Bunny Checklist: Getting Ready for Your New Bunny!

All bunnies come with a "bunny bag" of goodies!

After months of researching and waiting for the perfect Holland Lop bunny, it's almost time to bring your new bunny home, but are you completely prepared?  Take a look at our bunny checklist to make sure you have your ducks (bunnies) in a row. 

Bunnies purchased from Hook's Hollands come with a small bag of Sherwood transition feed, hay, bunny care sheet, and a pedigree or birth certificate.  Other supplies are available for purchase.

1. Purchase rabbit food.  We recommend a small bag of Sherwood Baby Rabbit Food and a larger bag of Sherwood Adult Complete Rabbit Food OR Sherwood Adult Timothy Rabbit Food.  Amazon or Sherwood's website sells these.  The baby food is fed through about 12 weeks old, so once the bag is finished, it is usually time to transition to the adult formula.  Digestive Support tablets are great for when your bunny is molting or not eating well, and Sherwood's SARx and SARx Rescue Appetite Restore are nice to have on hand if your bunny should stop eating or get sick.
Two alternative brands of bunny food you may wish to consider are Modesto Milling Organic Rabbit Pellets or Oxbow's Garden Select rabbit feed.  These are the only brands besides Sherwood that I have found not to contain soy or cheap fillers.
The difference between Sherwood's Adult Complete and Adult Timothy formulas is the Complete has alfalfa and is fed free-choice while the Timothy has no alfalfa, is easier to digest, and is concentrated (fed in measured quantities).  Either is fine to begin with, and bunnies transition fine from each formula to the other in my experience.  The Timothy formula was created for bunnies with sensitive digestive systems and those preferring not to feed alfalfa, which has been a controversial ingredient due to its higher fat content and calcium compared to timothy.
You may also wish to purchase some old-fashioned oats (the raw kind, not quick-cook).  We give our bunnies a pinch of raw oats with their food (or as treats) daily.  This is optional.  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 age, and then they can have about 1 cup of leafy greens per pound daily or as directed by your vet.  Whenever you feed greens, watch carefully for mushy poop (that means to slow down the greens).  Save the sugary treats like carrot slices, apple slices, banana slices, and berries for closer to the 5/6 month age.  Unlimited fresh timothy grass hay and water should make up the bulk of the diet followed by quality pellets and a bit of fresh greens depending on the age of the bunny and whether their digestive system is ready for wet greens.   

2. Purchase timothy hay or orchard grass.  Find a source for fresh-smelling timothy hay or orchard grass.  Ask a local farmer (who doesn't spray their hay with pesticides) or feed store or purchase online at Small Pet Select, Farmer Dave Pet Supply website or on Amazon.  Small Pet Select has the most variety of rabbit hay options as well as offers rabbit toys and other supplies with quick shipping.  We use Small Pet Select hay 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 bunnies are picky hay eaters!

3. Gather your supplies: cage or other enclosure such as a dog kennel and/or exercise pen (see cage ideas), absorbent bedding for litter box, a water bottle or water dish, food dish, small nail clippers, and a brush.  Our favorite brush is the versatile Hair Buster from Amazon.  We have smaller soft brushes available for purchase.  A hay rack is handy, but toilet paper tubes cut in half work fine too.  We have some small supplies available for purchase. See bottom of sale page for available supplies we have for purchase upon pickup.

Photo by Francine R.

4. Pet Carrier: Your bunny needs a small pet carrier or box with lid for the car ride home.  Please do not hold the bunny in your lap, as this increases the stress.  A towel and some hay in a toilet paper tube will help to comfort your bunny.  A hard plastic pet carrier (smallest size) with a door on top works great, but no need to purchase something new if you already have a pet carrier of another type.  This will also be handy for taking bunny to the vet, traveling, or transporting to an outdoor exercise pen.

5. Do your homework.  Research about pet rabbits online or at your library, especially about what treats are appropriate for rabbits (NO treats for baby bunnies other than a couple pinches of raw oats or a thumb-sized piece of leafy green as tolerated.).  Read our BUNNY CARE page.  Locate a local rabbit-savvy small animal veterinarian for emergencies or spaying/neutering (recommended for all pet bunnies). 

6. Bunny money.  Any remaining balance due is to be paid in cash at pickup.  Please bring the exact amount, thank you! :)

7. Bunny pickup.  After a day/time for collecting your new bunny is established, you will be emailed directions to our farm.  Please email or text an updated ETA on pickup day so your bunny will be ready and eagerly waiting for you.  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 the US, and we wish to limit our bunnies' exposure to potential methods of transmission.  Please park at the main house/garage area when you arrive.

8. Allow your bunny time to settle in.  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.  Follow your bunny's cues; if it doesn't want to explore or be held (bunnies don't like carried any time), sit by your bunny's cage or near your bunny with a few oats in your hand.  Let your bunny come to you, talk gently to it, and pet it softly.  Sit in a small area with your bunny and read/watch tv/sit quietly while your bunny investigates and learns that you are not a threat.  Eventually, your bunny's true personality will emerge, but IT WILL TAKE DAYS OR WEEKS TO ADJUST!  After a day or two, it is advised that you begin holding your bunny while sitting, even if he/she is hesitant.  Shower your bunny with calm affection and head rubs and a few oat treats while holding firmly but gently.  If your bunny continues to appear scared, think like a bunny detective and figure out what sights/smells/sounds might be scaring your bunny.  Even smells from other pets elsewhere in the house can be intimidating to a bunny at first.

9. Send us pictures!  Getting pictures of bunnies in their new homes and with their new owners is SO much fun, and these pictures will get posted on the New Bunny Homes page too.  :)