Grooming

A pet rabbit not only needs the basic requirements of fresh food and water, they need their cage and litter-boxes fully cleaned out and disinfected at least once a week. Rabbits also requiring regular grooming in order to keep them looking their best.

Long hair breeds such as the Angoras will need daily brushing. Short hair breeds don’t have to have daily brushing but you should brush them regularly so they become accustomed to it.

Rabbits will require daily brushing during heavy moult times to help remove loose hairs. A regular cat brush should do the trick just fine. There are some rabbits were the fur forms little tufts which can be gently plucked while petting your pet. Regardless how your rabbit moults the more fur that is removed by brushing or plucking means less fur for bunny to lick off and possibly ingest.

A rabbit will usually moult 3 to 4 times per year and alternate between heavy and light. Each moult can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. There are several reasons a rabbit may experience additional moulting periods such as dietary changes or heat beyond the usual for that time period.

A rabbit will instinctively keep it’s fur clean and their skin is extremely sensitive, therefore they do not regular baths as this could create skin irritations. However, this is not to say a rabbit cannot be bathed. Rabbits with diarrhea may require a bath to get them fully cleaned. There are commercially made rabbit shampoos on the market, or if you have too, you can use a mild baby shampoo. I found that using only water works just as well especially if your rabbit has chronic diarrhea and needs frequent bathing, after all you just want the messy bits off.

The first step in trimming your rabbits nails is by investing in a good pair of trimmers. There are many types of nail trimmers out there and I have personally found that the scissor like cat trimmers work best.

Rabbits should have their toenails trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks on average. The best way to trim the rabbits nails is called the "Rule of Thumb" this method is not only easy it works for any coloured nail and helps prevent cutting the "quick" of the nail.

Rule of Thumb

1. hold your rabbit on its back.
2. gently hold rabbit's foot in one hand.

3. using same hand place your thumb in the middle of the paw.

3. press lightly on the palm of the foot.

4. use other hand & trim rabbit's nails across top of your nail.

If you have never trimmed your rabbit’s nails before or you are uncomfortable securing your rabbit on its back it will be best to have someone help you. The first few times can be tricky especially if your rabbit has dark nails or is squirmy. The more you trim your rabbit’s nails the easier it becomes.

Rabbits with malaclussions (overgrown inciscors) will require regular teeth trimming. This can be done by your veterinarian or you can do it yourself, using the nail trimmers.