If you've decided that you want a lionhead, let us know. If you have questions, we'll be here to help you. Whether you have owned a rabbit or not, it's always good to make sure you're fully prepared before you decide to make the purchase and bring your little one home!
Should I get a bunny?
Please do not rush into buying a rabbit. Please read up and know as much as you can before you decide. You need to realize that this is a long term commitment. As we mentioned, house rabbits have a lifespan of 5-12 years. Rabbits like dogs and cats are wonderful companions for people of all ages. They can be litter trained and kept indoors or outdoors. Yes that's right LITTER TRAINED! They are very clean animals and are aren't very expensive to care for either. They love to cuddle and play. Most people don't think you can form bond with a bunny, but that isn't true. They have their own little personalities and needs just like any other pet. They make a great pet for anyone!
If you do decide that you would like to a bunny, we first recommend you get "Rabbits for Dummies". This book is a GREAT book that hits all of the key points. In addition, google searches are a great way to find a lot of information or answers to your questions. And as always, you can always come to us with any problem or question you may have before and after you get your bunny!
In addition, if you have never owned a rabbit, we rec. the ideal cage and accessories can be purchased for UNDER $50 at petsmart or petco. They sell nice large size cages that come with everything you need to get started! You can find these in the store, or even online *that's where we got ours* sometimes online is cheaper than in the stores and petco is always running FREE shipping sales! (Click here for the link!) You can also get food and bedding any petstore as well as tractor supply to save even more. Like we said, cost is really not an issue when purchasing your bunny, just be sure you will be able to devote atleast 1-3 hours a day (that is the most important).
Should I get a bunny for my child?
If you have small children you need to consider the child's age before getting a pet rabbit. Many small children don't realize they are being rough and they may hurt the bunny by accident. This is VERY EASY TO DO! So please consider that first. Also the rabbit may scratch the child (if you get a well socialized bunny this will help minimize it, but if the child is too young and may be hurting the bunny it will scratch for defense or to get away). A good age for children to get a pet rabbit is 5 to 7 years of age. Some younger children will be very good with bunnies and others may not. We recommend age 12 unless you have a very responsible child or you acompany them during playtime! You need to use your own discretion depending on your CHILD. We HIGHLY recommend always supervising your child and the bunny when you have it out to play! This is a must for your child and rabbits safety!
All rabbits make great pets and have gentle disposition. They range in size from 2 1/2 to 20 lbs. HOWEVER, we only SELL LIONHEADS in our rabbitry. They are a Dwarf rabbit. The average size of our LIONHEADS are about 3 lbs. So even at adult size, a lionhead is VERY small.
How do I take care of a Bunny?
Basic Rabbit Care. Like we said, please purchase "Rabbits for Dummies" It is about $16 in petstores, but if you purchase it on EBAY it is UNDER $10. Also, you can google search and find tons of information on how to care for a bunny.
Here are a few LINKS below that have helped many of our customers.
*HUGE RABBIT REFERENCE
*More Rabbit FACTS!!
*All about LIONHEADS!
*SPAY/NEUTER Your RABBIT
*More facts about LIONHEADS!
OXBOW Pet Products
Please check out these links, find links on your own, and/or purchase the Dummies book we mentioned. We will ask you questions before we accept your deposit to make sure you are ready for a bunny. We just want to make sure that each and every bunny that leaves here has a GOOD forever home! Too many bunnies end up in SHELTERS because people go on a whim, make a purchase and later no longer want to care for one. Our Lionheads are adorable, but please consider all the good and bad of ANY pet you purchase. :)
ANYWAY back to the INFO:
The general care of a rabbit is very easy and inexpensive.
Rabbits need a lot of cold, fresh clean water and a feed that is approx 17% protein, 22% fiber and 3% fat ration. If the protein is to high or the fiber is to low, diarrhea could result. Some brands of rabbit feed are Purina Rabbit Feed, Buckeye, Manna Pro,Owbow, and Pen Pals Rabbit Feed, there are many great feeds out there, if you have a question let us know!
How much do I feed my rabbit?
PELLETED FEED
If you have a small breed (under 5 lbs), you do not want to feed them more than 4 to 6 oz. of pellets per day or they will become over weight. A medium size rabbit (5 to 8 lbs) needs approximately 6-8 oz a day of pellets and a large breed can eat as much as it would like within reason.
Treats
A lot of pet owners feed carrots, apples and other fruits and vegetables to their rabbits. If you choose to give treats, do so with caution. Introduce a very small amount of a selected treat only one or twice a week at first. Then you can increase slowly the frequency and the amount of the treat. A rabbit needs to gain tolerance for different treats. You can give them once in a while a small serving of black sunflower seeds. This can be great for their coats, help put on weight and is easy for them to digest.
We also like to feed ours celery leaves, ROMAINE lettuce (only), carrots, strawberries (once in a while), and many other types of fruits and veggies. We will give you a care guide and tips of what to and what not to feed your rabbit. As always, just ask if u need more info!
What about Grooming?
Rabbits love to get brushed. You can pick up a cat or dog brush and use that on your rabbit. If you brush your rabbit on a regular basis, it will shed very little. With lionheads, depending also on the type of bedding you use. Lionheads will need to be groomed atleast every 3 days. We groom ours daily, but you do not have to do that. They actually groom themselves a lot also. Rabbits do go through molts once or twice a year depending on the weather. If you brush your rabbit daily during this time it will not be to bad. Sometime the fur comes out in clumps but don't worry this it normal during a molt.
As the rabbit gets older you will need to clip their nails. This can be done with a nail clipper (but if you do this on your own, read up first!). If their nails get too long it can effect their feet and cause sores. Also their nails get caught on wire and other things and are torn off.
What type of bedding do I use?
Usually any type of bedding you see at petstores is great for your rabbit. There are some types that are better than others to help minimize smell. For Lionheads we HIGHLY recommend YESTERDAY'S NEWS! It is very resonable, and it is great for lionheads because it does not stick in their mane. If you get something like carefresh, you will constantly be grooming your lionhead. Believe us, we learned our lesson. With Yesterday's news it does not attach itself to your lil lionheads mane... it stays where it needs to be... and it absorbs great, has hardly NO smell at ALL, honestly... and is actually very cheaply priced compared. We get ours between $5-$10 for a 10 -13 lb bag. And for one to two rabbits, it will last you months! You can use this in their litter box AND as bedding. And we've noticed and read, rabbits like it better because they like to dig it! So we HIGHLY recommend this, we wouldn't use anything else! *which can be found at any petstore and even grocery stores*.
Well, these are the basics of rabbit care. As you can see rabbits are very easy to take care of, and very low cost. As long as you feed, water and give them lots of love, they are happy and healthy and will make a GREAT PET! We will continue to update this with more questions we recieve. Always check back! And remember, when you buy a bun from us, you'll live hoppily ever after :) hehehe!
