Lion head Rabbits as Pets

[Deleted User]

 I currently have five house buns. They are the light of my life. I am currently thiking about getting a Lionhead rabbit kit. I have found a good breeder in my hometown. I was just wondering what Lion head rabbits are like? Are they stubborn, easy to litter train, etc…? Any stories and information would be much aprceiated. 

[tanlover14]

I think you’ll find that like with other breeds – Lionheads can have very different personalities from each other. But I’ll give you some background about my two Lionheads.

They are both adorable and very good buns. They were both very easily litter-trained and aren’t big chewers. Both of mine really love cuddles and interactions but sleep a lot during the day also (I have three Tans also who are very hyper so when I got my Lionheads it was abnormal). Both of mine would be perfect free-roamers if they weren’t bonded to the three other crazy Tans. I volunteer at a rabbit rescue also and do work at our Humane Society and can you tell you that some of the Lionheads I have met there aren’t quite as cuddly and a bit skittish. I don’t think you can truly know the personality of a Lionhead you are getting unless you adopt from a rescue or go to a breeder that has older buns so they are old enough for their personalities to already be defined.

I will say that both of mine shed almost year round and do require some upkeep on their fur which can be time consuming when they are in a heavy shed.

[Deleted User]

 Thank you so much for the infomation! My five house buns all have different personalities. So I guess that should be

be expected.:-) when getting any bun :-).

 

 

 

 

[LongEaredLions]

I have two wonderfull lionheads. Really, I don’t think the breed signifys personality because my two are complete opposites. Bella is sweet, crazy, very friendly and fiesty. Lionel, on the other hand is shy, gentle and lazy but so sweet.

[MoveDiagonally]

Most rabbits are bred for appearance and not behavioral traits. Some breeders breed for temperament in so much that they don’t breed overly aggressive rabbits, etc… But it’s not really like dogs where certain breeds have certain personality traits and are bred for them.

Like others have said, I imagine a lionhead’s personality is just as variable as any other bunny. You could talk to your breeder about the parents personalities and the personalities of other litters produced by them. This might give you an idea but there’s always a little “gamble” when it comes to getting baby bunnies. They could grow up to be anybun!

[tanlover14]

Good idea, MD. I have to come to find out my three Tans (all from the same litter) very much have the personalities of their parents! Hahahaha. Whether this is good or bad is yet to be determined…

[justwildbeat]

I’ve read that lionheads tend to be reserved and a bit skittish. Mine is a bit of a weenie but has a good temperament overall. Obviously every individual will be different. Since the breeder is local, you can always make multiple visits to get a better idea of which bun best fits you.

I think the biggest adjustment will be dealing with a lionhead’s long hair. You’ll definitely need to help out with the grooming. Plus I learned their hair is a magnet for soft litter (CareFresh), cardboard shreddings, and bits of hay.

[LongEaredLions]

I don’t know if Bella is a messed-up lionhead then because she is definetly the opposite of reserved and skittish.
As far as the food/bedding magnet goes, that is completely true. When I give Bella her dried herb salad, it gets all over her mane. Quite hilarious actually.

[Deleted User]

 I thank you all for a the replies! I won’t be getting my bundle of for another 7 weeks.  I am really excited!  I’ll post pictures

of mom and babies soon. 🙂

[PapaGandLola]

I have two lionheads and they are the perfect buns. I have never had a bunny before but a friend had a lionhead so I looked into it and fell in love. The oldest one I got in the summer when he was 9 weeks old and it was amazing. He is a little dork and loves to cause mischief, he isn’t big on being held but he will permit me to give him some scratches once in a while, he also did amazing with litterbox training after he was neutered. I then recently got my newest girl as a companion for him and they bonded instantly (luckily for me) and she is a sweet heart, she does love being cuddled which is good for me and will sit in my lap relaxed. Together they are crazy though, they usually relax and hangout on their perch but if I take them outside or I don’t feed them on time they will run around like crazy. I really recommend this breed they are little balls of fluff that will light up your life

[tobyluv]

I adopted a male lionhead in April at my local shelter. I wasn’t looking for a special breed, but he was an older rabbit (listed as 4 years old) and I had been looking for a rabbit around that age to be a companion to my 5 year old female rabbit. I had checked various shelters and rescues for months, but if an age was listed for the rabbits, it was almost always 1 year or less.

I love my little lionhead, but he is skittish and definitely not a cuddler. He didn’t even want to be petted at first, but he tolerates it a bit now. He will come up and bump our legs, but he doesn’t seek our companionship, he prefers being with or near our other rabbit. He does not like to be restrained at all. A couple of weeks ago, we noticed him shaking his ears repeatedly and wanted to take a look in them. We held him down on the floor, with a towel over his body, but he hated it. He was desperately trying to get away, and he bit me hard, drawing blood. And, there was nothing wrong with his ears. We didn’t see anything and he never had another ear shaking episode.

[Sparky04]

I’ve had experiences with three different lionheads, two in the past, one currently. Ragnar was a lionhead and we fostered her sister, Morrigan. Ava is a lionhead mix, but lionhead is the only really recognizable breed in her. All three have different personalities. Even Ragnar and Morrigan who were sisters and had the exact same experiences up until coming to us, had different personalities.

All three of them were/are more skittish than our dutch rabbit. However Ragnar and Morrigan were actually semi-feral, having lived outside with very little human interaction. They had no hutch and foraged for their food, their brother was eaten by a predator, so it was no surprise they were skittish. Ava was neglected, living in a cage in a the family’s garage, getting food and water but no attention or other care. My point is, I can’t say if the skittishness is because they’re lionheads or because they all had bad starts to life. We have no clue where our dutch came from, but we think he was a house rabbit in his previous life. It’s a difficult thing to compare, but perhaps as a baby, your lionhead will get more desensitized to normal household noises.

Ragnar was incredibly easy to litter box train. She was remarkably adaptable. She enjoyed being with people, but she had to be the one to come cuddle up to you. I couldn’t just reach out and pet her. Again, she had lived the first part of her life as a semi-feral rabbit. So I can’t say it was surprising. But as long as it was on her terms, she’d climb up into my lap or snuggle up against my side. She was the bossy one compared to her sister, but never showed any signs of human aggression.

Ava was incredibly difficult to litter box train. She still isn’t great about it but at least goes in the litter box more times than not. Ava’s more aggressive though once her constant ear pain was cured, she’s more bluff than bite. She has a lot of energy, more than any other rabbit I’ve had. Ava loves being around people. While the dutch is more content having people around, Ava wants to flop right by people’s feet. She loves being pet and will let you pet her forever if your hands don’t get tired first. She’s very stubborn but can be very sweet.

Those are just my experiences. As for shedding, I found the dutch sheds all year round, but my experience is that the lionheads have a huge shed every once in a while. Ragnar being a full maned lionhead, had a higher maintenance coat that often would sometimes collect dust or food. Especially that beard they have on their face, they love to stick in into food.

[Dface]

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