Tips on grooming a stubborn bun?

[Noodles]

Hi everyone – I’ve yet to groom Cinnabun, I’ve adopted her a little less than a month ago. I know grooming should be done monthy at the very least, she is a mini lop and does not have too much hair, although lately I have noticed a lot of shedding. Now, she HATES being picked up, she hates it so much that I don’t really want to pick her up and haven’t really tried too much. There first couple of weeks I got her I kind of learned that she is kind of a sassy little diva  She is pretty aggressive and territorial despite being spayed, but perhaps her hormones are still coming down because her spay was exactly one month ago today. Anyway, I’m worried about the amount of fur she is shedding, and not really being able to groom her. She hates grooming, and will grunt and lunge when I use the brush on her. Here’s the one I bought: https://www.amazon.com/Small-Pet-Select-Hair-Buster/dp/B06ZZXF81G/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1502401636&sr=8-12&keywords=rabbit+grooming+brush

It is impossible to groom her on the ground, since she will grunt and lunge and run away. I can’t really pick her up, either – I’ve tried picking her up with a blanket/towel and I get the same aggressive response. She loves pets and cuddles on the ground, though, so sometimes when I’m petting or cuddling her I will try and take out some of the noticeable shedding fur with my hands. If I tug at her fur even the tiniest bit too hard, though, she will grunt. Any advice on how to groom this stubborn bunny? I realize this will probably be an issue for nail clipping, too.  

[Galaxy's Mommy]

Rabbits hate being picked up because this is what animals that prey on them do- grab them and carry them off; their instinct is to resist this, so it is important not to tighten your grip when they squirm; first I wish to assure you that it gets easier over the years- I have loved house buns for 16 years and my Galaxy melts in my arms. My Panda (my second house bun ever) was very squirrelly and it was really difficult to get him to lie on his back (which makes them go into a trance so you can clip their nails, the most important part of grooming and what they REALLY hate) I obtained help from my vets for years. With my Panda, I paid the clinics to clip him and watched what the Dr., nurses, and vet assistance did. I ended placing him on the exam table at the vet clinic I worked at, with my chest over his and my arms loosely around him and clipped his nails- at first just a few at a time at first…..I wish I could help more, but since I am not in person, this is the best I can do. It is okay to ask the vet for help, one and two it is really important to help your bunny trust you and know your bunny as an individual.

[Noodles]

Hi Galaxy’s Mommy! Thanks for your response I’m aware that rabbits do not like being picked up, hence why I do not want to pick her up at all lol. I have tranced her in the past one time, but after thorough research and I discovered that it’s not really something that should be done to rabbits, so I’m not sure I want to do that to Cinnabun anymore.

My boyfriend was able to pick her up with a blanket yesterday and we were able to groom her (SOOOO much hair), but I’m not sure if she will enjoy this every time she needs to be groomed. Picking her up definitely stresses her out, the only way he has been able to pick her up is to corner her and scoop her up with the blanket. It’s just the picking up that bothers her – once she’s in my lab she seems OK and focuses on being pet. (but she won’t eat any treats, I think she is still very scared)

I’m taking her to the vet next week for a check up but I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go to the vet every time I need to get her nails clipped.

[Dface]

If she is a short haired rabbit and enjoys pets, you can try running a damp hand/cloth over her fur.
Its actually pretty good ton get the loose fur off minutes too much stress!

Alternatively you could try a brushing mitt?

[sarahthegemini]

I really recommend a grooming mit – it works wonders! Unfortunately for my two, as soon as they realise I’m ‘grooming’ rather than petting petting them they freak out  But it does remove a ton of hair!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Most buns hate grooming. My big boy, Sterling, REALLY hates grooming. I always groom them on a table since none of my buns have ever let me groom them on the floor. I put a blanket on the table first. This has always worked well with all my other buns but with Sterling it is really difficult, because he hates grooming so much he alternates between trying to get me to pick him up and trying to jump off the table. A bit tricky. Your little lady sounds just like my little Bridge Diva, Olivia. She was quite drama rama about grooming and would grunt and pummel me. She made it look so darling, though.

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