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What is a lionhead rabbit?
A lionhead is a small, upright-eared rabbit with a ring of long wool around the head, like a little lion. PetMD traces the breed to crosses of a Swiss Fox and a Netherland Dwarf, developed in Belgium and France. That is why you will also see the name "Belgian lionhead". The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) recognised the breed in 2013, and it is also shown in the UK.
The mane comes from a single gene, often called the mane gene. It is dominant, so a rabbit only needs one copy to grow a mane, and the number of copies changes how much wool you get.
| Type | What you see | Grooming |
|---|---|---|
| Single mane | One copy of the gene. A mane around the head and chest when young that is often wispy and may thin out with age | Mane daily while it is long, coat weekly |
| Double mane | Two copies. A thick mane for life, often with longer wool on the flanks and back legs. PetMD notes a "V" shaped mark on the back at birth | Longer sessions, daily, with extra care around the hips and bottom |
| Lion lop | A lop-eared cross with the mane gene | As for a lionhead, plus weekly ear checks |
There is no true giant or "full size" lionhead. A big rabbit with a mane is a cross with a larger breed, so expect its adult size to follow the bigger parent and plan space for that.
Lionhead colours: black, blue, chocolate, harlequin and more
Lionheads come in almost any rabbit colour, and the colour makes no difference to care. You will see black, blue (a soft grey), chocolate (brown), ginger and orange shades, black and white or other broken patterns, white with red eyes (albino, called ruby-eyed white by breeders), harlequin and calico-style patches, and pointed rabbits such as Himalayan and seal point with darker ears, nose, feet and tail. Show standards list a smaller set of colours than you will find in pet homes. If you are not planning to show, choose on health and temperament, not shade.
White and pale lionheads show staining from urine and droppings more easily, which is useful: you will spot a dirty bottom sooner. Check a dark lionhead's bottom with your fingers as well as your eyes.
What are lionhead rabbits like? Temperament and handling
Lionheads are usually friendly, curious and energetic, and they bond closely with a rabbit partner and with people who sit on the floor with them. PDSA also describes them as quite timid and easily frightened. Like all rabbits they are prey animals: most do not enjoy being picked up, and their spines are fragile and can break if they kick and fall.
That makes them a poor match for small children who want a pet to cuddle, and a good match for older children and adults who are happy to let the rabbit come to them. Our guide to taming and bonding with a rabbit shows how to build trust at ground level, and our rabbit body language guide explains thumps, flops and binkies.
Lionheads should never live alone. PDSA recommends compatible pairs, such as a neutered male with a neutered female. A lionhead can bond with any breed of a similar size and temperament. Our rabbit bonding guide covers introductions step by step.
Caring for a lionhead bunny: grooming the mane
Brush the mane every day and the rest of the coat once a week, and brush the whole rabbit daily during spring and autumn moults. Rabbits groom themselves by licking and cannot bring up fur, so a moulting lionhead can swallow enough wool to slow or block the gut. PetMD links regular grooming to fewer hair blockages and less gut stasis (a dangerous slowdown of the gut).
- Settle the rabbit low down. Sit on the floor with the rabbit on a towel on your lap or beside you, never on a high table. Short, calm sessions of five to ten minutes beat one long struggle.
- Work with your fingers first. Part the mane with your fingers to find knots before a brush finds them. Feel right down to the skin, where the dense underwool tangles.
- Brush in sections. Use a soft slicker brush, then a wide-toothed comb, working from the tips towards the skin a small section at a time. Hold the fur at the base so you never tug the skin.
- Tease out small knots. Loosen a small knot with your fingers and the end tooth of the comb. Do not pull. A mat that sits tight against the skin needs clipping, not brushing.
- Check the bottom and tail. Look and feel under the tail for droppings, damp or stuck wool. Clean a dirty bottom with warm water and a little small-pet shampoo, rinse and dry fully.
- Finish with nails and ears. Check nails monthly and trim the tips if they curl, and look inside the ears for wax or debris. Reward with a favourite leaf of herb.
Never cut a mat close to the skin with scissors. Rabbit skin is thin and tears easily, and mats often hide a fold of skin. Ask your vet or an experienced rabbit groomer to clip it.
Keep bedding simple: thick layers of loose hay are lovely to eat but tangle in a double mane. Many owners use a paper-based litter in the tray, with hay in a rack or a pile on top. Our rabbit bedding guide compares the options, including what works best for long-coated rabbits.
Lionhead rabbit health problems to watch
Lionheads share the health risks of all small rabbits, and the mane adds a few. The RSPCA lists the lionhead among breeds bred for a coat feature that is linked to inherited health issues, and it encourages rescuing over buying and choosing animals without extreme features.
- Teeth: small rabbits with short faces are prone to overgrown or misaligned teeth. Watch for drooling, a wet chin, dropping food or eating less.
- Gut slowdown: a rabbit that stops eating or passing droppings for even a few hours needs a vet the same day.
- Swallowed fur: smaller or misshapen droppings, or droppings strung together with hair, during a moult.
- Flystrike: flies lay eggs on soiled or matted fur and maggots hatch within hours. Check the bottom daily, and twice a day in warm weather, as the Rabbit Welfare Association advises.
- Skin mites: flaky skin, dandruff-like scurf or patchy fur loss, often over the back.
- Eyes: wool hanging into the eyes can irritate them. Weepy eyes need a vet check.
- Vaccinations: myxomatosis and both strains of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD1 and RHD2), every year.
Our rabbit health guide covers each of these signs and when to see a vet. Flystrike is always an emergency, day or night.
Housing, diet and daily care
A lionhead needs the same space as any rabbit. PDSA's minimum for a pair is 3 × 2 × 1 m (10 × 6 × 3 ft) of space they can use all the time, with a shelter area inside it, and it recommends much more. Small rabbits are very active, so do not shrink the space because the rabbit is small. Our rabbit cage size guide sets out the numbers, and our guide to indoor or outdoor rabbits helps you choose where they live.
Long wool makes warm weather harder. PetMD suggests keeping rabbits between 10 and 25°C (50 to 77°F). Give shade, airflow and a cool tile in summer, and check the bottom more often.
Feed like any rabbit: PDSA advises a pile of hay at least the size of the rabbit every day, a handful of leafy greens twice a day, and about one tablespoon of rabbit nuggets (pellets) daily. For a rabbit of 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), PetMD's rule of one cup of leafy greens per 0.9 kg (2 lb) of body weight works out at about one and a half cups a day. Fresh water should always be available. Our rabbit diet guide and safe food list cover treats and foods to avoid.
How much is a lionhead rabbit? Lionhead bunnies for adoption
PDSA gives an average purchase price of about £30 for a lionhead, and puts the lifetime cost of keeping one at £7,900 to £10,000, before the purchase price. That covers food, vaccinations, neutering, insurance and equipment, and the cost roughly doubles for a pair. Show-line rabbits from breeders cost more, and prices vary widely by area, so treat any figure as a rough guide. Our rabbit cost guide breaks the budget down.
Lionheads and lionhead crosses come into rescues often, usually already neutered, vaccinated and sometimes already bonded in pairs. Rescue first is also the RSPCA's advice. Our guide to where to get a rabbit lists national rehoming services and what to ask a breeder if you go that way, and our rabbit breeds guide compares the lionhead with other small breeds.
For a full picture of daily rabbit care, start with our complete rabbit care guide.
Lionhead rabbit questions
Are lionhead rabbits good pets?
They can be, for a household that wants to spend time on the floor with rabbits and can brush a mane every day. PDSA describes them as quite timid and not suited to small children, because they dislike being picked up and their backs break easily if dropped. They do best as a bonded pair.
How big do lionhead rabbits get?
Small. PDSA gives an average adult weight of about 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), and PetMD gives 1.1 to 1.7 kg (2.5 to 3.75 lb) and a body length of 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 in). There is no giant lionhead breed: a very large rabbit with a mane is almost always a cross with a bigger breed.
How long do lionhead rabbits live?
PDSA and PetMD both give 7 to 9 years. Good teeth, a hay-based diet, neutering, vaccinations and daily bottom checks in warm weather all help a lionhead reach the top of that range.
Do lionhead rabbits shed a lot?
Yes. Like all rabbits they moult, usually in spring and autumn, and the long mane wool sheds heavily then. Brush daily during a moult. Rabbits cannot bring up swallowed fur, so heavy shedding without brushing raises the risk of a gut blockage.
Can a lionhead rabbit live alone?
It shouldn't. Rabbits are highly social and PDSA recommends homing them in compatible pairs, such as a neutered male with a neutered female. A lionhead can be bonded with a rabbit of any breed of a similar size and temperament.
Do lionhead rabbits need haircuts?
Most don't need a full clip if you brush daily. A careful trim of matted wool around the bottom, or of wool that hangs over the eyes, can help in summer. If mats are close to the skin, ask your vet or a rabbit groomer to clip them rather than using scissors yourself.
What is a lion lop?
A lion lop is a lop-eared rabbit with the mane gene, usually from crossing lionheads with lop breeds. It needs the same mane care as a lionhead plus the regular ear checks every lop needs, because folded ears trap wax and are more prone to infection.
