How to Help Keep Bunny Fur From Shedding

Short-haired rabbits are easier to groom than long-haired rabbits, such as the Angora species.

Rabbits shed about four times a year, usually every three months. The sheddings alternate between light and heavy in terms of amount of hair lost. Some sheddings might not be noticeable at all while others can result in significant hair loss and noticeable bald patches. Rabbits are fastidious grooomers and, like cats, lick their fur as part of the grooming process. Even wild rabbits, living in burrows below ground, groom themselves regularly to keep their fur clean. Unlike cats, however, rabbits are unable to vomit and expel any hairballs that form in their stomachs; consequently, they can starve to death if the stomach exit is blocked. Although you cannot stop rabbit fur from shedding, you can control the shedding process with grooming techniques performed at regular intervals.

Things You'll Need

• Brush with stiff bristles
• Comb
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Lay the rabbit on a wide, sturdy table or on the floor. Rabbits might become agitated in an unfamiliar situation and might try to escape by kicking their back legs. If using a table, make sure the rabbit does not fall to the floor, which could result in serious injury.

2. Use a brush with stiff bristles. Begin brushing the rabbit in the hindquarters area, using downward strokes, and work your way up to the head and neck. You may want to experiment with using a comb instead of a brush to determine which tool works best on your rabbit's coat.

3. Trim the fur of long-haired rabbits to one inch or less, using scissors, to keep the fur short. Long-haired rabbits are more likely to develop hairballs and fur mats. Matted fur can lead to skin irritations and infections. Use sharp scissors, being careful not to puncture or scrape the skin, to remove fur mats.

Tips & Warnings

• Brush your rabbit regularly during shedding periods. The more loose hairs you remove during grooming sessions, the less hair your rabbit will injest. Midday is a good time to conduct grooming because this is when rabbits usually are most calm. To encourage your rabbit to be receptive to grooming, end each grooming session by patting your rabbit and rewarding it with a treat.

• Consult a veterinarian or a professional animal groomer if you are not comfortable using scissors to cut your rabbit's fur, especially if the rabbit has long hair.

• Avoid bathing your rabbit in an attempt to control shedding. Rabbits do not like getting wet and may become very stressed when forced into a bath. In addition, rabbit fur takes a very long time to dry and a wet rabbit can become hypothermic in a relatively short period of time. Normal rabbit body temperature ranges from 101 to 103 degress Fahrenheit.

References

• House Rabbit Society: Shedding
• Rabbit World View: Rabbit Grooming