Rabbits are naturally clean little individuals that are capable of self-grooming. But from time to time, they do need human intervention. Mainly when it involves maintaining and keeping their fur shiny. So what is the best brush to help your rabbit maintain a healthy coat?
Some rabbits are long-haired and will require brushes like the hair buster comb, with daily brushing to prevent mats which can become painful and cause discomfort over time.
Note that, reckless and excessive grooming can leave hair flying around which can cause fatal digestive issues when ingested. So, you should always brush carefully to prevent ingestion. You can also pull clusters of hair out with your hands during a shed to keep your rabbit from licking it off.
Additionally, to know which brush is best for your rabbit, you will have to know the texture, size, and density of your rabbit’s fur.
Best Rabbit Brush?
- Small Pet Select Hair Buster Comb
- Grooming Glove Set
- Kaytee Pro Slicker Brush
- Ware Small Animal Grooming Kit
- De-matting Comb Grooming Tool Kit
- Plastic Cat Brush And Flea Comb
1. Small Pet Select Hair Buster Comb:
This grooming tool is a well-toothed comb with a rubber band along the sleeve that helps to catch more fur during grooming sessions. It also helps loosen up tangles from the rabbit’s undercoat to help them shed quickly.
The tooth of the comb has a proper length that helps to get into the undercoat. When brushing, avoid poking your rabbit’s skin directly with the comb.
Instead, position the comb almost flat and comb them along the growth pattern of your rabbit’s hair. This will make your rabbit more comfortable and will prevent you from poking its skin and also prevent you from pulling its tangled fur too hard.
When there is no more fur left to detangle, you can start combing against the rabbit’s hair. It is practical and easy to use but I cannot describe it as a budget-friendly comb as there are other cheaper brushes on the market.
Pros:
- Effective and easy to use.
- Solid and functional handle.
- It has rounded tips that are suitable for rabbits’ fur.
Cons:
- Expensive.
2. Grooming Glove Set:
Rabbits are different, some may not tolerate the hair buster comb or particularly have a likeness to the look or the feeling.
Grooming gloves are an excellent alternative to brushes for bunnies. It serves many purposes including being used to get rid of hair stuck on your furniture.
It has short spikes made with elastic medical-grade silicone. This will make your rabbit feel more like they’re getting petted than brushed.
They will also be getting a nice massage as you brush through their fur. The grooming glove is ideal for heavy shedding periods as they do a great job of gathering all the fur.
Grooming gloves don’t always get the clusters of fur that are stuck on the rabbit’s undercoat. But they are milder on the rabbit’s skin.
Pros:
- Gives your rabbit a gentle massage while grooming.
- Safe on rabbits’ delicate skin.
- Works on all fur types.
- Comes with a box and storage bag.
Cons:
- Not as effective as the hair buster comb.
- it may be bigger than the user’s hand.
- Brush tips are too short.
3. Kaytee Pro Slicker Brush:
This brush is specially designed for small pets and will make a good choice for both short and medium-haired rabbits.
It has long plastic teeth that are quite spaced and covered with soft rubber tips that make it the best grooming brush for rabbits’ delicate skin.
It also has a curved head and rubber handle grip which make it easy to hold and use.
Pros:
- Has a rubber handle for easy gripping.
- Safe rubber tips.
Cons:
- Expensive.
- Rubber tips tend to come off.
4. Ware Small Animal Grooming Kit:
This is an all-in-one kit that contains a pin brush, bristle brush, nail clippers, and a chew toy for your pet. It is arguably one of the best grooming brushes for rabbits in terms of price.
If you are conflicted about choosing between a slicker brush and a soft bristle brush, you can go for both.
You can choose a slicker brush with a metal bristle so that you can easily brush through your rabbit’s fur and loosen any tangled fur, Whether it has a thick coat or long hair. But plastic bristles are relatively safer to use on rabbits’ sensitive skin.
Massaging your rabbit skin gently with the bristle brush will help dispense natural oils across its fur.
The slicker brush has stiff pins that will help remove excess hair and help to reduce shedding. When making use of the slicker brush, take extra care so that you will not scratch your rabbit’s skin while grooming.
Pros:
- Cheap.
- All-in-one kit.
- Perfect for first-time bunny owners.
Cons:
- It is a pin-style brush.
- The hard bristle may hurt the rabbit’s skin.
5. De-matting Comb Grooming Tool Kit:
This rake comb has a non-slip handle and stainless-steel blades that can easily cut through mattes and tangles. Rabbit’s hair tends to become tangled and matted which can make grooming with a normal brush painful.
This de-matting comb can easily detangle mats by slicing the matted hair into separable strands and eradicating the loose undercoat.
It is easy to use and does not cause complications for your rabbit’s skin. This is because it has a rounded edge designed to prevent your rabbit from getting hurt. It is a two-sided bush that has a sum of 12-23 teeth which makes this comb a versatile product.
It also has wide spaces between the few smoothly rounded teeth on one side and narrower spaces on the other with more teeth.
You’ll tend to use the side with larger spacing to get in the worst tangles while the smaller spacing for thinning and removing the excess fur and dirt, gives your rabbit a clear coat.
This comb accommodates different levels of mats. So, it can also be considered the best grooming brush for rabbits either long-haired or short-haired.
Pros:
- It comes with a rake and a comb.
- Easy to use.
- Easy to hold.
- Minimizes skin irritation.
Cons:
- It is sometimes not sharp enough.
6. Plastic Cat Brush And Flea Comb:
A plastic cat brush typically works best on long hair rabbits. This is because long-haired rabbits require a larger grooming routine to prevent matting and dirty fur.
While for short-haired rabbits, it is only to assist them in shedding their coats with ease. Grooming a long-haired rabbit will take a minimum of two steps.
Firstly, use a plastic cat brush to smooth out the tangled area of the undercoat since those areas get tangled easily. After the fur is smoothed out, brush through with a flea comb to be assured that there is no tangled fur.
Start on the bottom layer of the fur and then through the rabbit coat until all tangles have been removed. To prevent the serious mat from forming, you will need to cut out previous tangles.
You can use round grooming shears to keep the length of your rabbit’s coat to about an inch. Keeping your rabbit’s hair short will reduce the grooming process and this makes it easier to maintain.
What To Do If Your Rabbit Hates Grooming
There is an alternative for rabbits that may not tolerate any type of grooming tool. You can help remove fur by petting your rabbit often.
This way, you will be attaining excess fur from the surface of its coat and also help to loosen the hair on the undercoat to make it fall out easily.
While you pet your rabbit, you can start plucking the clusters of fur from your rabbit’s coat. Be sure your rabbit is relaxed by petting them gently because this action can be quite hectic for some rabbits.
This technique may not be effective on long-haired rabbits as they require regular grooming with effective tools to prevent matted and tangled fur.
Meanwhile, short-haired rabbit breeds will be fine with frequent petting and hand plucking. However, grooming tools should be attempted during heavy shedding because the hand-plucking technique might become inefficient.
Conclusion
If you have a picky rabbit, test different grooming brushes to find one that your rabbit is most comfortable with. Choose one that is less scary and most comfortable.
if you have tried other brands and your rabbit still doesn’t like any, You can make your rabbit get used to brushes by distracting it with treats and toys while you brush softly and calmly. Thus, if none seems to work for your bunny, you will have to result in hand plucking.