Lion-headed rabbit is a decorative dwarf breed with an exotic appearance. Animals attract attention in any color. The name of the breed comes from the "lion's mane" on the head of rabbits.
Decorative rabbits of breed Lionhead
Rabbits have a large amount of fur on their heads
Origin history
Lion-headed rabbits appeared relatively recently - at the end of the last millennium. They were bred by American breeders through a long cross of fluffy and shorthair breeds. After a couple of years, decorative rabbits began to actively participate in international exhibitions.
According to the second version, the Lion-headed rabbit is the result of a cross between a Swiss Fox and a Belgian Dwarf. Subsequently, Angora dwarf rabbits participated in the selection, from where the similarity of the structure and length of the fur came from.
The first Lion-headed rabbit appeared in Belgium, but was officially patented in 2002 in the UK. The breed was introduced to Russia in 2000, and has since been popular with adults and children.
Breed description
Rabbits are fluffy, small in size, suitable not only for mass breeding, but also as a pet. Babies up to 6 months weigh up to 1 kg, adults - up to 2 kg. A distinctive feature of the breed is a large amount of fur on its head, which is why the second name appeared - the Lion's head.
Decorative rabbits have a pretty appearance. The standard provides for about 60 colors. The most common are black, white, gray, ashen, golden and orange.
The general impression of the Lionhead breed is a small stocky animal with a lush mane.
Appearance
The rabbit has a shortened body, cut down croup. The body is proportional to the lower extremities. The head is small in size, cheeks are clearly visible on the sides, which smoothly pass into the neck.
The eyes are set wide, the ears are erect up to 9 cm long. The fur on the body is evenly distributed, but shorter than on the head. The hind limbs are long and strong, so the animal can jump high.
Character
The lion-headed breed of rabbits is relatively new, so the behavior of its representatives is not fully understood. In general, animals are flexible, affable and friendly, get along well in the same area with humans.
Rabbits are very smart. Throughout life, several simple commands can be learned. Animals can not be scared, otherwise they become aggressive, they can even bite. Do not buy such a “toy” for small children, because with a strong fright, the rabbit behaves in a hostile manner.
An animal with an inquisitive character will not sit in a cage for a long time. The rabbit loves to travel, so prepare for him a spacious aviary with high fences. Very soon, he gets used to the new dwelling and neighbors, behaves as a full member of the family.
Breed standards
Externally, Lion-headed rabbits are different from other breeds. When buying a pet for breeding and exhibitions, the following standards are taken into account:
- a mundane body with well-developed muscles and without fat;
- proportional chest, hips, shoulders;
- round head with a mane 5-7 cm long;
- short ears rounded at the ends;
- the approximate weight of an adult is 1700 g;
- wide-set brown eyes;
- visual absence of the neck;
- triangular bib 7-8 cm long;
- 60 colors, including combinations of basic tones.
Defects of the breed
Defective rabbits are those in which:
- thin, faded fur;
- fall of mane on ears and nose;
- long hairs in the area of the croup;
- the body is narrow, disproportionate to the lower limbs;
- ears are longer than 9 cm, fall on the cheeks;
- sharply cut croup;
- low stand.
An animal with a marriage stands high on its feet, outwardly it seems thin and exhausted. Such rabbits do not participate in exhibitions, are sold by breeders at a lower price - not for breeding.
Lifestyle and behavior
A decorative rabbit lives in a cage, but it should not spend most of the time locked up. Let him go for a walk twice a day. Remove other pets at this time, as dogs and cats can cause severe fright.
Do not forget that rabbits are rodents. Traveling around the apartment, they can "try a tooth" wiring, baseboards, carpets. To avoid such troubles, arrange an aviary for the animal, preferably in the fresh air.
Decorative rabbits are trained, therefore, if desired and by the persistence of the breeder, they very soon understand where the tray is and what it is for. If you accustom an animal, there are no problems with cleanliness and odors in the apartment.
Lion-headed rabbits make contact with humans, but do not accept attacks on their freedom. For example, holding a pet in his arms against his will, he becomes irritable and may even bite a person.
In a new place, the rabbit is quiet. He is unsociable, clogs into the far corner and does not make contact. He needs several days to adapt to a new environment, unusual sounds and smells. During this period, do not scare him, otherwise in a state of self-defense he becomes aggressive.
So that the behavior of the animal is not shocking, show maximum care and understanding. Give the rabbit freedom and the opportunity to decide on habits. When his life will be formed, conflict situations will no longer arise.
Lion-headed rabbits help children with autism to learn, develop elementary skills.
Life span
If a rabbit lives without stress, surrounded by human care, eats properly and does not get sick, he can live from 7 to 9 years. Longevity is reduced by nutritional errors, violation of the rules of care and maintenance, lack of veterinary care at the first symptoms of the disease.
There are cases when the Lion-headed rabbits, under comfortable living conditions, died of longing, loneliness. There is also evidence that the animal lived to be 11 years old. The life of a rabbit is also affected by genetics, congenital diseases.
Maintenance and care
Since the animal is long-haired, comb it regularly. In this way, you can not only get rid of dead hair, but also prevent diseases of the digestive tract. Comb the rabbit once a week, spend 15-30 minutes doing this.
To prevent the animal from getting sick, regularly clean the cage and avoid amplification of a specific smell. By age, carry out routine vaccination, anthelmintic therapy with the goal of effective prevention.
Cell requirements
When buying a house for a rabbit, consider the fact that it will be in it for most of the day. The cage should be spacious and roomy. The optimal size is 100x80x70 cm. Immediately purchase accessories - a feeder, a drinking bowl, a piece of wood for grinding cutters. Choose a filler without coniferous sawdust, for which the animal can develop a strong allergy.
Put the cage in a prominent place so that the rabbit can observe everything that happens in the house. Make sure that the sun and drafts do not fall on it, otherwise the pet becomes lethargic, sick and dies. The optimum temperature in the room is 23 degrees. Be sure to provide fresh air, light.
Hygiene and Care
Rabbits are clean animals that regularly lick themselves. Long fur enters the stomach and rolls, resulting in intestinal obstruction. With this diagnosis, the animal dies.
By itself, the rabbit is unpretentious in leaving. Prerequisites - daily combing, changing the tray and cleaning the cage. In this case, the apartment will not have unpleasant odors, and the absence of a molt period allows you to buy a rabbit even for allergy sufferers.
Other recommendations of experienced rabbit breeders:
- Brush your rabbit’s teeth 3 times a week.
- In a timely manner, comb out the tangles from the mane and prevent their appearance.
- Once a month, cut the rabbit's claws.
- Provide the animal with physical activity.
- Control the weight of the rabbit.
- Do not bathe the animal, otherwise it will experience severe stress.
- Introduce new feeds gradually, exclude a sharp change in diet.
Diet
Rabbit's menu consists of 80% juicy grass, 20% of cereal crops. For feeding, collect dandelions, alfalfa, burdock and wheat grass. Give the animal dried grass, otherwise digestion is broken, bloating appears.
From cereals, oats, wheat, barley are suitable for a rabbit. Thin branches of mountain ash and acacia are very useful, fresh hay of meadow herbs - clover, plantain, rich in nutrients.
Add fresh vegetables in limited quantities to the animal’s daily diet. For example, carrots are useful for grinding teeth. Do not forget about the benefits of cabbage leaf, turnips, pumpkins, apples, beets. Fruits and vegetables that increase gas production remain banned.
To balance the animal’s diet, enter the fortified compound feed in the daily menu, put a small piece of chalk into the cage, mix bone and meat-bone meal into food.
The rabbit should eat in moderation, he should not overeat. When overfeeding, obesity develops, and the animal dies early.
Breeding
Lion-headed rabbits are very prolific. Polygamous animals, in agriculture, 3-4 females per male. Begin to produce from 6 months, and do it all year round. More about mating rabbits is written here.
Pregnancy lasts 30-40 days. The rabbit behaves calmly, sleeps most of the time. In the offspring - from 3 to 6 cubs. Before giving birth, the rabbit tears down the fluff and lays a warm nest from it. For breeders, this is a signal of imminent replenishment.
A pregnant rabbit should always have fresh water. The more dry food in her diet, the more she drinks. With a liquid deficiency, the rabbit eats its cubs in the first hours of life.
Experienced rabbit breeders claim that sterilization of the females prolongs their life.
Baby Care
Rabbits are born very small and pink. They are bald, blind, cannot move on their own. They are always with their mother, they should not be touched and, especially, moved to the street (draft).
About the rabbit rabbit’s laying out of rabbits, read the following article.
The first 3-4 weeks of rabbits feed exclusively on breast milk. By the month of life, they are already trying compound feed and alfalfa hay, but are still breastfed. In the diet, the presence of mineral supplements, vitamins is mandatory.
Possible diseases
After severe stress, the rabbit begins diarrhea. After a day, the stool normalizes. If this does not happen, you need urgent help from a veterinarian. Among the factors provoking fright are small children, cats, extraneous noise, etc. The second manifestation of strong emotions is the grunting of the animal, twitching in a dream.
Inspect the animal’s hair regularly for parasites. If detected, use antiparasitic and anthelmintic agents in a timely manner, otherwise coccidiosis develops.
Possible diseases:
- Gastrointestinal stasis. Violation of intestinal motility, which requires urgent help of a veterinarian.
- Urinary dermatitis. Hair loss on the hind legs, skin inflammation in these places.
- Myxomatosis. Suppuration of the eyes and the appearance of blisters against the background of untreated fleas.
If sniffles or ulcers appear on the face, immediate veterinarian assistance is needed.
How to choose a Lion-headed rabbit?
Treat your four-legged friend with special responsibility. A sick animal will not live long. Basic selection rules:
- Healthy ears, clean nose and eyes - with the accumulation of mucus, the question arises about the health of the animal.
- Dense body - if the softness of the bones is felt, this is one of the symptoms of rickets.
- The absence of dirt under the tail is one of the signs of thoroughbred breed.
- Physical activity - passive behavior should alert you if a rabbit is healthy.
- The absence of defects on the teeth - the overgrowth of the incisors is one of the symptoms of a congenital pathology.
Advantages and disadvantages
When buying an animal, weigh the pros and cons. Start with the benefits of Lion-headed rabbits:
- devotion to the owner;
- miniature sizes;
- cleanliness;
- unpretentiousness in leaving;
- attractive appearance;
- large selection of colors;
- moderate molting or its absence;
- friendly character.
Disadvantages of choice:
- frequent shyness;
- food selectivity;
- high price;
- period of adaptation to a new place;
- unpredictable character.
Reviews
Marina, 41 years old, seller, Anapa. They bought a decorative rabbit for their daughter's birthday and did not miss the choice. The animal is kind, affectionate, like a kitten. There is no extraneous smell in the apartment, wool does not fly through the rooms. The rabbit is very neat and smart, always responds to its name. He never has a bad mood, he is friends even with a cat. The only thing is that in winter there are not enough vitamins, you have to spend money on specialized feeds.
Irina, 32 years old, seamstress, Eagle. A Lion-headed rabbit lived at our place, but he had to give it up. The animal is restless. The rabbit constantly traveled around the apartment, grinding his teeth with everything in his path. First it was a wallpaper, then a plinth. When it came to wiring, they began to lock him in a cage. So he fought so free, that once turned over with the cage. They decided not to torment the animal, they gave it to relatives in the village.
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Lion-headed rabbit is a pet and a source of income for many rabbit breeders. If favorable conditions are created for an animal, it will delight with its appearance and good nature for a single year.