AFTER YOU'VE DONE YOUR RESEARCH IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR A BUNNY.... HAVE A PEAK AT A CHECKLIST WE'VE CREATED TO MOVE YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!
Gathering your supplies:
Enclosure: There are many different types of cages on the market but not all are appropriately sized for rabbits. Great cages will will be two times the length of when your bunny is laying fully out in width and at least four times that amount in length. If you have a handy man in the house that can build you a hutch there's an abundance of free plans on the internet or you can find some linked on our Amazon Favourites or KW's bunny villas.
Litter Boxes & Litter: Yes, your rabbit can be litter trained! The extra large rabbit litter boxes work great and can be found at most pet store or on our Amazon Favourites, Kitty litter boxes are good too just make sure they're not too high or else they won't use it. If you want to go all fancy treat you can get a bunny buffet which has food bowls, hay rack and litter box all in one! The best type of bedding is an unscented, dust free paper bedding that can be bought at most pet store and at bulk barn (located beside the tills at check out with the bird feed stuff) and then news paper to line the bottom
Cage Accessories:. A minimum amount of 32oz for water bottle or ceramic bowl will be great for their water needs. All our bunnies are on bottles but it's really personal preference on what your rabbit likes to use. We find really cute bowls at Homesense for their pellets but any pet store should carry bowls. They do have a blast tipping the light weight metal bowls so I would try to find something ceramic. Hay bags, hay racks or containers can all be found on our Amazon Favourites as well as pet stores. Make sure to get natural toys made of hay and willow or apple wood. fleece blankets are great as long as they don't chew on them. See bottom of page for more links or visit our AMAZON FAVOURITES PAGE for a one stop shop!
Grooming: Rabbits NEVER get bathed so don't worry about getting soaps or any bathing supplies. Rabbits will need to be brushed on a weakly basis and so a versatile brush like the hair buster brush or soft bristled dog brushes work great! They will also need to have their nails trimmed and small nail clippers like cat nail clippers work perfect.
Purchase rabbit food: We recommend buying a small bag of bunny food like the sherwood brand and invest in a larger bag of adult food so usually once the bag is finished it's about time to transition onto the adult formulas. Having trouble on what to buy...the health and diet tab might help. Great things to have on hand, especially with younger bunnies is organic rolled oats, NOT quick oats. This helps them with the transition to new foods as it firms up their poop and prevents them from getting poopy butts. Bunnies have sensitive digestive systems, so please limit a baby bunny to the tiniest pinch of leafy greens (optional treat) like kale, romaine, spring mix, parsley, cilantro, dandelion, etc. until they are closer to the 5/6 month of age, and then they can have about 1 cup of leafy greens per pound daily or as directed by your vet. Save the sugary treats like carrot slices, apple slices, banana slices, and berries for closer to the 5/6 month age. A good quality hay should always be making up over 80% of a rabbits diet and followed by good quality pellets and optional greens.
Hay: Finding a good timothy or Orchard grass hay is sooo important because it's going to make up 80% if not more of your rabbits diet. Get in touch with local hay farmer that doesn't spray or use pestisides on the grass. If you don't have this option Small Pet Select, Farmer dave pet supply hay is great when local hay is not available. Start with a small 5-10 pound box of hay or a hay sampler before buying in bulk. Some rabbits can be picky and you'll need to try a few before finding a favourite.
Pet carrier Your bunny will need a small cage to be brought home in and to have if it needs to be taken to the vet. Holding your bunny on your lap in a vehicle is not a good idea as it increases stress in your rabbit and can make it harder for you to bond. *TIP; to help make a car trip a little more enjoyable for your rabbit you can give a blanket or towel for them to lay on.
Do your Homework Making sure you know everything you possibly can know about a rabbit before getting one, they are not easy like a guinea pigs, they take a lot of time. I've tried my best to get all the basics you need to know, but for other helpful resources visits our bunny care tab and I have provided some helpful information there. Find a local rabbit-savvy vet before getting a rabbit so if you are considering getting your rabbit spay/nurtured or if your rabbit gets sick you have someone to go to and your not scrambling at the last minute to find one. Still having some questions not answered, go to the common question page to see if they did!
Pick-up day When you have gotten all your supplies and done all your research the last thing to do is come pick your Holland Lop up. You'll be informed about the sales policies before making a deposit on the rabbit you choose and under stand the statements. When pick-up day arrives the remaining fee will be due before the pickup location has been decided on and given. Once all fees have been settled it's time to come meet your fur baby! Make sure when coming to have a crate or sturdy box to put him/her in as your lap will not do. We operate a closed rabbitry for the safety of our bunnies (and you!). This is largely due to the RHD2 rabbit virus being present in Canada specifically BC, and we wish to limit our bunnies' exposure to potential methods of transmission. Please park at the main house/garage area when you arrive.
Allow your rabbit to adjust Most bunnies are pretty timid as they leave their bunny friends and move to a new environment. Keep your bunny's area small and quiet for a day or two before having serious playtime, don't introduce any other household pets and over handle the bunny. You know what's best for the bunny, clue in to how they are acting and allow them to come to you at first so they can gain your trust. Eventually your true bunnies personality will emerge, but this may take two to three weeks!
Send us picture! We love seeing your bunny grow up! Send us updates and pictures on how your bunny is settling in. It's always so nice to see how past Rosebud rabbits are doing. On our Instagram and Facebook page these might get posted :)