Talk softly to your bunny as you clean her to help her stay calm.
Bunnies that bite are usually bunnies that are sick, scared or not used to being handled. Bunnies need regular veterinary care just like other domesticated animals, so take your bunny to a vet to rule out any health or behavioral issues that may be making the animal bite. If your bunny is given a clean bill of health and still bites, there are a number of ways you can safely care for the feeding and cleaning of your bunny without risk of bite injuries.
Instructions
1. Employ the help of another person, if possible, to help with the cleaning process. While most bunnies are good at self-cleaning, a bunny that is neglecting its hygiene or is covered in dirt or fecal material will need help getting clean.
2. Assemble your cleaning supplies near the bunny cage. These include a wash cloth and a bucket of warm water with an appropriate amount of animal shampoo mixed in. Follow the shampoo manufacturer's guidelines on appropriate water-to-shampoo ratios.
3. Put on your welding gloves as well as thick, protective clothing such as a sweatshirt, jeans and boots.
4. Sit on the floor near your bunny cage, open the door and wait for it to come to you. Entice it with a long piece of celery if necessary. Once the bunny is eating its snack, quickly grasp it by the nape of its neck, lift it off the ground and use your other hand to secure its hind feet together.
5. Have your assistant wet the wash cloth with the warm soapy water and begin gently washing the bunny using smooth, light strokes, rewetting the cloth as needed. If you are cleaning your bunny alone, cover its back and shoulders from behind with a thick towel or blanket and swaddle it firmly so it can't wiggle around. This approach should immobilize the bunny's head, making it hard to bite. You can then use your less dominant arm to brace the bunny's front legs and chest, and use the other hand to reach under the blanket to wash. The bunny may kick and thrash, but the gloves and protective clothing should keep both you and the bunny from getting injured.
6. Move the wet bunny to a clean cage or ventilated enclosure while you clean the dirty cage. Chances are, if a bunny is dirty, its cage needs cleaning as well. Remove waste and debris from the cage, then wipe down the walls and floor with wet paper towels. Dry the cage thoroughly and line it with several inches of timothy hay or other appropriate bedding material.
7. Move the bunny's temporary enclosure or cage next to its clean cage and open both doors. You may need to lure the bunny into its cage with a snack or treat. If the bunny won't go into the cage on its own, put on your welding gloves and pick the bunny up by the scruff of its neck and place it in its clean cage.
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