kicking

[rhix]

my rabbit kicks alot and everytime i pick him up he kicks mei have had him for two years .

i once got kicked in the eye by him and had to go to the doctors and have eye drops for a week !!

can anyone help me??????

 

[aurora369]

Is this when you are trying to pick him up? And if it is what technique are you using when picking him up?

What I used to do when I was a young child was put a towel on theground and get bunny in the middle, then wrap bunny up intowel. That way bunny is all snuggled in a "bunny burrito"and won't hurt themselves or you.

Also, changing hutch/cage design so that you don't have to pick them upto take them out will help as well. Most bunnies doen't liketo be picked up as it makes them think they are being eaten by apredator.

The most reccommended technique for picking up a bun is one hand firmlyon the bottom and one hand under the chest. In one firmscooping motion, bring the rabbit to your chest. Make suretummy and feet are firmly on your chest, it gives them a sense ofsecurity.

--Dawn

 

[rhix]

yep it is wen i pick him up and i do use thattechnique you just told me but he still kicks hes a really panickyrabbit is there anything i can give him to calm him down???????????

thanx for your help

rhiannon

 

[pinksalamander]

I've tried holding my bunny in a towel and itreally doesn't help, because i can't get a proper grip on him and hejust scrabbles out of the towel. However, i find just squiding him intomy bossom/chest and then putting my face right up against him andtalking to him helps. I breathe on him and kiss is head when i walkwith him and he doesn't scrabble as much.

 

[rhix]

wow good idea i will try that

thanx

 

[pamnock]

The more firmly and securely he is held, theless he will kick. Also make sure to face him "butt first"towards the cage, as he will be less likely to kick.

Try covering him and holding him with a towel to make him feel more secure.

He will also be more likely to kick if he finds that he can get awaywith it and get put down. Work with him daily - be firm - butbe careful not to hurt him. Rabbits can break their backswith a sudden, powerful kick, so it is imperitive that you learn tohandle him properly. The "football hold" is common - slidehim headfirst into your left elbow where he'll feel secure.

If the rabbit is struggling, squat down and hold it firmly in your lapso you don't drop it. Regain control of the rabbit beforereturning to a standing position.

Pam

 

[rhix]

ok thankyou for that i will try that

xx

 

[Smelly]

Things that helped me:

Carrying with their eyes covered.

Resting them on shoulder.

Only lifting them a foot or two above the ground for quick transportation.

Idunno... somehow they got to trusting me to the point that Icould play catch with them if I wanted to (never did but I could Ibet). Too gradual to point anything out.

 

[Pipp]

:yeahthat

Especially the less than a foot off the ground part and building trust,and covering the eyes is recommended by a lot of pros and works on alot of bunnies.

I can't do the towel thing with my dwarf, she's way too zippy, but Ifind if Iscoop her up in one quick motion with my handcradling her lower back and butt with herbackfeetin the air (she's almost upside down with my handsupporting her lower back), she's only kicking air. Andanyway, she's too surprised (or paralyzed) to even thinkabout fighting itfor the first 5seconds, which isusually long enough to get her where she needs to go. (And asSmelly noted,as close to the ground as possible).Putting her against my shoulder works, or pullingher backagainst my stomachwith myhand firmly on herchest. She's got my body on one side and my hand onthe otherfirmly keeping her immobile.

Dill is a (or was) a holy terror to pick up, butusing thatsame method, I'd still have the initial lull. Hefreezes for a few seconds. But then he startspractically convulsing. Instead of struggling or kicking likenormal bunnies, he does these little explosions a few secondsapart. The above works for him as well, but I really have tobe careful. I also have to pay a lot more attention to hishead. He bites!

The bigger guys aren't as easy as the little guys --they'renot as sociable and there's more bunny than hand -- but it's mainly thecatching part, not the holding part, that's hard. I can'talways get them into the position to scoop their back legs out fromunder them like I do with the little guys. But wemanage.

sas and the squirmy gang of five:bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance: