Moulting
A rabbit moult 2-4 times per year - often two heavy moults and two lighter. However some - especially indoor rabbits, simply moult non stop in a heavy/light cycle. Their colour can change quite dramatically during this time.
Grooming should be a regular part of your rabbit husbandry, but during moult this is absolutely essential to ensure your rabbit doesn't ingest more fur than its guts can safely process. If too much fur is ingested, this can lead to a blockage which is often fatal.
"A healthy rabbit will usually change her coat twice a year. If all things are normal, the shed areas will regrow fur as the old coat falls out.
Some unfortunate rabbits seem to shed all the time. This may be due to inbreeding causing a problem with the normal genetic response to day length and other seasonal cues, or to too much artificial lighting disrupting the rabbit's normal Circadian rhythms.
In any case, when your rabbit sheds, even during a normal shed cycle, there are certain things that you, the caregiver, can do to make sure the shed is uneventful and comfortable for your bunny."
Fur Loss and Skin Problems in Rabbits: Common Causes and Treatments - Dana Krempels
"As all rabbit owners are aware, rabbits moult (often referred to as shedding) regularly. Initially when rabbits are young, their baby coat is replaced at around 5 months by a transitional coat. After this, the rabbit’s adult coat will develop and from here on, rabbits generally moult twice a year (Spring and Autumn). However, domestic rabbits are kept in very different conditions to wild rabbits. Therefore domestic rabbits seem to have a more variable moulting pattern. Some rabbits and especially house rabbits will appear to moult almost constantly!"
Moulting - RWAF
Moult lines are often quite dramatic and vary widely as you can see demonstrated by Roux and Copper Jack, below !
"Rabbits go through periods of fur growth and renewal beginning at the head and ending with the tail, however, depending on the rabbit, it can also start in other body locations, e.g., the back region; with all shedding varying widely from one rabbit to another"
Varying shedding patterns among rabbits - MediRabbit
So ... How do you get rid of all of that fur???
Some of the tools that I find the most effective for removing excess fur are -
Other ideas -
Wet your hands and stroke your rabbit from head to butt. Your wet skin will grab the loose fur, removing it.Very gently pluck loose fur out - this is especially effective during a heavy moult.
Clipping a long coated rabbit regularly is the kindest and most effective option to keep their coat under control.
WW’s Grooming file.
WW’s Clippers file for info about which clippers work best for rabbits.