grooming your bunny

Grooming your bunny is very important indeed, and when you own a bunny, it is important that you learn how to groom it properly. All rabbits need grooming, but it is especially important if you own a long haired rabbit, because all that cute and fluffy fur can get tangled and matted and dirty very quickly if you don't pay attention to it.

Short haired rabbits should also be groomed to remove loose fur, dead skin cells, and as a means of accustoming your rabbit to being handled, and bonding with it. When rabbits love each other, they lick and groom one another, so by gently brushing and grooming your pet rabbit, you are showing it that you like it very much indeed.

Grooming also gives you a chance to check your bunny for any injuries that might otherwise go unnoticed, and to make sure that the claws are not too long, the ears are clean, and the eyes are bright and clear from any form of discharge. Outdoor rabbits especially need daily grooming, as without this it is very easy to miss signs of illness as well as things stuck in their coat, or digging into their skin.

For short haired rabbits, a soft brush should remove most of the loose fur and dead skin. For long haired rabbits, a slicker comb may be more useful for removing the long hairs, but please be careful when grooming your rabbit with anything metallic or rough. Your rabbit has very sensitive skin that can tear if you drag bristles across it too hard. Long haired bunnies generally have a fair bit of loose hair, and will need to be groomed daily if this hair is to not clog up the coat and cause problems, or worse, be groomed away and eaten by the bunny themselves.

When you first get your bunny, you should introduce it to being groomed so that it comes to enjoy the quiet petting time it gets with you. It is quite normal for rabbits to struggle when they are first being groomed, and to try and get away. But patience, persistence, and gentleness is the key to getting used to you, and being handled by you.

Though it is a chore, grooming your bunny can become a fun part of your day, and you will be surprised at how much difference regular grooming to make to how happy and friendly your bunny is. (Once you avoid the nips, grunts, and attempted scratchings, that is.)