Grooming a bunny can seem impossible as most bunnies do not typically like to be groomed. However, rabbits need to be groomed, so they don’t mat. So, how should you groom a bunny?
Grooming a bunny involves brushing its back, chest, stomach, etc. Brush any area that has fur on it. Next, you’ll need to use cat clippers to clip their nails. Ensure that you do not cut too deep as they will bleed. Once that is done, the last step is to clean your rabbit’s scent glands.
Generally, grooming should happen once a week. However, if your bunny is molting, that changes to daily. At first, it may be difficult, but the more you groom your bunny, the more they will get used to it. Therefore, here is a grooming routine that you can use to groom your bunny.
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The Ultimate Routine Of Grooming A Bunny
Bunnies, much like most pets, need to be groomed regularly. This keeps the fur from being digested as bunnies cannot regurgitate. Here is how to groom your rabbit.
Get A Grooming Kit To Help Do A Thorough Job
One of the things to do before you groom your bunny is to ensure you have the right tools and supplies. The first tool you’ll need to groom your rabbit is a furminator. This is a brush that is excellent for keeping your rabbit’s fur maintained.
Another tool that you can use is a hairbuster. Be careful with this one, as some rabbits do not like it since it feels like it pulls on their fur more. It is sensitive to the bunny’s skin but will get the job done. You’ll also need grooming scissors. Ensure that these have dulled tips on top. This is essential because if your rabbit moves while you’re cutting its fur, the scissors will not stab into them.
Getting different scissor lengths is a good choice as some are more helpful for trimming certain areas, especially when it comes to bunnies that are older and can’t keep themselves clean in certain areas. You’ll also need q-tips to clean your rabbit’s scent glands.
This is for when the scent glands get crusted shut, and your bunny will not be able to clean them themselves. Lastly, get nail clippers. A standard curved cat nail scissor should work fine. The goal is to not crush your bunny’s nails. Do not use nail clippers that you would use on your own nails.
Place Your Bunny On A Table
Once your bunny grooming kit is sorted, you can move on to the actual grooming. The first thing is to choose the right location. As bunnies are not a fan of grooming, the chances of them trying to escape while you’re attempting to groom them are very high. The best place to put them would be on a platform off the floor, like a table.
This is because they are less likely to try to jump off of a high surface, so they will feel somewhat trapped and stay in place. Place a towel or cloth on the table as bunnies have fur instead of padding on their feet. This will help ensure your bunny has some grip, so it doesn’t get too scared.
Start Grooming Your Bunny By Brushing It
Now that your bunny is situated, use the brush to start brushing it. When you brush your bunny, ensure that you do it softly as bunnies have sensitive skin. Do not yank the comb through the fur. When you brush your bunny, ensure that you do it down to their fur. If your bunny is shedding, the fur will just naturally come off.
Start on your bunnies back, as that is where most of the surface area is. Brush your bunny all through the back, chest, and tummy. It’s crucial to also brush behind the ears, head, and close to the hindquarters. They quickly mat in those places. Also, use the brush to groom your bunny’s feet’s soles.
Basically, anywhere that your bunny has hair needs to be brushed. If you have a bunny that squirms a lot, gently hold them to your chest to keep them in place or distract them by giving them something to chew. Remember not to put your bunny on its back when brushing its belly, as it can get tranced.
Note: The scissors are not a tool that is needed when grooming a young bunny. However, the older they get, the harder it is for them to reach certain areas so they can groom themselves, like their butt area. Therefore, this is where you can trim that area. Generally, areas by the butt will have fur ready to fall out. However, pulling it out may be painful for your bunny. Simply use the scissors to trim the hair short.
Clip Your Rabbits Nails
Once you are done brushing off all the fur, you can move on to clipping their nails. It can seem scary because you do not want to hurt your rabbit, but it is surprisingly easier than it looks. Keep in mind not to clip too much of your bunny’s nails as they have veins in their nails that will bleed if you trim the nail too far down.
The goal is to trim off those sharp, pointy ends. Sometimes you’ll be able to see where the nail stops if your bunny’s nails are clear, but that isn’t always the case. Therefore, if your bunny’s nails are darker, be extra cautious when clipping them. Pull back the fur on your bunny’s little toes and get to work. Your bunny will not get hurt if you do not cut too deeply.
You can trim your rabbit’s nails roughly every 6 to 8 weeks. However, this can be done whenever it seems their nails are too long. For example, it is probably time to trim their nails when they place their paws on you and it scratches.
Try to be soothing during this process. Let your voice and words let them know that they’re okay and that no one is trying to harm them. If your bunny really does not like its nails being cut, you’ll most likely have to enlist someone’s help so you can clip your bunny’s nails without hurting it.
Clean Your Rabbits Scent Glands
Lastly, you’ll want to clean out your rabbit’s scent glands. They cannot do this themselves, so you’ll have to help them using a q-tip or wet cotton pad. This does not have to be done every time you groom your rabbit. Generally, when the scent glands start to crust up.
Conclusion
As you can see, grooming your bunny is quick and easy. It is good for them as there is less fur for them to have in their stomach.
