Pet Care and Supplies
All of our pet bunnies come with a detailed, 5-page care sheet. We've outlined the basics of our care sheet below to help you prepare for your new Holland!
Diet
The best feed for rabbits contains about 16% protein and at least 16% fiber. We do not recommend any feed purchased from a pet store. The best foods are purchased from feed suppliers. Make sure that your rabbit feed is fresh; old or moldy pellets can be deadly! Your Holland needs 1/8 c. of feed per day per pound of rabbit. We feed all of our juniors and seniors (except lactating does and litters) ½ c. a day.
The most important part of any rabbit’s diet is water! Your bunny needs a fresh, plentiful supply of water at all times. Any rabbit will drink out of a crock, but if your rabbit is not used to using a water bottle, make sure that it knows how to use it before removing its crock. We will tell you whether your rabbit is on a crock or water bottle.
Hay should make up a large part of your rabbit's diet as it provides fiber and helps reduce hairballs and blockages in the intestines, which can be deadly. Rabbits need unlimited grass or oat based hay like timothy hay, which contains the most fiber and the least amount of calcium. Do not feed your bunny alfalfa hay as it contains too much calcium and protein and not enough fiber.
Every bunny enjoys a treat from time to time, but treats should be given no more than once or twice a week and in small portions. Do not offer treats to any rabbit under 6 months of age. Always introduce new foods slowly as rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems. Please do your homework before feeding your rabbit any treat you are unsure about!
Grooming
Rabbits' nails need to be trimmed about once a month. Take care not to cut the quick, which is the pink part of the nail where blood vessels begin. If the quick is cut by accident, use cornstarch to stop the bleeding.
Holland Lops don't have especially long fur, but should still be brushed every once and a while. Rabbits begin molting their baby coat around 3 months and after that usually molt once a year. Brushing during a molt is very important. It helps eliminate hairballs, which are impassable and deadly, and keeps their coat smoother and cleaner.
Diet
The best feed for rabbits contains about 16% protein and at least 16% fiber. We do not recommend any feed purchased from a pet store. The best foods are purchased from feed suppliers. Make sure that your rabbit feed is fresh; old or moldy pellets can be deadly! Your Holland needs 1/8 c. of feed per day per pound of rabbit. We feed all of our juniors and seniors (except lactating does and litters) ½ c. a day.
The most important part of any rabbit’s diet is water! Your bunny needs a fresh, plentiful supply of water at all times. Any rabbit will drink out of a crock, but if your rabbit is not used to using a water bottle, make sure that it knows how to use it before removing its crock. We will tell you whether your rabbit is on a crock or water bottle.
Hay should make up a large part of your rabbit's diet as it provides fiber and helps reduce hairballs and blockages in the intestines, which can be deadly. Rabbits need unlimited grass or oat based hay like timothy hay, which contains the most fiber and the least amount of calcium. Do not feed your bunny alfalfa hay as it contains too much calcium and protein and not enough fiber.
Every bunny enjoys a treat from time to time, but treats should be given no more than once or twice a week and in small portions. Do not offer treats to any rabbit under 6 months of age. Always introduce new foods slowly as rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems. Please do your homework before feeding your rabbit any treat you are unsure about!
Grooming
Rabbits' nails need to be trimmed about once a month. Take care not to cut the quick, which is the pink part of the nail where blood vessels begin. If the quick is cut by accident, use cornstarch to stop the bleeding.
Holland Lops don't have especially long fur, but should still be brushed every once and a while. Rabbits begin molting their baby coat around 3 months and after that usually molt once a year. Brushing during a molt is very important. It helps eliminate hairballs, which are impassable and deadly, and keeps their coat smoother and cleaner.
Shelter
Rabbits need to live in a cage or a hutch. Cages should be kept indoors; hutches work best outside but can be kept indoors as well.
The best type of cage will have a wire floor that allows droppings to fall through to a tray underneath. This is a very easy cage to keep clean and will also keep your rabbit clean. You can provide a plastic, snap on resting mat for your rabbit to sit on, though most Hollands have very thick foot pads and don’t care to use
one. Cleaning the cage often is one of the easiest ways to keep your rabbit healthy!
Newspaper, litter, or wood shavings can be used to absorb waste in sliding trays, though our favorite thing to use is equine pelletized bedding. It can be purchased in 40 lb. bags at Tractor Supply and is very absorbent, helps to eliminate odor, and lasts longer than pine shavings.
Outdoor Living Precautions
Most bunnies do fine outdoors in hutches in the winter as long as they have proper shelter from the elements and a pile of hay or straw to snuggle in. Use a crock instead of a water bottle for outdoor rabbits and check their water at least twice daily to make sure that it is not frozen.
Summer is a more dangerous time for outdoor bunnies, as they can easily overheat and die within minutes. Make sure that the bunny's hutch is in the shade. Rabbits cool off through their ears, so you can spray a small amount of cool water on the inside of their ears if they seem hot. It is also a good idea to keep several water bottles in your freezer to rotate so that you can put one the cage for the bunny to cool off next to. Ceramic or granite tiles can also be frozen for rabbits to lie on. Watch for signs of heat stress, and if it becomes too hot outside, you will need to bring your bunny inside your house until the weather becomes cooler.
Rabbits need to live in a cage or a hutch. Cages should be kept indoors; hutches work best outside but can be kept indoors as well.
The best type of cage will have a wire floor that allows droppings to fall through to a tray underneath. This is a very easy cage to keep clean and will also keep your rabbit clean. You can provide a plastic, snap on resting mat for your rabbit to sit on, though most Hollands have very thick foot pads and don’t care to use
one. Cleaning the cage often is one of the easiest ways to keep your rabbit healthy!
Newspaper, litter, or wood shavings can be used to absorb waste in sliding trays, though our favorite thing to use is equine pelletized bedding. It can be purchased in 40 lb. bags at Tractor Supply and is very absorbent, helps to eliminate odor, and lasts longer than pine shavings.
Outdoor Living Precautions
Most bunnies do fine outdoors in hutches in the winter as long as they have proper shelter from the elements and a pile of hay or straw to snuggle in. Use a crock instead of a water bottle for outdoor rabbits and check their water at least twice daily to make sure that it is not frozen.
Summer is a more dangerous time for outdoor bunnies, as they can easily overheat and die within minutes. Make sure that the bunny's hutch is in the shade. Rabbits cool off through their ears, so you can spray a small amount of cool water on the inside of their ears if they seem hot. It is also a good idea to keep several water bottles in your freezer to rotate so that you can put one the cage for the bunny to cool off next to. Ceramic or granite tiles can also be frozen for rabbits to lie on. Watch for signs of heat stress, and if it becomes too hot outside, you will need to bring your bunny inside your house until the weather becomes cooler.
Rabbit Supplies Checklist
Cage or hutch Food crock Water crock or water bottle Plastic resting mat Litter, wood shavings or wood pellets Litter scoop Nail clippers Brush Rabbit feed Timothy hay Toys, including chew toys Fresh treats (optional) Litter pan and litter (optional) |