There’s a Comb for That: The Best Brushes for Long and Short-haired Rabbits

Written by: Ellyn Eddy

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best rabbit brush

Looking for the best brush for your pet rabbit? 

While rabbits aren’t hypoallergenic animals, they don’t spread as much hair around your home as other pets – nothing like a labrador retriever or a ragdoll cat would.  That is, except during molting season. During this time, grooming your rabbit daily can prevent life-threatening gastrointestinal hairballs and tame the fuzz storm in your living room. 

In this article, we’ll answer your questions about how often to groom your rabbit and what brushes work best for each breed. I’ve personally kept a variety of short and long-haired breeds, from the velveteen Mini Rex to the wooly American Fuzzy Lop.  I know the importance of choosing the right brush for your furry friend’s coat type!

Long and Short-haired Rabbits

Best Overall Rabbit Brush – The Small Pet Select HairBuster for Bunnies

Star Rating:5.0⭐
Price Range:$$
Material:Stainless steel with rubber bands and coated handle.
Best for:Breeds with thick “rollback” coats, wool breeds

Though technically a comb, this tool is the best brush for most rabbit breeds – whether or not they are molting. This long-lasting stainless steel comb has teeth placed at a medium-width spacing. Some of the tines are wrapped in rubber bands to grab hair of all sizes – both thicker guard hair and fluffy underfur – as it’s loosened by the comb. 

This makes it perfect for breeds with thick “rollback” coats like Mini Lops, Holland Lops, and Netherland Dwarfs with lots of dense underfur that needs to be cleared during a molt. It also works great as a de-matting or detangling comb for Jersey Woolies, American Fuzzy Lops, or other breeds with wool like Lionheads or Angoras.

I wouldn’t recommend this brush for young bunnies, fine-furred Rex breeds, or rabbits with very sensitive skin. Although the metal tines are rounded at the tip, they could still poke your rabbit if it struggled or tear very sensitive skin.  

What We Like:

  • Versatile comb works effectively on most rabbit breeds.
  • The rubber bands on the tines collect hair and then come off for easy cleaning.
  • Great for detangling mats on wooled breeds.
  • It’s purple. I mean, if you know me, this is always a plus.  🙂

What We Don’t Like:

  • The manufacturer isn’t clear on whether “rubber bands” are made of natural rubber latex or not; could be an issue for those with latex allergies. 
  • Tines could tear the skin of baby rabbits.
  • Will damage coats of Mini Rex, Rex, or Velveteen Lops.

Best Brush for Rex and Baby Rabbits – Bodhi Shampoo Brush

Star Rating:5.0⭐
Price Range:$
Material: TPR rubber
Best for:Breeds with thinner coats, baby rabbits, rex rabbits

The Bodhi Shampoo Brush is perfect for baby or Rex rabbits that can’t tolerate a metal comb. It’s a soft brush made of thermoplastic rubber (sounds fancy, huh?) that will gently remove dead hairs. There’s zero risk of injuring any rabbit with this soft silicone-like brush. It fits comfortably onto your hand and isn’t too large or overwhelming for baby bunnies. It’s also very affordable.

Remember, even though rex bunnies have shorter fur than most rabbits, they can still get hairballs if they aren’t groomed during molting! This brush will clear dead hairs and helps you bond with your bunny over a gentle massage. 

What We Like:

  • Gentle enough to use on the face and ears of all bunnies.
  • Great for rex-furred breeds.
  • Works well for rabbits with sensitive skin that can’t tolerate metal combs.
  • Award-winning product from a family-owned company.
  • Affordably priced and will hold up for years with care.

What We Don’t Like:

  • May fill up with dead fur quickly if using it on a large rabbit.
  • Ineffective at detangling.
  • Harder to clean than a metal comb.

Best Massage Brush – Sene Pet Grooming Gloves

Star Rating:4.5⭐
Price Range:$$
Material:Silicone
Best for: Everyday use (not during a molt) for all breeds.

The thing I love about pet grooming gloves is you can make them part of your daily bunny bonding routine without risking damage to a rabbit’s coat. 

The Sene Grooming Gloves are the best silicone grooming mitts for rabbits that I’ve seen. They have more, finer bristles than competitors’ products, and the bristles extend to the fingertips of the gloves. This means you can use a finger to stroke your rabbit’s face or the sensitive areas around its ears and smooth the fur there. 

These gloves are made of nice thick hypoallergenic silicone and hold up to washing well. Wearing these gloves, you can massage your bunny of any breed, building your relationship while also gently removing pesky dead hairs.

What We Like:

  • Suitable for all breeds.
  • Can be used on delicate areas like your rabbit’s face, ears, and feet.
  • Includes right and left-hand gloves.

What We Don’t Like:

  • Rabbits might feel threatened if you approach them with these gloves on. Acclimate them slowly.
  • Large gloves may be awkward to use on very small bunnies.
  • Won’t detangle mats or adequately groom wool breed coats.

Most Affordable Rabbit Brush – Kaytee Pro Slicker Brush

Star Rating: 4.0⭐
Price Range:$
Material:Silicone
Best for:Everyday use (not during a molt) for all breeds.

The Kaytee Pro Slicker brush is a standby item in rabbit care. I remember using this brush on my rabbits as a kid. It’s pretty good at removing dead hair and working through minor tangles.

It works best on rabbits with “flyback” coats – fur that’s smooth, medium-length, and not too thick. These breeds include Himalayan, Dutch, and Polish.

The bristles on this brush could scratch the skin of very young or sensitive rabbits. They are too harsh for rex-furred breeds, but they aren’t strong enough to work through really thick rabbit coats. Still, for less than $10, it’s a decent option for many breeds.

What We Like:

  • Good general-use brush.
  • Easy to find in stores or online.
  • Proven by decades of use on bunnies.

What We Don’t Like:

  • Widely-spaced bristles don’t collect as much dead hair as a silicone option.
  • Can pull at very difficult mats instead of detangling them.
  • Will damage very soft bunny coats if used daily.

Best for Matted Rabbit Coats – Pecute Pet Dematting Tool 2 Pack

Star Rating:4.5⭐
Price Range:$$
Material:TPR Rubber and Metal
Best for: Dematting and cleaning rescue rabbits.

Unless you’re rescuing a neglected rabbit or your bunny got a chance to run and play in some serious mud, you probably won’t need this hardcore dematting tool. But, just in case, this affordable tool two-pack can tackle any mess that a rabbit coat may get itself into.

Made of strong metal with a rubberized handle, the dematting rake has rounded tips to avoid hurting your rabbit’s skin while working on tough knots.

You can start with the wide side of the rake with 12 teeth, then progress to the finer side with 24 teeth, and finally use the detangling comb to smooth the last knots.

What We Like:

  • Progressively smaller teeth to gently work through tangles in wool or fur.
  • Rubberized handles, so it’s comfortable to hold for long periods while you work slowly.
  • Comb is a good solution for removing fur on molting rabbits even if they aren’t matted.

What We Don’t Like:

  • The dematting tool shouldn’t be necessary in most cases.
  • Metal teeth can poke delicate bunny skin.

What Is the Best Brush for Pet Rabbits?

In most cases, the best brush for pet rabbits is a medium-toothed comb. We love the Small Pet Select Hair Buster comb because it not only removes dead hair but collects it neatly on rubberized bands for easy cleaning.

What are the different types of rabbit brushes available?

There aren’t a lot of grooming tools made specifically for rabbits, so bunny owners rely on products designed for cats or dogs. While rabbit fur is softer than dog hair, certain dog grooming tools can work well on bunnies when used properly. Some of the main types of grooming tools for bunnies include:

  • Metal Combs. Combs with rounded stainless steel teeth are the best at working through thick rabbit fur or even wool.
  • Slicker Brush. A slicker brush is a square-headed brush with a “pincushion” surface and thinly spaced metal bristles. It does a decent job of detangling and smoothing out short rabbit fur.
  • Silicone or Rubber Brushes. These have short, soft, and often dense bristles that cling to lose hair without scratching the rabbit’s skin. Silicone brushes may be built into a mitt you can wear on your hand.
  • Dematting Tools. These heavy-duty metal combs have built-in cutters to work through dirty and knotted hair.
  • Blower. The most effective tool for grooming Angora rabbits with long wool coats is a blower, like a hairdryer with no heat. This helps the soft fibers separate without damaging them and removes any dandruff.

The Best Rabbit Brush for Short Haired vs Long Haired Breeds

The best type of brush for each rabbit will depend on its fur type. 

Rex. Rex rabbits have unusually short dense fur less than 1” in length. Rex fur stands nearly upright and frequent brushing will damage the structure of the coat. You should only use silicone or rubberized brushes on Rex, Mini Rex, and Velveteen rabbits.

hair brush for Rex rabbit

Short fine hair. Rabbit breeders say that bunnies with short fine hair have “flyback” coats. These are sleek and glossy with prominent guard hairs. They don’t need much grooming, but a silicone brush can help remove dead fur during a molt. These breeds include the Dutch, Polish, Californian, and Satin.

Short thick hair. Breeds with short thick hair are said to have “rollback” coats. These are usually longer than flyback coats and are usually around 1 ½” long. They have fluffy prominent undercoats that will be improved with regular grooming. A soft brush may not be as effective on these coats, so a slicker brush or metal comb will work better. These breeds include the Holland Lop, Mini Lop, Flemish Giant, and Silver Fox.

short thick hair flemish giant rabbit

Long coarse hair.  Breeds with relatively coarse, relatively short “wool” include the Jersey Wooly, American Fuzzy Lop, and Lionhead. Use a medium-toothed metal comb to keep these breeds looking trim.

long coarse hairjersey wooly rabbit

Long fine hair. Angora rabbits have wool that can grow to be 8 inches long! Like a fancy poodle, these bunnies need specialized grooming regimens including brushing, combing, trimming, and blowing.

hair brush for angora rabbit

How Often Should You Brush a Rabbit?

Rabbits lick themselves all over multiple times a day, so most short-haired bunnies don’t need daily help with their grooming. 

Brushing a rabbit with a metal comb can break the hair if you do it too often. However, you can use a soft rubber mitt or brush on your rabbit daily to keep its coat fresh and enjoy the grooming experience without doing damage. 

Rabbits lick themselves all over

Rabbits don’t shed very much from day to day. But once or twice a year they go through a complete change of coat called a “molt.”  

During a molt, you should brush your rabbit 1-2 times a day to clear out loose hairs and prevent a rabbit from swallowing them.

Rabbits can get a blockage of fur in their digestive tract, like cats. But unlike cats, rabbits physically cannot vomit the hairballs – prevention is the only cure.

Rabbits with long hair, called wool, should be groomed 2-4 times per week to keep their hair from tangling.

If you see any bedding, shavings, or other debris caught in your Lionhead or Angora’s wool, be sure to pick it out right away before mats form around it.

Special-needs bunnies that can’t groom themselves may also need more frequent brushing.

Closing Thoughts

Since rabbits don’t need frequent baths or brushing, the grooming routine for a pet rabbit is simple and pleasurable. Unless you have an Angora rabbit or a disabled bunny that can’t groom itself, you don’t need a lot of fancy tools. 

The combination of a metal comb like the HairBuster Grooming Comb and a rubber brush like the Bodhi Brush, along with a simple pair of nail trimmers, make a great rabbit-ready grooming kit that every bunny owner should keep handy.

Ellyn Eddy

AUTHOR

Ellyn has been rescuing, raising, and writing about rabbits for two decades and loves to help others discover the joy of rabbit care. Her favorite rabbit color is black. She thinks the cutest part of a bunny is the fluffy space right between its ears.

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