Bathing

Question
Hi. We just bought a dwarf rabbit...she's about 3 months old. My question is the following: Should we bathe her at any point? She seems to clean herself (like a cat) and she does stay indoors, but I wouldn't want her to become uncomfortable or "dirty"?? If yes, any suggestions on how and with what product??

Thanks!!

Answer
Dear Josee,

It's great that you ask before trying to bathe her, because a rabbit should *never* be bathed.  It is so stressful for some, that I've known of a delicate natured rabbit to actually *die* from the terror of a bath.

Rabbits, like cats, are fastidiously clean.  They will keep themselves groomed with little help from you, except when shedding.  At that point, you can find tips on how to keep that molting fur under control here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/furloss.html

If your bunny ever needs *spot* cleaning, here's how to do it safely:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/buttbath.html

But if she's healthy, she should never need bathing.

Hope that helps!

Dana