Matted Fur

Hey guys,

I'm new to the forum, having been recommended by a friend. I've been keeping a couple of bunnies for the last 6 months, and have recently moved in with my girlfriend, who also has two bunnies, one which has particularly long hair (she bought it, 'because it looked cute'!) Unfortuantely, irregular grooming means the bunny now has mats all over her, and I'm not sure the best way to proceed...

Probably a beginners question, but any advice would be apprecaited! Thanks muchly!

Hello and welcome
As for the matted bunster I would be tempted to cut the lumps out, getting as close as possible to the skin. Bunnies have very thin skin and trying to groom out matted areas may be uncomfy for them.

We have a fluffy lionhead and bought some curved vet scissors for tidying the fur up around his eyes from www.petvetcare.co.uk.

If you type in scissors under the search option they are to be found towards the end of the Emergency Supplies list. We find them invaluable for keeping on top of Herbie.

Hello

If the fur has actually felted (formed thick clumps) then the only option may be to have her clipped by your Vet. Cutting out felts is seldom possible and some nasty damage can easily be done if the skin gets cut. Felted fur is also painful as it constantly pulls the skin as Bun moves about. This can lead to dermatitis and infection, not to mention a very unhappy Bunny.

If the fur just has knots in it that are not attatched to the skin then cutting them out is possible. Daily grooming will help prevent more knots forming.
Long haired Buns are high maintainance as far as grooming is concerned.

I would advise taking bunny to the vet too - if you start off with clipped fur then it is easier to keep on top of with a daily grooming regime. I find slicker brushes are the best but then I have only ever kept short-haired breeds.