This guy was my guinea pig, I’ll bet you thought he was a rabbit

Recently I bought myself a KBTatts tattoo pen, so I could keep better track of my rabbits. Today it was put to use for the first time. This hybrid buck was my first test subject, and was bundled up into a towel snugly so he couldn’t move. His left ear was swabbed with rubbing alcohol, his number was stenciled in with a sharpie, and I gave the stencil a thin coating of coconut oil since I don’t have petroleum jelly. Then it was just a matter of going over the lines until the desired thickness was achieved. This little trooper didn’t even flinch once!

My first tattoo, folks

My protocol with ID tattoos will be an A for my rabbitry, followed by the year the rabbit was born, followed by the number of rabbit they are to be tattooed that year. So this guy got A151.

A pair of Standard Rex kits have been reserved, so they were next. The blue otter buck went first with minimal flinching and became A152.

Looking handsome

Possibly you notice something peeking out from the right ear? Normally the right ear is reserved for ARBA identification if the rabbit gets registered. However my customer wasn’t too concerned with showing her rabbits so she had a special request for their right ears…

A little heart. So both these cuties go home with something extra special.

Even the little six week old tortoiseshell doe was very good for her tattoos. I don’t think they feel very much during the tattooing, but they were very happy to be back in their cages with fresh treats after their ordeal.

I’m so glad to finally have my own tattoo machine so I can keep proper records. It’s a bit more work than a clamp style tattoo machine and requires a steady hand, but I think it’s more comfortable for the rabbit. I’ve seen the clamps in use and most rabbits will really jump when you clamp down. Also, I’ve seen those kinds of tattoos fade over the years. Hopefully these will stay nice and legible. If not, I can always touch them up.