The Lilac Rabbit
Lilacs are a medium sized breed weighing between 6 and 8 pounds at maturity. Their ears are held upright and are about 3 1/2 - 4 inches long. Their fur is about 1 inch long and is very pleasantly soft to the touch. The Lilac only comes in one color; lilac - for which the breed was named. Lilacs are completely lilac colored, (including their tail) except the white undersides of their paws. Their eyes are a pale bluish gray to match their fur.
|
The color of the Lilac is rather interesting as it can appear more purplish or more grayish in different lighting. Lilacs usually look more grayish in a lighted room. Outside in the shade, or in the later afternoon, their fur appears a beautiful pale lavender color.
|
 A Lilac in a well lit room vs. the same rabbit in outside afternoon lighting
|
 A female Lilac compared to a male Lilac
|
While this may not be apparent in young Lilacs, adult male and female Lilacs can usually be told apart simply by their features. Male Lilacs usually have a wider and fuzzier head than females. Female Lilacs are generally larger than males and usually have a narrower head and dew lap (extra fur under their chin used for building nests for their kits).
|
Personality
Lilacs have sweet natured personalities. They enjoy being petted, exploring, and playing games. Among their favorite toys are cardboard boxes, plastic baby key rings, plastic cat jingle bell toys, and stuffed animals (although not for rabbits who like to eat them). They also love playing in a play-fence in the yard and binkying (a frolicking happy rabbit jump) around in the clover.
While every rabbit can have different likes and dislikes, female Lilacs generally are better lap bunnies and enjoy sitting on your lap for hours while you pet them.
Females are usually pretty clean and like to arrange their toys and food dishes "neatly" in their cage. Male Lilacs like being petted as well but are usually more playful than females, and become more excited to come out of their cage to play. They can be messier though, and if they smell another rabbit's sent they may spray to cover it up. Lilacs in general are very sweet and friendly bunnies that enjoy attention and being held.
While every rabbit can have different likes and dislikes, female Lilacs generally are better lap bunnies and enjoy sitting on your lap for hours while you pet them.
Females are usually pretty clean and like to arrange their toys and food dishes "neatly" in their cage. Male Lilacs like being petted as well but are usually more playful than females, and become more excited to come out of their cage to play. They can be messier though, and if they smell another rabbit's sent they may spray to cover it up. Lilacs in general are very sweet and friendly bunnies that enjoy attention and being held.
Care
Lilacs are easy to care for. Their main diet should consist of rabbit pellets, 1 oz of pellets for each pound the rabbit weighs, and about a hand full of hay each day. They can be fed occasional treats such as dried papaya, dried banana, carrots, parsley, spinach, clover, and dandelion leaves. When they molt they should be brushed to remove the loose fur but other then that, they don't require much grooming.
Lilac fur is very sensitive to direct sunlight. If their pen is outside where the sun can shine on them, even if it shines on them only in the afternoon for about an hour a day, they can get sunburned fur. The best prevention of this is either to move the pen to an area of complete shade or to keep the pen covered whenever the sun shines in or their beautiful purple fur will turn a brownish color little by little. Even if the rabbit has a section of shade to go in all the time, the sunny section should still be covered. The Lilac will eventually shed out the sunburned fur but the new fur will become sunburned if you aren't careful to keep the pens covered.
Lilac fur is very sensitive to direct sunlight. If their pen is outside where the sun can shine on them, even if it shines on them only in the afternoon for about an hour a day, they can get sunburned fur. The best prevention of this is either to move the pen to an area of complete shade or to keep the pen covered whenever the sun shines in or their beautiful purple fur will turn a brownish color little by little. Even if the rabbit has a section of shade to go in all the time, the sunny section should still be covered. The Lilac will eventually shed out the sunburned fur but the new fur will become sunburned if you aren't careful to keep the pens covered.