"*ANYONE W/ EXPERIENCE ON HANDLING / BREEDING HOLL. LOPS,
YOUR SUGGESTIONS / ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED*.
I'm looking for ANY help / tips re: 2 questions I have:
I recently brought an 11 week old Holland Lop bunny. Her name is Almond Joy. (Almond- b'cus she's got almond-coloured spots, and Joy- well,..b'cus she is a joy.) ...despite my 2 little problems, of course... =P
1st Q:
I've personally had her for about 3 wks. now, and she's doing great. However, the problem is that she is very skittish and afraid of people. She gets very scared if I or anyone picks her up (it's just me, my boyfriend, & sister) and a lot of the times, she urinates/ defecates when I do so. Please note that when we DO attempt to pick her up, we are very gentle in doing so. She seems very happy when she is playing by herself, but she doesn't like to be petted or played with for longer than a few seconds at a time. Is this a common situation, and if so, will she grow out of it?
(reason I ask, is because I've read several blogs about how they're playful, warm-natured and how they have pretty good temperaments...this breed, particularly). I just feel like my lop is very timid, and likes to isolate herself when I let her out of the cage. you can't pick her up otherwise, she starts kicking her feet all over the place. I'm lucky to even PET her. =(
2nd Q:
She defecates SO FREQUENTLY to the point where I would clean out her cage... and within 2-3 hours, (more or less) her bedding is FILLED with stool again. I have been having MAJOR difficulty litter training her (she goes both in and out of her cage). I have a litter box INSIDE her cage and sure, she does some of her business in there as well,...but not NEARLY as much as she goes inside the cage (on top of the bedding inside the cage) needless to say, the TRAILS she leaves when I let her run -n- play OUT of the cage. I mean it's EVERYWHERE! Every time! When I let her sit on my bed, you can expect her "marking her territory" within the first few minutes she's on it! All an all,...
Is this normal "bathroom" behavior for a baby Lop?
If so, what are the best methods in training?
FYI- When I bought her from her breeder,(3 wks. ago) I was informed she was a healthy 8 wk. old. I was informed that she has a pedigree and is in good health. She told me what her diet should consist of. She is currently eating:
ZuPreem brand "Nature's Promise" pellets made w/ Timothy hay,
and is also eating Timothy hay aside. w/ fresh water daily. and occasional snacks i.e., fresh bananas, apples, and some dried fruits as well.
So if ANYONE has advice or some knowledge in reference to my situation, please share some feedback! It would be appreciated. Thanks a Many Many Much!!
Oh... and Almond-Joy thanks you too!! =D
"
"Jeany"
