The place for news, updates, announcements, and water bottle gossip from the Buns and their humans.

Hot Cross Hoppenings

March 26, 2026

There’s been some steady progress in the nursery this week, and a few sweet updates to share.

🐣 Noelle’s Babies — 4 Weeks Old

Noelle’s little ones are growing and changing quickly, and this stage is always a meaningful one to watch as their early personalities begin to take shape.

At our first gender check, all four are currently appearing to be bucks, though we will continue to confirm as they mature.

We’re keeping a close eye on Finch and Bluebird as we evaluate them as potential additions to our breeding program. This is always a careful and patient process, as we watch both structure and temperament develop over time.

We had some early concerns about Chickadee’s growth, but he seems to be catching up nicely. Now that he’s eating pellets and hay with enthusiasm, he’s gaining strength and doing very well.

We’ll continue observing, learning, and sharing as these little ones grow.

As always, thank you for following along with life here at the rabbitry. New pictures and a video of Noelle's babies have been added to The Nursery page.

March 24, 2026

We have a few meaningful updates to share today!

🏡 Beanie’s Next Chapter

Beanie has officially been matched and will be going home this Saturday. It’s always a special moment when the right fit comes together, and we’re looking forward to seeing her settle into her new home.

🐣 From the Nursery

We’ve also taken a peek at the genders of Tansy’s babies. Robin is a buck, while Sparrow and Wren are both does. They are still very much in the early stages of showing us who they are, but it’s always fun to begin putting those pieces together.

There are photos and a new video of the babies available on The Nursery page if you’d like to follow along as they grow.

📝 Looking Ahead: Placement Form

The Placement Form is open for families hoping to welcome a Bun in the coming months. We look forward to meeting the people who will love and care for our current babies and retired Buns when the timing is right for them.

📚 New on the Blog

Behind the scenes, a lot of time this week has been spent continuing to build out the blog. Many of these posts are direct responses to the questions we’re regularly asked, with the goal of creating a thoughtful, reliable resource for both current and future rabbit families.

• What Can Rabbits Eat? Safe Foods for Pet Rabbits
• What Supplies Do You Actually Need Before Bringing a Rabbit Home?
• Can Rabbits Live With Dogs or Cats? A Safe, Thoughtful Guide
• Rabbit Stress and How to Reduce it
• Questions to Ask Before Getting a Rabbit: Are You Ready for a Bunny?
• Why Pellets Can Complicate Early Digestive Slowdown in Rabbits
• How Long Do Rabbits Live? A Realistic Look at Lifespan and Commitment
• The Real Cost of Owning a Pet Rabbit
• Rabbit Habitat Guide: Why Exercise Pens Are Better Than Cages
• Why You Must Have a Rabbit-Savvy Veterinarian Before an Emergency

If you’re in the research or preparation stage, this is a solid place to start.

More updates soon as these little ones continue to grow and show us who they’re becoming.

March 19, 2026

Our Spring Songbirds

There is something especially sweet about this stage, when little ones begin to open their eyes, notice the world around them, and slowly grow into themselves.

This week, it felt right to give both litters their names, all inspired by the early spring songbirds returning to our area.

Tansy’s three chestnut babies are Robin, Wren, and Sparrow—familiar backyard birds that feel right at home in the quiet, early days of spring.

Noelle’s four babies are Finch, Bluebird, Chickadee, and Meadowlark, bringing a slightly brighter note as the season begins to open up.

They are still very young, and there is much growing left to do, but this is the beginning of their story, and it will be a joy to watch each of them become who they are.

You can follow along on The Nursery page, where we’ll continue to share updates as they grow.

Noelle's babies are three weeks old today and have a simple new video to enjoy.

BUN UPDATE!

We received permission from Leah to share an update about Buns Gladys and Abby, who were adopted in 2018. Gladys was our original rabbitry curmudgeon. That was much earlier in our rabbitry days and we had much to learn. Gladys and Abby's very long and challenging road to being bonded is why we now focus on buck-and-doe bonding pairs, rather than same gender bonds. Here's what she had to say:

I'm reaching out with an update on Abby and Gladys, whom I got from you in late 2018.

Abby is still going strong! She just turned 11. She has some arthritis in her back legs (and I'm sure other places) but you almost wouldn't know it. She loves to run around her room and jumps over all of her stuffed animals. She has just loved retirement life. Abby seems to have the secret to life and aging well. She is a sweet delight.

Gladys passed away in the summer of 2024. She really loved the wide open space of retirement living as well. I built her a race track of sorts out of rugs that I connected throughout our first floor and she loved to run around as fast as she could muster. She got a mysterious infection a few years ago on her head (but never had any sign of a scratch or poke or problem that would have caused it); I had her treated at the University of Wisconsin veterinary clinic by their exotics speciality team (who are just great) and it seemed to clear up perfectly. But, after about a year she started getting sick with some regularity and we could just never get her fully better. She was far more attached to Abby than the other way around, so it was somewhat merciful that she was the one to go first. She was such a fun and mischievous rabbit, and I still miss her quite a bit.

I hope you, your family, and your rabbits are all doing well. Thank you for sharing Abby and Gladys with us.

Leah

Thank you so much for the update, Leah! It's wonderful to know that Gladys lived so happily with you. She will never be forgotten. Grumpy Gladys was truly an unforgettable Bun. <3. I can't believe that Abby is still going strong at 11 years of age. She looks amazing, doesn't she?

(Gladys is the solid blue tort on the left and Abby is the broken opal on the right.)

March 17, 2026

It’s been a full few days here at the rabbitry, and we have a few updates to share.

📚 New on the Blog

We’ve added several new articles to help both current and future rabbit families:

• Are Rabbits Good Pets for Children? An Honest Guide for Families

• Bunny-Proofing Your Home: Creating a Safe Space for Your House Rabbit

• What To Do In The First Two Hours When Your Rabbit Stops Eating

These posts are part of our ongoing effort to provide clear, honest guidance so every bunny is set up to thrive in their home.

🐇 A Little Surprise from Toboggan

Toboggan surprised us this week and is now looking very much like a little doe. We are continuing to watch her closely and evaluate both her development and those incredible ears as we consider her future here as a potential breeding doe. There's a little video of her below.

🐣 From the Nursery

Tansy’s babies are now three weeks old and beginning to notice the world around them. We’ve added a new video to The Nursery page—it’s a sweet little glimpse into this early stage as they start to interact and experience gentle handling.

As always, thank you for following along with our little rabbitry. Each of these updates reflects the care, time, and intention that goes into raising rabbits who are not only beautiful, but truly wonderful companions.

March 13, 2026

A New Chapter for Gumption

It was a long day in the car, but it ended exactly the way we had hoped.

Gumption and Sullivan traveled with us to visit Nutmeg (formerly HCB’s Holly), one of our previously placed does, to see whether either of the boys might be a good companion for her.

Nutmeg made her opinion known almost immediately.

After some careful sniffing and quiet observing, she focused entirely on Gumption and showed absolutely no interest in Sullivan at all. Gumption, true to his observant nature, took a few minutes to settle in and then happily began exploring his new surroundings.

Natalie and Vince had already grown quite fond of Gumption when they first met him on the day they took Nutmeg home, and it was a joy to see them together again.

Gumption will now be staying with Nutmeg and her family as her new bonding companion. As it turns out, Nutmeg is actually his daughter from his litter with Henrietta (our breeding doe Noelle is Nutmeg’s sister/littermate), making this reunion a particularly special one.

We’re hopeful that these two will become a happy pair as they continue getting to know one another over the coming weeks.

Sometimes rabbits make the decision very clear for us — and when they do, we listen.

March 12, 2026

If the rabbitry website has been a little quieter than usual over the past week, there’s a reason. I’ve been buried in finishing the First 30 Days & Beyond handbook for our rabbit families.

What started as a straightforward guide quickly turned into a cycle of polishing, revising, revising again, and polishing some more. By the end of it I was fairly certain I might pull my hair out before it was finished. I wanted it to be something genuinely helpful for the families who bring home a Hot Cross Bun.

I’m happy to say the handbook is now complete and ready to use. It walks through the early weeks after a rabbit comes home and continues beyond that, covering many of the questions that tend to arise once a rabbit begins settling into daily life.

I will almost certainly continue making small adjustments over time — guides like this tend to grow and improve as new questions come up — but it has reached the point where it is solid, practical, and ready for our families. The handbook will be provided to families who welcome a rabbit from Hot Cross Buns Holland Lops so they have a resource to refer to during those early weeks.

It's ready just in time, too. Tomorrow we’ll be seeing HCB’s Holly again to explore whether Gumption or Sullivan might be a good bonding companion for her. I’m looking forward to seeing how those introductions go and will share an update once we know more.

More Hoppenings soon!

March 5, 2026

It has been a busy and sweet week here at Hot Cross Buns.

First, Noelle and Sweet Tea’s babies are one week old today. Their eyes are still closed and they spend most of their time tucked together in a warm little pile. A short reel of the babies has been added to The Nursery page if you would like to see them.

Meanwhile, Sullivan has made his own dramatic appearance in a new reel on his listing on the Available Buns page. Two weeks after his neuter he appears to still be in quiet mourning and has perfected the art of the sad, slightly accusatory stare. He assures me he has not yet forgiven me, though I suspect he will recover in time.

We have also added a new rabbit care article to the blog:
“Rabbit Not Pooping: When Is It an Emergency?”

One of the most important things rabbit owners can learn is when a change in droppings is normal and when it may signal something more serious. This post walks through what to watch for and when it may be time to seek veterinary care.

You can read the new article here:
Rabbit Not Pooping: When Is It an Emergency?

Thank you for following along with the little happenings of the rabbitry.

March 3, 2026

It has been a full week here at Hot Cross Buns.

We are saddened to share that we lost two of Tansy’s kits over the past several days. From the beginning, we could tell one little one might not be strong enough to thrive. When another began to lose ground, we grew very concerned and did everything we could to support both babies. Despite our efforts, we lost them.

We suspect Tansy may have accidentally stepped on the second kit, possibly causing internal injuries. It was devastating and difficult to witness.

The remaining three chestnut kits are doing well and continue to grow steadily. There is a brief video of them posted on The Nursery page for those who would like to see their progress.

Noelle and her babies seem to be coming along nicely. We believe she has three solid blue kits and one opal in her litter, and hope to share a video of them later this week.

It turns out that Zinnia did not conceive — which is rather amusing, as she behaved the most convincingly pregnant of the three does. In truth, we are a bit relieved. Seven growing kits between two litters is more than enough to care for attentively right now.

In other rabbitry news, we’ve learned that Henrietta may make a wonderful bonding bunny one day. Kipling (one of our young bucks who may sire a litter or two before being neutered and placed as a pet), in his enthusiasm during free roam time, has hopped into her pen twice for an uninvited visit. Thankfully, Henrietta is a spayed doe, so there is no risk of surprise litters. She doesn’t seem to mind his company, though it is still rather disconcerting to find him there unexpectedly.

Lastly, we have published a new blog post: Hay 101.

This post walks through the fundamentals of hay in a rabbit’s diet — types of hay, why long-strand fiber matters, how much to offer, and what quality hay should look and smell like. Hay is the foundation of digestive health, and understanding it well makes all the difference.

As always, we remain grateful for the healthy kits in our care and committed to stewarding them thoughtfully.

🤎

February 25, 2026

New on the Blog: What To Do If Your Rabbit Stops Eating

A rabbit that stops eating is never something to ignore — but it can be difficult to know what to look for in those first few hours.

Smaller droppings? Slight posture changes? A rabbit that still looks alert?

The early signs of GI slowdown are often subtle, and knowing how to assess them calmly makes a difference.

A new post is now live on the blog walking through:

• What to check first
• How to assess droppings and posture
• When hydration becomes a concern
• What escalation should look like
• When veterinary care should not be delayed

The goal is clarity, not panic — to help rabbit owners respond thoughtfully when something feels off.

You can read the full post here.

February 24, 2026

Now Available: When Your Rabbit Is Sick

How to Recognize Serious Changes and When to Seek Immediate Care

Rabbits instinctively hide illness. Often, the earliest signs are subtle — eating a little less, producing smaller droppings, sitting quietly, or simply seeming “not quite themselves.”

When Your Rabbit Is Sick is a 47-page emergency recognition guide created to help rabbit owners feel more steady and prepared when something feels off. It walks through common warning signs, explains how conditions like GI slowdown can progress, and offers clear guidance on when veterinary care should not be delayed.

Inside, you’ll find support for:

• Recognizing early digestive changes
• Understanding escalation in GI stasis
• Identifying true respiratory distress
• Monitoring hydration and recovery
• Knowing when it’s time to seek immediate care

The goal is not to create fear, but clarity — to help you act thoughtfully, communicate clearly with your veterinarian, and avoid dangerous delays.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “Is this serious?” this guide was written for that moment.

It is now available in the HCB Shoppe.

February 20, 2026

A new post went up on the rabbitry site today.

After more than a decade of walking rabbits through spay and neuter, I felt it was time to write honestly about what those years have taught me — about risk, responsibility, and choosing wisely anyway.

If you’d like to read it, you can find it here: Spay & Neuter: What 10 Years Has Taught Me

I'm so grateful for this community.

🤍

February 19, 2026

Two Sweet Souls Now Available

Today's a big day at the rabbitry! I’ve listed Sullivan and Beanie on the Available Buns page. Both are very different personalities, and both are very dear.

🤎 Sullivan

Sullivan is calm in a way that feels grounding. He is steady and gentle. He is the kind of Bun who settles into a space and simply belongs there. He’s not flashy or dramatic, but soft, thoughtful, and dependable. He would do beautifully in a home that appreciates a quieter companion with a tender spirit.

🤎 Beanie

Beanie is one of Penelope’s babies, and if you’ve followed along for any length of time, you know Penelope’s kits always carry a little spark. She is shy at first, and is very much a mama’s girl who has stuck close to her mom while she figured out the world. But when she feels safe, she blossoms. There is a cautiousness in her… and just a touch of sass waiting underneath. She has a beautiful, thick coat and is a joy to cuddle and pet.

As always, placements here are thoughtful and unhurried. I don’t operate on a first-come basis. My goal is always the best match — for the rabbit and for the family.

If you’ve been quietly waiting for the right companion, you’re welcome to take a look at their full listings on the Available Buns page.

February 16, 2026

Placement Update

We received the most adorable pictures of Millie (formerly HCB's Ivy) on Valentine's Day from her BunMom, Katie. Millie was placed in early October 2025 as a bonding friend for her little sable point buck, George. As you can see from the pictures, the two have developed an incredibly sweet relationship and they all adore each other. Aren't they the cutest? <3

February 13, 2026

Beginning Again

When I closed the rabbitry, I believed it was for good.

After ten years of planning litters, raising babies, and carefully matching rabbits with families, I fully intended to step away and not return to breeding.

It felt like the right decision at the time.

But over the months that followed, I realized something unexpected — I missed it...deeply.

I missed planning pairings and studying pedigrees.
I missed watching tiny kits stretch and yawn in the nest box.
I missed the careful evaluation of temperament as personalities began to unfold.
And most of all, I missed working with families and witnessing that quiet, joyful moment when a rabbit meets their person for the first time.

Not the busy parts. Not the pressure.
But the heart of it.

So here we are again.

Hot Cross Buns is active — intentionally, thoughtfully, and at a sustainable pace. Smaller than before. Steadier than before. Rooted in experience and clarity.

Hot Cross Hoppenings is returning as a simple record of that life — growth, milestones, personalities, and the quiet rhythm that keeps everything grounded.

It feels good to say this:

I’m so glad to be back and welcome you to follow in this journey.

— Amy
Hot Cross Buns Holland Lops 🐰