The Fancy Grooming and Styling of a Lionhead Rabbit

For those of you blessed to own and care for a Lionhead Rabbit, kudos to you. They are an amazing breed of rabbit; warm, friendly, and exceptionally smart. Those of you who own a pet but are clueless to what a lionhead rabbit is, here is a brilliant site with a great description of lionhead bunnies. Now, on to business.

As with any long-haired woolly pet there comes a time when you just have to deal with the fur and rid yourself of those nappy hairstyles they tend to develop. The Lionhead is no exception, if not groomed regularly it begins to look more and more dreadlock-ish. That would be fine if the rabbit is going for that particular look but it will be prone to pesky lice or mites. Grooming should be done with regularly frequency every 3 days if you really want to sport a good-looking and healthy rabbit.



You will need: - a wire toothed comb with rounded ends - a sheet of newspaper - scissors with rounded ends - small clippers, preferably some that are not loud - small bottle of mineral oil - cotton swabs - a wire brush with rounded ends - some classical music in the background, preferably anything Bach

First, Find a flat surface one where you have ample space to set the lionhead down. Line the surface with the long sheet of news paper, more than one layer if you prefer. Place your tools close by for easier accessibility. Place the rabbit on top of the paper. Hold the lionhead with your left hand, placing your fingers gently by the nape of the neck. At this point you will begin to comb the fur starting from the head and slowly moving towards the nape. A word of caution, lionhead rabbits have extremely delicate skin. A motion of the comb too rough and you will break through the dermis injuring the animal. Avoid haste when performing this task. Slowly comb through the fur away from the body and following the natural grain of the hair. The grain is the general direction in which the hair grows, it can easily be seen if you look at the base of the hair growth by parting it.

Second, as you continue to comb the hair you will encounter knots. These knots can injure your lionhead if combed through vigorously. The best practice is to hold the bundle of hair that is knotted at the base with one hand while you comb the portion above your hold. With this technique you can comb through the knot without pulling the hair, and thus avoiding tension being directed at the skin. I have encountered many a bunny-owner who have combed roughly and the very knots pulled and teared the skin. Most knots will be around the joints of the rabbit and his underside.

Third, nastier than knots are the matted portions of hair. They are different from knots as they are far more compressed bundles of hair, essentially dreadlocks. These dreadlocks must be taken care of with the utmost care. If left on the rabbit they can collect feces and urine, ultimately breeding grounds for parasites. These parasites can and will break through the dermis and infect the lionhead. Often times dreadlocks are found under the rabbits tail by the anus, at the belly, at the front side of the neck, under the chin, and at the feet. I recommend using your fingers first to pull the bundle apart making it easier for comb through. Again, use the technique described earlier, holding the base of the hair firmly while combing through the dreadlock. With this technique you cut off the tension from affecting the skin, avoiding injury. If a dreadlock is very stubborn then you can cut the piece of with the blunt scissors, make sure to cut at about 1/s inch below the dreadlock if possible.

Fourth, try dividing the rabbits body into sections. This will make the job easier and faster. Head, then neck, then back, then sides. Always combing in the direction of growth, thus away from body. Then flip the rabbit over holding it carefully against your lap, as its back naturally curves concavely. Comb the underside by starting with under the chin, neck, belly, and lastly anus region. Remember to deal with knots & dreadlocks as they come up and with the utmost finesse. Often times it is better to keep the underside of the rabbit shaved to short length approx 3/4 inch. This will make grooming easier for you and the rabbit. This can be accomplished in the same way as combing. Be very careful with the teeth of the clippers, avoid digging into the rabbit's skin. Hold a bundle of hair with your free hand as you run the clippers gently through the bottom near the base of the hair. If your lionhead rabbit it is severely knotted and has large amounts of dreadlocks it is always better to send to a professional. Once the rabbit has been professionally groomed continue to groom the rabbit with high frequency to avoid the build up and save some money while your at it.

Lastly, lightly dab a cotton swab in mineral oil and clean around the rabbits anus region and ears. Lightly go over the rabbits hair once more with a brush to finish up. Clean up your work are and give you lionhead bunny a treat for being so cooperative. I hope this basic guide has been of insight for you. Finally, if you are ever curious about the Lionhead breed, review this site, I stumbled upon it during my research lionheadrabbit.org have a splendid day with your lionhead bunny. Cheers





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Posted in: Fancy,Grooming,Lionhead,Rabbit,Styling