Rabbit Grooming Tables

All pet rabbits need regular grooming, but long-haired rabbits need this more than short-haired rabbits. It's easiest to brush your rabbit on a raised flat surface, such as commercially sold rabbit grooming tables, which are really small show dog or cat grooming tables. You can also make your own rabbit grooming table.

  1. Time Frame

    • Rabbits are prone to hairballs, which are caused by swallowing any loose fur when they clean themselves. Brushing the loose fur off once a week can help cut down on hairballs, as well as make your rabbit clean. Some long-haired breeds, like the Angora, should be brushed or combed once a day, unless their long coats are trimmed. Use of a grooming table can help train the rabbit to stay still during grooming time.

    Types

    • Rabbit tables come in a variety of sizes with various features. Some are round and some are square. Some can be folded up flat like a card table and some cannot. The ones left in a permanent standing position can have a rotating table top or drawers so you can store grooming supplies like brushes, combs, nail clippers and mite spray. The main feature they all have in common is a flat top with a comfortable material so the rabbit will not slide around as you brush him.

    History

    • Rabbit grooming tables came out of a demand for a small table for show rabbits. Rabbits have been shown competitively as a hobby since the 1800s. The rules for rabbit showing are the same as for dog or cat showing in that the rabbits are judged against the breed standard and not against each other. The rabbits need to look their best before they enter competition, which means a quick brushing before being placed in their cages for judging.

    Expert Insight

    • If you don't show your rabbits, you can easily make your own rabbit grooming table from items around the house. An old towel can be thrown over a small, sturdy coffee table, heavy boxes or even a toilet with the lid down to make a makeshift grooming platform. Lift the rabbit up and turn the rabbit around to groom the other side. Some rabbits panic when you lean over them.

    Size

    • Rabbit tables should be at least a couple of feet tall, but can be taller. If you do not know how your rabbit will react on a grooming table, keep the rabbit close to the ground so she won't be hurt from a fall. In 2008, professionally made pet grooming tables ranged in price between 50 and 150 U.S. dollars.