Question
I know that I have to clip my cat's nails every now and again, and that got me wondering about my sister's rabbit - does its nails have to be clipped as well? Can we use the same style of nail clippers on the rabbit as she has for her cat?
For reference, the cat's nail clippers look like this:
Answer
A rabbits nails will wear down if there are appropriate surfaces and activities available, such as digging holes, to enable that. Without that, which is generally pretty much the case for all house rabbits, you do need to maintain them yourself.
Generally, the easiest way to do this is the bunny burrito (wrap them in a nice towel to hold them) and clip using the cat clippers you show, these are perfectly fine. Press gently on the foot pads to expose the nail and be very careful to avoid clipping the quick. It's probably a wise idea to have some styptic handy such as Kwik Stop, just in case you do, that will stop any bleeding fast.
Take your time with this. The bunny isn't going to like it, but if you do it regularly and get it used to it, then it gets easier. Ours hated it, but it's necessary, so don't give up on it.
Answered By - Joanne C