Help on handling a young rabbit who hates being picked up?

[sarah92lynn]

I need some ideas on how to get my bunny to at least tolerate being picked up...
I try to only pick her up when I need to which probably doesnt help but I feel like shes gonna hate me! She does ok when she actually gets picked up but once she realizes she is getting put back down she starts to freak out. She is only a few months old. Any advice helps!

 

[fuzz16]

f you put your hand over his eyes so he doesnt see himself going up, and maybe wrapping a towell around him t will help.
she may not feel as well supported as you put her down which is why she struggles, she gets scared. still being a baby, it can hurt your bonding with her to scare her by picking her up

 

[LakeCondo]

Hold her against your body until she's almost back down, then let her go quickly onto a soft surface such as her litter box or dig box. Do it when you don't need to pick her up. Hold her for a couple minutes, then put her down & give her a treat that you have in your pocket.

 

[sarah92lynn]

Thanks for the help guys :] picked her up a couple times today using both your methods and it seems to help!!

 

[Little_LongEared_Lover2931]

My rabbit does the same thing. She is fine is I pick her up slowly and cover her eyes. But when I put her down she starts to kick and claw but that is so unsafe for her.

My solution is after I pick her up to pet her, trim her nails, ect. I put her in a basket. She does really well. She hops in the basket I lower her down and she hops out into her cage.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

The advice on covering the eyes and holding the bunny close to you when setting her down, then giving her a treat is good! What I do with new bunnies that don't like being picked up or put down is "practice" picking them up and putting them down a few times a day until they get used to it. You may not want to try this and I'd only do it with a bunny who seems to like you already and isn't afraid of you, but what I do is not set the bunny down until it stops struggling. So, set bunny down, if he wiggles, lift him back up and pet him and soothe him. Then try to set him down again and only actually put him down if he doesn't wiggle while you do it. This works pretty well for me, but like I said, I'd only do it with a bunny that feels comfortable with you otherwise and of course wouldn't make the bunny do it 10 times or anything if he kept wiggling each time!

 

[sarah92lynn]

Wow thanks guys! This is all very helpful. I was able to out her down today without her struggling. YAY! She still needs a lot of work but you guys are helping tremendously :]
I'm pretty sure she feels comfortable around me. She hangs out with me on my bed and climbs all over me! She also lets me pet her pretty much whenever I want unless she thinks I'm going to pick her up..but hopefully that will change soon! Thanks again!!

 

[KaliQ]

This is helpful to me also with my bunny! Last night my husband picked her up and she didn't struggle too much when he put her down, but then stretched out on the floor and was breathing pretty heavily like she was scared. She was fine with being picked up when we first brought her home but I think got used to not being held when she was big enough to get out of her cage on her own. We're planning on working with her more often so she gets used to it. Thanks everyone!

 

[sarah92lynn]

Hey guys, I have been working with Lilly since the day I started this thread and she has made a little progress but she still runs away when she thinks she is going to be picked up. She also wiggles around and kicks sometimes as well. I make sure to cover her eyes when she is getting picked up and put back down, and give her a piece of a treat almost every time after she gets put down. Should I be seeing more progress by now?

 

[LakeCondo]

They can be very slow to change behaviors. Don't be discouraged.

 

[sarah92lynn]

Thanks, that makes me feel better. =) I just feel bad because I know how scared she is every time she gets picked up. I look at her eyes when I'm holding her and they are always soo wide and it makes me sad!

 

[MiniLopHop]

It can also depend on your bun's personality. I have to chase Gary around every time to pick him up, but he thinks it's a great game. Run over here and mom chases me, binky over there and mom chases me..... The binkies make me pretty sure he thinks it is a game. I end up needing to corner him. Once I get my hands on the little rascle he's perfectly calm and knows he will get a treat. If I don't produce the treat fast enough he will make the sweetest little squeek like he's saying, I'm just a baby, don't eat me, or feel sorry for me and give me my snack! Silly boy

I also use the technique when putting them down to get onto the floor on my knees so I can slide them down my body to the floor. That way they have hands under them and body to the side the whole way down. It seems to help them feel more secure.

Keep up the great work! It's importatant they feel comfortable being handled so it's less stressful going to the vet.

 

[LindseyG]

I have a few that struggle and what I do is put them down/back in their cage backwards. It really works. They don't see the cage/ground coming and they are calm.

 

[sarah92lynn]

Ohhh, great methods guys. I'll work those into the routine =) You guys are so much help!! Thank you!

 

[MyBabyHasPaws]

MiniLopHop wrote:

It can also depend on your bun's personality. I have to chase Gary around every time to pick him up, but he thinks it's a great game. Run over here and mom chases me, binky over there and mom chases me..... The binkies make me pretty sure he thinks it is a game. I end up needing to corner him. Once I get my hands on the little rascle he's perfectly calm and knows he will get a treat. If I don't produce the treat fast enough he will make the sweetest little squeek like he's saying, I'm just a baby, don't eat me, or feel sorry for me and give me my snack! Silly boy

I also use the technique when putting them down to get onto the floor on my knees so I can slide them down my body to the floor. That way they have hands under them and body to the side the whole way down. It seems to help them feel more secure.

Keep up the great work! It's importatant they feel comfortable being handled so it's less stressful going to the vet.

Thats what i do too! It works well.. Oreo hates being picked up and always struggles going down. I hold her agains my body.. then get down on my knees, slowly slide her down to my legs and just direct her to hop in her cage. Works awesome!

I want to try the basket thing! That might work well too!