Grooming tips for skitterish bunny

[namy_namy]

Hey folks,

I recently adopted a short-haired bunny from the local shelter. I have had her for about a month now. Not sure about breed, but she has short hair and is about 5lbs.  The vet thinks she is about 1yr old. She was spayed shortly after I took her home, and is now fully recovered. She had been at the shelter for a long time (~6 months) before coming home with me, so she was very very shy at first. She is slowly warming up to me, though: she likes nose pets and will tolerate a little bit of more petting now (a few strokes along her back). She absolutely cannot be held, and won’t come into my lap (except maybe to snatch a treat).  She is a squirmy one and will run away & thump if I try to restrain her.

 

Since she is now recovered from her surgery, I would like to start trying to groom her. But watching some videos online, I think there is no way I would be able to handle her like that ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w4knbRoD2E).

 

I have tried rolling a lint roller over her back, but can only get a few strokes in before she runs away. She has some tufts of fur along her hind legs and bum..I’ve tried to gently tug at them to get them out but (a) this causes her to run away, and (b) they don’t really come out easily. I have also tried to cover her eyes with a towel, but she freaks out at this.

 

Another factor: she has started nipping at my hands and feet. I think this is being done in an affectionate way (it doesn’t hurt, and she doesn’t act aggressive), but it is making me a bit worried about handling her more.

 

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

[DanaNM]

One of my buns was also in the shelter for a long time (about 3 years) and hates being picked up and only tolerates the occasional nose rub. With her I only tend to groom her when she’s molting (she tends to have really big molts, all at once). I pick her up and put her on the table on a towel, and do a really deep grooming every few days during her molts. You can place a hand on her head over her eyes to calm her down, and most buns tend to settle after a few minutes of being on the table. She’s grumpy about it but I give her a really good special treat after and she forgives me pretty quickly. It seems to work better than constantly pestering her with the comb or a lint roller. I use a combo of the furbuster comb, hand plucking, and a lint roller.

. . . 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.  

[DanaNM]

Oh, and an added tip, you might try training her to go into her litter box or a carrier, and then move her to the table that way. A lot of members have had success doing that to move their bunnies without having to pick them up.

. . . 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.  

[namy_namy]

Thanks for the ideas! I’ll try getting her up on a table. I used to be able to get her in a carrier, but I think she now associates it with the vet..So I will try the litter box idea.

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