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Grooming a hands off rabbit

R

RinnyRin

Warren Scout
Me again!

So I adopted two very skittish rabbits over a week ago. They will take treats but will bolt if I go to touch them...so I respect that space and don’t try to push it, and avoid invading their hidey house so they know they have somewhere to run to...

But they are both shedding like hell because they’ve gone from being mainly outdoor to a somewhat (but not incredibly, I don’t actually use the heating often) warm house. I really want to help them by giving them a brush but I want to avoid too much stress as they are still settling in and sensitive...

So any tips to help a shedding hands off bunny out? All tips regarding health with rabbits seems to assume that you have their complete trust which is frustrating.


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it's difficult!
all my buns have been /are 'hands off'.
with the one that needed constant grooming i would get everything ready - chair, brush etc then sneak up on him and toss a towel completely over him & scoop him up in the towel keeping his head covered with the towel. then with his head still covered i would sit on the chair with him on my lap facing away from me and expose a small part of his body & groom him in that area, moving on by covering the groomed area & exposing a new area to groom.
i have a few mins to do as much as i could before he got fed up with it.
the problem is he got to know what was going to happen when he saw a towel.
 
I groom Treacle using my hands rather than a brush, I find this works better for both of us. I get down on the floor with her, and place her between my knees with her head facing my feet, and she's quite happy like that. I use a gentle plucking action with one hand and stroke with the other, think she enjoys it really :)
 
mikek said:
it's difficult!
all my buns have been /are 'hands off'.
with the one that needed constant grooming i would get everything ready - chair, brush etc then sneak up on him and toss a towel completely over him & scoop him up in the towel keeping his head covered with the towel. then with his head still covered i would sit on the chair with him on my lap facing away from me and expose a small part of his body & groom him in that area, moving on by covering the groomed area & exposing a new area to groom.
i have a few mins to do as much as i could before he got fed up with it.
the problem is he got to know what was going to happen when he saw a towel.
Click to expand...

Sorry but that made me laugh!
 
As they are inside you could dampen your hands which makes it easier to remove the loose fur.
 
Since they can't be touched, my first thought (after using groom mittens etc when you can touch them) was a bolt box or something with a circular hole. Especially after nibbling on the hole a bit it can act like a bit of a comb as they climb through it. It won't be anything like an actual comb of course but can get some loose fur. Perhaps someone can think of some ideas for elaborating on this. I've never tried putting brushes on doors but if you can get them to effectively groom themselves... lol
 
We use the damp hands thing on our skittish nethies. But we also use a food distraction technique.

We give them their pellets for brekky. Let them eat a few. Then when they are totally absorbed in the food, slowly start brushing them. The nearer you go to the face they seem to realise something is happening. So start at the back! You then get about 3 mins maximum whilst they are so engrossed in their pellets that they will put up with it. [emoji2960]

No picking up involved, might not work for everybun though.

Archie and Pip are moulting very heavily, so I'm doing this 3-4 times a day.
 
Thanks for the replies guys!

The wet hand idea sounds good but they won’t let you touch them either. I haven’t tried touching them when they are consumed with breakfast or supper, only when giving them a little “treat” like blueberries or cauliflower...

I really like the potential idea of a card box entrance that kind of snags hair like a comb. Very doable and stress free. We have lots of cardboard boxes and a cardboard castle and the maze haven...so hopefully they will help!
 
Another advice. Please supplement either Rodent Malt paste, Papaya treats from Oxbow, Rodicare Hairball paste or something else that is appropriate for rabbits and promotes hair dissolving, passing through.
 
Last edited:
AnjaSanja said:
Another advice. Please supplement either Rodent Malt paste, Papaya treats from Oxbow, Rodicare Hairball paste or something else that is appropriate for rabbits and promotes hair dissolving, passing through.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I hadn’t heard of these but sounds like a good idea!


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I know it's difficult, but getting them used to being handled to some degree will help if they ever need eg medicating in future. Being able to groom them once a week gives you the chance to give them a quick once over as you do it. You get used to how they feel / weight and you will spot other issues sooner (scabs, mats, mites, etc).

I would pretty much go for Mike's approach. Get everything ready and find a suitable way of quickly catching the intended bunny. I tend to corner them and scoop them up, then keep one hand firmly on their shoulders as I comb through the coat with them sat on my knee. Keep all paws on whatever surface you are using so they feel more secure. Do whatever they will put up with and just build it up each time. Don't stress them out, as it will make it harder next time. Keep your hands out of the way of their teeth - so under the chest and bum are safe and supportive. Some uncoperative rabbits are remarkably agile when it comes to turning round and nipping you when they don't like what is happening.

Do a different bit each time if you can't do a whole coat in one go. I tend to pick a quarter and do that (front / back, left / right). Underneath isn't too much of an issue if you can reach partly under with each quarter, then a very quick comb of the tummy by holding them upright by the chest area with back feet on solid ground. They are always more cofortable with all 4 paws firmly grounded.

For really skittish rabbits, taking them somewhere they are not used to helps to keep them quieter. I tend to use my bathroom in this case, and use the toilet as a seat (lid down..) and close the door. If they jump off, they are still safe and easier to recapture.

Feed them with something nice immediately afterwards, so they associate being handled or groomed with a nice experience.
 
Shimmer said:
I know it's difficult, but getting them used to being handled to some degree will help if they ever need eg medicating in future. Being able to groom them once a week gives you the chance to give them a quick once over as you do it. You get used to how they feel / weight and you will spot other issues sooner (scabs, mats, mites, etc).

I would pretty much go for Mike's approach. Get everything ready and find a suitable way of quickly catching the intended bunny. I tend to corner them and scoop them up, then keep one hand firmly on their shoulders as I comb through the coat with them sat on my knee. Keep all paws on whatever surface you are using so they feel more secure. Do whatever they will put up with and just build it up each time. Don't stress them out, as it will make it harder next time. Keep your hands out of the way of their teeth - so under the chest and bum are safe and supportive. Some uncoperative rabbits are remarkably agile when it comes to turning round and nipping you when they don't like what is happening.

Do a different bit each time if you can't do a whole coat in one go. I tend to pick a quarter and do that (front / back, left / right). Underneath isn't too much of an issue if you can reach partly under with each quarter, then a very quick comb of the tummy by holding them upright by the chest area with back feet on solid ground. They are always more cofortable with all 4 paws firmly grounded.

For really skittish rabbits, taking them somewhere they are not used to helps to keep them quieter. I tend to use my bathroom in this case, and use the toilet as a seat (lid down..) and close the door. If they jump off, they are still safe and easier to recapture.

Feed them with something nice immediately afterwards, so they associate being handled or groomed with a nice experience.
Click to expand...

Thanks,

I am working towards getting them used to handling but as I’ve only had them just over a week, I don’t want to just jump straight into picking them up when sometimes just walking into the room they are in has them flying into hiding. I’m working towards desensitisation and on clicker training...

I don’t want them to associate handling with trauma and then run away from people thinking they’ll try to handle them. Otherwise the experience will be rubbish for all of us...


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I tend to find that fenugreek crunchies often cause the rabbit to suddenly come down with amnesia about what just happened :lol:
 
Bindi said:
I tend to find that fenugreek crunchies often cause the rabbit to suddenly come down with amnesia about what just happened :lol:
Click to expand...

Sudden amnesia hmm? That sounds like one amazing little treat!


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