By Stacey Gonzalez
Photo by Robobobobo Foter.com CC BY-SA
Bringing Home the Bunny is a seven part blog series about what to expect when becoming a new rabbit owner.Grooming and cleanliness
Grooming is a big part of the rabbit’s day. Rabbits keep themselves pretty clean and most shorthaired rabbits only need to be brushed during the spring and fall shedding seasons. Longhaired rabbits however need frequent grooming and brushing. Most rabbits enjoy getting brushed but you should do it lightly as they have very sensitive skin. It is important to keep your rabbits nails trimmed and clean. Overgrown nails can be painful and can lead to other health issues. Trimming their nails should be done with small cat or kitten nail clippers and keeping Quick Stop on hand will aid in stopping the bleeding if an accident should occur. Oral care for rabbits is fairly simple. Since rabbits front teeth never stop growing chew toys are a requirement. The chew toys will file the teeth and the hay and hard pellet diet will help with teeth cleaning. Be confident when grooming the animal. Most rabbits- especially spayed/ neutered rabbits- rarely ever bite and if they do it’s usually because of hormonal issues, being territorial, insecurity or fear. Rabbits can be bathed but since they clean themselves often it is not necessary to bath them on a regular basis. Provide treats and positive reinforcement to make grooming and nail clipping a fun experience for your pet.
Now that you have a handle on your pets grooming requirements get informed about healthy nutrition for your rabbit pet in the next article Bringing Home the Bunny: Food and Nutrition
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