Content
- Origin of the mini lion lop rabbit
- Characteristics of the mini lion lop rabbit
- Colors of the mini lion lop rabbit
- Mini lion lop rabbit personality
- Mini lion lop rabbit care
- Mini lion lop rabbit health
The mini lion lop rabbit was formed as a result of crossing between lion lop rabbits and belier or dwarf rabbits. It was possible to get a dwarf rabbit with that characteristic mane of the lion lop, obtaining a beautiful specimen, affectionate and ideal as a life partner.
Like all rabbits, the mini lion lop must be properly cared for to prevent disease and provide the best possible quality of life. If you're thinking about adopting a rabbit of this breed or already live with one, keep reading this PeritoAnimal breed sheet to know all the characteristics of the mini lion lop rabbit, its origin, personality, care and health.
Source- Europe
- UK
Origin of the mini lion lop rabbit
The origin of the mini lion lop rabbit goes back to the year 2000 in England. This breed is very similar to the dwarf belier rabbit breed, but with a mane on its head and tufts on its chest that give it the name of “lion”.
Breeder Jane Bramley is responsible for her appearance, which she achieved by breeding lion-headed rabbits to mini lop rabbits and breeding her hybrids to other dwarf rabbits. In this way, he created the lion-head dwarf rabbit breed.
It is currently considered a purebred by the British Rabbit Council, but not yet by the American Rabbit Breeders Organization.
Characteristics of the mini lion lop rabbit
This breed is a miniature version of the lion head rabbits, so do not weigh more than 1.6 kg. What differentiates them from other beliers is the mane they have and which is established as a dominant heritage, so they are considered a dwarf version of the lion lop rabbits.
At main physical characteristics of the mini lion lop rabbit are as follows:
- Defined, firm, short, broad and muscular body.
- Almost non-existent neck.
- Broad and deep chest.
- Forefeet thick, short and straight, hind legs strong and short, parallel to the body.
- Dropping ears.
- Hairy and straight tail.
Despite the above, without a doubt, what most characterizes these rabbits is their lion-like mane, which measures about 4 cm.
Colors of the mini lion lop rabbit
The coat color of this breed of rabbits can be of the following shades and patterns:
- Black.
- Blue.
- Agouti.
- Sooty fawn.
- Fawn.
- Fox.
- Black Otter.
- BEW.
- Orange.
- Siamese sable.
- Butterfly pattern.
- REW.
- Opal
- Siamese smoke pearl.
- Steel.
- Beige.
- Iron fray.
- Chocolate.
- Seal point.
- Blue point.
- Cinnamon.
Mini lion lop rabbit personality
The mini lion lop rabbits are friendly, easygoing, active, playful and sociable. They are very affectionate and love to be close to their caregivers, which is why frequent daily care is very important to them. As they love to play and explore, don't forget to take the time to do these activities and help them release your energy.
Without a doubt, they are ideal companions to share the day to day, in addition they are sociable with people, other animals and get along well with children, as long as they respect them. However, they can sometimes be fearful and frightened, especially when children scream, hear shrill noises, or raise their voices.
Mini lion lop rabbit care
The main cares of lion lop rabbits are as follows:
- medium size cage spacious enough that the rabbit can move and play with complete freedom. It is necessary that the mini lion lop, as with all rabbits, can leave the cage for several hours a day and have contact with its caregivers, as well as explore the environment. Also, they will ask for it because they are so active, sociable and playful. Keeping an animal confined to a cage 24 hours a day is not only harmful to it, it is cruel. The cage must be cleaned frequently and it is necessary to remove the remains of urine and faeces.
- Eating a balanced diet for rabbits, based mainly on hay, but not forgetting fresh vegetables and fruits and rabbit feed. Discover the list of fruits and vegetables for rabbits. the water must be ad libitum and better in drinking fountains than in containers.
- coat hygiene: we need to brush our mini lion lop rabbit frequently several times a week to avoid clogging due to excess ingested hair. Bathing will only be necessary if they are very dirty, although you can choose to clean them with a damp cloth.
- teeth care: as the rabbit's teeth and nails grow daily, the animal must be accustomed to having its nails cut and to using wood or an object to gnaw on, to prevent the teeth from producing growth problems or asymmetry that could cause injuries.
- routine vaccination for rabbit diseases: myxomatosis and hemorrhagic disease (depending on the country you are in).
- Frequent deworming to prevent parasites and the diseases these parasites can cause in the rabbit.
Mini lion lop rabbit health
The mini lion lop rabbits have a life expectancy of about 8-10 years, provided they are properly cared for, taken for veterinary examinations and routinely vaccinated and dewormed. However, it should be taken into account that mini lion lop rabbits may suffer from the following illnesses:
- Dental malocclusion: when teeth do not wear evenly, asymmetries and consequent damage to our rabbit's gums and mouth can occur. Furthermore, it predisposes to infections.
- Cutaneous myiasis: The skinfolds and long hair of these rabbits can predispose a fly to lay eggs and to form myiasis by fly larvae that destroy the rabbit's skin. It causes itching, secondary infections and skin lesions due to the larvae excavating tunnels.
- Fungi: such as dermatophytes or sporotrichosis which can cause alopecia, urticaria, circular areas, papules and pustules in rabbit skin and fur.
- myxomatosis: Viral diseases that cause nodules or bumps called myxomas in the skin of rabbits. They can also cause ear infections, eyelid inflammation, anorexia, fever, difficulty breathing and seizures.
- hemorrhagic disease: it is a viral process that can become very serious, causing the death of our rabbits and producing fever, opisthotonus, screams, convulsions, hemorrhages, cyanosis, nasal secretions, pneumonia with respiratory difficulty, prostration, anorexia, ataxia or convulsions, among others .
- Breathing problems: produced by Pasteurella or by other microorganisms. Causes respiratory signs such as sneezing, runny nose, cough or difficulty breathing.
- digestive problems: if the rabbit does not have a balanced diet, it may suffer disorders that cause digestive signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, bloating and abdominal pain.