Grooming
Why is grooming so important?
Grooming is a very important part of rabbit care. Neglecting to groom your rabbit can result in serious health issues and, in extreme cases, death. Especially during shedding, rabbits are at risk of getting hairballs. For cats, hairballs are nothing serious because cats can regurgitate the fur. Rabbits cannot vomit or cough. Any fur that gets lodged into your rabbit's intestines will stick there and eventually your rabbit could starve due to food not being able to move smoothly through the intestines. Some breeds (especially wooly or long-haired breeds) need more precise grooming than other rabbits. If you're nervous about grooming your rabbit on your own, try to find a groomer nearby who has experience with rabbits.
Rabbits are also prone to getting matted fur (especially long-haired or wooly rabbits, and especially near their feet, hindquarters, and chests). Which should be carefully brushed out or may need to be very gently trimmed away.
Rabbits are also prone to getting matted fur (especially long-haired or wooly rabbits, and especially near their feet, hindquarters, and chests). Which should be carefully brushed out or may need to be very gently trimmed away.
How often should I bathe my rabbit?
NEVER EVER! You should never fully bathe your rabbit in water. Baths are extremely stressful and scary experiences for rabbits and rabbits' fur is so dense that it could take (in some cases) days to completely dry which could cause pneumonia. If you feel your rabbit is dirty enough that he needs to be bathed in a sink, you're not cleaning his cage properly. Rabbits are meticulous groomers. You will constantly see your rabbit licking his paws, ears, and feet. Rabbits like to wash their faces as well (something you will see constantly throughout the day). Because of this, rabbits really don't need to (and shouldn't) be bathed. Also, even the gentlist baby shampoos are too harsh on a rabbit's delicate skin.
If your rabbit ever gets a dirty spot that he can't clean on his own, you should get a slighly damp wash cloth and gently wipe away the dirty spot. Also, rabbits typically get yellowish (you'll notice this more if your rabbit's feet are white) "stains" on their feet. These are pretty common and should be gently wiped with a damp cloth at least once a month just to keep their feet as clean as possible (they will still be stained a light yellow). As long as you're cleaning your rabbit's cage well, it will not cause any health problems.
If your rabbit ever gets a dirty spot that he can't clean on his own, you should get a slighly damp wash cloth and gently wipe away the dirty spot. Also, rabbits typically get yellowish (you'll notice this more if your rabbit's feet are white) "stains" on their feet. These are pretty common and should be gently wiped with a damp cloth at least once a month just to keep their feet as clean as possible (they will still be stained a light yellow). As long as you're cleaning your rabbit's cage well, it will not cause any health problems.
Flea Control and Prevention:
Do not use any of the following products for flea or mite control: Frontline, flea powders, flea shampoo, flea "bombs". Rabbit safe flea medicines include: Advantage, Program, and Revolution. (Please note: in very few cases, Advantage has been reported to have irritated the skin of some rabbits.) The best way to prevent your rabbit from getting fleas at all is to keep him away from other animals with fleas or animals that are more prone to fleas such as cats or dogs. Another thing that you should avoid is contaminated surfaces such as carpets or upholstery.