Holland Lop Personality

Holland lops all have different personalities, but are generally friendly, curious, and fun. Their personality differs from rabbit to rabbit and the two genders are very similar. There are three different types of personalities. Some rabbits may not fit exactly and others may fit in more than one.

The first type of rabbit is a more hyper type. They rarely stand still and are always bouncing around. They like to play and are very active. If you show them, they are always trying to find a way out of the area. It takes time to get them to stand still and they are hard for the judges to judge. They are not the best pets but some people prefer them. They are also more likely to bite when they are not properly cared for.

The next type is the exact opposite of the one above. They don't move much and don't require large cages. They are very laid-back and don't 'complain' much. They are good for shows because they don't stress often and they don't try to run away. They don't breed well and therefore, aren't super common.

The last type is the most desirable and common Holland lop personality. This type is the curious and cuddly personality people think of when they see Hollands. They are a mix of the other two because they like to see you and love to be played with but they don't ever completely stand still or ever go crazy. They occasionally move at shows and only stay in a pose for a short time. This is the most common personality in Hollands. This is what most pet-buyers and breeders look for in a rabbit.

Your rabbit may be a mix of two personalities or it may have a completely different one. It all depends on a rabbit. You may think the last type never gets angry or the first one is never calm. If you mistreat a rabbit, no matter what its personality, it can bite or get stressed.

Holland Lop Litter Training

Holland lops, or all rabbits in general are very clean. They all usually have a specific spot to use the bathroom. They are easily litter trainable. There are just a few simple steps.

The first thing you need to do is pick out a litter box and place it in the cage. You always want to start with the cage and then expand to larger areas of space. You want to also purchase litter. You don't want to use cat litter because it contains clay and can be dusty. That can cause respiratory problems to the rabbit. Most pet stores sell specially made rabbit or rodent litter that you can place in her cage.


Once you have all of the proper materials, what you want to do is put something such as a paper towel you used to wipe their urine with or their poop. You will then place it in her cage in the corner that she generally uses. They generally pick a corner they go the the bathroom in and it is usually the back left or right corners. You would place it in the corner and wait. You can also place hay in the pan and then it will keep them in the correct area. Then when the need to 'go' they will already be there.

If you need to expand your bathroom area, simply what you will do is the same thing as stated above. It may take time but most rabbits can learn to make it back to their cage. If you have a larger house or your rabbit simply can't make it, you may need to place one or two boxes extra throughout your house.

If your rabbit is not learning or only goes in the box some of the time, it is probably territorial. If your rabbit is young (one year or younger), is not spayed, or is an un-nuetered buck it is probably horomonal. If it is not fixed the easiest way to stop the problem is to spay or nueter it. If your rabbit is a youngster, but is over six months, you can also get it fixed. If your rabbit isn't you should probably just confine it to a cage and take it out for play time daily until the problem stops.

If you are having problems that causes the litter box to smell bad, you can put newspaper under the litter. Also, you should empty it daily or every other day.

If you have any questions about litter training, please leave comments below!

Holland Lop Appearance

Holland lops come in many colors and patterns. Some are fully colored and others are spotted with two or three colors, but the appearance of a Holland lop does no effect her personality.

The body shape of a Holland lop never is exactly the same or totally different. Each rabbit may have slight variations but Holland lops always have floppy ears. When Hollands are born their ears are up as, say, a Netherland dwarf rabbit. But, as they grow older they begin to flop. They generally begin to flop at the age of two months but some don't flop until they are three years! Also, Hollands have a round figure with bulky legs. Their ears hang to the side of their head and they are about four pounds.

The colors of Hollands vary and there are multiple. I will list some of the more common ones and give a small description.

Fawn- a light orange color that is on most of the body. A fully fawn rabbit will generally have a white or lighter stomach and chin.

Red- a VERY dark orange that almost looks red. It is very similar to the fawn and it isn't a REAL color that is certified in the US.

Lilac- a purple like gray. There are many versions of gray and this is a more common one. Sometimes a lilac Holland will have whites or lighter colors.

Chocolate- a dark brown color. These types of rabbits will usually be all one color.

Chinchilla- a gray/brown color that resembles a chinchilla. This type of rabbit will look like a chinchilla and will be covered in one color all around.

Squirrel- a squirrel colored rabbit will resemble a squirrel and she will have a light brown colored fur with other colors mixed in.

Black- just as it sounds, black.

Blue- a dark gray. A blue rabbit may look as though it has a blue tint in certain light

Red-eyed white- a white rabbit with red eyes. A rabbit with this color may resemble a lab rat or Bunnicula.

Blue-eyed white- a white rabbit with blue eyes. This rabbit will look friendly and much nicer than its red-eyed cousin, but remember, color doesn't effect personality!

There are more colors but I can't list them all. If you want me to put a color in, leave a comment and as soon as I get it, I will add it in. Please add a description if possible.


There are also many patterns. There are not as many patterns as colors but there are also ones I will probably miss. I will do the same as I did with the colors and you do the same if I miss one.

Broken- this is my favorite of the patterns and it can happen with white and any other color. White will be the base color and the other color will be scattered around the rest of the body. More of the other color will be on the face. The picture above is a broken black Holland lop.

Pointed- this rabbit pattern almost resembles a Siamese cat. A color (commonly gray) will be on the nose and ears and it will lighten the farther away it gets from the starting area.

Self- there is not much to explain about this pattern. Self is when a color is over all of the body and it is only one color.

Tortoise shell- this color has to versions. Both consist of patches of colors around the body. The only difference is one has two colors and white, and the other has one color and white.

Fuzzy- fuzzy isn't a pattern but I thought I should put it in. It is just when a rabbit has longer hair that is, hence the name, fuzzier! It is not common for a Holland to be fuzzy, but it can happen.

Again, if I forgot one of the many patterns or colors, please leave a comment below.

Holland Lop Entertainment

Holland lops don't require much time with you if you let them out and give them plenty of toys. Toys can be as simple as a toilet paper roll and as complex as a cat toy with a feather and squeaker. No matter what toys you give your rabbit she won't love them all and she will get bored of some of them.

Some pet stores sell rabbit toys but you can also purchase cat and bird toys. Rabbits will play with anything but the good thing is that they aren't nocturnal like other small pets so they won't wake you up at night. One of rabbit's favorite toys are old phonebooks. They love ripping the pages to shreds and sometimes burrowing in the paper. You can be creative and make almost anything in your house a Holland lops favorite toy.

Another thing rabbits enjoy is a garden. If you plant a garden in your yard and fence it in your rabbit will enjoy harvesting his own food. You must be careful though, because if you spray your plants with pesticides, they can make your bunny sick. If you live in an apartment or don't have room for a garden in your yard, you can plant veggies in small pots or a flower box and let your Holland harvest from there.

It may seem like all your rabbit is going to do is play and entertain himself, but that is wrong. A rabbit can entertain you by hopping in circles, passing a ball to you back and forth, and more. A Holland lop can also learn his name and other tricks and rabbits have been known to start chasing you, as in a game of tag. Just make sure you don't start tag because then you may threaten your Holland.

Holland Lop Grooming

I don't show rabbits so I don't know the exact requirements for a Holland Lop. I know that they should be 3.5 lbs and that they should be fairly clean, but that is it. When it comes to grooming, you should set aside time every week to groom/examine your Holland.

You brush your Holland about once a week to prevent matting. For long haired bunnies you must brush them daily but Holland lops generally don't have long hair. You brush your rabbit with a cat slicker or cat flea comb. You brush her fur to get out any knots and keep it smooth.

Because Holland lops have floppy ears when you groom your rabbit your should examine her ears. All lops are more susceptible to ear infections because of the way their ears hang. You should also examine her face to make sure her eyes and nose are clear and her rear-end to make sure she hasn't been having diarrhea.

Nail trimming isn't as complex as it may sound. You generally clip your rabbit's nails once every one or two months and you can use a human nail clipper. With white nailed rabbits it is easy to see where the quick is (light red/pink part of the nail) and the end where you should clip. You should leave a little white just as humans do. With dark nailed rabbits you must learn where the quick is and you may hold a flashlight under the nails to see better. If you cut the quick it will start bleeding and it is more serious then you would think. You must put baking soda on the nail to help start clotting and wait for it to stop bleeding. Many shelters often clip nails for a simple donation such as a roll of paper towels or a blanket.

Many people ask if you are to supposed to give your rabbit a bath. Rabbits are pretty clean animals and groom themselves constantly. They don't require baths and you should never get them fully wet. Say they get their bottom or paws covered in dirt from playing outside. You may want to clean them up before they re-enter your house. For the paws you could wet a rag and wipe of the dirt from the fur or you could soak their feet in a small bowl of water. For their bottom you could set them in a small bowl of water and rinse. BUT REMEMBER, NEVER FULLY ENGAGE A RABBIT IN WATER! If you put a bunny in water, 1) they won't like it 2) it can remove natural oils and 3) rabbits aren't good in water and they can easily drown.

Holland Lop Diet

Diet can be confusing. Their diet needs to consist of rabbit pellets, timothy hay, water, and treats.

Until Hollands are about 6 months old they must be fed UNLIMITED pellets and treats should be gradually introduced one at a time. Because fruits and veggies can upset a rabbit's stomach a junior (young rabbit) should be fed one a day at most. When your bunny reaches the age of 6 months you begin feeding him limited amounts of pellets.

The amount of pellets depends on how much your rabbit weighs. The average Holland weighs about 4 lbs. That means that you feed it 4 oz of pellets a day. You can choose to feed your rabbit twice a day, (once in the morning and once at night), or once a day whenever you choose. YOU FEED YOUR RABBIT 1 OZ OF PELLETS PER POUND OF RABBIT! You need to feed your rabbit at a regular time every day.

Timothy hay should be fed unlimited to your rabbit. Because a rabbit is constantly grooming itself it can swallow its fur. The fibers in the hay will help prevent hairballs in the stomach which can cause loss of appetite and other problems. Another way to help PREVENT hairballs is to feed your rabbit a monthly piece of pineapple. Your rabbit might not like the smell and she might not eat it but don't let it sit in the cage and spoil. The acid in the pineapple helps prevent hairballs in the stomach.

Your rabbit's water bottle should always be filled with fresh water and you should refill it every day. If your rabbit doesn't constantly have water it can get dehydrated and that can cause major medical problems.

Commercially made treats can be fed to your rabbit but they aren't very healthy. Rabbits greatly appreciate veggies such as lettuce, brocoli, and carrots. You can feed your rabbit a lot of veggies daily but you must make sure it doesn't upset your rabbit's stomach. Fruits can be fed to your Holland Lop about daily. One of rabbit's favorite fruits are bananas. You can also make rabbit treats in your kitchen. You can search websites and find the perfect one for your Holland lop.

Hollands as Pets

Holland lops make wonderful pets for the right people. They require regular feeding and unlimited water and timothy hay. If they are going to be stuck in a cage for most of the day, you must take them out to play for long periods of time. They won't smell bad if you litter train them and clean their cage once every week. If you give them all of the basic care they will be loving, friendly, and sweet. But if you don't treat them well they could bite or die of stress. Also, because of their small size of only three to four pounds, they can be good pets for small spaces.