Whilst our small fluffy friends spend a lot of time grooming themselves, rabbits often need some assistance with their grooming routines. Depending on the size, shape, and age of your rabbit, they may have specific needs with respect to their grooming routine, for example having particular areas of their fur that they are unable to groom, or having issues with faeces getting stuck around their genitals. Regardless of their specific needs, all rabbits will benefit with some help with grooming, in addition to it helping improve the bond between you and your pet.
What equipment will I need to groom my rabbit?
Similarly to other pets that require frequent grooming, rabbits would benefit from their own specific set of equipment, as their fur is very fine and their skin is very fragile. Using the wrong equipment could lead to an injury or make grooming their coat more difficult.
The majority of time spent grooming your rabbit will involve removing excess fur, especially at times of year when their coat is going through major changes such as in spring or autumn, and therefore a brush or comb will be the piece of equipment you use most. For most rabbits using a simple brush, such as a soft pin slicker brush (a normal wire slicker brush will be too harsh for your rabbit’s skin and may cause injury), a bristle brush or a specialised undercoat deshedding tool such as a FURminator is the best option, as these all remove the loose fur with ease and are unlikely to result in an injury to your rabbit’s skin. Combs can also be used, however brushes are usually easier to use and more effective, so I would probably stick with a brush instead.
Clipping rabbit’s nails is another job that you may need to include in your grooming routine, however if your rabbits are housed outdoors then they may be wearing their nails down by themselves. By using a small pair of nail clippers you can be more accurate when clipping your rabbit’s nails and therefore make it safer for them. You can find more information about how to clip your pet’s nails in this article which covers it in more detail.
If your rabbit has matted fur or faeces around their genitals then the only other thing you may need to use when grooming them is a small pair of scissors (I usually use a clean pair of nail scissors), HOWEVER you should only use these with extreme caution, as often matts are very close to the skin and rabbit skin is very fragile. If you are concerned that you will not be able to remove the matts without causing injury, or if you do not feel confident clipping this area then you should see either your local veterinarian or a local rabbit groomer (sometimes rabbit rescue centres provide these services).
How should I groom my rabbit’s coat?
The easiest way to position your rabbit for grooming is to have them sat on an old towel on a small table where you can prevent them from jumping off and injuring themselves. Having an assistant to help hold your rabbit will be useful for the whole grooming process, but is essential when you check around their genitals for matts and faeces stuck in their coat as you will need to hold them up. To hold your rabbit to groom around their genitals, I would recommend using one hand to support them under their chest, and one hand cupped around their lower back, just above their tail, and supporting most of their weight against your body – this should keep them nice and stable and feel supported. If you would like some more information and useful pictures to help you understand this technique then please have a look at this article about handling rabbits.
If you are using a comb or brush then you should gently pull it through the coat in the direction of the fur, and any loose fur should come out with ease. Sometimes after all the initially loose fur is removed I will ruffle my fingers through the coat a little to loosen any other fur that might be ready to come out, and repeat this process a few times. The main areas you will need to focus on whilst your rabbit is sat on the table are around the mid to lower back, and also around the back legs and sometimes tail if it is particularly fluffy. If your rabbit has a mane then you may also need to groom this, usually there is not too much loose fur to remove however you may need to prevent matts from forming.
The next most important area for you to check and groom if necessary is around the genitals, as some rabbits (particularly long-haired rabbits, older rabbits, or those with injuries) will struggle to groom around this area. Young rabbits will usually be clean around this area but you should always check, especially in the summer months as being dirty around this area can predispose them to fly strike which can be dangerous – to learn about how to prevent this and the signs to look out for read our article here. When grooming this area, the main things you need to focus on are removing all faeces stuck in the coat and removing any matted fur which may predispose to faeces becoming stuck in the fur. You may be able to use the brush or comb in this area, however you need to be careful as the skin in this area is extremely sensitive, so if any of the matts or faeces are difficult to remove using the brush or comb then you may be better cutting them out with a small pair of scissors. If you need to use a small pair of scissors to cut out these matts or clumps of faeces stuck in the fur, then you should aim to remove as little normal fur as possible and double check that you are not too close to the skin before cutting to minimise the risk of injury. If your rabbit is very matted in this area or you are concerned you cannot remove the matts or faeces without causing injury then I would recommend taking them to your local veterinarian for a professional opinion.
How frequently should I groom my rabbit?
This will vary throughout the year, as during times when their coat is changing your rabbit will need grooming much more frequently to keep their coat looking tidy. Grooming once every one to two weeks may be appropriate for rabbits with shorter fur throughout the year, although during coat changes you may need to increase this to once or twice a week. Rabbits with longer fur or who shed more frequently would benefit from grooming once or twice a week year-round. Due to the risk of fly strike throughout the summer when it is hot and humid, I would recommend checking around your rabbit’s genitals and lower back daily, however you do not need to groom them every time if they are nice and clean.
Hopefully this article gives you enough information to get you started with grooming your rabbits, and well on your way to keeping them nice and tidy and comfortable. If you have any further questions or if you are concerned about not grooming your rabbit correctly, then contacting either your local veterinarian, local groomer or rabbit rescue centre and asking for advice should help you feel more confident.