Establishing Grooming Routine

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 3sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 7 months ago by Beka27.

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- 12/20/2015 at 5:13 AM
  BunnyAlly
  Participant
  21 posts
  Hi there! We’re in week two of bunny ownership. My bunnies are both 3 months old and a neutered male holland lop and as of yet unspayed female lionhead mix named Bennigan and Lucy. I think things are going really well so far. They finally come and go from their cage on their own and seem very comfortable wandering their room and are starting to make forays into the living room and hallway (they will eventually have free run of the house except for in our bedroom because it is IMPOSSIBLE to bunny proof for cords because of my hubby’s many varied computer/electronic hobbies and projects.) We’ve introduced 3 fresh foods and their poops are perfect. They’re also 100% hitting the litter box for pee for the last 4 days.
  
  Ok, so I lay on their floor much of the time they are out. Lucy and Bennigan will both briefly nose bump me but then quickly retreat. I have been trying to avoid forcing physical contact on them and over the last several days since they started leaving their cage on their own so I can clean it I have not picked them up or forced touch on them at all. My friend who also recently got a pair of 3 month old netherland dwarfs reports to me that they are already licking her and sitting on her lap, but I think that Benni and Lucy may never be lap bunnies, at least not Lucy. I’m OK with that but a positive relationship regardless is really important to me. I don’t want to be that big scary entity even if they won’t snuggle.
  
  The thing is I’m starting to worry about grooming. I noticed at their going home vet check that their nails were already a bit long, not yet critical but now they’ve had another 10 days or so to grow. Also I’m seeing a lot of loose fluff on their flanks and I’m sweeping up a lot in their cage and I’m afraid of them ingesting too much of it grooming themselves and each other which they are doing a lot of now that they’re pretty solidly bonded.
  
  So, my question is, how do I proceed without damaging my relationship with them? SHOULD I “force” contact by placing them on my lap on top of a fleece blanket and start with gentle brushing/petting? Should I not rush the grooming and wait a bit longer to see if things change? Will they be OK if they get extra shaggy? Or should I just try to be quick and efficient with a towel to get it over with?
  
  Thanks for your input. I just don’t want to screw things up in these early days.
- 12/24/2015 at 6:58 AM
  RabbitPam
  Moderator
  11002 posts
  It sounds like things are going well, and that your friend has a very unusual pair of bunnies. Don’t be surprised if hers stop being in her lap soon. Your bunnies are behaving perfectly normal, and I’m happy to hear they are bonding well. When 2 bunnies have each other, the bonding to their human often takes longer and is more subtle, so don’t worry. It’s good to try to spend some alone play time with each of them separately sometime down the road, so you can eventually establish a relationship with each one. But no bunny is truly a lap bunny given a choice, so it’s nothing to despair over. Most bunnies don’t really like being picked up either. Mine never liked it, even when one let me do it more than others.
  
  Nail trims are difficult, and if you want help for the first time, I would suggest a wellness visit to the vet you decide to use, to establish a record with your vet for each bunny. They make baseline notes, and you can request a nail trim. The vet can show you how as well, if you ask.
  
  As far a grooming fur, I find that a brush or comb, like the Hairbuster, is gentle enough that the bunnies like them. I don’t try to put my bunny in my lap, just pet with my hand first and then bring out the comb and gently comb from head to back in the direction of the fur. You will get some of the fur off, and your bunnies will get used to you doing it for very brief periods. It may feel good to them, even if they walk away quickly. My new bunny Spike will stop eating while I run a comb along his back because it feels good, but only for a few seconds.
  
  Sounds like they could be shedding, and are helping each other groom. If you are worried about ingested fur, just hand vac or sweep up the loose stuff, comb them anytime they are near without making a big ritual, and give them plenty of hay and water to digest it. I give Spike the digestive treats (Oxbow’s, in the BB store) to help keep digestion flowing so the fur doesn’t cause a blockage. Just wetting your hands and petting them can also transfer a lot of loose fur to you, that’s hard to wash off yourself!
  
  It sounds like life with your new buns is going very well.
- 12/25/2015 at 4:02 PM
  BunnyAlly
  Participant
  21 posts
  Thanks for the tips! Yes I think things are going pretty well all things considered. I’m really proud of how well they’ve done. We’re brand BRAND new bunny owners but did a lot of reading and prep work and I think it paid off. They are model and healthy buns even if they don’t have that much use for me.
  
  They are getting more comfortable around us every day, but sadly we are not quite on petting terms. They’ll approach me briefly but if I reach for them it’s over. Once I can tough them I’ll try those methods. I didn’t think of the moist hand I like that approach I can definitely see it working.
  
  As of right now I’ve calmed down a bit about the hair. The fuzziness around both their haunches has died down I guess they just blew their coat a little after settling in. The nails are going to be interesting. I’d rather not take them into the vet just for that. I had them checked out at my rabbit vet on the way home because I didn’t want to have to take them out again and stress them out so early on. I have an appointment to have Lucy spayed in early Feb and I was going to take both of them in then but I’m not sure nails should wait that long. I worked at a vet clinic during college and did a LOT of difficult nail trims but I’ve never performed one on a bun. If my courage fails me I guess I’ll have to take them in between visits.
  
  I’m going to leave it just a little while though. Benni got something stuck in his fur (turned out to be a desiccated forgotten gummy bear my son lost behind some piece of furniture.) He didn’t eat it thankfully, but he sat on it and got it stuck. I had to chase it down and get it off him. He has not forgiven me. On the plus side after that experience the spaces under and behind my furniture are now scrupulously clean in a way they have certainly never been before.
- 12/25/2015 at 8:31 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  They sound like they are quite the cast of characters! How fun!
  
  And yeah, they will find things you did not think were there! Buns are pros at that!
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