Most rabbits shed twice a year: once in the spring, and once in the fall. I’ve read it’s also possible for some rabbits to be in a permanent state of molting. Unfortunately, my rabbit falls into that second category.
Walter first began shedding a few months ago. He got the signature “Dracula” markings on his forehead, and it moved slowly from there onto his back, where it then spread sideways down towards his belly. The whole process took several weeks, and was hell on our apartment’s cleanliness – and on my allergies.
Just as I thought we could finally put the broom away, I noticed the Dracula lines once again forming on his face. A week or so later, the division between new and old fur crept onto his back. And so the process began again.
I wonder if this is a nutrition or sunlight thing. I read somewhere that lighter-colored rabbits need exposure to more sunlight than dark-furred bunnies. Is this true? If so, could a lack of sunlight contribute to constant shedding? It seems like a silly question to ask, but if the difference between Walter shedding every day of the year and not is simply opening the blinds of the window more often, then perhaps it’s worth it.
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