Hates being brushed.

[Kelli]

Hey guys, so I am new and got my bunny Aga about 3 weeks ago now. Me and Aga bonded before that though at my friends home who used to own her. My friend says that Aga is around 4 years old but has lost her paper work. My friend took care of Aga but did not give her the care that she needed ( brushing, nail trims, petting, and free roaming). I’m so happy I can take care of Aga now but she is pretty timid and not used to people I feel. I’m going slow but I need to trim her nails and brush her for her own well being. I have luckily trimmed her nails and brushed her well so far but Aga gets very scared and I’m worried that the hair buster comb is too hard on her fur/skin and was wondering if any of you have any softer alternatives for now, and if there is any way to really calm her down/hold her while I groom her? So far I have her in my lap or cover her eyes when I brush her and when I do her nails I put her on her back since it seems like the only way that will work. I know putting your bunny on a high table is good but I don’t have a great option for that. Just now got really worked up when I combed her and finally, she bit me (not hard enough to draw blood, but hard) so I petted her for a bit and put her back down. She is actually letting me pet her and laying down when I do so, so I know she is ok but I don’t want/hope that she will have better experiences being brushed in the future, I also do not want to feel that I have to grab her or be firm because I know bunnies are fragile. 

<g class="gr_ gr_4932 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="4932" data-gr-id="4932">Thanks</g> guys.&nbsp;<img src="/DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/BB_Theme/emoticons/laugh.gif"></p>

[tobyluv]

You may want to try some softer brushes on Aga. They may not get as much loose fur as the hair buster, but if it feels more comfortable to her, she may let you groom her longer.

Here is one similar to what I use, with soft bristles: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=26548

I also just ordered a grooming glove, which I received yesterday. It seems to do a pretty good job and my bunny who has been molting for a while seemed to tolerate the glove better than a brush. I have seen other posts here that recommend the glove too. The one I got is called Love Glove: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8251

[joea64]

I expect to be grooming – or trying to groom, anyway! – my two buns this weekend and I’ve been puzzling as to how to get them to stay in one spot long enough for me to do it, since we’re still at the trust-building stage and they’re both still skittish of being petted for more than a few seconds at a time. I got a “Hair Buster” comb as part of the adoption package, but I’m not sure whether to use it at this stage. I may in fact go buy a grooming glove; the major pet stores in my town carry the “Love Glove” and other similar implements.

[Author]

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