Lionhead Rabbits

Question
QUESTION: Dear Dr.Dana Research,
I'm getting a Lionhead rabbit but I want to do all the research before. My question is do i need to give my rabbit a bath? I have seen both do and don't. if i should,do i need to blow dry it?
I'm also wondering if it is better to be kept inside or outside. I want to keep it inside if possible.
I'm getting it from a local breeder;is there anything I should look out for?
If you have any other advice for me on this breed please
share.

         Thank you,
         Ellen

ANSWER: Dear Ellen,

The answer to the bath question is:  NO.  Never, ever bathe a rabbit.  They are fastidiously clean animals, and will keep themselves tidy with grooming on their own.  Unless your bunny has a health problem, such as a messy bottom, you should never bathe him/her.  The stress is sometimes fatal.  Please read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/buttbath.html

Now.  About the lionhead thing.  Please let me give you some advice.  :)

Lionheads are adorable.  BUT they are also highly inbred and prone to many genetic problems such as bad teeth.  Lionheads also can be very unfriendly.  Because this seems to be a characteristic of the breed, we are now seeing in our rescue *many* totally adorable lionhead hybrids.  Breeders are trying to cross purebred lionheads with friendlier bunnies such as Holland Lops and Netherland Dwarf rabbits in an attempt to get a "nice" lionhead.

So here is what I would suggest:  Instead of buying an inbred, possibly unfriendly rabbit from a breeder, why not contact your local rabbit rescuer and find out if they have any *rescued* lionheads or lionhead hybrids.  Want to see how adorable they are?  Take a look at Penelope right here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/igive.html

And the reason I'm showing you that is for the before and after pictures.

Because so many breeders sell rabbits to pet stores and other people who often make impulse purchases without knowing how much care a rabbit requres, they are *constantly* getting dumped by people who just didn't know what they were getting into.  Rather than keeping that problem stoked by buying from this breeder, please go here:

www.rabbit.org/chapters

to find a local rabbit rescuer and find out about any rescued lionhead type rabbits they might have.  If there is a local breeder of lionheads in your area, you can BET there is a problem with dumped lionheads.  :(

In my experience, lionhead crosses have been some of the nicest bunnies I've ever met.  We have both Elmo and Penelope (crosses) who are incredibly sweet, smart and wonderful.  Then there's Rufus (a.k.a. "Fuzzbutt"), our purebred lionhead.  He is gorgeous, but he HATES people, and it's taken us more than two years to get him to trust us.  I have heard of other people with rescued lionheads who have the same story, and we suspect they were dumped precisely because they were unfriendly.  We love Fuzz anyway, but he is difficult:  he also has congenitally horrible teeth that must constantly be filed smooth so they don't overgrow.  VERY common problem in lionheads.

Your breeder will no doubt deny that any of his/her rabbits have such problems.  Of course!  But I'm just telling you what we see in the rescue biz.  

I strongly urge you to find a rescue bunny who needs your love.  I know there are Elmos and Penelopes out there in your area, too.  (Bunnies with mullet hair dos!  Too cute!)

You can learn all you need to know about the care of your new pal at:

www.rabbit.org

As you'll see, INDOORS is definitely the best way to keep your bunny healthy and safe.  They are easy to litterbox train, and must be spayed/neutered for their health and longevity.  That's another thing about buying from a breeder:   the bunny you get will be intact, and you will be facing a vet bill of $200-400 for spay/neuter, not to mention the worry.

Rescued rabbits from House Rabbit Society affiliates are already spayed/neutered, sparing you that expense and worry.

Good luck!  I hope this helps you make the right decision!  (Adopt!  Don't Shop!)  :)

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Dr.Dana,
I went to that site and there wasn't a place anywhere around my area. There is two places in my town where I can get rabbits, a local breeder and at this tractor supplies store (localy owned). The breeder only has lion head and the tractor supplies store has just a few rabbits which include lionhead, hollan lops, and mini rex. would the store be ok to adopt a rabbit? Also could you tell me the best out of those three? Or a great breed for a teenage girl?
         Thank you,
         Ellen

Answer
Dear Ellen,

The breed is less important than the personality.  If these are babies, then you might not know the bunny's mature personality.  But you can meet with each of them and just see who wins your heart.  There is more variation in personality among individual rabbits than there is among breeds.  Going by breed is no guarantee.

So follow your heart, and you'll know.

Good luck!

Dana