T.L.C. Holland Lops
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Essentials for Adopting a Bunny

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If you are not already set-up with a Holland Lop rabbit habitat, this is your "Bunny Checklist" of essentials and recommendations you will need before bringing your new bunny home.

To ensure our bunnies only go to responsible pet owners, your bunny's habitat must pass our scrutiny before we will sell you a bunny.
PLEASE NOTE: An approximately sized 2' x 2' cage floor is the minimum size we will accept, and it must only be used with an expanded space outside of the cage. You are buying a new best friend, and his or her habitat should reflect the quality of care and attention you are going to give your new friend.

In most of the suggestions below, you will choose whatever best suits your needs, but as for feed, digestion and health support, you should only purchase the recommended products below that we give our bunnies. Later, if you wish, you can transition your bunny to whatever brand or feed you prefer, but a transitional period is very important to maintain your bunny's health.

If you are not well educated as to how to feed a Holland Lop, start here, then come back to this page.

Below, you will also find information on things we recommend that you do not buy.


As an Amazon or other associate, links may earn us a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you, but helps us support this educational website and our premium rabbitry. Thank you for your support!

(This page is actively UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Please check back later for updates. Last update 10/13/21).

 1. BUNNY CARRIER: This is the first item you will need unless you have a front-loading carrier you don't mind using for a bunny. Front-loading carriers are cumbersome for bunnies because you have to startle your bunny by reaching into the front of the carrier to drag your bunny out. Top opening carriers are highly recommended and veterinarians prefer them also. You will need a carrier to pick up your bunny from us and/or to transport your bun to a veterinarian if ever needed. Currently, these are our five suggestions:​
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​A. SPORT PET Carrier and Bed (Water Resistant). We love this one because the whole carrier folds down and will fit snuggly between a washer and dryer or any other tight space. If your living space is limited or if you just love compact products, this is the carrier for you!

B. Ferplast Atlas Pet Carrier | Small Pet Carrier w/Top & Front Door Access. This is a very good carrier since it opens from the top and the side. It also has plenty of ventilation, even with a solid bottom section.

​C. Akinerri Airline Approved Pet Carrier: Generally, we do not like soft-sided carriers but if you are traveling a short distance on an airplane, this is a nice, basic, pet carrier. The sellers claim it is "airline approved" but you must do your own research with any airline to confirm the claim prior to purchasing. Additionally, if you must fly to obtain a bunny, you must check with your airline to be certain bunnies can travel via air.

​D. X-cosrack Soft Carrier: Although this is a soft-sided carrier also, for extended travel or camping, it does have impressive, expandable capabilities. Again, please do your own research on whether or not any of these products will work for your needs.​​

E. The Ibiyaya 5 - in - 1 Pet Carrier: This ingeniously designed carrier is a car seat, shoulder carrier, backpack, wheeled carrier and a stroller, all in one! If you intend to be very active with your pet, this is the cream of the crop, and it is available in a multitude of beautiful colors!

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2. HOUSING: You will need to choose a rabbit habitat that best suits your needs. However, no rabbit should ever be housed in a small cage with only wire flooring. If your cage or hutch only has wire flooring, we strongly suggest you get a roll of linoleum flooring or some floor tiles to put down on some areas of the wire floor. A bunny who spends a lot of time on only wire flooring can damage the bottoms of their soft, delicate paws. Below, you will find a few of our best suggestions for housing.

​A. LARGE: Gutinneen Indoor/Outdoor Rabbit Hutch: Comes with Casters, Waterproof Roof, Pull Out Tray from Back and Front. Dimensions: 61.2 x 22.6 x 33.5 inches.

B. MEDIUM-ISH: The U-MAX Rabbit Hutch: Overall dimensions: 37" x 24.4" x 36.2" (L x W x H). This hutch does at least have a ramp for climbing and a second story floor area. Even with a hutch of this size, we still recommend having a play pen area on the outside of the cage for bunny to roam around, if your bun will not free-roam in your house.
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C.​ SMALL: The COZIWOW Rabbit Cage: This is an example of the minimum space we require of our bunny owners. It is 35 x 21 x 21 inches. If you opt for a cage like this, you must also have some kind of play pen area on the outside of the cage where the bunny can run around and get exercise. Of course, this is assuming that you are not planning on having your bunny free-roaming in your house. No bunny should ever spend its life in a cage of this size without access to the outside of the cage. Bunnies love to hop, run, jump and do the zoomies, and they must have the space to move freely to be happy and healthy.

D. PLAY PEN: An example of a pen that can extend the living space of your rabbit's hutch or cage. I like the easy access door on this one. Some play pens have very small doors. I also like the height of this pen. Your exercise pen should be a minimum of three feet tall to accommodate a Holland Lop. Play pen covers can also be bought if you intend to use the pen outdoors.

3. HOUSING ACCESSORIES: Although you can try to use heavy ceramic type dishes, bunnies tend to tip them over or scoot them around (sloshing the water out), so we recommend the following:

A. Water Cup: It is highly recommended you provide your bunny with a large cup and a bottle for water, and have the cup securely attached to side of the bun's cage. (DO NOT BUY THE SMALL SIZE. IT IS INSUFFICIENT FOR A RABBIT). You may need two of these; one for water and one for measured, pellet feed. If you are going to use free-feed pellets, you will only need one of these cups for water and a hanging feeder, as seen below. These are the cups we use:

B. Water Bottle: Bunnies drink a lot of water. They can consume as much water as a medium sized dog. However, unlike a dog, if a bunny runs out of water or tips their bowl over, their health can rapidly decline if they are waiting on their person to arrive while thirsting for water. Therefore, we recommend using the large cup above and a water bottle as a back-up reserve. Although bottles are more convenient for bunny parents than cups, bottles can get clogged, leak or simply not dispense enough water to satisfy a bunnies thirst. Bunnies should not have only a bottle to drink from. We have tested more bunny drink bottles and water dispensers than you can imagine. To keep it simple, this is the only water bottle we recommend:

C. Pellet Feed Bowl OR a Hanging Feeder: It is highly recommended you use the same attachable large cup for (measured) feed as seen above for water. We recommend you do not buy the small sized cup. Holland Lops have flat, round, wide faces and are forced to shove their face down into the small cup to get a bite of pellet feed. Pelleted dust can accumulate in the bottom of the cup, and then they are inhaling the dust to get a bite of pellet, if they can reach the pellet at all. If you are going to provide your bunny with a free-feed pellet, you might prefer the hanging feeder so you will not need to refill it often. These are the cups and/or hanging feeders we use and recommend. (The bowl is the same as the water bowl, seen above):

D. Hay Racks: Hay is the great majority of your bun's diet. You will need to select the hay rack that best suits your habitat. (Some habitats come with a hay rack included so look carefully at your habitat before buying a hay rack). Some racks hang on the outside of the wire of your cage/house, while some are designed to hang on the inside. (NOTE: If your habitat has 1/4" hardware cloth wire, the hay rack that would hang on the outside of the wire will not work. Not enough hay will poke through the wire for your rabbit to feed freely on their hay - which is absolutely essential!). You also need to consider how much "hay mess" you are willing to tolerate and/or sweep up every day. If your hay rack hangs on the outside of the wire, you will have more hay mess to manage. Obviously, hay racks that hang on the inside of the wire or housing, will make less of a mess on your floor. Be aware there are many other styles available but many of them do not allow your bunny to get their face through the openings to get enough hay. These are our best suggestions for inside and outside hanging hay racks:

​E. HIDEAWAYS: 
​

Care Essentials:
Bunny proofing your home: 




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1. BUNNY CARRIER:
2. HOUSING:
 ​
​3. HOUSING ACCESSORIES:




​3. HOUSING ACCESSORIES: Although you can try to use heavy ceramic type dishes, bunnies tend to tip them over or scoot them around (sloshing the water out), so we recommend the following:

A. Water Cup: It is highly recommended you provide your bunny with a large cup and a bottle for water, and have the cup securely attached to side of the bun's cage. (DO NOT BUY THE SMALL SIZE. IT IS INSUFFICIENT FOR A RABBIT). You may need two of these; one for water and one for measured, pellet feed. If you are going to use free-feed pellets, you will only need one of these cups for water and a hanging feeder, as seen below. These are the cups we use:

B. Water Bottle: Bunnies drink a lot of water. They can consume as much water as a medium sized dog. However, unlike a dog, if a bunny runs out of water or tips their bowl over, their health can rapidly decline if they are waiting on their person to arrive while thirsting for water. Therefore, we recommend using the large cup above and a water bottle as a back-up reserve. Although bottles are more convenient for bunny parents than cups, bottles can get clogged, leak or simply not dispense enough water to satisfy a bunnies thirst. Bunnies should not have only a bottle to drink from. We have tested more bunny drink bottles and water dispensers than you can imagine. To keep it simple, this is the only water bottle we recommend:

C. Pellet Feed Bowl OR a Hanging Feeder: It is highly recommended you use the same attachable large cup for (measured) feed as seen above for water. We recommend you do not buy the small sized cup. Holland Lops have flat, round, wide faces and are forced to shove their face down into the small cup to get a bite of pellet feed. Pelleted dust can accumulate in the bottom of the cup, and then they are inhaling the dust to get a bite of pellet, if they can reach the pellet at all. If you are going to provide your bunny with a free-feed pellet, you might prefer the hanging feeder so you will not need to refill it often. These are the cups and/or hanging feeders we use and recommend. (The bowl is the same as the water bowl, seen above):

D. Hay Racks: Hay is the great majority of your bun's diet. You will need to select the hay rack that best suits your habitat. (Some habitats come with a hay rack included so look carefully at your habitat before buying a hay rack). Some racks hang on the outside of the wire of your cage/house, while some are designed to hang on the inside. (NOTE: If your habitat has 1/4" hardware cloth wire, the hay rack that would hang on the outside of the wire will not work. Not enough hay will poke through the wire for your rabbit to feed freely on their hay - which is absolutely essential!). You also need to consider how much "hay mess" you are willing to tolerate and/or sweep up every day. If your hay rack hangs on the outside of the wire, you will have more hay mess to manage. Obviously, hay racks that hang on the inside of the wire or housing, will make less of a mess on your floor. Be aware there are many other styles available but many of them do not allow your bunny to get their face through the openings to get enough hay. These are our best suggestions for inside and outside hanging hay racks:

A. 

B.

​C.
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  • Home
  • MEET OUR BUNNIES
    • OUR BUNNY PARENTS
  • BUNNY ADOPTION CHECKLIST
    • AVAILABLE BUNNIES
    • WAITING LIST
  • LEARN ABOUT BUNNIES
    • BUNNY FEEDING
    • BUNNY CARE & BEYOND!
    • BUNNY HEALTH
    • BUNNY BEHAVIOR
    • BUNNY FACTS
    • BUNNY CARE VIDEOS
  • CONTACT