Identity first — including the mane he arrived with
A Lionhead's record file starts with where he came from, the age you were given, and photos that capture the mane honestly on day one: its length, density, and any mats already present behind the ears, under the chin or around the rear. Lionheads vary from a light ruff to a full double mane, and a photo record stops arguments with memory later about whether the coat is thickening or thinning. Add his starting weight, any paperwork from the breeder or rescue, prior vet care, and the exotics vet you will use, noted before the first tangle emergency rather than during it.
The grooming log is a Lionhead's core record
A Lionhead's wool needs its own dated log because coat problems build quietly under that mane. For each grooming session, record the date, how long it took, where you found tangles or mats, any fur you trimmed away, and the state of the skin underneath. Note skirt and breech condition especially: matted, soiled wool around the rear is a hygiene risk and, in warm weather, raises the danger of flystrike, so record your checks there too. A run of entries showing mats forming faster, or in new places, tells you the grooming rhythm needs tightening before the coat gets ahead of you.
Weigh the rabbit, not the fluff
A Lionhead's mane makes visual size judgement useless — a rabbit can lose condition under a spectacular coat and look unchanged. Weigh him on a kitchen scale every couple of weeks and record the number beside his pellet portion and hay intake. Pair the weight with a hands-on note: run your fingers along his spine and ribs through the wool during grooming and write what you feel. If the scale drifts down, or the bones feel sharper while the silhouette stays grand, that combination of records is what a vet wants to see, and appetite loss in any rabbit is a same-day call, not a note for next week.
Track hay, droppings and swallowed fur
A Lionhead grooms constantly and swallows wool, which makes his digestion record more important than most breeds'. Log his hay intake — generous hay keeps the gut moving and helps swallowed fur pass — and note droppings that shrink, string together with fur, or reduce in number. Record each new green as you introduce it and his response. During heavy moults, a line in the file about extra grooming sessions and hay encouragement shows you managed the risk deliberately. Droppings that stop, a hunched posture, or refusal of favourite foods moves this from record-keeping to an urgent vet visit.
One file for vet visits and handovers
A Lionhead's medical section should list each vet visit with its findings, the vaccinations his vet recommends for rabbits in your area, dental notes, and any procedure with aftercare, plus the out-of-hours exotics contact. Because a Lionhead's care is so coat-specific, the grooming log is also the document a sitter or boarder needs most — it shows exactly how this rabbit's mane is handled. Gathering identity, grooming, weights and vet notes into a KinsLe Pet Passport puts your Lionhead's records in one portable packet, so whoever grooms, boards or treats him works from the same wool-by-wool history you built.