Meet Mister Bun and Lady Bun

[Kerplunkskunx]

Hello everyone, I'd like to introduce my two rabbits, Mister Bun (originally named Einstein) and Lady Bun. I took them home after they both ended up at my job, I work at a wildlife sanctuary. I've had Mister Bun for a year now and Lady Bun for almost a month. It's true when they say your first kid is an angel and your second is a hellion . My boyfriend and I believe Mister Bun is a Lion-head dwarf mix and Lady Bun is a Rex. Both currently not neutered/spayed and everyone is having a terrible time being separated but they do get along through the gate .

 

[Imbrium]

Too. Stinkin. Cute.

By the way, there's no such thing as a Lionhead-dwarf mix . "Dwarf" isn't actually a breed, it's a gene that is found in a variety of breeds. It's an odd gene - one copy = dwarf-sized rabbit but two copies = peanut, a fatal flaw that causes an exceptionally small baby that dies very early on. Because of this, many breeders of dwarf breeds breed one parent who has a copy of the gene with one that doesn't. This way, half the babies are true dwarves (have a copy) and half are just normal (larger than breed standards). If both parents have a copy, then you get 25% 'normal', 50% 'dwarf' and 25% peanuts. I have a lionhead and a holland lop, both of whom are dwarves... however, my first holland lop was NOT a true dwarf - she didn't have a copy of the gene and weighed too much to meet the showing guidelines for her breed.

Lady Bun looks like a purebred lionhead (and if she's anything like mine, probably sweet and smart but also feisty as hell, hehe). Do you know how old she is? If she's past about the 6-8 month mark, the thick mane and "skirt" of longer fur on her hips suggests she's double-maned (2 copies of the mane gene)... if younger, then when she blows her juvenile coat, she may or may not retain these characteristics (my Nala is single-maned and, as an adult, has a much thinner mane and no skirt). If she weighs 3.5 lbs or less as an adult then she's got the dwarf gene, otherwise she's a 'false dwarf' (meaning a dwarf-breed rabbit without the actual dwarf gene).

 

[Kerplunkskunx]

That is actually Mister Bun and he weighs n

Too. Stinkin. Cute.

By the way, there's no such thing as a Lionhead-dwarf mix . "Dwarf" isn't actually a breed, it's a gene that is found in a variety of breeds. It's an odd gene - one copy = dwarf-sized rabbit but two copies = peanut, a fatal flaw that causes an exceptionally small baby that dies very early on. Because of this, many breeders of dwarf breeds breed one parent who has a copy of the gene with one that doesn't. This way, half the babies are true dwarves (have a copy) and half are just normal (larger than breed standards). If both parents have a copy, then you get 25% 'normal', 50% 'dwarf' and 25% peanuts. I have a lionhead and a holland lop, both of whom are dwarves... however, my first holland lop was NOT a true dwarf - she didn't have a copy of the gene and weighed too much to meet the showing guidelines for her breed.

Lady Bun looks like a purebred lionhead (and if she's anything like mine, probably sweet and smart but also feisty as hell, hehe). Do you know how old she is? If she's past about the 6-8 month mark, the thick mane and "skirt" of longer fur on her hips suggests she's double-maned (2 copies of the mane gene)... if younger, then when she blows her juvenile coat, she may or may not retain these characteristics (my Nala is single-maned and, as an adult, has a much thinner mane and no skirt). If she weighs 3.5 lbs or less as an adult then she's got the dwarf gene, otherwise she's a 'false dwarf' (meaning a dwarf-breed rabbit without the actual dwarf gene).

That is actually Mister Bun, he is 3.5 lbs and we think he's already an adult. Sometimes we refer to him as a big black indeoendind bunny because he really wants nothing to do with us besides treats and pets when he feels like it. While Lady bun needs constant attention, so much so that she started digging at the baseboard in our kitchen where we have her set up.

 

[Imbrium]

Whoops! Sorry about getting them mixed up ><

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Not a Rex--full size whiskers and fur is wrong--should be only the short under fur which looks and feels like velvet.

 

[Kerplunkskunx]

They both went to the vet yesterday and she said Lady bun wasn't a Rex, but one of the large breed rabbits. She currently weighs 7.5 lbs and she's still growing and etill very young according to our vet.