Caring for Lionhead.

[Maria]

Hi I’ve already posted in the bonding forum about my buns but had one more question. I’ve recently aquired a Lionhead, Koori. She’s 3 and a half months old and was the last of a litter left in a pet shop and no one wanted her. Because she was no longer a baby, the owner couldn’t sell her and didn’t know what to do with her. I felt sorry for her and so of course took her home. I’ve never had a long haired rabbit before and just want to check how to care for her. I brush my Mini lops about once a week (more if on a molt). Should I brush Koori everyday? She also has a tangle/ lump of fur just above her tail. I’ve tried brushing it out to no avail. What’s the best way to deal with it? Thanks guys!

[Karla]

About the tangle of fur just above her tail – leave it. Karl has one as well, and I cannot recall the number of times, I have tried plucking it, because I think he is beginning to shed and the hair has come loose

Karl is only a single-mane, so I cannot help you with the rest.

Do you have a picture? I’m curious to see how much hair Koori has.

[Maria]

Sorry it’s so big. I couldn’t make it any smaller. I don’t think she has as much hair as some.

EDIT BY ADMIN: PHOTO SIZED DOWN

 

 

 

 

 

[Sarita]

Oh goodness, he’s pretty. He looks more angora to me with all that fur.

I had a fuzzy lop once with super silky fur and I had the vet dematte (is that a word?) him when he was neutered which mainly consisted of them shaving his whole back side – it was pretty funny but it was the only way I was able to get those mattes out. Long haired rabbits seemed to have so many fur textures (more coarse, silky). Probably should brush him everyday because he’s quite furry. You are going to want the right brush/comb too. That will make a difference.

[Karla]

What a pretty girl! Sorry, no help at all. But definitely get her used to being brushed if she isn’t already.

This picture reminds me that I have promised myself I will try to do a braid on Karl one of these days. I love that they have this looong mane going all the way down to the back.

One thing though, but I’m not sure if this actually applies in general, but when I used to brush Karl’s mane all the time, it would get all tangly, but then I stopped, and it hasn’t been tangly since. Not sure if it is just a coinsidence, but I was just wondering if it is possible to comb them too much perhaps??? Don’t know…

[corpathina]

oh boy, she reminds me so much of my MJ, who i am currently at war with when it comes to grooming. if koori will let you you brush her, then brush her as much as possible. my advice would be to brush her daily or every other day just to establish that it as a frequent activity. i made the mistake of only brushing MJ about once a week or when i felt he needed it and over time, he associated brushing with pulling mats out which turned into brush = tugging on fur = RUN. i think if i had brushed him more frequently he wouldn’t be scared of it now.

good luck! koori is so beautiful!

[Maria]

I think she is a Lionhead. You can’t see very well in the picture but the hair is thick round the neck, like a mane, and is short over the back and then has long tufts over the bottom. She stays still on my lap to be groomed but I think that’s because she is still a little scared of me.

[bunnytowne]

She is a lionlop.   Very cute one.  I brush Ruby everyday.  I hardly ever see poops with hair in them.

When young their hair has a different texture.  They shed out at about 4 months and the adult hair is much easier to manage.

Start with a regular little comb and comb from the tips to the body.  That works on the tangles. EAsier on the bunny too.  Unless there is a matt then trimming it off works

Then I use the hairbuster   then a slicker brush.   Putting them up on a counter or high stool helps to keep them from running off or grabbing the brush and throwing it   lol

[lashkay]

Just want to pass on what I have found to be a good tip. I read from the owner of an English lionhead rabbitry that he gives his lionheads dried papaya bits and in all his some 14 years of raising them, he’s never had one develop wool block – impaction of hair in the gut, which is a common health problem. So I’ve been feeding my 5 month old double maned lionhead bunny dried papaya bits – 3 or 4 small ones a day, and also brush and comb him every day with a hairbuster comb I got from the BinkyBunny Store and a comb with rotating tines and so far, there’s no hair in his poops. Your lionlop is pretty, nice coloring too. The bigger the picture, the more there is to love!

[Maria]

Thanks for all the help guys! I’ll look into new brushes and papaya tablets.
On a different point, Koori did her first binky today, 2 days after getting her. She seems really happy but I’m a little worried about her. I gave her a tiny amount of romaine lettuce yesterday and all evening her belly was gurgling. She was laying down relaxed and when I scratched behind her ears, she grinded her teeth, this was louder than my other 2 normally do but not loud enough that you would here it if you weren’t sitting next to her. I don’t know if shes in pain or just very affectionate. She also nudged my hand to keep petting her. The last worry is that she doesn’t seem to be eating much hay. Now this could be because I’m used to my 1 year olds appetite! She is drinking lots of water, the same pellets that she was on before I got her and I have seen her picking at the hay. She was probably eating medow hay before I got her. Not many people in England think that Rabbits need special hay and there’s only one shop near me that sells timothy. I can’t buy afafala but the shop does have afafla cubes.
Koori seems perfectly happy herself, running round the house its just her stupid owner that worries too much. Shes going to the vet tomorrow for a check up.

[jerseygirl]

Don’t be too hard on yourself – you’re just being an anxious new mother to her. She’s beautiful! It sounds like she’s relaxing more then you if she’s settling for pets and giving tooth purs. Don’t worry too much. About meadow hay, that’s probably the closest you can get to a natural diet so if you can get it that would be good for your rabbits. I know here though it sometime contains alfafa and the rabbits like to pick out the best bits and leave the rest. Koori would do ok on an alfalfa pellet and just a grass hay, no real need to add alfafa hay to her diet also.

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