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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A A few questions about grooming my long-haired bun

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    • YoYoMama
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        I got my first rabbit in August of this year. I made the (probably poor) choice of getting a long haired rabbit because he was just so darling and beautiful. I don’t really know why, but I kind of thought he would take over the majority of his hair care needs and that I could brush him only once a week or so. Well, a month or so ago, I flipped him over to look at his gender again, because the lady I got him from wasn’t 100% sure and realized that his belly and around his bottom are covered in mats! I felt horrible and set out a routine to get him mat free, but as of now, I can’t seem to get rid of the mats faster than they reappear! I brush him every day while I give him his greens but he absolutely hates it and in turn has begun avoiding me altogether unless I have food, which makes me sad. I’ve also taken to burrito wrapping him every other or third day so that I can clip out the big mats, but this stresses him (and me!) out so badly that I’m scared he will work himself into a heart attack. His breathing speeds up so quickly and he flinches at every touch. 

        My questions to you all are: What can I do, if anything, to make grooming time more tolerable for him? How long can I safely work on him while he’s so stressed out? And are there any cues I can look for from him that will tell me if he is getting to a point where it is unsafe to continue? How have you regained trust from your bun after really upsetting them?

        I give him a treat (raisin, bit of banana, apple, carrot) everyday after he is groomed, but it doesn’t seem to be helping his stress level or trust in me. When left to his own devices, he seems to be a happy, active bunny, it’s just when I go near him that he becomes irritated 

        Picture of my Yoyo to illustrate his fluffiness.

        Bonus question – How do you protect your Christmas tree from curious bunnies? Our living room is his running area and is also where I would like to put the tree. 

        EDIT: Just realized I probably should have put this in the Diet & Care section of the forum. Sorry!


      • Floppybuns
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          Hi I sympathise with your problem. My peach is a cashmere and is super fluffy the saving grace for me though is she doesn’t mind laying on her back while I groom her. To stop the mats I keep the hair on her belly and around her bottom very short and it has really helped. But I can’t really give you any advice on making it less stressful except for keeping the sessions very short only do a small bit at a time and make sure you also spend time with him other than grooming so he doesn’t think every time you come near him you are going to do something he doesn’t like. Sorry I can’t be more help but hopefully someone else on here will be


        • LBJ10
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            I have a Jersey Wooly and their hair is different. He will get a mat here and there, but I will just cut it off. You usually can’t see where it was since there is so much fluff. The hair on his tummy is different. It’s shorter and straighter so I don’t have a ton of problems with it. Sounds like your bun is wiry on his tummy too?


          • Beka27
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              I don’t have personal experience with long-hair grooming (besides myself, but that doesn’t count… lol!) Your rabbit looks to be an adult, has the fur been long since you got her? If I were you, I’d seek out a vet to do a complete trim. Starting shorter will hopefully help get you used to grooming her, and get her used to being groomed. That’s the only suggestion I have.

              Rabbits can generally keep themselves in pretty good shape, although they still need brushing to remove loose fur. Long-haired rabbits do require daily grooming tho. (I am not a fan of grooming, so a long-haired bun is NOT in my future.)


            • sleepy538
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                here’s a link with other links about xmas tree protection.

                https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/107914/Default.aspx

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            Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A A few questions about grooming my long-haired bun