bathing your pet rabbit

Question
Dear Sarah,
 My bunny is filthy and it's got pee all over it. I don't know if I should use regular shampoo or what? Should I use warm water, cold or room tempature? I have not bathed it since i got it( two weeks ago). How often should I bathe it? HELP!!!!!!

Answer
The first thing you should try is a waterless shampoo. This is something that cleans the coat without the rabbit having to get wet. One made for small animals or for kittens will work.

If that does not get it out, get a regular kitten shampoo. Use slightly warm water. Dry it off as well as you can, and keep it in a warm area. If it gets a chill from being damp, it could get sick.

Normally rabbits do not need baths at all. Some rabbits like to spray urine on themselves, and these ones do need cleaning. However, neutering such rabbits often takes care of the problem permanently. If it is not from spraying, you might want to take a look at the cage. Something about the way the cage is set up (or how often it is cleaned) might be making the rabbit get dirty. Most rabbits are usually very clean animals if given the chance to be so.