Can someone tell me more about when a rabbit molts? I have seen a few things online but I just want to learn more about it. My rabbit boy, Patrick , doesn't seem to molt but he has been shedding a little more lately. Dolly on the otherhand has clumps of fur coming out right above her tail. I have been combing them both everyday , sometimes twice with Dolly and I seem to get more and more hair from her every time! What do you guys think?
Molting
- Thread starter Tally943
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Imbrium
Jennifer
Rabbits typically molt four times a year (alternating between heavy and light molts). August/September seems to be the big time for fall molts, so it's the right time for winter molting. The difference between molting and shedding is that when a rabbit molts, they shed and regrow their whole coat (may only be a layer of it for the lighter molts, I don't remember exactly). Some rabbits (my Holland, for example), seem to shed a ton all year long.
Some molts are explosive and others are barely noticeable. It varies from bunny to bunny and can vary even within a single bunny. Some bunnies occasionally change color somewhat when they molt. Some molts happen evenly, others look more than a little awkward. In other words, there's no "normal" for molting!
I'm glad you're combing them 1-2x a day! That's crucial during molts, as bunnies can get hairballs the way cats do but unlike cats, they lack the ability to vomit so they often have trouble getting rid of a hairball. A bad hairball can actually be fatal to a bunny if they don't get medical treatment, because it can cause GI stasis.
I swear by my furminator for shedding bunns (I have a lionhead and a Holland lop, two extremely different coat types, and it works wonders on both). Furminators are a bit pricey, but you can often find them on Amazon or eBay for around half what they cost in pet stores and they're amazing (plus they have a money back guarantee in case you or your bunn don't like it). As far as brushes go, wire tipped brushes are a no-no, as rabbits have very sensitive skin - if a traditional animal brush is used, it needs to be rubber tipped.
Some molts are explosive and others are barely noticeable. It varies from bunny to bunny and can vary even within a single bunny. Some bunnies occasionally change color somewhat when they molt. Some molts happen evenly, others look more than a little awkward. In other words, there's no "normal" for molting!
I'm glad you're combing them 1-2x a day! That's crucial during molts, as bunnies can get hairballs the way cats do but unlike cats, they lack the ability to vomit so they often have trouble getting rid of a hairball. A bad hairball can actually be fatal to a bunny if they don't get medical treatment, because it can cause GI stasis.
I swear by my furminator for shedding bunns (I have a lionhead and a Holland lop, two extremely different coat types, and it works wonders on both). Furminators are a bit pricey, but you can often find them on Amazon or eBay for around half what they cost in pet stores and they're amazing (plus they have a money back guarantee in case you or your bunn don't like it). As far as brushes go, wire tipped brushes are a no-no, as rabbits have very sensitive skin - if a traditional animal brush is used, it needs to be rubber tipped.
Thanks for the info! I saw that furminator in the store for like 70$ , maybe it was for a dog , but I just looked on amazon now and its only about 25$ which is a good deal if it makes my life easier! Do you have a cat one or a small animal one? If I get a cat one , I can use it for my cats too but it might not work as well on the rabbits.
Imbrium
Jennifer
$70?? High out of their freaking minds! $20-25 is good; occasionally you can get one for a few bucks cheaper than that.
I have a furminator for long-haired cats under 10 lbs. Long haired because Nala's a lionhead (it works just fine on short hair too, btw), cat because that's what was on sale and under 10 lbs 'cause my little demons are dwarves, not giants (thank god!). The cat and small animal furminators will be equally effective on bunnies. The labeling of furminators makes each style/type seem much more different than it actually is! Some of the dog ones get huge, but there's very little difference among the numerous smaller furminators and the numerous really big furminators. The furminator I have works just as well on our cats (despite them being 12 and 16 lbs and the furminator being for cats < 10 lbs). It's definitely nice for hairball-prone cats - reduces the amount of puke you have to deal with (UGH! We've got a barfer).
The furminator gets an insane amount of hair off of a molting rabbit. I can produce a pile of fluff nearly as big as the rabbit it came from in no more than 5-10 minutes.
I have a furminator for long-haired cats under 10 lbs. Long haired because Nala's a lionhead (it works just fine on short hair too, btw), cat because that's what was on sale and under 10 lbs 'cause my little demons are dwarves, not giants (thank god!). The cat and small animal furminators will be equally effective on bunnies. The labeling of furminators makes each style/type seem much more different than it actually is! Some of the dog ones get huge, but there's very little difference among the numerous smaller furminators and the numerous really big furminators. The furminator I have works just as well on our cats (despite them being 12 and 16 lbs and the furminator being for cats < 10 lbs). It's definitely nice for hairball-prone cats - reduces the amount of puke you have to deal with (UGH! We've got a barfer).
The furminator gets an insane amount of hair off of a molting rabbit. I can produce a pile of fluff nearly as big as the rabbit it came from in no more than 5-10 minutes.
