I got my first rabbit in August of this year. I made the (probably poor) choice of getting a long haired rabbit because he was just so darling and beautiful. I don’t really know why, but I kind of thought he would take over the majority of his hair care needs and that I could brush him only once a week or so. Well, a month or so ago, I flipped him over to look at his gender again, because the lady I got him from wasn’t 100% sure and realized that his belly and around his bottom are covered in mats! I felt horrible and set out a routine to get him mat free, but as of now, I can’t seem to get rid of the mats faster than they reappear! I brush him every day while I give him his greens but he absolutely hates it and in turn has begun avoiding me altogether unless I have food, which makes me sad. I’ve also taken to burrito wrapping him every other or third day so that I can clip out the big mats, but this stresses him (and me!) out so badly that I’m scared he will work himself into a heart attack. His breathing speeds up so quickly and he flinches at every touch. 

My questions to you all are: What can I do, if anything, to make grooming time more tolerable for him? How long can I safely work on him while he’s so stressed out? And are there any cues I can look for from him that will tell me if he is getting to a point where it is unsafe to continue? How have you regained trust from your bun after really upsetting them?

I give him a treat (raisin, bit of banana, apple, carrot) everyday after he is groomed, but it doesn’t seem to be helping his stress level or trust in me. When left to his own devices, he seems to be a happy, active bunny, it’s just when I go near him that he becomes irritated 

Picture of my Yoyo to illustrate his fluffiness.

Bonus question – How do you protect your Christmas tree from curious bunnies? Our living room is his running area and is also where I would like to put the tree. 

EDIT: Just realized I probably should have put this in the Diet & Care section of the forum. Sorry!