Bunny scared of being groomed

[sarahthegemini]

A while back I made a thread asking how I could groom my rabbits as they did not tolerate it at all. I’m pleased to say that after a week or two, I was actually able to do a minimum of roughly 20 strokes with the grooming mitt but sometimes upto 100 times, per bun. I would do it multiple times per day and I noticed a big difference in the amount of hairy poops. Buttercup I think tolerated it but Peanut seemed to really enjoy it as he’d often pancake or get into a more comfy position so I could do it successfully  Then for some reason, they just all of a sudden stopped allowing me to do it. I’ve no idea why. I then went into hospital for 3 weeks so wasn’t able to groom them though my partner tried with limited success. I’ve been home for almost a week and here’s my situation – Peanut is completely accepting of being groomed so long as he gets treats to keep him interested  Buttercup however is scared of the grooming mitt. Not just ‘I don’t like it’ but every time she sees the mitt, she looks afraid and darts. I’m not sure how to progress with a bunny that is scared of it. I don’t want to keep harassing her, but obviously I need to be able to groom her (she’s permanently moulting as it seems!) I think I had success before because she just didn’t enjoy being groomed but then realised hey its not so bad but she’s scared of it now  I’m not sure what steps to take. I’ve groomed Peanut right in front of her so she can see it’s not scaring him, I hoped that would make her more confident but all she did was give me evils because Peanut was getting treats  I’ve tried showing her the glove and immediately offering a treat so she associates it with something positive. I’ve tried letting her sniff the glove all over but then she darts as she has finished sniffing. I’ve tried placing her treat on the glove and she just takes the treat and runs. Any ideas guys?

[Deleted User]

What about just picking all the loose fur off? Unfortunately, Bombur is permanently molting too, and I’ve tried dozens of brushes, and none of them work. I’ve just taken to grooming him with my hands. It gets so much off, and you can do it while they’re letting you pet him (obvious plus ) Maybe that could work, considering she’s so scared of the glove.

[Wick & Fable]

Can you cover her eyes and keep them covered during the grooming process? Not knowing its specifically the grooming glove may help. Or maybe disguising the glove when you take it out by putting it in a pillow cover then taking it out once she’s in position?

And to an extent, since it’s for her health, holding her down and grabbing her/lifting her up so she can’t run away may be necessary. Wick runs away from topical treatment time now, and he runs during it if my hands are off for slightly longer than typical. At these times, he darts and I am (gently) grasped on his hind legs while he’s trying to run. I bring one hand closer to his neck and lift up slightly so he has no traction and put him back in front me. Wick stays settled and will go ballistic once I’m done so he can get his treat.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Asriel and Bombur on 1/24/2018 2:02 PM

What about just picking all the loose fur off? Unfortunately, Bombur is permanently molting too, and I’ve tried dozens of brushes, and none of them work. I’ve just taken to grooming him with my hands. It gets so much off, and you can do it while they’re letting you pet him (obvious plus ) Maybe that could work, considering she’s so scared of the glove.

I do manage to get fur off her by just petting but nowhere near as much as with the glove. It’s surprising how much comes off with just a few strokes with the glove. I don’t know how she isn’t bald!

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Wick on 1/24/2018 2:03 PM

Can you cover her eyes and keep them covered during the grooming process? Not knowing its specifically the grooming glove may help. Or maybe disguising the glove when you take it out by putting it in a pillow cover then taking it out once she’s in position?

And to an extent, since it’s for her health, holding her down and grabbing her/lifting her up so she can’t run away may be necessary. Wick runs away from topical treatment time now, and he runs during it if my hands are off for slightly longer than typical. At these times, he darts and I am (gently) grasped on his hind legs while he’s trying to run. I bring one hand closer to his neck and lift up slightly so he has no traction and put him back in front me. Wick stays settled and will go ballistic once I’m done so he can get his treat.

I’ve tried to hide the glove before and pretend it’s just my hand but she can feel the difference unfortunately. I don’t really want to pick her up because I need to groom her daily and it’d cause her so much stress

[sarahthegemini]

Anymore suggestions guys? I’ve not really made any progress with Buttercup

[Wick & Fable]

How about a stagger? So hand-fur grooming for the majority of the week, but every Saturday/Sunday (a day you spend the most time with Bc), you more so force a grooming glove session to get a good chunk away. As much as it may be stressful, it needs to be done for Bc’s health and care.

I find putting slight pressure down on Wick, with my hand covering his shoulders, acts as a good secure “I need to stay here” signal for him, despite him hating the topical treatments. He will still dart/nip when he gets the chance, but generally speaking the hand barrier against darting forward has worked well.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[sarahthegemini]

Well I don’t know what happened today but she let me groom her with the mitt whilst she ate a treat!  I’m hoping it’s all upwards from here but if not, I’ll use my hand as much as possible and do a thorough forceful mitt session at the weekend. Thanks for the suggestion Wick!

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