Animals

Lionheads are, contrary to belief, small rabbits, equivalent to the size of a mini lop which is why I refer to my lionheads as the Mini Lionhead (which is my own term, not a BRC standard term, I have found that if they are referred to purely as the Lionhead, most people automatically assume that this breed is quite large, as they did once used to be when first introduced into the UK years ago).

Lionhead rabbits get their name from the mane they grow that looks very similar to the mane of a lion. I assure you, the similarity stops there. The manes can be double or single and of course, the double manes are the prettiest. Interestingly the gene that causes the mane seems to be a dominant mutation which means that only one parent is required to have the “mane gene” to produce more lionheads.

The average adult Mini Lionhead weight is approx. 3 1/4 lbs, which is less than the mini lop which is 3 1/2 lbs so they are an ideal sized rabbit for a child. Overall their fur is short so quite easy to maintain and look after (again, contrary to belief) although it is a little thicker than the coat of a lop rabbit.

The mane around the face is longer obviously, hence the name Lionhead, but again, it is very easy to maintain and does not require daily grooming, although an occasional comb through once a week/fortnight with a metal comb will keep any stray shavings or hay from causing tangles or knots, the rabbit will love this also, grooming is a good way to bond with your rabbit, even with short haired rabbits such as lops.

Mini Lionheads have lovely temperaments also, and I find that they are ideal ‘lapdog’ companions. Lionheads ears’ stand up rather than lop.

The American Fuzzy Lop is a rabbit breed recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). It is similar in appearance to a Holland Lop. However, the American Fuzzy Lop is a wool breed and will have wool similar to the Angora breeds, although the wool will be of a short variety.

The American Fuzzy Lop weighs 3 to 4 pounds. These small rabbits have a large, flattened “bulldog” face and lopped ears, and look somewhat like a Holland Lop with long fur. They have been bred in many different colors. This is a wool breed, and will require extensive daily grooming and a special diet.

This is a short rabbit with well-developed shoulders and hindquarters. The head is held high and close to the shoulders. The ears sit high on the head and then flop down to 1/2 to 1 inch below the jaw. The show standard requires the wool to be slightly coarse, very dense and equal in length throughout the body.

The American Fuzzy Lop is shown in six different groups based on its color pattern: broken, pointed white, wide band, agouti, shaded, and self. Within these groups, the agouti colors of chestnut, chinchilla, opal, and lynx can be seen. A number of other colors are also available in this short and stocky breed.

American Fuzzy Lops are an active, playful, social breed with lots of personality. They enjoy the attention of their owner, as well as the companionship of other rabbits. AFL’s do enjoy having toys such as a plastic ball, pine cone, piece of soft wood, stuffed sock, or an old glove. The American Fuzzy Lop is the combination of a French Angora and the Holland Lop. They are very fuzzy, as their name indicates, and make excellent pets.

The Holland Lop is the smallest and the most popular of the lop-eared rabbits. Both the Holland Lop and the Mini Lop are miniature versions of the Lop-eared Rabbit.

It is named after its home country, Holland where this breeds development started in 1949. The final breed as we know it today was finalized in the 1960′s. It was brought into the United States in 1976, and it’s popularity as a favorite pet continues to grow.

These are very mellow smaller rabbits that are easy for beginners to handle and care for. This is a very sweet and affectionate animal. They love to play and hop around. Holland Lops don’t require a lot of space and they eat less than bigger bunnies!

Holland Lops have short muzzle with eyes sitting very deep. The wide, thick, furry ears hang down vertically from the “crown“.

The show standard requires that the ears should be no longer than 1 inch below the jaw. Pointed, narrow or thin ears are disqualified. Some Holland Lops like to be petted, but in general, temperament varies by individual.

Colors include: self-group (black, blue, chocolate, and lilac); broken (any color in conjunction with white); shaded (must have the color darker on the feet, ears, tail and head than on rest of body); agouti group colors include those that have the top side of the body banded (a ring pattern in the coat) and ticked (the tip of the hairs are a different color); pointed group (also know as himalayans) comes in 4 different colors, black,blue, chocolate and lilac.Photo credit: Campo’s Cottontails

More widely distributed around the world than any other rabbit breed, the Himalayan is popular in China and Russia, as well as in the United States.

The Himalayan rabbit is a small, slender rabbit. They are very striking in their markings. They are white with red eyes. The face, ears, feet and tail are coloured. They have a long, pointed head and the ears are erect.

The ideal age for the female Himalayan rabbit to start breeding is between 5 to 6 months of age. The first litter must be born before the female is one year old. The reason for this is that after this age the pelvic bones fuse and she would not be able to give birth naturally. They should have no more litters after the age of three years.

It is distinctive because of its white coat and blue, lilac, chocolate or black markings. A friendly amenable rabbit, this breed may have originated in the Far East.

If you are planning to buy a rabbit as a pet, the most suitable is Himalayan, which is a small, easily-handled and wonderfully placid rabbit with no vices. The young rabbits are white and slightly tinged with silver-gray. As the rabbit matures, the silver-gray disappears and its coat becomes snow white with the nose, ears, feet and tail becoming very dark colors.

The Netherland Dwarf Rabbit was developed in the early 1900s in Holland from the white Polish Rabbit and wild rabbits to produce a small rabbit in a variety of colours. The Netherland Dwarf Rabbit was first given a show standard in Holland in 1940. Netherland Dwarf Rabbits were introduced in the UK in the late 1940s and into the US in the late 1960s. Today the Netherland Dwarf Rabbit is one of the most popular breeds of rabbit kept as a pet.

The Netherland Dwarf Rabbit has a small compact body, a short neck and a compact, broad head with curved profile. The ears are small, erect, rounded at the tips and approximately 5cm in length. The coat of the Netherland Dwarf Rabbit is short and soft.
The Netherland Dwarf Rabbit is available in a variety of colours including Agouti, Chinchilla, Squirrel, Opal, Lynx, Black, Blue, Brown, Lilac, White, Tan, Fox, Sable Marten, Otter, Fawn, Himalayan, Orange, Steel, Sable Siamese, Sealpoint, Smoke Pearl Siamese and Tortoiseshell.
The Netherland Dwarf Rabbit, along with the Polish Rabbit, is the smallest of rabbit breeds weighing just 800g – 1.2 Kg when adult.
Most of the time Netherland Dwarfs are happy, friendly little pets, but once in a while there will be one that becomes less agreeable as it approaches breeding age. During this time it may be more protective of its body and its cage.

The main feature of Rex rabbits is their very beautiful and very soft fur. It feels just like velvet when you pet it. This is because the longest guard hairs have been bred away and the secondary guard hairs have been reduced to the same length as the undercoat hairs.
Though there are lots of different colors of Mini Rex, they have to be particular colors if they are going to be show bunnies rather than pets. But those that are pets are every bit as cuddly and soft.

The Mini Rex varieties allowed for showing are: Black, Blue, Castor, Chinchilla, Chocolate, Himalayan, Lilac, Lynx, Opal, Red, Seal, Tortoise Broken color (any recognized color and white with the exception of Himalayan) and Red-eyed White.

The Mini Rex rabbit has a compact body with narrow shoulders, short, thick, upright ears, and a rex coat. This breed is growing in popularity as a pet and show rabbit because of its luxurious coat.
The breed was developed using the standard size rex.

Weighing about 4 pounds, the Mini Rex is available in the same color varieties as its larger cousin, the Rex. Foot disease is more common in rabbits with Rex fur because of the lack of the heavy protective fur on the foot pad.

A recently developed breed of rabbit created in the 1970s through crossbreeding, the Jersey Wooly was created specifically for its luxurious coat.

The fur of the Jersey Wooly is available in agouti (chestnut, chinchilla, opal and squirrel), pointed white (black or blue markings), self (black, blue, chocolate, lilac, blue-eyed white and ruby-eyed white), shaded (sable point, seal, Siamese sable, smoke pearl, tortoiseshell, and blue tortoiseshell) and pattern (black otter, blue otter, silver marten, sable marten, and smoke pearl marten) color groups. A small rabbit, Jersey Wooly weighs about 3 pounds and has a rounded, compact body.

A very small bunny, an adult Jersey Wooly Rabbit will only weigh up to about three pounds. This little rabbit is noted for being extremely gentle. They are sweet and docile, as well as smart.

The Jersey Wooly Rabbit likes people and affection. It enjoys companionship and being petted and handled. They are calm, quiet rabbits that are pretty easy to care for. All these great qualities make an ideal pet for children and adults alike.

Jersey woolies may have an easy care coat when compared to larger angora breeds, but they need a bit more grooming than your average domestic rabbit. A good brushing every week will keep the adult Jersey in great shape. Younger rabbits (5 months and under) will likely need grooming roughly twice as often.

While grooming be certain to check eyes, ears and bottom of signs of irritation. Also check nails and trim if necessary and check for evenly worn teeth. Malocclusion is a condition where the teeth do not lign up properly and they may become overgrown, causing difficulty eating. Your veterinarian should be able to show you how to properly trim teeth if your rabbit suffers from this condition.

The Cinnamon Rabbit is a beautiful breed with an appealing color combination of rust with gray ticking. Although primarily bred for showing and meat, the Cinnamon also makes a good pet despite its large size. A friendly animal, it is compatible with other rabbits.

The body of the Cinnamon rabbit is medium in length and round. The ears are upright. The color is what makes the Cinnamon so special. The body is rust or cinnamon in color with smoke gray across the back. The belly is a darker smoke gray. The face, ears, feet, legs, and tail have a very dark smoke gray or black color on them.

Cinnamons have a short, easy to care for coat. Weekly grooming with a slicker brush are fine, except during shedding season when bi-weekly grooming may be required.

The Cinnamon rabbit is a hardy breed but requires a well-balanced diet designed for a rabbit. Minimal grooming is needed, just brush with a slicker brush once a week most of the year and twice a week during shedding season. It will benefit from room to exercise, food and toys to chew on, and time spent with its owner. Like any other rabbit breed, the Cinnamon Rabbit should be provided with an indoor living area in order to prolong its life.