Rabbit overgrooming her friend

[CiaraPatricia]

Hi

I have two very fluffy lionhead rabbits, about 4 months old who live together (2 females) and one is always grooming the other. She will chase her around then hold her down with her paws and groom her, while the other one tries to escape!

They're very good friends and never aggressive to each other, but she has pulled out her fur in two tiny patches and left a bit of a scratch or bite in one place. It doesn't seem serious at all though. They do cuddle up together and seem to like each other.

Is it normal for a rabbit to groom its friend this much? The other rabbit is white so maybe she thinks she needs to be cleaned more

Thanks

 

[Runestonez]

We have a pair of bonded BEW Double Mane Lionheads...a male and female.

Tucker regularly holds Portia down and grooms the corners of her eyes until they are pink and bald...similarly Portia will groom Tucker and eat his eyelashes off...:rollseyes

I have tried everything to get them to slow down and groom nicely...I even went so far as to give them a stuffed bunny they could groom...but as soon as the hutch door was open they gave the doll the heave-ho and I found it out in the playroom on the floor! :biggrin:

All you can do is watch and make sure they are not causing harm to one another, drawing blood or annoying the other bunn until it ends up in a scuffle or fight.:biggrin:
My hope is that as they get older and more settled the frantic grooming will also settle down!

I would ask if white lionheads are just obsessive about grooming and cleanliness...but Tucker is the messiest boy I have ever seen!:rollseyeslol

Danielle

 

[tamsin]

It usually becomes a habit and the original reason for starting up is impossible to work out. You can try a few things that might help though. Keeping them busy with other things is the main one.

Like Danielle said, a stuffed bunny is one possible toy. It tends to work better of self grooming rather than on partners.

Increasing their hay and fresh foods and decreasing dry food can make them spend more time eating and less grooming. A lack of hay or roughage can trigger chewing.

Lots of interesting toys and objects - balls, boxes, pebbles etc. new things each day can keep them occupied too.

 

[CiaraPatricia]

Thanks

I actually have a littel rabbit stuffed toy so I'll try that. If it doesn't work it can be another toy for them to have anyway.

They have a few toys but are not too interested.

But a good idea is lots of hay. I usually put them out on the grass during the day, and don't give them hay (except at night in the shed), so I'll try giving them hay all day. I know I should be giving them hay with the grass too, I just usually forget. But I'll make sure to do it now. They're not that into grass, they nibble at it, but don't eat it as much as hay so they'll like having hay all day.

And I just got one of those wire food balls that you hang from the cage roof, so I'll put their salad in that instead of in a bowl to see if it takes them longer to eat

Hopefully since they are only babies, Lila will grow out of grooming so much, and not be in the habit of it!

 

[tamsin]

Souns like a good plan to me Most 'toys' bunnies like are things that involve food in some form lol

You could try a treat ball too- might have to look in the cat section of the pet shop. It's a hollow ball you pop their dry food in and they have to roll it around to get the food to fall out. Both my bunnies have one and use it every day.

 

[CiaraPatricia]

I have one of those cat treat balls that my cats refuse to use! So the bunnies can have that, even though it had fish bones drawn on it.