Hot Cross Hoppenings
Updates, announcements, and little glimpses of life at Hot Cross Buns.
August 14, 2026
We received a lovely update from Basil (HCB's Mosey) and her new family and were given permission to share.
"Just wanted to touch base and share an updated photo of Miss Basil. She has been the perfect fit to our family! Each week she gets more comfortable and makes it a little farther out of her room to explore the house. She’s not a fan of getting held yet, but I’ve been trying to work on it slowly and grabbing her weekly for brushes- easier with pellets- she will do anything for more food 😆 She’s great with her litter box! I change the box every 2 days! Zero smell at all, which was a worry of mine! So bonus!!
Her and onyx kinda just stare at each other so far from across the baby gate. He gets her used blankets to keep him used to her smell before we truly introduce them.
I truly refer to your website and our previous emails quite a bit so I wanted to thank you for being so detailed! Her first vet visit is scheduled 8/27."
We sincerely love to hear how Buns do with their new families and so appreciate Cassidy's update about Basil. Can you get over how adorable her room is? It's like something from a pampered pet magazine!
Basil's sisters, Roam, Meander, Skedaddle and Wander are waiting for their forever families and are listed on our Available Buns page (a Meet the Buns subtab.)
August 12, 2026
Things have been pretty quiet in the rabbitry lately. No new litters are planned because we simply don't have room to add more little lives until some of the waiting babies are placed.
🐰 Wren and Sparrow are in for their spays today! If all goes smoothly, we plan to re-list them in early October. The next Buns who will be ready for altering are Lark and Robin, and we're hoping they'll go in for their neuters sometime in September.
🔨 Meanwhile, Evelyn and I have been slowly working our way through our Home Improvement list. We're learning a lot about DIY because affordable, reliable help has been a little challenging to come by. Last week we tackled removing some pretty gross drywall, and earlier this week we installed the new drywall ourselves. Next up: taping and mudding!
With the amount of humidity we're having right now, it may take a week for each round of mud to dry. 😳 We hope the new-and-improved family room will be ready to use in another week or two.
After that, we're planning to turn one little corner of the lower level into a snack bar, complete with Evelyn's artwork and a bit of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor feel. We're excited to develop some new skills and try new things. It may not always be fun while we're doing it, but I like the idea of making things better rather than perfect. The house would probably fall down around our ears if we waited for perfection. 😂
📚 In the midst of all of this, I'm also working my way through a bookkeeping course and exploring some additional avenues of income. Rabbit placements have slowed considerably, and while we love what we do here, there are still plenty of little mouths to feed whether rabbits are leaving for new homes or not!
That means I have a little less time right now for taking photos, making videos, and keeping up with social media. Updates may be fewer and farther between for a while—not because there isn't anything happening here, but simply because there are only so many hours in a day.
The Buns are still here, still spoiled, still making messes, and still keeping us on our toes. ❤️
Before I forget, we received an update about Francesca! She is in love with her new bond, Fernando. Although she's still her bossy little self, they are doing well and are happily helping each other live their best lives. Her new family calls her "Fran".
July 30, 2026
🐰 Hoppenings from Hot Cross Buns
It's been a little while since we've shared a blog update, and we've certainly been keeping busy!
Over the past couple of months, we've added more than 30 new articles to the Rabbit Care & Guidance section of our website. Our goal has never been simply to raise wonderful companion rabbits—we also want to provide reliable, research-based information that helps rabbit owners everywhere give their bunnies the healthiest, happiest lives possible.
Recent additions include topics like:
🐇 Grooming and hygiene
• What a good grooming routine looks like
• Cleaning rabbit ears safely
• Messy bottoms and hygiene trims
• Our favorite grooming tools
🩺 Health and wellness
• Normal rabbit vital signs
• Bladder sludge and urinary tract infections
• Malocclusion
• Fur loss and molting
• Rabbit urine and droppings
• Fleas, worms, splay leg, and more
🏡 Living with rabbits
• What makes a true companion house rabbit
• Why rabbits belong indoors
• Choosing a carrier
• Building a rabbit emergency kit
• Road-tripping with your bunny
❤️ Life at Hot Cross Buns
• Why we don't use the Vienna Gene
• Why we don't place pedigreed rabbits
• Why Hot Cross Buns Does Things Differently—our newest article, sharing the principles that guide every decision we make.
One of the most encouraging parts of this journey has been watching these resources reach rabbit lovers far beyond Ohio. In just the past few days alone, visitors from 23 U.S. states and 12 countries have found their way to Hot Cross Buns while searching for rabbit care information. That's both humbling and exciting.
If you've visited our website before, it may be worth taking another look. There's a good chance you'll discover something new.
Whether you're one of our HCB families or simply someone who loves rabbits, we hope these resources encourage you and help your bunny thrive.
As always, thank you for being part of our journey. ❤️🐰
PS...We have new pictures of Noelle and Kipling's babies on their listings.
July 29, 2026
🐰 Hoppenings at Hot Cross Buns 🐰
A few little updates from around the rabbitry...
💕 Wren and Sparrow are officially scheduled for their spay appointments in August! If all goes according to plan, we're hoping to secure September appointments for Robin and Lark as well. That would allow us to reintroduce all four of these wonderful juniors at the same time, likely in mid- to late October, once they've had time to recover and are ready to begin searching for their forever families.
💕 We've also received quite a few questions recently about future litters.
We always appreciate the excitement people have for our babies, but we also want to share a little of the "why" behind our breeding decisions.
At Hot Cross Buns, every rabbit matters—not just the newborns, but the ones already in our care. Right now, we're still working to find forever homes for six young rabbits, while another four juniors are waiting for their spay and neuter appointments before they'll be ready for placement.
For us, responsible breeding means making sure we have the time, space, and attention each rabbit deserves. Rather than continuing to bring more babies into the world, we believe it's important to focus first on the wonderful rabbits who are already waiting for their families.
We had hoped to welcome another litter this fall, but placements have been a little slower than usual as many families are busy with summer vacations and the start of a new school year. Because of that, our breeding plans will likely shift to late fall or early winter.
Thank you for supporting a rabbitry that believes every bunny deserves to be known, loved, and carefully matched with the right home. ❤️
July 27, 2026
Changes in our lives are happening...
The first change to note is that we pulled a switcheroo on the Available Buns page. We pulled Waddles' listing and added Saunter. We're trying to improve our herd and, after spending some time feeling their bone structure, realized that Waddles has more width that we're hoping to have in our future babies. Is Waddles definitely staying as a breeding doe? We're still not 100% certain. We're going to give her a couple more months to grow out and then compare her with her mother Coreopsis to determine who will stay and who will find a loving forever family. The end goal is that we will try to get down to about four breeding does, three bucks, and a couple of grow-outs, while keeping our beloved pet Buns as well. That would still put us at about 14 rabbits, plus whatever babies may be in the process of being placed. At this time we have 30 (including the babies) so are going to be slowly and gradually downsizing over the next year or two. We're still planning to be around, but want to be more and more intentional about our program and our future as reputable Holland Lop breeders for the next 10 years of HCB.
Our other personal life change is that our elder daughter is moving to the greater Columbus area. Although she has been living on her own here in Oberlin for about a year and a half, this move feels much bigger, as she won't be right around the corner any longer and won't be popping in after work or coming to church with us every week. It's a huge emotional adjustment for this mama, to not be able to be there a a moment's notice for my intelligent, independent girl. We know she will succeed and work very hard, but it's another step towards a truly empty nest of my human "babies." We still have three of our five at home, although another one is beginning to take purposeful strides in working towards leaving the nest, so we'll take each day as it comes.
PS...We're beginning to add profiles to the HCB Family Herd page. So far we've completed Coreopsis and Chummy. We're hoping to add one or two profiles each week, so it will take us a while to get through all of them.
July 24, 2026
Lots of Goings-On
We received pictures of a couple of birthday Buns to share!
Gus, pictured below, celebrated his 6th birthday with his family recently. He gets cuter every year. <3
Celebrating her 1st birthday is darling Oona! She loves doing zoomies through her tunnel!
You may notice that Lark, Robin, Wren, and Sparrow's listings are currently not available on the Available Buns page. They have been removed so we can get them scheduled for their spays and neuters. We're going to try to get the does done first, in late August, and the bucks done in September, so they can all be re-listed in early October, after they fully recuperate. In the meantime, they will be hanging out here, getting loved on and spoiled, before they make a reappearance as already-altered companion pets.
July 20, 2026
A Small Update That Means a Great Deal
One of the things we love most about raising rabbits is getting to know the families who hope to welcome one into their lives. Every application tells a story, and every thoughtful answer helps us understand what kind of home may be the very best fit for one of our Buns.
Over the past few weeks, we've spent a great deal of time refining our Placement Form. While many of the questions remain the same, we've reorganized the form to make it feel more welcoming, more conversational, and easier to complete while still helping us learn what we need to know about each family.
Some of the questions help us understand your home, your daily life, and the kind of rabbit you're hoping for. Others simply help us understand where you are in your rabbit journey. No one is expected to know everything before bringing home their first rabbit. We're far more interested in applicants who are willing to learn, ask questions, and provide thoughtful, lifelong care than in those who simply know all the "right" answers.
At Hot Cross Buns, our rabbits are placed as cherished indoor companions, not on a first-come, first-served basis. Thoughtful matching has always been at the heart of what we do, and we hope our updated Placement Form reflects that philosophy even more clearly.
If you've been considering welcoming a rabbit into your family, we invite you to take a look. We genuinely appreciate the time and care each applicant invests in completing the form, and we personally review every application with the attention it deserves.
Thank you for trusting us with such an important decision. It is a privilege we never take lightly.
July 17, 2026
Little Basil (Hot Cross Buns' Mosey) has gone home with her wonderful new family! Although she was a little shy, we have no doubts that she will soon emerge into a confident, curious girl once again when she settles in to her new home. She has a room of her own, done in pinks and greens, so we have a feeling she will be a bit of a pampered princess when all is said and done. Thank you, Cassidy and Mike, for opening your hearts and home to little Basil!
July 11, 2026
SURPRISE!!!! Nothing is where it used to be and some things look very different. We are giving our website a facelift, glow-up, rebrand - whatever you call it when you completely change a website. We're doing this to commemorate 10 years as a rabbitry and loving Holland Lops.
Over the coming days I will do my best to complete the remaining pages and put it all in some semblance of order. Most of the normal pages are still there, but they might be "hiding" in some of the drop down menus. Well done for finding the Hoppenings page, by the way! The new flow will go something like this:
Home
Meet the Buns [which will have drop-downs to Available Buns, The Nursery, and The Hot Cross Buns Herd (formerly Meet the Hot Cross Buns)].
Then will be everything pertaining to the placement process under the heading of Thoughtful Rabbit placement (drop-downs to Before You Apply, Placement Form, Sales & Placement Policy, and Spay/Neuter Agreement)
Rabbit Care & Guidance will have drop-downs to All Things Bunny Blog and Bunny Care Supplies
Frequently Asked Questions
And, finally, About Hot Cross Buns (with a drop down to Hot Cross Hoppenings.)
The order of appearance of the main heading may change until I'm happy with it, but it shouldn't take too long to get all the kinks ironed out.
If you notice any glaring issues, PLEASE send me a quick message at hcbhollands@gmail.com. I will be forever grateful.
Please be sure to check out the Available Buns page, along with Thoughtful Rabbit Placement, and Before You Apply. Those pages are largely complete and we so hope you like them!
July 11, 2026
Courtesy Post: Snowball Needs a Loving Indoor Home
We recently received a plea for help finding a new home for Snowball, a handsome rabbit whose family is facing a very difficult situation.
Snowball’s owner is seriously ill and can no longer provide the care he needs. Her adult grandchild has been trying to help make safe arrangements for him, but re-homing a rabbit responsibly can be difficult, especially when trying to avoid people who may not have good intentions.
Snowball is not from Hot Cross Buns, and we do not know where he was originally acquired. Because of that, we do not have direct knowledge of his background, health history, temperament history, or what he may have been exposed to. For the safety of the rabbits here, we are not able to bring him into our rabbitry.
However, we can still help by sharing his information and helping screen potential homes.
Snowball appears to be a healthy, handsome, unneutered buck. What matters most is that he needs a safe, committed indoor home where he will receive the time, attention, and care he deserves.
He is currently located in Delaware, Ohio. His family is willing to meet in the area, and arrangements can be discussed with them.
A $150 re-homing fee applies. This is intended to help discourage unsafe or dishonest inquiries and protect Snowball from being taken by someone with less than honorable intentions. Snowball will come with his pen, carrier, food, toys, and other belongings to help make his transition into a new home easier.
This is a courtesy listing only. Snowball is not part of the Hot Cross Buns placement program, but we will do what we can to help connect his family with a thoughtful, responsible home.
If you are seriously interested in Snowball, please complete the Placement Form on our website and mention “Snowball” in your responses. We realize that not every question will apply to this situation, but we can work through that with you.
Snowball’s family loves him and wants him to be safe, cared for, and loved.
Please share this post with anyone you know who may be able to offer Snowball the kind of indoor home he deserves. A video is viewable on our Facebook or Instagram pages, linked below.
July 10, 2026
We're nearing the end of our annual summer visit with Stewart. He goes home on Sunday, and we wanted to be sure to take a video and some new photos to share (with his family's permission, of course!) Stewart is a cuddle Bun with an extreme helping of social butterfly on the side. We don't get a lot accomplished when Stew is with us, but that's fine with us! He's working on a molt, so looks a little quirky, but the video does a better job of catching his essence. <3
We did manage to get the videos of Noelle's babies completed and are in the process of uploading the (this should hopefully be completed by 6:15pm), and then we're going to get started on revamping the Available Buns page.
July 9, 2026
Noelle's babies have been listed!
Although all five does have been listed, I still need to work on creating new videos for each of them. That will be accomplished tomorrow as today has already stretched out long enough. We know the Available Buns page has become quite unwieldy, and I'm going to work on creating individual profile pages for each rabbit (the way we used to do it), accessed through a page with links on the picture/name of each rabbit. Videos first, then revamping the Available Buns page. It's on the To-Do list.
We have received wonderful updates about both Henrietta and Francesca settling in well with their new families. It warms my heart to be able to share that, while not completely drama-free in their early, limited interactions with their new bunny friends, all the rabbits are much happier being in side-by-side pen proximity to each other and, with time and gentle patience, we are hopeful of loving relationships being established.
July 8, 2026
We received some devastating news from our friend Robyn S. yesterday. She had to make the very difficult decision to have her beloved Sweet Pea euthanized at the vet's office on Monday. What was suspected as being a GI Stasis episode was diagnosed as being a large cancerous mass. The possibility of exploratory surgery was discussed, but the chances of her surviving the procedure were not good. Robyn made the only loving decision she could and said goodbye to her precious Sweet Pea.
Sweet Pea and her three friends, Hamish, Rosie, and Basil, have been annual visitors at Camp Hot Cross Buns for several years, during Robyn's annual vacation. We shared updated pictures every year. Sweet Pea had her own fan club among those who knew her and she was pampered and made a fuss over every time she went to the vet's. Rosie and Basil are doing fine, but Hamish is especially feeling her loss, as he was her devoted admirer and friend.
All of us at Hot Cross Buns are sending our love to Robyn, Hamish, Rosie, and Basil during this difficult time. You will be so missed, beautiful Sweet Pea.
July 6, 2026
We have wonderful news!
Four year old doe Francesca has been placed with Ashley and her amazing rabbit-loving family who have adopted from us before. Initially, they had adopted a bonded pair called Pillow and Jimmy, in need of rehoming due to allergies in their first family. Pillow passed away after some time and they returned for a new friend for Jimmy. They adopted our girl Meringue. Jimmy and Meringue continue to thrive in their care.
The family had two other bonded pairs and they all enjoyed free roaming in separate areas of the home with their bonds. Their original bonded pair consisted of Fernando and Blanca (neither from HCB). Sadly, Blanca passed away and Fernando was struggling to find his way forward without her. At seven years of age, Fernando has some health struggles and hasn't been eating his hay as well as everyone would like. After consulting with their vet, the decision was made to try introducing a new companion to give Fernando a new lease on life.
Arrangements were made and this morning we welcomed Fernando in to meet the spayed does we thought might be appropriate: Quinoa, Mississippi Mud Pie, and Francesca. Quinoa was ruled out immediately because she was only recently spayed, so her hormone levels are too high for an older gentleman like Fernando to handle. Missy was more interested in gazing at his nice bowl of hay than in gazing at him. (The grass is not always greener, Missy!) They basically ignored each other the whole time. Fernando tried to say hello nicely through the ex-pens at one point, but Missy refused to acknowledge his presence, snubbed him brutally, and they both spent the rest of their date on opposite sides of their respective pens, napping.
Francesca was the only one who elicited mirroring behavior and they rubbed noses a few times through the pen. Frankie normally goes into defensive mode around another rabbit, but she didn't put on her boxing gloves at all with Fernando. She was gentle and polite and, when the pen doors were opened to allow them to interact directly under close supervision, more brief, but gentle, interaction occurred. Frankie was a very nurturing mother to her only litter and she seems to have called on those skills to interact sweetly with Fernando.
Was it love at first sight for both of them? No, we can very honestly acknowledge that they will need time and side-by-side pen interaction before they give indications of being ready for the next steps of bonding. We were promised updates about the progress and to make certain everyone is still happy and content as their relationship moves forward. The main thing we all hope for is that Fernando takes a page from Frankie's book and starts eating his hay with gusto once again, so he has a better chance of a longer, healthier life.
May bonding go smoothly for Fernando and Francesca, and may the whole family welcome her with wide open arms. We're going to miss our beautiful, sassy girl, but that little character deserves the most wonderful of homes and families, to live her very best life.
Copyright 2016-present. All rights reserved by Hot Cross Buns Holland Lops. All images and content fall under the sole ownership of Hot Cross Buns Holland Lops.
Hot Cross Buns Holland Lops
Oberlin, Ohio
Indoor companion Holland Lops raised with care since 2016.
Email: hcbhollands@gmail.com