Start With the Daily Rhythm Your Lionhead Already Knows
A lionhead does best when a sitter copies the day it already lives, so write the routine in the order it happens: top up the hay rack first thing, refresh the water, offer the measured pellet portion, and put down the day's leafy greens at the usual hour. Note where each supply lives, how much pellet food your rabbit actually gets rather than a vague handful, and which greens are in the current rotation so the sitter does not introduce a brand-new vegetable mid-stay. Mention the quiet hours too, because lionheads nap through the middle of the day and prefer gentle activity in the morning and evening.
Mane Care Is a Sitter Job, Not an Optional Extra
That full mane is the breed's signature and its main housekeeping problem. Ask the sitter to run a soft brush or wide comb through the mane and skirt every other day, teasing out any felted patches before they tighten against the skin. Long wool gets swallowed while the rabbit grooms itself, and swallowed wool slows the gut, so brushing is digestive care as much as tidiness. Tell the sitter never to pull a mat free, never to trim close to the skin with scissors, and to leave any stubborn tangle for you or a groomer rather than risk a nick on thin rabbit skin.
Handling Notes Written for This Rabbit's Temperament
Explain exactly how your lionhead likes to be approached: hand offered low and in view, one hand under the chest and the other supporting the hindquarters, with most interaction at floor level. Some lionheads are bold and some startle at overhead shadows, so describe your rabbit's actual habits, including the spot it retreats to when it wants to be left alone. Warn plainly against lifting by the ears or scruff, chasing it around the pen, or letting visiting children carry it, and say which room is rabbit-proofed for out-of-pen time, where the cord covers and blocked gaps are, and how the pen latches.
Feeding Details That Prevent a Gassy, Unhappy Gut
Spell out that hay is the diet, not a side dish: the rack should never sit empty, because constant chewing keeps both the teeth and the gut moving. List the treats your rabbit may have and their frequency, and name the foods that are off limits in your house, including iceberg lettuce and any starchy extras beyond its usual ration. If your lionhead is prone to a dirty bottom or soft stools, say so and explain the daily check: a quick look at the rear end each evening, since a soiled rabbit in warm weather is at risk from flies and needs prompt attention.
The Warning Signs That Mean Call, Not Wait
Give the sitter a short, unambiguous list: no interest in food for half a day, far fewer or no droppings, sitting hunched and grinding teeth, a bloated or hard belly, drooling, discharge from the eyes or nose, or a head tilt. Any of these in a lionhead earns a call to you and to the exotic-animal vet whose number, address, and after-hours route are written at the top of the sheet. Note where the carrier is, how to line it, and that a rabbit who is not eating should travel with hay and its familiar greens rather than wait until morning.
Contacts, Keys, and the Small Stuff That Saves Panic
Finish with the practical layer: your mobile number and when you will be unreachable, a backup local contact who knows rabbits, the vet details, alarm and key instructions, and where spare hay, litter, and cleaning supplies are stored. Walk the sitter through the setup once in person if you can, and watch them do one feed and one brush before you leave. Keeping all of this in KinsLe through a Care Pass means the sitter opens one clear handover with the mane routine, feeding amounts, and vet contacts instead of piecing together sticky notes and half-remembered texts.