Small in size and unbelievably cute, the Holland Lop is one of the most popular rabbit breeds! Their miniature stature, floppy ears, and fuzzy fur make them well-liked by adults and children alike.
But, do Holland Lop rabbits make good pets? Holland Lops make fantastic pets for people of all ages and families with younger or older kids. These small guys make friendly, playful, and active pets that love to explore and play outside their enclosures. They also love to spend time with their owners and enjoy playing and relaxing.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Holland Lop’s appearance, temperament, health, and much more! Keep on reading to find out everything you need to know about the Holland Lop rabbit breed!
What Is a Holland Lop Rabbit?
The Holland Lop is one of the smallest lop-eared rabbit breeds. They are one of the most popular breeds in the US and the UK and make wonderful pets and show rabbits.
This breed is best known for its diminutive size, lopped ears, and the fact that it comes in a variety of colors.
Holland Lop Rabbit History and Origin
Unlike many rabbit breeds that were the result of accidental mating, the Holland Lop was the result of planned breeding.
The story of Holland Lops began with Dutch breeder Adriann. He wanted to combine the qualities of a French Lop and a Netherland Dwarf rabbit in hopes that their offspring will inherit lopped ears and small size.
Since these are two very different breeds, the results were not as Adriann hoped for as the kits were too big and died as a result. In 1951, Adriann attempted to crossbreed these rabbits again. But instead of using a Netherland Dwarf doe, he decided to try breeding a French Lop doe with a Netherland Dwarf buck.
This time, the resulting litter exceeded Adriann’s expectations as all kits were normal-sized and had standard ear positions. To create a lop-eared breed, he crossed bunnies from this litter with an English Lop with visibly floppy ears.
After a few years of breeding these rabbits and a few hits and misses, Adriann successfully created the first Holland Lop in 1955.
This breed was recognized by the Netherlands’ Governing Rabbit Council in 1964. In 1976, Holland Lops made their way to the United States and were recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association in 1979.
Ever since they made their debut, Holland Lops are one of the most popular rabbit breeds in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Holland Lop Rabbit Characteristics
According to standards of perfection, Holland Lops are expected to be muscular for their short size. They should have broad shoulders, deep hindquarters, and thick and short heavily boned legs.
While the stocky body and round head are enough to make Holland Lops beautiful to behold, it’s their lopped ears that make this breed stand out. Their well-furred ears have rounded tips and are wider at the bottom.
The Holland Lop’s round and broadhead have a distinctive puff of fur on the back, which is known as the “crown”. The crown should be thick and raised above the rabbit’s head.
Size, Weight, Shape
The Holland Lop is a small rabbit with a compact body type. They usually weigh between two and four pounds, with four pounds being the maximum according to the ARBA (source).
Color Varieties
Holland Lops come in many different coat colors that only add to their overall appeal. They are categorized into eight color groups for showing and their coat can come in more than 30 colors.
When it comes to color varieties, there are not many rabbit breeds that can match the diversity found in this breed. Based on coat color, Holland Lops are divided in:
- Self group: Black, blue, chocolate, lilac, ruby-eyed white, blue-eyed white
- Agouti group: Chestnut, chinchilla, chocolate, lynx, opal, squirrel, chocolate-chinchilla
- Broken: Any color with white
- Pointed white: Black, blue, chocolate, lilac
- Shaded: Sable point, seal, tortoise (black, blue, chocolate, lilac), Siamese sable, smoke pearl
- Tan: Otter (black, blue, chocolate, lilac)
- Ticked: Gold-tipped or silver-tipped steels in black, chocolate, blue, or lilac
- Wide band: Cream, fawn, frosty, orange, red, tricolors
Coat
This breed of rabbit has a medium-long, dense, rollback coat. Since their coats are smooth and glossy, they don’t require too much grooming and are fairly easy to maintain.
Brush your Holland Lop once or twice a week using a slicker brush, to remove loose hair and keep their coat tangle-free. Besides keeping your bunny’s coat clean, regular brushing will also minimize the amount of loose hair your pet ingests, thus lowering the risk of GI stasis.
During the molting season, in the spring, you’ll need to brush your Holland Lop bunny more often to control the amount of shedding.
Lifespan
Holland Lop rabbits have an average lifespan of seven to 10 years. These bunnies are calm and friendly creatures, to begin with, so spaying or neutering your pet Holland Lop won’t change their personality significantly. But, having your bunny fixed can increase its life expectancy (source).
Temperament
Holland Lops are calm, affectionate, and friendly rabbits that like to spend time playing and relaxing with their owners. To really allow your pet rabbit’s personality to shine through you’ll need to give them plenty of time outside their enclosure to play and roam around.
These little bunnies are easy to handle and love to interact with their human families. Besides petting and cuddling your Holland Lop, you can also play with them or train them tricks.
Regardless of their small size, Holland Lops are energetic and active creatures that need daily exercise to stay mentally stimulated and out of trouble.
Besides exercise, they also love to chew, so make sure that your bunny has appropriate chew toys. Otherwise, your cute pet may chew electrical cables, shoes, furniture and create mayhem in your home.
When choosing toys for your Holland Lop to play with, consider their personality and preferences. While some bunnies need elaborate store-bought toys to be happy, others are perfectly content playing with a toilet paper roll.
Holland Lop Rabbit Care
Like any other rabbit, the Holland Lop requires a lot of love and attention to stay happy and healthy. The good news is that this breed is fairly easy to maintain and care for! When it comes to caring for your pet rabbit, pay attention to:
Enclosure
While they are small, Holland Lops still need plenty of room and a spacious enclosure to stay healthy and happy. Your rabbit’s cage shouldn’t be smaller than 18 x 25 inches, though a bigger cage is always better.
Avoid cages with wire bottoms as they can injure your bunny’s feet and cause sore hocks. Instead, purchase a cage with a plastic bottom and line it with cozy rabbit bedding, such as hey, shredded paper, or wood pellets.
Spot clean the bedding every day and remove it completely once a week to keep the enclosure clean.
Diet
The Holland Lop’s diet should consist of around 70% hay with the rest being made of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and high-quality pellet. Feed your rabbit a balanced and varied diet to help them stay healthy and make sure that they have unrestricted access to fresh water.
When feeding your Holland Lop, you may notice that your bunny likes certain fruits and veggies more than others. In this case, use these fruits as rewards when training your pet rabbit to come when called, or to use a litter box.
Health
The Holland Lop is considered a generally healthy breed and they aren’t prone to any hereditary health problems. But, like any other rabbit, they too can be affected by common rabbit diseases.
Overgrown teeth are often seen in pet rabbits that don’t eat enough hay, and are a common bunny issue. Since rabbit teeth never stop growing, your bunny needs to eat a lot of hay which will naturally file its teeth and keep them at a normal length.
When a rabbit isn’t eating enough hay, its teeth can become too long and even grow into its jaws and cheeks. To prevent this painful condition from happening check your bunny’s teeth weekly and feed them a diet rich in hay.
Parasites are another common issue for all rabbit breeds and can cause your Holland Lop to scratch and lose hair. Luckily, these can easily be treated with either spot-on treatments or anti-mite injections.
Holland Lop Rabbit Price
Pet quality Holland Lop rabbits on average cost from $30 to $100 when bought from a breeder. Show quality Holland Lops, on the other hand, can cost upwards of $300 to $400 depending on the breeder, coat color, and pedigree.
Conclusion
Best known for its big round head and thickly furred lopped ears, the Holland Lop is one of the most popular rabbit breeds in the USA. These small bunnies make excellent show rabbits and wonderful pets to people of all ages including families with younger or older kids.
Calm, friendly, and playful Holland Lops are best kept indoors with their human families with whom they can spend time playing and cuddling. If you are looking for a small, cuddly, and calm pet rabbit, the Holland Lop is a perfect choice!
Related Articles: