.Bosley]

These are the two Adults, the white one's ears don't look so good....opinions?

 

[Revverress]

I wonder if they are kept on solid housing and are just messy... You gotta remember that white rabbits' fur does get more easily urine stained than darker rabbits. I'm guessing that's the buck by the size of his head, and if that's the case, it may be that he's just a messy bunny who sprays himself. Just by these photos, they look fine to me. Nice heads on those rabbits.

 

[J.Bosley]

I wonder if they are kept on solid housing and are just messy... You gotta remember that white rabbits' fur does get more easily urine stained than darker rabbits. I'm guessing that's the buck by the size of his head, and if that's the case, it may be that he's just a messy bunny who sprays himself. Just by these photos, they look fine to me. Nice heads on those rabbits.

Thanks! That makes me feel a lot better... I am totally leaning towards the ELop! Just for something new, and bigger