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Mini Lops Advice

A

A_Couple_In_Love

Young Bun
Hi,

Currently looking for 2 new born Mini Lops for sale. This will be our first time buying one.

I'm getting mixed views on there size when they are fully grown, how big do they actually go compared to other rabbits, do they grow much compared to when they are around 10 weeks old?

Thanks.
 
It really depends. If parents are pure bred it will depend on whether or not the bunny has the dwarfing gene. If they are cross breeds (which a lot of pet shop 'mini lops' will be), then they could be any size really. Seeing the parents will give a guide but no firm idea.

They will keep growing until about 9-10 monts old so they should get a lot bigger than when at 10 weeks.
 
Really it depends on each individual bunny and even if a bunny is very handleable when young, it doesn't mean it will be once s/he has gone through adolesence and become an adult (adults' trust less and can have a complete personality transplant from when babies). That is why it can be hugely beneficial to get an adult spayed/neutered rabbit because you know exactly what you're getting.
 
Some rabbits are more friendly than others, and I don't think that's a breed thing I think that's just individual rabbits. I have a mini lop x lionhead and a dwarf lop. My dwarf lop, Archie is much more friendly than Izzy the mini lop, and although neither of them really like being held, Archie is more tolerant of being held than Izzy. I think its because I've had him longer though. My rabbits much prefer me just sitting with them, they climb on my lap when they want to and can get off when they want to :)
 
A_Couple_In_Love said:
Well that would depend on what exactly I mean by handling, my previous rabbit loved being picked up, put on my lap and being stroked.

Some rabbits enjoy being handled more than others.
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Yeah but thats not down to the breed as others have said its down to individual rabbits
 
My baby rabbits were handled daily, they love being stroked but I get annihilated if I pick them up. They are neutered and spayed.

They change when they're older. If you have older rabbits you know what you're in for.

With younger ones.. I had a softy boy who loved cuddles. He is now independent and couldn't care less if I was there or not. My girl was fussy and outgoing as a baby. Now she is older she freaks out at any loud noise and will go for you if you scare her accidentally, she hates sudden movements.

Are mini lops the ones susceptible to breathing/dental issues because of their faces?
 
I have a pure breed mini lop (i know because i got from a breeder) i got clover as soon as i could at 8 weeks and i can handle her but she struggles, when im holding her shes fine. She likes to come to me more, she jumps up on my bed to lie with me, she'd rather that than me picking her up on the bed. They do grow quite big not huge, but bigger than expected. Id say compared to my other shes teeny but i swear shes cross bread with a giant :lol::lol: whereas i got my big girl poppy about 15 weeks and i cant handle her at all, i can clap her till my arm falls off but go to lift her and she runs.
 
Aly&Poppy<3 said:
My baby rabbits were handled daily, they love being stroked but I get annihilated if I pick them up. They are neutered and spayed.

They change when they're older. If you have older rabbits you know what you're in for.

With younger ones.. I had a softy boy who loved cuddles. He is now independent and couldn't care less if I was there or not. My girl was fussy and outgoing as a baby. Now she is older she freaks out at any loud noise and will go for you if you scare her accidentally, she hates sudden movements.

Are mini lops the ones susceptible to breathing/dental issues because of their faces?
Click to expand...


Ive had no problem with this, just make sure you never ever put them in sawdust and clover get mass amounts of barn dried hay (less dust apparently) and shes always been a really good hay eater and she thinks shes a hamster and chews the bars of her cage all the time so her teeth are healthy as ever. I admit there is no guarantee this works all the time but it has for me
 
Aly&Poppy<3 said:
My baby rabbits were handled daily, they love being stroked but I get annihilated if I pick them up. They are neutered and spayed.

They change when they're older. If you have older rabbits you know what you're in for.

With younger ones.. I had a softy boy who loved cuddles. He is now independent and couldn't care less if I was there or not. My girl was fussy and outgoing as a baby. Now she is older she freaks out at any loud noise and will go for you if you scare her accidentally, she hates sudden movements.

Are mini lops the ones susceptible to breathing/dental issues because of their faces?
Click to expand...

Yes I think so. Mischa had both issues though the second was more due to infection and disfiguration from the first.

My mini lops are (were) friendly but like all rabbits they didn't really like being picked up and stroked. But again I'm sure there are mini lops around who dislike humans. Actually my friend's mini lop who I went and fed today was not in the mood for any fuss, even within her hutch. It's not down to breed, they are individuals. Cuddly baby rabbits will not necessarily grow up to be cuddly adult rabbits, whether handled regularly or not.
 
Will I be ok to put 2 of the same sex in the same cage if there already bonded from a breeder? Then get them spayed as soon as there old enough?

Don't want them to fight..
 
A_Couple_In_Love said:
Will I be ok to put 2 of the same sex in the same cage if there already bonded from a breeder? Then get them spayed as soon as there old enough?

Don't want them to fight..
Click to expand...

There are no guarantees. Once they hit their hormones anything can happen, they may be fine, they may fight and you have a big vets bill.
 
My 'mini' lops aren't that mini- at 1.8 kg they're not really that small. Somewhere between a mini and a dwarf lop I think

Yes my understanding (from my vet) is that lops are particularly prone to dental issues.

Temperament wise, of the four that I had they were all completely different, and Bubbles morphed into a different rabbit after neutering. Totally different personality and even his colouring changed a little.

At 4, they are quite handleable, but this is recent and up until 6 months ago preferred to have little to do with me. I took them on as they were an unwanted litter, but babies are hard work, and to be honest I would have saved myself a LOT of stress, heartache and hassle if I'd taken on a mature neutered pair from a rescue like I had intended.

I had two girls and two boys (now one of each sadly) and both the boys turned on each other at about 11 months (so well after neutering) and the girls only ever really tolerated each other- no aggression but zero affection. I seperated into two pairs. So if you did get two the same sex there really is no guarantees that they will always get on, even if they already know each other well.

Hope that helps a little
 
My two mini lops were 8 weeks when i got them, Olly has never tolerated being picked up, he acts like you're trying to kill him! :roll: Honey didn't used to mind it but now she hates it (they are 2 now). They are more than twice the size they were at 8 weeks. I have found that because of their flat faces, they often struggle reaching to eat their caecals, and can get in quite a mess because of that. They are gorgeous though , and both love strokes and floor snuggles :love:
 
I chatted to my vet before getting my mini lop and they warned me that yes they are very prone to dental issues. They really tried to put me off actually but I just love mini and dwarf lops so much!

As for being handled, it depends on the bunny. My last bunny was an absolute sweetie- not castrated (rescued like that)- and as easy to handle as anything, didn't even seem to notice if you picked him up. He also got easier to handle as he got older.

My new mini lop is also very easy to handle. But it depends entirely on the bunny! I wouldn't bank on getting one that's easy to handle because even lovely natured buns that love to be stroked and nose-rubbed can be terrible to handle!
 
Charmednm said:
[/B]

Ive had no problem with this, just make sure you never ever put them in sawdust and clover get mass amounts of barn dried hay (less dust apparently) and shes always been a really good hay eater and she thinks shes a hamster and chews the bars of her cage all the time so her teeth are healthy as ever. I admit there is no guarantee this works all the time but it has for me
Click to expand...

just thought Id mention..chewing the bars of the cage is often a sign of boredom or they want out - so more time free ranging...also apple branches & hawthorn are great for them to chew on and keep their teeth down;) and its free whne foraged for. Just make sure no insecticides or pesticides were used on them:D

she sounds adorable!:love:
 
chelle said:
just thought Id mention..chewing the bars of the cage is often a sign of boredom or they want out - so more time free ranging...also apple branches & hawthorn are great for them to chew on and keep their teeth down;) and its free whne foraged for. Just make sure no insecticides or pesticides were used on them:D

she sounds adorable!:love:
Click to expand...

:thumb:

In furtherance to this they won't be using their molars to chew the bars, they'll use their incisors, and it's the molars that are commonly an issue with dental bunnies. It's hay which helps with the molars.

Mischa ate bucketfuls of hay but where his face was drooping on one side due to a prior infection parts of his molars seemed to get missed as he favoured one side more than the other.
 
chelle said:
just thought Id mention..chewing the bars of the cage is often a sign of boredom or they want out - so more time free ranging...also apple branches & hawthorn are great for them to chew on and keep their teeth down;) and its free whne foraged for. Just make sure no insecticides or pesticides were used on them:D

she sounds adorable!:love:
Click to expand...

She does it for anything, haha, even when the door of her cage is open haha, but when shes does really early in the morning to wake me up i go and let her out as i know thats what she wants. As for chewing things she never chews them, i got apple branches they sat in her cage for three weeks hardly touched before i gave them to poppy and shes had numerous tubes and sticks in with her :/ shes a big fussy fluff ball :)
 
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