(please be advised that I reside in Googong, NSW)
Apart from everything else I'm occupied with, I provide a boarding and clipping/grooming service. These extra jobs came about through default - meaning that I never intended to offer them, but due to the fact that pet owners didn't have anyone else to go, I thought I may as well help them out. Another mouth to feed or coat to clip/brush doesn't daunt me and I would much rather provide these services than imagine any bunny suffering just because they had no where else to go . . .
For many years I kept English Angora, Jersey Wooly and Mini Cashmere Lops and as a consequence gained a great deal of experience in caring for long coated rabbits. The Angora is top of the list when it comes to the necessity of clipping and grooming. Their coat grows like sheep - continually. Angoras should not have to suffer a matted coat (which can vary in extremity) and therefore need regular attention.
Other semi-long coated breeds grow their coat to a certain length and that is it. However, when rabbits shed their coat and owners miss grooming them, some (not all) can end up with matted areas that need to be dealt with.
I generally charge a minimum of $40, which is quite reasonable considering the time and effort it can take. If needing major work the price naturally increases, though I still try to keep it at a fair/reasonable amount.
Bunnies tend to be dropped off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon. I like to give bunnies 'time out' during a clip, so they can take a break to hop around, go to the toilet and refresh themself with food or water.
Here are example photos of a cross-bred angora bunny, which was dumped in a cardboard box next to a rubbish bin. A young lady found and adopted the poor fellow and brought him to me to sort out the massive problem. Although it is not obvious in the photo below, he actually had large solid masses of tangled fur literally stuck to his skin.
Grooming Services
Before and half way through the clipping procedure . . . .
. . . . . and then finally all done and most definitely feeling much more comfortable now!
It's unusual to come across such a solidly matted Cashmere Lop, as their coats are much easier to maintain than Angoras. I know from extensive amount of experience that one of the major reasons why long coated breeds become severely matted is due to mite infestation.
Find more information about mites below
Helpful tips
> If at any stage you see signs of dandruff it means that your poor bunny is harbouring mites - these nasty little parasites are literally eating away at his skin!
> Short coated breeds find it easier to groom their coats and consequently are able to keep mites at bay. Having a long coat however gives mites the opportunity to slowly but surely tangle up the fur so that they can multiply and survive underneath. The areas most prone initially start where it's difficult for bunnies to reach when grooming themselves such as shoulders and rump.
> Fur mites (Cheyletiellosis) are invisible to the naked eye. When vets take skin scrapings to view under a microscope they may not actually find any on a particular sample. For this reason multiple skin scrapings are recommended.
> Mites will not go away on their own accord! Your bunny will need to be regularly treated with topical medication, anti mite powders or sprays.
> Heavy infestations can also cause itchiness, hypersensitivity, lesions and due to constant irritation some actually become unhappy, grumpy bunnies.
> Fur mites are not species specific and are very contagious - an untreated infestation could be put your dog, cat or other furry pets at risk.
More before and after examples . . .
Imagine multitudes of these creepy crawly
mites happily thriving on your body!