Grooming

[MersWoodall]

So our bunny is clearly shedding and I know she needs to be brushed but she is terrified of being brushed. I tried to wrap her in a towel and brush her and I ended up scratched. I also tried to just hold the brush out and see if she would rub on it, she ran away. She will sit in the corner and shake and grunt until the brush is gone. At this point I don’t want to traumatize her but I know rabbits should be brushed. Any tips or is this something I can let go and it will take care of itself? She has short hair so it’s not something I need to do daily.
Thanks

[Odette]

You could try taking the sheet off a lint roller and rubbing across her if she’ll let you. Lint rollers work well on shorter breeds, but if she doesn’t like a brush she might not like the roller. I’d try just using the sheet.

[Whitesnowy]

Posted By MersWoodall on 9/07/2016 1:49 PM

 I don’t want to traumatize her but I know rabbits should be brushed.  

Don’t traumatize her! Who brushes the wild rabbits? It sounds like rabbits need humans to brush them. What the hell. The process will complete naturally without your help.

Stroke her, pet her, massage her, hairs will come out. Do only what she lets you. 

[MersWoodall]

Bahaha!!! ?? That was my initial reaction too until I was so “graciously” corrected by someone else. I figured it would come off on its own but then they started spouting off about how the rabbit can eat the hair and it can kill them and all that. I’m thinking it might just have to happen on its own and if she decides she wants a brush we will try again (not likely though). Glad to know someone else had that thought too. Thanks!

[Whitesnowy]

This is what I did to help with molting -> https://vimeo.com/102082281

And I’m glad you think reasonably.

[Mikey]

To be completely fair, it is different outside. Outside [wild] rabbits have a lot of help getting their loose fur out. They have the wind, the grass, running, ect… Bunnies who live inside will need a bit of extra grooming sometimes that petting and massaging doesnt always help with. Some rabbits need the extra brushings because if they dont get that brushing, their fur will get matted which can lead to infections, skin irritation, ect. If your bun doesnt like brushes, you can always use lint rollers

[MersWoodall]

Thanks! I’ll probably try a lint roller and if I still can’t convince her then I will just let it happen naturally. She likes to sit in front of the air vent and a big box fan so that should help as well should the lint roller fail.

[Whitesnowy]

Yeah, I must agree with Mikey to some extent. 

About sitting in front of the vent/fan – doesn’t she get cold? For how long does she stays there? Just curious.

[MersWoodall]

She stays there maybe 15 minutes at a time. It seems to feel good to her. Summers where I am are hot and disgustingly humid so I imagine she’s too warm. Our cat does the same thing during the days.

[tobyluv]

I’ve never used one, so I don’t know how well they work, but maybe your bunny would let you use a grooming glove on her.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8251

They’re easy to find in stores too. I’ve seen them at the grocery store, on the pet supply aisle.

[Azerane]

The main difference to consider when comparing wild buns with our pets is their lifestyle. Wild rabbits are crawling in burrows and constantly brushing up against vegetation which helps to remove loose fur. In a house environment you don’t get this so there is the potential for more fur to be ingested. While rabbit guts are well designed to pass fur through, excess consumption can cause issues which is why daily brushing during a shed or at least running your hands over them to remove excess loose fur is a good prevention. Not to mention the reduction in fluff around the house

[Author]

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