When we first started getting interested in rabbits, we were told they only shed four times a year. Little did we realize that meant all Summer, all Fall, all Winter and all Spring. Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but our long-ears sure do leave a lot of fur behind wherever they go. And because they pretty much have the run of the house, that means we pretty much have wall-to-wall rabbit fur.
There are actually two reasons why it’s a good idea to brush your rabbit to remove loose fur. Of course there is the aesthetic one, of not wanting your guests to see huge dust-bunnies rolling like tumbleweeds across your living room floor. And the rabbits also look tidier when they don’t have tufts of loose fur sticking out of their coats.
But even more important is the health issue. Hairballs in rabbits can be very serious. They can cause blockages in the digestive system that can be fatal. That is why, if your rabbit ever stops eating and stops using its litter box (of course your rabbit never leaves little droppings anywhere else) it should be given immediate medical attention.
Our rabbits spend a lot of time grooming themselves as well as each other. And that means they probably are swallowing some loose fur. So if we can remove that loose fur first, there will be less of it available to potentially form hair balls in their delicate little tummies.
OK. Now that we’ve decided that we need to groom the rabbits regularly, that leaves the question of what tool to use. We’ve got a drawer full of different combs and brushes that either didn’t work very well, or that the rabbits didn’t like having used on them. But we are very happy to have found one brush, or comb, or fur-removing device that works like a charm. It’s called the Furminator. They come in at least three different sizes, each of which is color coded. We use the smallest size, which comes in blue.
There’s a bit of a drawback, though. They work great, it’s true, but they’re on the pricey side. I think that our local pet supply shop retails them for $42 (plus tax)! But there is also good news. We were visiting some folks yesterday, delivering some hay for their rabbit, and noticed they had a blue Furminator — just like ours — sitting in their rabbit supply basket. Our friend said she got hers for about half price from an online auction site. Although it took a few extra days for delivery, it saved her nearly 20-bucks.
Well, this morning I thought I’d see if I could find Furminators for sale on eBay, and I did. 662 of them, to be precise. Most of them were too big, and most of the small blue ones either didn’t tell the delivery price, or they posted a delivery price that was sky high. But, after a few minutes of searching, I finally managed to find one person who was selling them for a very good price.
Merchants and offers on eBay are constantly changing. So here is a general link to help you search for a Furminator on eBay.
And good luck to you in keeping your rabbits well groomed and healthy.
