Lion head Rabbits

[Polly Pipkin]

Neville looks so cute the way he's sitting and you can sure see why they are called "Lion head".

[janedoe]

What a beautiful bunny! Thanks for posting.

I take it they can be box trained?

[ZRabbits]

Thanks for posting this - I knew there were different kinds of rabbits, but didn't know about all of this. Neville is a cutie!

Thanks, when I first started to really research domesticated rabbits, after getting my first two, as pets, was really amazed at how many different breeds there were as well. Lion heads are in the "Fancy" catagory. Unfortunately, there is a trend in taking the Meat and Wool breeds and bringing them down to fancy size. These two breeds are having trouble with winning legs due to some judges feel these breeds should not be shown. Lots of outside influences that are not breeders, making things very tense in the Rabbit show World. Truly a shame. Focusing more on "designer" than actual reason for the breed.

KAZ

[ZRabbits]

Oh, they are soooo cute! Thanks for sharing.

(I don't think I could even think the term "meat rabbit" around them.)

Thanks! The standard weight of a Lion head now is 2-3 pounds. Compared to the 6-7 pounds this rabbit was when it came from Europe, definitely not considered a meat rabbit any more.

KAZ

[ZRabbits]

Those are so cute--my dd had a few bunnies over the years--my favorite one was her last one, which was a sweet little brown mini Lop.

Mini-lops are a very popular, sweet breed. Definitely one I would suggest for young children. 4-6 pounds makes a difference to how skittish a rabbit is. Easier for a child to learn to handle too.

KAZ

[ZRabbits]

very cute. my sister loves rabbits, not sure what she has or has had...i am very allergic to them!

And just think, you could also be allergic to the hay they need to keep their digestive system and teeth healthy. Not really good to have if you have allergies. But do know some breeders, who truly love their breed and have found ways to battle the allergies.

KAZ

[ZRabbits]

They are cute and spoiled! I can't believe the ARBA or it's judges would be so discriminate to a new breed. After all, every breed of rabbit was new at one point.

Lots of bad history I'm afraid. The Lion head breed was even banned from the British Rabbit Breeders Assoc. The Lion head will never be recognized in England, where it originated. And the majority of breeds came from Europe. The US only has the cotton tail.

KAZ

[ZRabbits]

Cool! I don't really know anything about rabbits as pets/show animals. I don't think about them having personalities, either- shows what I know. I fear they wouldn't be welcomed by my 2 poochachos in a good way. Yours are very cute- if you hadn't said, I would have thought the second photo was a cat! Sorry, Neville!

Surprised me what personalities they have and are very smart as I got to really know them. Was very, very lucky with Jake but was always watchful. Lilly, so far, doing well, but I truly don't think she will ever be as good as Jake. In her instinct to retrieve. Love that pic. With the way they shorten their ears through genetics, definitely more "cat like". Fooled a few people with that pic.

KAZ

[ZRabbits]

Beautiful rabbits! Love the fur. They look soft and cuddly.

Do they like to be cuddled? Like long dogs with long fur, is there a lot of brushing involved? The "kitty" picture put a smile on my face.

Thanks! Definitely soft and you really want to cuddle. But being a smaller rabbit, they are not really a cuddler. You really have to form a bond with them to cuddle. But good temperament will be a big help. I found a way to cuddle all of mine by using grooming. With Lion heads, you have to deal with not only their fur, but wool. Can get mats, plus rabbits molt (shed) twice a year (fun fun) and if you don't groom, the rabbit, just like cats, groom themselves, and ingest the fur and wool, which forms hair balls, like cats. But unlike cats, rabbits can not throw them up. Unfortunately blockages can occur which can be very, very serious for any rabbit. But good grooming habits, lots of hay, and I've found papaya, helps pass any fur ingested.

I don't see lion heads good for children. Maybe older teenagers. But just like Labs, you put some effort in forming a bond, they are really neat to have around. And so, so soft to cuddle. I even get bunny kisses on the tip of my nose from Neville which warms my heart.

KAZ

[ZRabbits]

What a beautiful bunny! Thanks for posting.

I take it they can be box trained?

Yes, just like cats. All of mine are trained and even when I have them running around the living room, set a litter box out and they will go there. But poo, no matter what you do, you will always find them outside the box. Poo isn't bad, its the urine that will peel paint off the wall.

KAZ