Rabbit Breeding

According to the rules of any ARBA show, a rabbit is required to have an identifying tattoo clearly visible in its’ left ear. Those new to showing rabbits may be nervous about doing this, but with care and practice it is possible to do this yourself. Many people ask if it hurts the animal. The answer is yes, but only for a few seconds. Just like when a human gets their ears pierced. 

Rabbit Tattoo pliers are readily available in most pet supply stores, and are fairly easy to use. Here are a few tips that may be helpful:

• Practice with the pliers before you begin. Place the numbers or letters into the pliers then clamp down on a piece of paper or cardboard. It is easy to end up with 13 when you really wanted 31. Checking this way avoids mistakes later

• Wipe your rabbit’s ear with rubbing alcohol to clean the surface of oils. This helps the ink adhere to the skin.

• Examine the ear. You should not place a tattoo near any of the larger blood vessels. There will almost always be some bleeding involved, but applying gentle but direct pressure to the area should stop it quickly. 

• Get help. Ideally rabbit tattooing should be a two person job. Wrap your bunny in a towel, so that just his face and ears are showing, then have a friends hold and talk to him to keep him as calm as possible.

• Actually clamping down is always the hardest part. No one wants to think that they are inflicting pain on their furry friend. Try to focus on completing the task as quickly and efficiently as possible. Release the pliers immediately after clamping down and the hardest part is over. 

• After you have given your rabbit a few seconds to calm down check his ear. The tattoo should look like a series of little dots.

• When applying the tattoo ink you can use something as simple as a toothbrush or a Q Tip. Fortunately most rabbits don’t mind this part of the procedure.

If you are very nervous, have a vet of breeder help you through the first tattoo session. But with a little practice you should be just fine.