McKinley, Nicole and McCall Flory, from left, socialize some of their Holland Lops at Treehouse Rabbitry.She may only be 14, but McCall Flory knows more about rabbits than most people. She knows the names of different furs, like Siamese-sable and broken tort, and, more importantly, she knows that it’s hard to deny the cuteness of a little bunny hopping around the house.
McCall and her mother Nicole operate Treehouse Rabbitry, a Holland Lop breeding business, outside of their home in Harrison. McCall was given a rabbit when she was 10 years old, and her family fell in love with the floppy ears, sweet disposition and manner of rabbits.
“Our first rabbit let us know we really enjoyed them as a pet, and then, suddenly we had more rabbits,” Nicole Flory said. “But that rabbit was large and so we started looking at other breeds, thinking maybe we could actually do something with this.”
McCall and her mother settled on the Holland Lop, a small, 3- to 4-pound rabbit when full grown that’s known for its fluffy fur and, of course, floppy ears. Holland Lops look like animated stuffed animals, and act like them, too.
“I just think they are so cute, and they are so docile,” McCall cooed. “You can hold them like babies and pet them and they just love it.”
So with their sires and dams, or bucks and does, as the Florys call them, they have litters of kits, or baby bunnies. The Flory mother and daughter team raises them together, not only caring for them but also socializing them, until the bunnies are 8 to 12 weeks old and they are ready for families to come pick them up for their new home.
“We’ve really seen people who are just impacted by these little animals,” Nicole Flory said. “It’s really great that they can bring a smile to someone’s face.”
But their impact reaches beyond the families who take them home. Wanting more than just a business, McCall decided to do some good with her profits, however small they are.
“Ten percent of the proceeds of Treehouse Rabbitry will go to the Gideon International organization,” said McCall, who wants to one day attend Bible college. “It’s just a nice thing to do,” she said of giving back to those who give Bibles to people who don’t have them and place them in hotel rooms.
Learn more at treehouserabbitry.com.