The Lionhead is a Belgian rabbit breed created by crossing two dwarf types. It appeared in the US in the late 1990s, while the American Rabbit Breeders Association officially recognized it as a breed in 2014.
This lovely animal is highly trendy nowadays, but only a few people can offer the answer to the question of how much does a lionhead rabbit cost. In most cases, its price depends on a breeder, a bunny pedigree, and its age and color. Let’s take a look.
Table of Contents
Lionhead Rabbit Breed
Type
You can find six various Lionhead rabbit breeds, depending on their look:
- Red-eyed white Lionhead rabbit
- Grey Lionhead rabbit
- Black Lionhead rabbit
- Lionhead lop rabbit
- Dwarf Lionhead rabbit
- Mini Lion rabbit
Mane
Nowadays, you can find three primary Lionhead rabbit types:
- Lionhead rabbit with a single mane
- Lionhead rabbit with a double mane
- No-mane Lionhead rabbit
This trait depends on the number of genes received from parents. When a rabbit gets only one mane gene, it will have a single mane. On the other hand, two mane genes inherited from parents will result in a double mane.
Finally, no-mane Lionhead rabbits are those that don’t inherit the mane genes. Even though they appear in the same litter with rabbits having manes, they won’t look like brothers and sisters.
Interestingly, you can determine the difference between single and double mane breeds only in newborn bunnies. Single mane Lionhead baby rabbits typically look like standard bunnies, while those with a double mane have a V formation around their bellies.
How Much Does a Lionhead Rabbit Cost?
An average Lionhead rabbit can typically cost $20 to $125, but it primarily depends on the breeder’s reputation and location, as well as rabbit’s parents, quality, age, and color.
Lionhead rabbit |
|
| Length | 8 to 10 inches (20.3 – 25.5 cm) |
| Weight | 2.5 to 3.5 pounds (1.1 – 1.6 kg) |
| Temperament | Playful and energetic |
| Lifespan | 7 to 10 years |
| Price | $75 to $150 |
Bunnies with a pedigree are always more pricey, and it is impossible to find high-quality kits under $75. Remember that an excellent Lionhead rabbit with championship parents often reaches a price of $400, but their beautiful nature and ultimate personality are worth every cent.
Primary factors that affect the Lionhead rabbit price include:
Breeder reputation
As always, the bunny price significantly varies, depending on the breeder’s reputation. You should pick out the one who:
- Takes care of the parents
- Keeps both a mother rabbit and its kits in excellent conditions
- Provides nutritional diet
- Keeps a box cleaned, adequately heated, and ventilated
Breeder location
One of the crucial factors that affect the Lionhead rabbit value is the area where you plan to buy your future pet. Purchasing a bunny in metropolitan cities increases prices, while you can find beautiful and affordable rabbits in remote places.
The reason is high breeder costs in a city. There is one more thing! Animal welfare laws often vary in states, and possible taxes affect the final price.
Place of buying
You can find a few places to buy your new fluffy buddy, and the best options are:
- Certified breeder
- Pet store
- Rabbitry
- Animal shelter
- Personal sale
- Previous owner
Your first step should be to check animal shelters in your region and adopt an abandoned and rescue rabbit. Another option is to find a reputable breeder and buy the rabbit at the lowest possible price. You can find a list of certified breeders at:
Another option is to check on reliable websites, such as:
Sometimes owners want to get rid of their rabbits for family reasons or move to another city or state. In such a case, you can get a beautiful Lionhead rabbit for free.
Pet stores are not the best places to purchase rabbits since their prices are always significantly higher than the average ones because of fees and other expenses they have.
Rabbit pedigree
Basically, the money you are prepared to set aside for your new bunny depends on its future purpose. If you need only a pet, you should set aside about $70 for a decent-quality rabbit.
If you consider breeding rabbits, you need to get the best possible animal with a pedigree. Its cost will be higher than average. As you can expect, a show-quality Lionhead rabbit costs more than those with a pet quality.
If your plan is to have a high-quality bunny for participating in shows and rabbit beauty contests, you can’t buy whatever available animal. Those with show-winning ancestors sometimes cost $400 to even $450.
Spayed or neutered rabbit
Since spaying and neutering are pricey, you can expect that fixed rabbits cost more. However, buying such an animal will pay off in the long run. You should pay $270 for one on average, but the price significantly varies depending on your state. It can be in a price range of a modest $75 to $450 in some states.
Other factors
Several additional factors affect the rabbit price, including:
- Vaccination
- Particular colors
- Ancestors’ health history
- Gentle and joyful temperament
- Finished litter box training
Extra Expenses
Besides Lionhead rabbit prices on the current market, you should count on additional costs of approximately $300 to $750 per rabbit for one year. As expected, a show-quality rabbit requires better food and living conditions, so expenses for this animal will be higher than for a pet.
You should also add travel expenses to participate in exhibitions outside your residence. Let’s see a list of additional costs besides the rabbit’s price.
Food and treats
An average Lionhead rabbit needs hay, a half cup of premium pellets, and fresh leafy greens daily. Plus, you should provide a small portion of rabbit-safe fruit and vegetables a few times a week.
Your pet’s primary diet will cost approximately $60 per month, including $20 to $30 for a bag of pellets. The final price will depend on the pellet brand, leafy greens offered, as well as fruit and veggies’ quality and quantity.
In other words, only food will cost you at least $500 per year. However, you should also provide some treats for your lovely pet, increasing the final bill.
Hay
It is necessary to provide about 5% of rabbit’s body weight in hay or one to three cups daily. Simple math shows that one rabbit weighing 2 to 3 pounds (0.9 – 1.4 kg) eats about 13 ounces (370 g) of hay weekly.
The best options are Timothy hay, Oat hay, and Orchard grass hay, and you shouldn’t limit a daily quantity. Some experts recommend hay to be 80% of a rabbit’s diet when you want to avoid offering it pellets.
Hutch or cage
Even though rabbits enjoy roaming around during the day, they require a place to sleep or spend time when their owners are not home. An average hutch or cage price range is wide, and you can pay $50 to $200 for this shelter. Luckily, it is a one-time expense.
Bedding and litter
A 50 L package of white or sea glass bedding for small pets costs about $20. You can buy a smaller pack of 23 L for approximately $12. Additionally, litter for rabbits weighing 10 pounds (4.5 kg) typically costs $17 to $18 for a pack.
Grooming
You should brush your Lionhead rabbit’s long fur around the neck daily to prevent its hair from matting. Since its coat is relatively short, it will be enough to brush other body parts twice or thrice a week.
You can do this job yourself, so you need a bunny brush that costs $15. With other accessories, including nail clippers, litter box, and ear cleaning solution, the bill will go up to $50.
The expenses will be higher if you prefer professional groomer services, especially when taking your rabbit to exhibitions. The nail trimming costs $20, but you should count on a total price of $25 when requiring scent gland cleaning.
If your bunny needs additional brushing and ear cleaning, it will cost $55 to $70. However, the price can be even higher depending on its condition.
The entire package with additional shaving will cost $90 to $120, but sometimes prices can be higher. For instance, if you have a rabbit with matted fur, you will need to pay $150 to $200+ for full service.
Finally, sometimes your rabbit can require pelted poopy butt cleanup, typically after eating too many sweets without the necessary fiber level. You need to pay about $25 to $50 for this service.
Spaying or neutering
You should also consider this one-time expense and spray or neuter your rabbit. This procedure can be expensive, and you should set aside about $50 to $150, depending on the animal’s gender, age, and region. This step is unnecessary for breeding animals and rabbits intended for exhibitions.
Healthcare and vaccinations
Required bunny vaccines against VHD and Myxomatosis cost about $20 to $40. Regular yearly examinations and possible oral care are typically about $55, but necessary medication will increase this sum.
Summary
Lionhead rabbit is a relatively inexpensive new and trendy breed convenient for most households. Always check a breeder and a chosen rabbit pedigree before purchasing. That way, you can be sure to get a healthy and purebred pet for your family.
