Considering a Long Haired Bunny

[Bindi]

It wasn't intentional- I am a volunteer where he is being housed and had to pick him up for him to be photo'd and microchipped and our eyes met...

I'm in the market for a boy bunny since my last one passed away in November, leaving a now widowed female bunny, but the little bit of magic that's made me think about him for the last week and a bit took me slightly by surprise.

Anyway, before I commit to anything, I wanted to do research etc... I've never had a long haired rabbit before so I'm hoping for some advice (I've also been Googling...). He has no named breed unfortunately, he's a cross-breed, but he is definitely not an Angora and doesn't quite have the same afro look as one of those! I gave him a groom today, which he was quite polite about...

Of course I'm reading about some stuff that is perhaps fairly common sense, such as regular (daily) grooming, more prone to flystrike, keep them clean, types of bedding etc... but there's no substitute for experience generated from people who have had long haired bunnies of their own and might give answers to questions I wouldn't think of!

I admit though, I'm pretty nervous... He's a sweet little baby and I've certainly got time to groom him a lot, but I don't want to be bad at it all

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Does he have wool all over his body? Regardless of breed, rabbits with long wool take a lot of work to keep in good condition. There are a few breeds of angora and not all have wool on the face. There are even lionheads that have long wool all over as well. Most angora photos you might see are show rabbits and have been blow out to look really poofy, they don't look like that all the time though.

Grooming is very important. A blower is the easiest way to keep it in good condition, especially if it is kept longer. Matting is a big problem and it's not good for the rabbit to get matted. You can keep them shorter, but it does require more frequent shaving. It is a good idea to try to find someone who can do some rabbit grooming, not all groomers know much about rabbits. Vets can be expensive for it as well, but are still good if there is nothing else.

I would not recommend keeping an angora outside. They really should not get wet, so would need good protection from the elements. After getting shaved, they really have no protection from the cold or heat. Inside really is best. A temperature controlled shed could be suitable if needed. Don't use things like shavings, carefresh or other bedding. Most people will recommend wire floors to keep them clean, but fleece or a towel will work for traction and they can be litter trained. Hay can be an issue as it does get caught in the wool. Try to keep it contained so it isn't everywhere. A grate over the litter box can be good just to keep them off the litter. Wood pellet or newspaper pellet litter is good to use.

I have 1 english angora named Brandywine. She just got clipped a few days ago, so is pretty naked right now.

Before

After

 

[Imbrium]

Hah! I'm getting ready to start volunteering and possibly fostering for the HSPCA and I got suckered into bringing home a third bunny when I was up there for orientation. I was NOT in the market for a third bunny at all... but he just seemed meant to be and had a personality that made me think it would be possible to bond him with my other two. Total impulse "purchase" but I don't regret it for a moment - he made himself right at home and seems to agree with us that he just *belongs* here! In fact, he's licking my foot right now, lol.

I don't have any truly long-haired bunnies, but I've got a lionhead who had a HUGE mane and significant skirt until she blew her juvenile coat. I've always used a furminator (for long-haired cats under 10 lbs) on her and it works great.

Does he have long hair, or is his coat more wooly? I imagine that can make a big difference as far as what grooming methods work best.

 

[Bindi]

Bless that bunny!

Yeah, I was worried about things like that. Unfortunately my accommodation is a shed and run outside. He has longer fur over his body and his head has short fur, but longer than the average short haired rabbit. Shape wise, he's the same as the average rabbit, if that makes sense. He's currently bedded down on wood shavings, hay and straw which doesn't appear to be having a major affect on him, his knots that I groomed today were pure fur rather than foreign objects, but I intend to see him again and keep this under observation. The last thing I want to do is be a bad owner, especially since he already came from one.

Ha, Imbrium! Tell you what, it's probably best if I post a pic:

 

[Imbrium]

As worried as you are about making sure you can groom and care for him properly, I seriously doubt you're even capable of being a bad owner!

If it's just long fur as opposed to being wool-like, I'd just invest in a furminator ($20-25 on Amazon or eBay) and brush him with it regularly to make sure he doesn't get mats/tangles - shouldn't be any different than having a long-haired cat other than having to be extra-vigilant about grooming during molts. It's really only the wool types that can require very specific grooming.

 

[Usagi_Chan]

Nigel is my purebred Jersey Wooly. His fur is long all over but shorter around his face. He really doesn't need much combing except when he is shedding. Then it sometimes gets out of control. The solution is a dematter. Google it to find one. It needs to be used with care because a rabbit's skin is delicate. I can't bear the idea of shaving him because he's so beautiful with the long hair.

 

[Bindi]

I've had a look at pictures of the furminator and I can't tell from them- is it a special tool or is it basically the same as a metal toothed comb? I've already got one of those I bought for the cat (who isn't long haired just arthritic...)

Those dematters look lethal :bunny17:

Obviously I'm no expert on long hair types, but I got the feeling from grooming him today that if he stays in that condition and just gets groomed more often than he presently is, his coat will probably be reasonably easy to maintain (now there's a statement that might bite me in the bum!)

 

[Usagi_Chan]

A furminator doesn't get deep enough into the fur which is needed. A dematter is more like a comb made up of a few curved, sickle like knives. The one I use has 6 blades. It actually cuts through the mats. They are hard to find locally so I got mine online. To use you comb until it snags then release by turning the dematter. Do a little at a time and be careful not to pull hard. Gentle and a bit at a time.

 

[Bindi]

Well, I can say at least that his fur isn't that thick that I couldn't see the skin easy enough through it. I can see the merits of cutting the knots though, I was trying hard not to hurt his skin too much when I was grooming him, that's another thing I'm slightly concerned about!

 

[Usagi_Chan]

Http://www.groomersmall.com/acc_demattingtools.htm

 

[Usagi_Chan]

Sorry I was answering from my phone and didn't see the pic. That's a medium length hair, not likely to need a dematter. Likely a comb and slicker brush would be enough.

 

[Bindi]

Thanks, that's good to know I don't know what breeds are in him... he came from a mass hoarding case and I think some of the others were Dutch rabbits of the same colour, so perhaps there is a splash of that in him.

 

[Imbrium]

I would think a furminator would work fine on that bunny as long as there weren't actual mats, now that I've seen a pic. They're designed to get the undercoat, too - they DO get deep enough with some longer coats (though I do have the one for long-haired cats). I use the furminator on bunny fur 2+ inches long and it gets through it just fine. I really think the thickness of the fur matters more than the length as far as whether it's effective - I wouldn't recommend it for "wooly" breeds, but for fur that's long AND thin, it's wonderful.

I don't know about a metal-toothed comb, as I've never used one... as long as it doesn't have very pointy tips (like a wire-tipped brush does) then it's safe; if that's the case then it's worth a try if you've already got one. One thing worth mentioning if the comb doesn't quite seem to cut it is that furminators come with a money-back satisfaction guarantee, so "I don't really like it" is enough reason to return it for a refund .

 

[Bindi]

Thanks both.

Another question- if I do (or perhaps, when I do...) graze or injure his skin when grooming, should I wash it with saline or leave it or is there a course of action recommended? I guess it also depends on exactly how big etc.

 

[blwinteler]

When I was researching care before I went to pick up Bugsy, and before I found this forum, I read that you just dab it with styptic powder to stop the bleeding if you just graze him. I remember that because I was relieved to not have to buy something else as I already had pet styptic powder in case our bird got any injuries. I have not had any users grooming my fluffy, wooly boys though. I even use a metal comb for Bugsy, since his fur is harder to get through than Groucho's. I think I did scrape him once when cutting out a big piece of matted fur, but it was so minor he barely flinched and there was no blood. He let me continue to groom him.

 

[Tauntz]

I've been told not to you styptic powder on bird's delicate skin as it burns the tissue. Please check with your veterinarian about using it on the skin of your rabbit or bird. For all nail injuries I use flour or corn starch to stop any bleeding. So far I have not had any bleeding injuries to the skin of either my birds or rabbits but I would simply use a clean cloth & apply just enough pressure to stop the bleeding & monitor them, This is just my personal opinion based on my vet's recommendations, please check with your own vet if you are not sure how to proceed with a bleeding issue as a bleeding nail or skin injury.

 

[Imbrium]

Yeah, styptic powder is for nails only - not skin... and anyone who's ever put it on themselves when they were bleeding knows why ><

 

[blwinteler]

Thank you. I've only had to use it on a nail injury when my bird got his claw caught on his carrier. He was fine after.

 

[ceilpaws]

The longer-haired guy is simply adorable! And, I think, with proper care, his fur won't be too difficult to manage.

I've had only two bunnies with longer hair. So, I'm by no means an expert. I had a lionhead buck with long fur all over his body (which was less significant once he blew his juvenile coat) and I used the Furminator on him. It did the job nicely and, as long as I kept up on it every other day or so, there was no need for another grooming tool. I also had a jersey wooly doe who I fostered for a bit. Her coat I kept short, but, again, the Furminator did a good job. Had her fur been kept longer, I may have needed another tool such as a dematter, but it was unnecessary with frequent grooming and shavings.

I will definitely second the discussion on bedding being paper pellets. I far preferred them even over wood as the dust would get caught in their fur once the wood pellets broke down. And, keeping the hay bundled up off the floor was also necessary. Otherwise, I'd be dealing with lots of matting. Ensuring the litter box is clean is a must as well as urine soaked onto longer fur complicates issues. But, with proper husbandry, you should be fine.

I am kinda hoping that you bring the little bugger home. He has a sweet face and I think you'll do a stellar job with him. Just saying .