Rabbits do not require routine bathing and in fact frequent washing, either with or without shampoo, strips the rabbit's fur of its natural oils, which helps to keep the rabbit's coat in good condition. Bathing is also extremely stressful for rabbits and has many potential and serious dangers.
Rabbits groom themselves multiple times a day, so it can be difficult to know when rabbits are over-grooming themselves. Grooming can be a self-comforting behavior for rabbits. If they are stressed, anxious, bored, or even a little sick, a rabbit might try to feel better by self-grooming more often.
Last Updated July 18, 2019. Rabbits are meticulously clean and almost never need a bath. Bathing them can even be harmful, since they tend to panic in water and may fracture a limb or their spine if they thrash around.
Drying your rabbit
You can towel dry the rabbit, gently rubbing the fur to remove as much of the excess water as possible. Be very careful as rabbit skin tears very easily. Use a hair dryer on a warm, but not hot and on a gentle setting to carefully dry the rabbit.
Their fur usually protects them very well, but they lose that shield when they are wet. For this reason, rabbits will often have severe skin irritation that could even lead to an infection. Rabbit skin is also delicate enough when wet that it can tear more easily. A small cut can turn into a large wound very quickly.
When a rabbit nibbles or bites you softly it is often accompanied with licking, which is a sign of love. He is trying to groom you and is simulating the grooming process (however, you have no fur to build up knots in so it results in just a little nibble of the skin).
Whilst it's fine for a bunny to be out in the rain, they need somewhere that they can come and dry off when they're ready. Their housing should be waterproof, draught proof and well ventilated to ensure your rabbit is comfortable at all times.
Rabbit urine can be removed from most surfaces using pure white vinegar or a diluted white vinegar solution. Tough or dried stains may need some time to soak, or they will require the use of stronger chemical cleaners.
Fill a bathroom sink to about 2.5″ depth with lukewarm water. Mix in about a tablespoon of shampoo, and mix well. Being firm and gentle so that the bunny cannot jump and injure himself, lower his rear end into the lukewarm shampoo/water, and gently lave the solution onto the soiled areas until they are clean.
Liberally apply the cornstarch to the soiled areas, and gently work the powder down into the fur, around messy poops, and down to the skin. Gently work the powder around any stubborn clumps of debris. As the cornstarch coats the mess, it will slide away easily.
Spay or neuter your rabbit
Unaltered male rabbits will sometimes emit a skunk-like smell to attract a mate. It's not a pleasant smell, and the only long term solution is to get your rabbit neutered. This will be better for their health in the long run, and extends the life expectancy of your rabbit by 2-3 years.
Whenever your rabbit pees or poops outside the litter box, you want to make sure you thoroughly clean it up. Sweep or vacuum up the excess poops, mop up the pee, and use a pet-safe cleaner to disinfect the area.
Use baby wipes.
Baby wipes are the easiest method of cleaning your rabbit without bathing it. Use baby wipes that are fragrance-free, alcohol-free and hypo-allergenic for best results. You want a wipe that is strong enough to clean your bunny without tearing, and which is soft so that it won't hurt your bunny's skin.
Take out soiled litter daily during the week then clean fully and disinfect with a pet-safe cleaner (or steam) once a week. Cleanliness is even more important when treating ill rabbits.
Spritz water
Rabbits lose heat through their ears, so misting them might help to keep your bunnies cooler. Fill up a spray bottle with cool (not icy) water, and then gently spritz the fleshy parts of your rabbits' ears – making sure not to get water into the ear canal itself.
Indoors, a rabbit's living area should be placed in a cool room, out of direct sunlight and draughts, as well as away from radiators (as rabbits can suffer from overheating) and loud noises.
Do rabbits get cold at night? Of course, everyone does! But bunnies have thick fur that can protect them from chilly temperatures. They're fine at 30°F, but if you have outdoor rabbits, keep your hutch at about 100°F during the night.
Rabbits are social and intelligent creatures. They'll know that you love them; you just have to learn how to say “I love you!” in a way they'll understand. You can show your rabbit you love them by giving them gifts such as toys and yummy treats.
If you spend the time to pet them and give them a nice massage, your rabbit will thank you by licking your hand or your leg. You may also receive a couple of light nips from your rabbit. This is especially likely if your rabbit is grooming you around the seams of your clothing.
But frequent pooping is very normal for most rabbits. In fact they can release up to 300 pellets per day! And the good news is, rabbit poop doesn't have much of a smell, nor is it very wet. In fact, it's quite dry which makes it easy to clean up.
You should always seek veternary advice when a rabbit's backside starts getting a foul odour, looks dirty or wet, as wet tail is a very serious condition. This is caused by a rabbit's urine going down either one or both hind legs instead of being expelled backwards, clean of the tail.
Rabbit's will often turn their water or food bowls over because they are bored and want to play with something. A lightweight plastic water dish or food bowl is easily picked up with their teeth and tossed. It is something to do.