The place for news, updates, announcements, and water bottle gossip from the Buns and their humans.
Hot Cross Hoppenings
February 22, 2024
We're going to be a bit quieter than normal for the next few days. Miss Evelyn had her wisdom teeth removed today (all four) and she's not feeling quite her normal, happy self. Hopefully she will heal quickly and be back to bouncing and loving on the Buns very soon. <3
We have a new video of Sand Dollar and Driftwood playing together! I've added it to both of their listing pages, but here it is for today's fun.
September 2, 2025
Later in the day...
We're enjoying the arrival of four of our favorite visitors who annually attend "Camp HCP" for about 10 days while their BunMom is on vacation. Rosie, Sweet Pea, Basil and Hamish are here! We're delighted to have them with us and plan to share some pictures later this week.
I've been having computer challenges all day pertaining to uploading the video footage and photos we took today. We have been uploading more short reels to the Facebook and Instagram accounts because I need to upload videos to YouTube before I can add them here, so it can be a time consuming process. I finally have a tiny bit of Driftwood cuteness to share.
September 1, 2025
Providing the very best of loving care to the Hot Cross Buns has always been the heart of what we do. Every Bun reminds us daily of the sweet soul they have within. Over the years the Buns have led us to discover different ways they bless our lives in unexpected ways, from the compost that enriches our soil, to creative projects inspired by their unique personalities.
We're so excited to share our news with you! We have a new website: Hot Cross Buns Homestead. It's a dedicated place to bring our knowledge of rabbits, composting, homestead life, gardening, and creative expression together. We hope it will serve as a little window into the “bigger picture” of life here, where caring for all of our animals, tending the land, and working to find sources of income generated from our land can come together.
Hotcrossbuns.org will continue to have updates about our Buns. If, in the future, we shift away from breeding, the Homestead site will become our main hub. We pray it, too, will contain evidence of our faith, hope, and joy as we see what the future holds. My mind is filled to the brim with ideas and I need a place to let them into the warmth of the sunshine, to see if they will bloom and grow as our beloved Buns have done for nearly ten years.
Admittedly, the new site is rather sparse. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to grow and develop it into something beautiful, useful, and helpful to anyone who cares to follow along.
Here's a link to the new site: Hot Cross Buns Homestead
Thank you for being part of this journey with us—we truly couldn’t do it without your interest and support!
September 1, 2025
I've been burning the candle at both ends to try to get ready for the next step on our little homestead. I desperately want to update baby Bun pictures, but that's going to have to wait another day or two. Lots of "hurry up and wait" things are happening and I believe we will be ready to share them with you on Monday. If you don't mind sitting tight until then, we hope you will understand why our normal routine has been so "off" lately.
In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this picture of Chummy. We had a good cuddle and grooming session and she was looking pretty relaxed...for Chummy. :)
August 30, 2025
This Week's Blog Post: Emergency Evacuation With Your Rabbit
Looking Ahead...
For the current time, we are focusing on placing the beautiful Buns we currently have available -- six newly listed babies and six already spayed/neutered adults. Future litters are never guaranteed, and because we want to give our current Buns the time and attention they deserve, we will not be planning additional litters until more of the Buns have been placed in their forever homes. If that doesn't happen by the end of 2025, we may step away from breeding altogether.
Caring for the Buns is truly a labor of love -- and a full-time job. From daily cleaning, grooming, and handling, to photographing, creating videos, and spending special time with them, each Bun receives hours of dedicated attention each week. Veterinary care, food, hay, toys, and supplies all add up quickly, but we continue because we believe every rabbit deserves a loving, carefully chosen family -- a place where they will be truly cherished.
If you have been considering welcoming a Hot Cross Bun into your life, now may be the best time to do it, because future litters are uncertain.
We are deeply grateful to the many families who have already opened their hearts and home to a Hot Cross Bun. Each message, photo update, and kind word serves as a reminder of why we do what we do. Thank you for being a part of the Hot Cross Buns family. It's only through your help that we are able to give each Bun the life and family he/she deserves. <3
August 27, 2025
Breeding Bun of the Week: Chummy
I don't know why we are calling this little girl a breeding doe. LOL. She's coming up on her first birthday and has refused to have anything to do with with a buck when we put her in a pen with one to breed. No matter how "ready" her body looks, she scampers away and gets annoyed. Her littermate Nora was the same way, but we had been more optimistic about Chummy cooperating eventually. Nora has been spayed and is now living with a very loving family and is now named Rosey. We hope that Chummy will cooperate, but if she hasn't been bred by December, we will have her spayed. She is a very sweet girl, so much like her mama Rosie, in both looks and temperament.
August 25, 2025
Waiting Bun of the Week: Hot Cross Buns' Holly
Holly is always going to have her expressive airplane ears. We find them absolutely charming, and love to watch the ways she uses them to express herself. She is a very alert girl, and often looks rather alarmed. When first put in our laps for a cuddle, she usually stands up and tucks her head under our chins, to hide until she feels safer and calmer. After she relaxes, she will settle down and sit on our laps or explore timidly. She would do best in a quieter home environment and definitely prefers cats over dogs who bark frequently.
If interested in this sweet, spayed doe, please complete the New Bunny Questionnaire to tell us about yourself and the kind of home you can provide for Holly.
August 21, 2025
Today is picture and video day for all the babies. If I manage to complete all six videos completed, I will post them, but if more time is needed, please look for them tomorrow.
UPDATE: The listings are now complete! All the babies have videos and new pictures. We hope you enjoy them! Please share our website information with anyone you know who might be a great fit for one of our special Buns.
With two new baby Fuzzy Holland Lops to place in loving homes, we decided today's blog should delve into the subject of how fuzzies came to be part of Holland Lop breed. Here's a link to today's post: What Is a Fuzzy Holland Lop?
I have a busy day planned but will get back to working on the baby Bun descriptions as soon as time permits. I'll update later when there's more to share!
UPDATE: All six of the babies have a basic information page with photos on the Available Buns page. Clicking on their photo will take you to their individual pages. They will have new photos and short videos added to their listings on Friday, when they are officially ready to match.
Because we were focusing on placing some of our older, waiting Buns to make room for babies, we were honest about telling interested people that we might not have any new litters for a while. Apparently, I shot myself in the foot by doing that, because we now have no one on our waiting list. I'd rather tell people the truth than have them wait many, many months before new kits arrive.
If anyone is interested in being matched with one of the current babies or already spayed/neutered adult rabbits listed on the Available Buns page, please thoroughly complete and submit the New Bunny Questionnaire. This is the first step towards working with us to adopt one of the Hot Cross Buns.
PS...I just corrected the redirecting problem that was brought to my attention, and now all of the baby Buns' photos connect to the correct information pages. I'm so sorry about that!
August 20, 2025
We've started working on writing listings for the Baby Buns. Sand Dollar and Driftwood's descriptions can be accessed from the Available Buns page. We will add new videos and pictures when their listings are fully active on Friday. I was hoping to get to Quinoa's babies, too, but spent far too much time writing and doing other computer work today. Hopefully tomorrow!
August 19, 2025
My elder daughter visited yesterday and I introduced her to all the little Buns. Upon meeting Driftwood and Sand Dollar, she exclaimed delight over their fuzzy coats, so my "in denial" glasses had to come off. LOL Driftwood and Dolly are definitely fuzzies. Quinoa's babies all have normal Holland Lop coats.
We will be listing all of the kits by the evening of August 22nd. Clients who have already gone through our approval process (after completing the New Bunny Questionnaire and having their references verified) receive first choice in being matched with the Available Buns. We ask anyone interested in these babies to complete the NBQ as soon as able so they can be moved through the approval process as quickly as possible and be matched with their new friend.
I'm going to be working on photographing some of the older Buns today and will post some new pictures of our breeding buck Sullivan. He's the sire of Penelope's kits and is as sweet and gentle-natured as can be...and so are his offspring.
August 18, 2025
New Baby Bun pictures and updates have been added to The Nursery page. Everyone is doing beautifully and they are growing up so quickly!
From left to right: Scuba (chestnut doe), Kayak (broken opal doe), Cabana (chestnut doe), Frisbee (broken opal BUCK - surprise!), Driftwood (black tort buck), and Sand Dollar (frosty doe.)
August 15, 2025
Since we determined Quinoa's kits all appear to be little does, we worked on naming them this morning, continuing with the beach vacation-theme that Evelyn started when she named Sand Dollar and Driftwood (Penelope's babies.)
Using the pictures we took on Friday, we're pleased to introduce (left to right), smaller chestnut doe is Scuba, broken opal doe with more white ear markings is Frisbee, larger chestnut doe is Cabana, and broken opal doe with more solid ears is Kayak.
August 12, 2025
Since we've updated all of the breeding and pet Buns' pictures over the last few weeks, we're going to take a break from doing that for now and will start up another round in a couple of months.
We took another peek at Quinoa and Loofah's babies' genders today. It's looking like all four of them are little does. It would have been nice to have another buck or two among the babies, but Penelope's tort baby, Driftwood, is the only one. That's okay, though. We love the beautiful little ladies we get to care for until they are placed with their forever families.
August 11, 2025
Baby pictures have been added to The Nursery page! Here's a peek.
Penelope and Sullivan's babies have names and genders. The little tort is a buck and Evelyn decided to call him Driftwood. The (we think) frosty is a little doe and she is called Sand Dollar (Dolly for short.) We're about 95% sure of her gender, but will check weekly until we know for certain.
Quinoa and Loofah's babies are still too small in the bits and bobbles department to ascertain gender, but we hope to know by next week. They are all lovely little Buns and are very sweet in temperament.
August 8, 2025
HCB's Waiting Bun of the Week: Boggle
Boggle is a wonderful Bun! (Shhh! Don't tell the others, but I think she's my favorite of the currently waiting rabbits.) It takes her a little while to warm up to new people, but once she does, she has a new friend for life. Boggle is playful, adventurous, and very entertaining, but she also has a sweet, lovable side. She's an all-around great spayed doe. I wouldn't mind keeping her with us forever, but we know she would do great as a family pet and wonderful friend. This comical girl looks like a plush toy rabbit when she sits still, and has a very expressive little face.
Check out Boggle's Page to learn more about her!
August 7, 2025
This week's blog post: Diagnosing and Treating Fur Mites
Tomorrow will be an update about Waiting Bun Boggle.
Friday will bring new pictures of the litters and possibly a gender reveal for Penelope's babies (if they cooperate.) I checked genders for all the kits the day they were born, but am waiting to see if they were correct. :D
Last year, in early October, Evelyn and I had a special matching process event for our waiting Buns. This year, we're actually going to be participating at our church's Pet Fair and Pet Blessing on Saturday, October 4th. Evelyn will be there in her capacity as owner of Faith Baked Goodies On the Go, while I will be both helping her, and getting the word out about Hot Cross Buns. I will be bringing two or three Buns along and helping to educate people about rabbits and their special care needs. More information will be provided as we get closer to the date. If you live in the Greater Cleveland area, we so hope to see you there!
August 6, 2025
HCB's Breeding Bun of the Week: Henrietta
Sweet Henrietta is a wonderful mama. She is very devoted and attentive, without being a Helicopter parent. Chocolate-colored Buns typically have a reddish cast to their eyes, which is usually only noticeable when taking pictures and sometimes when the light hits their eyes at a certain angle. Henrietta is mama of our waiting does Holly and Ivy. Henrietta is having a goofy hair day due to beginning a molt. <3
August 4, 2025
Today was one of those days we had hoped to do some quick content and be on our way with other work, but it didn't work out that way. LOL. Nothing bad happened, but not much has gotten done. We decided to do a video of the two litters of babies playing together, but when we went to film it, discovered the camera had zero battery charge, so had to wait a few hours for it to recharge. Then, during filming, the babies were being so cute and playful, it was difficult to decide when to stop. Usually, they play for a couple of minutes and then curl up in the corners for naps, but they were little Energizer Bunnies today. All that adorable footage made editing very difficult, so the video is about three time longer than normal. We captured several beginner-level binkies today and tried to include them all. We hope you enjoy it!
August 1, 2025
New Blog Post: When to Call the Vet in the Event of an Emergency
All the babies are doing great. We're planning to list the kits (descriptions, videos, and other pertinent information) on Friday, August 22 and will begin contacting people interested in being matched that day. They will be ready to go to their new homes on September 5th (Penelope's babies) and September 8th (Quinoa's babies.)
July 30, 2025
I'd intended to share a new bunny cookie recipe today, but, when I went to make a sample batch for my furry taste-testers, discovered more of the Raspberry-Thyme cookies, Since we're careful to not waste perfectly good treats, we decided to hold off for another week or two before doing some more Bun-baking.
Since the new recipe didn't happen, we decided to post...more Baby Bun pictures!!!!! They are growing so quickly and are changing by the minute. Although the background is the same as that of the previous pictures, it's fairly easy to distinguish between the two batches of photos, based upon the babies' sizes. We hope you enjoy!
July 29, 2025
