New MINI LOP for show

[LolaThatJazz]

This is St. Pierre’s Lola That Jazz, from Cottontail Rabbitry in Lee, NH.  She is 12 weeks old on Monday. 

She’s a pedigreed chestnut agouti mini lop from show quality mini lops.  The family has been raising and breeding mini lops for 26 years and I was lucky to get one of the pick of this litter.

While I’m hoping to show her, she’s a pet and I am new at rabbits.    I am in USA.

How do rabbits show affection and bonding with owners???  She likes being pet and is very curious, but wriggles a bit whenever I try to pick her up (but then settles down once I got her).  Will they ever get comfortable getting picked up?  She doesn’t bite and isn’t aggressive but I’m worried she may get that way once she’s older.  And I’ve heard I can’t show a spayed rabbit so I’ll have to make a choice.  When is best age to spay?  

What kind of hay is best and how much should she be eating at this age?   She has been getting fed timothy hay at the breeders and I have been giving her Oxbow’s timothy hay but she doesn’t seem really chow down on it.  

Also, when can I start giving her veggies at 1 cup a day?  There seems to be mixed info out there on this.  I’ve started giving her pieces of basil, parsley and mint to get accustomed to and she likes them, but I’ve heard it can cause diarrhea in young animals so I wanted to be careful.  

She eats blue seal 16% now and I am switching her over to Poulin 16%.  it seems higher quality.

Here’s a pic of her.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Your new bunny is beautiful. Welcome to BB!

I’ll try to answer some of your questions. A great resource for new owners is the “Bunny Info” section here on BB. And the best place for vet-approved nutrition is the House Rabbit Societ. http://www.rabbit.org

Bunnies are really individuals and show affection in different ways. Some will come over to you for petting, some even give kisses. Most show affection by just wanting to be around you and allowing you to pet them. Some bunnies will tooth purr when they are enjoying your attention. As prey animals, it’s understandable that most bunnies dislike being picked up. Most come to tolerate it in small amounts but to keep your bunny happy (and safe) it’s best to only pick up when necessary.

A spayed rabbits is by far the best choice for a house rabbit. Unfixed bunnies can be territorial and display unwanted behaviors like spraying and lunging. By far, the most important reason to spay a bunny is to prevent reproductive cancers. There is an 85% chance of an intact bunny getting cancer. It varies by vet but most will do a spay after bunny reaches 5 or 6 months.

As for the nutrition, check out the links mentioned. You will get all the info on appropriate nutrition for young bunnies.

[Love4Bunny]

Hi, and Welcome Lola is quite stunning. She looks so ladylike, with her paws all together like that.

[LBJ10]

Oh my, what a doll!

How serious are you about showing her? Some hobby groups allow the bunny to be spayed. Some 4-H groups have begun promoting it, but it depends on where you are.

[Marie]

She is adorable.

[Odette]

Lola is absolutely beautiful. She has such a gentle face.

You might try a different grass hay. I mix Oxbow Timothy and Oxbow Oat for my 16 week old bunny. I’m not sure why Lola would dislike Timothy since she was fed Timothy by her breeder. Maybe she wasn’t much of a fan there either.

Bunnies can be the most wonderful, loving pets imaginable. I had to be a little patient with Odette because she was shy at first. She had been handled a lot before I adopted her, so she didn’t mind being picked up. But, she was a little timid. I sat on the floor and let her get used to me in her space. Now, she’s all over me. Enjoy your sweet girl and welcome to the forum.

[Author]

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