Grooming
Due to my retirement my grooming books are now closed to new clients.
Please Note for Long Coated Rabbits…
The condition of the rabbit’s coat and the rabbit’s demeanour will determine how much of the grooming session will be completed within the maximum total session time of 2 hours. This may consist of short sessions totalling 2 hours.
This time limit is imposed to reduce stress on the rabbit. If 2 hours (in total) is inadequate to complete the groom, multiple visits may be required. Depending on the coat condition, the bun may need to stay for the day (with a day boarding fee applied) with the groom bring done in shorter blocks spread throughout a day.
This groom is not a ‘beauty or fashion’ groom. Its purpose is to reduce your rabbit’s coat, to remove current matting, prevent future matting, eliminate the need for stressful daily brushing and to help your rabbit be more comfortable during challenging weather such as summer heat.
Each long coated rabbit’s coat is different and the interval between grooms can vary from 4 to 8 weeks. A rabbit that is groomed properly by an experienced and proficient groomer will not need to be and should not be combed or brushed daily between grooms.
The reason we take this approach is to prevent the need to do any daily brushing or combing. Indeed, daily brushing/combing can be extremely stressful for a rabbit. Doing so can result in behavioural issues and can seriously affect an owner’s bond with their rabbit. It can also cause faster matting in some coats.
Some key points to keep in mind -
* The grooming environment should be calm & quiet
* A groom should not exceed 1-2 hours. The duration of a groom is influenced by each rabbit’s personality and their coat condition etc.
* Your rabbit should not be tranced
* Your rabbit’s skin should not be grazed or broken - however severe matting can cause the skin to be in poor condition with scabbing and rips already present.
* The bottom of your rabbit’s feet should never be clipped
* Until you are confident with the groomer’s approach/technique etc you should stay to observe the groom to ensure that your rabbit is not stressed or mishandled
More guidance about grooming can be found on WW’s YouTube (see linked icon below) and here - Grooming & Clippers