How To Clipper A Rabbit Safely and Kindly

An instructional video on how to use a clipper to safely and kindly give your long- haired rabbit a short haircut.
Part 1 - Intro & Tutorial
00:00
Part 2 - Timelapse, Actual Clippering with Helpful Tips
13:37
Benefits to keeping your long-haired rabbit in a short haircut:
1. Keep cooler in hot weather
2. Less fur (and being free of mats) means greater range of motion, allowing them to be more active and athletic
3. Greatly reduces the amount of fur they will lick and ingest - less fur goes into the stomach to cause health problems
Rabbits like to be active and not overheated, so a short haircut can greatly improve a long-haired rabbit's quality of life!
Disclaimer: I have lived with house rabbits since 2001 however I am not a professional animal groomer. My technique is based on instruction I received from my veterinarian and the gradual refinement to what works in my household. This video is to share my experience with maintaining a fuzzy rabbit whose fur coat is in good condition and to show how to groom long-haired rabbits both safely and kindly. I recommend you consult with your rabbit savvy veterinarian for rabbit handling instruction if you are able to.
Please support your local rabbit rescue or animal shelter. Adopt, donʼt shop.

[@karennejedly4384]

What a great and informational video! These are exactly the kind of detailed and careful instructions I would need to safely clipper a long haired rabbit. Thank you for sharing this!!

[@LoveABun]

Best long-haired rabbit grooming video I’ve ever seen-and I’ve seen a bunch! Love your focus on gentleness and safety, and giving a rabbit breaks from grooming sessions!!! Also the education on the 3 positions for holding-and the bolster fleece-was also very helpful and great for the rabbit. I’m going to share this in some rabbit groups of mine. Thank you so much! A few important suggestions: First: Please, please edit your video to caution people about clippering and scissoring around the rabbit’s teats! Just as with the tail cartilage, people need to stop and identify where each individual teat is to make sure they don’t shave into or cut them! When working on my English angora’s belly, I physically place a finger or thumb over each individual teat as I move down both sides of the belly so I can avoid nicking it! Secondly... When talking about avoiding the tail-which I loved-I’d like to hear you tell people to locate the actual stubby, pointed-end bone that makes up the tail. Too many people think that a rabbit’s tail consists only of a separate bunch/wad of hair. The actual bone is so small and buried within an angora’s wool, it is difficult to feel unless you know what you’re looking for. (It’s about the length of your index finger from your fingertip to your knuckle.) I’d, therefore, like to hear you explain this to people-even show it to them using Magnus’ tail. Would be very educational and help more bunnies from getting injured! Lastly, the skin directly behind the rabbit’s ears-at the base of the ears-is very lose and wrinkly. I had a groomer tell me to use scissors in this area because clipper blades will pull such lose skin into the blade and cut it! Another groomer on You Tube said the same thing. I think this is worthy of mention.

[@PunkRockFoxy]

Thank you for your kind words and your thoughtful and informative comment. I have never clippered a rabbit with noticeable nipples, so you have educated me about them. You are absolutely correct: care must be taken to locate the nipples and carefully work around them. I had not realized that some people might not know that a rabbit's tail (really any tail!) is an extension of the spine. There are many points to cover on a video like this and that is one I missed. You are correct that loose skin could get caught by the clipper. Some rabbits have a lot of loose skin, in various places on their bodies. Getting to know your rabbit's unique body is a part of this learning process too. When working with loose skin it is very important to use one hand to stretch the skin taut and clipper carefully. Personally I do not clipper directly behind my rabbit's ears. I stop after their shoulder blades. I use a comb for the fur in-between their ears and at the back of their head/neck. Thank you again for your comment!

[@marlenevaldes6489]

I agree, excellent. I am fostering 9 rabbits, you heard correctly, all angoras, and I live in Miami Beach. Thankfully, we have a beautiful setup but we just learned how to clip all that hair. Seeing her video has been just awesome. I bought clippers and agree that the more you groom, the more your confidence grows. And, always use two people!

[@edraeker]

Wow! Fantastic. I understand, firsthand, how much care needs to be taken when clippering long-haired rabbits. This is so informative and well-presented! It’s so helpful to see the process in action in the second half of your video. You are obviously so gentle and careful in your technique. Thank you for sharing this valuable content. I have no doubt it will help many others in the care of their rabbit companions! Looking forward to future videos!

[@user-gh5he6sm5t]

Really informative, thank you! I wish my buns would stay as still as Magnus, he is very good!

[@PunkRockFoxy]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@marlenevaldes6489]

two people and breaks

[@Rebeccajanuary]

Thank you for this very detailed and very helpful information!

[@PunkRockFoxy]

Thank you for watching, I'm glad it helps!

[@laurahipes1212]

This was just excellent! Thank you!

[@PunkRockFoxy]

Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate them.

[@LoveABun]

Please tell us what size blade you are using here!! Not many will work well on angora wool, and some cut too close for comfort!

[@PunkRockFoxy]

I use the Oster #10 blade. I think it does a good job going through both silky and wooly fur. It does not do well going through snarls or mats (I comb those out first). I regularly get my blades professionally sharpened because they do get dull with use! And of course it's important to keep track of how warm the blade is getting and to stop for a break (or swap out with a new blade) before it gets hot.

[@LoveABun]

@@PunkRockFoxy You’re the best! Thank you SO much for taking the time to answer!

[@Shellyspurr]

Yeah, my bun bites so we will see how this goes

[@Nilatez]