I have tried many times with my sister to cut my bunny’s nails. She will NOT allow. We have tried the bunny burrito, wrapping her up in a blanket and putting her on her back, even giving her a treat while we do it. My bunny still jumps every time and makes it very Hard to do so. We have watched YouTube videos and read online but she still won’t let us do it. Every time she moves I feel scared and bad for her so I just let her go. Any help and tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanking you in advance.
Nail trimming
- Thread starter emmaskye
- Start date
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Hi, I've watched many videos on this subject and I do it my own way, I hold my rabbits like a baby to trim their nails on their hind legs, just holding them with my left hand lightly and I hold clippers in my right hand, then I put them between my legs so they are kinda standing between my legs and their paws are on my knee like on a table and do left front paw then turn them to the right so I can see right paw better and trim the rest five. It takes about 2 mins and they are relaxed and I don't have to hold them tightly or wrap or anything. I think you better try to build trust with your bunny first so when she will trust you she will let you do it and she won't be scared. When you are trying to do it forcing her she will get defensive and it is really stressful I wouldn't recommend doing that anymore.
Every rabbit I have enjoys grooming, brushing or nail trimming, even Smokey who was very nervous all the time and she is still very fast moving girl and can move suddenly so I hold her more carefully, she's not biting anymore thankfully.
Every rabbit I have enjoys grooming, brushing or nail trimming, even Smokey who was very nervous all the time and she is still very fast moving girl and can move suddenly so I hold her more carefully, she's not biting anymore thankfully.
s’moresthebunny123
Active Member
If she won’t let you, you might need to take her to the vet where they can do it.
Mehidk
Well-Known Member
It's a battle with my rabbit too. She will be fine when I distract her with some treats but the moment she realizes what happening, it's war and fur goes flying. She is just not a fan of me touching her feet. I have to do one paw, break, another paw, break, etc. It's doable, and I leave her alone afterwards but after half an hour, she comes back to me for treats and kisses so I know she doesn't hate me that much 
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Does your vet offer to trim them? My bun is a nightmare and we took her in one day for a trimming and she was an angel! She just sat there and let the vet do her job which was very surprising, anyways I would recommend checking if your vet can do it for you.
Mehidk
Well-Known Member
Yes, my vet offers it and so does House Rabbit Society HQ. I went to HRS the first time being that I was brand new to owning rabbits and I was shocked at how calm she was compared to me doing them. I spoke to the volunteer and asked what I was doing wrong in my home that would allow her to not want me to do it myself. The volunteer told me that when rabbits are in a unfamiliar territory, they appear calm but they're nervous/scared so that's why they are able to cut them quickly and efficiently. Whereas, when the rabbit is at home, in their own space, they're not afraid because it's their territory and know they can get away. A general comparison she provided was: Think about a child. When a child is at daycare, they listen to the teacher/aid but the moment mommy or daddy picks them up from daycare, they will start acting out because they're with someone familar.
My goal was to do it myself so A) I save money and B) it allows her to get used to me doing it so I don't have to stress her out every 6-8 weeks by taking her in the car.
