Pet Rabbits - General Info, Experience & Opinions requested

[vicki2x2]

Most lops have nice personalities, of course, they are all individuals, so you might run across one who is not as nice, but in general, they are usually pretty even tempered. We have one, named by my then 4 year old, Cinderella, she loves attention. When we open the door to feed her, she practically falls out trying to get attention. The more attention you give them, the more they will enjoy it. The first few days, let them settle in, especially if they are scared. Just leave them alone, speak to them quietly, but don't handle them.

Lops have always been my favorites! They are friendly, curious, and sometimes silly!

 

[DawnSuiter]

can these mini lops cohabitate with anyone? like chickens? or guinea pigs? maybe?

 

[vicki2x2]

Wouldn't recommend it. It has happened, but generally, someone gets hurt. Rabbits do best on wire floors with a board or something to sit on, otherwise their feet squish their "pellets" and make a mess. Unless they are litter trained, of course. Guinea pigs do better on solid floors as wire floors are hard on their little feet. Also rabbits tend to be bigger then the GP's, so some bullying can happen. I have heard of chickens pecking rabbits eyes out, plus the dust in a chicken coop wouldn't be good for a rabbit. Now, running around outside in the run, that would probably be fine on occasion. We have one that we would let run loose in our pasture for a few hours. Scared our geese to death!!

They would run and hiss!!!

 

[vicki2x2]

Meant to add, two female rabbits, if raised together, usually will get along. Sometimes males too, though not as common. However, once adults, sometimes they will start fighting and need to be separated.


edited to make more sense!

 

[DawnSuiter]

So they don't really need a friend? They can live happily solo?

 

[vicki2x2]

Well, they like friends, just in the cage next door, or in a mirror! They like to see other bunnies. We once bought a young bunny that had been born in someone's basement and our bunnies were kept in the barn. It was winter, so we decided to keep her in the house until spring. She was very little and scared. She had just been weaned and sold all in one day and was having trouble adjusting and just sat in one corner of her cage. Finally we attached a mirror to the side of her cage and the transformation was amazing! She immediately came out of her shell. She could "see" another rabbit. She started hopping around her cage, eating, drinking, acting normal after 3-4 days of being a statue.

Another option, if you have a big area where they can stake out their own territory then sometimes they will live together. I once seen someone who had a old dairy barn with a cement floor, he converted it into a bunny barn. Covered the floor in corn cob litter (got it free from his farmer dad) blocked off the doorways, turned the girls all loose with lots of boxes, hideaways, etc and one buck. Then let them raise their own litters. He raised meat bunnies. He would come in once a week and sweep up all the litter and put down fresh, it was actually pretty nice set up, not smelly, rabbits seemed healthy, etc. Everday he filled their feeders and waterers (he had several so they didn't have to compete) and gave them fresh veggies, it was like a little rabbit commune.