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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum BEHAVIOR Tips for picking up your rabbit?

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    • merebear
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        I’m looking for any tips on getting a rabbit more comfortable with the idea of being picked up.

        Our rabbit is very friendly and loves to be pet. He seeks our attention. However, as soon as we slip a hand under his belly to try to pick him up, he leaps away. We know that a rabbit can hurt himself if he kicks while being picked up, so we simply let him hop away. We would like to be able to pick him up not only for the affection but also in instances where we need to move him, if possible.

        Please chime in if you have any tips or similar experience. I can provide more detail about my rabbit if needed.

        Thanks!


      • BinkyMom14
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          My bun is the same way. Sweet as pie and loves pets but hates to be picked up. I have to carry him from his cage to his play pen everyday and the best way for him is the “bunny burrito”. I take a towel and put it on my chest then I grab him and wrap him up. Once he’s wrapped he’s calm but catching him is fun…


        • BellaRabbit
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            I use the burrito too. If you search on youtube there are a lot of tuturials


          • LBJ10
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              Getting your bunny to tolerate being picked up is a good idea for emergency situation purposes. Expecting them to like it? Probably not going to happen. LOL The vast majority of bunnies simply do not like being picked up and I don’t think anyone should try to force it. There are other ways to give your bunny affection. Some bunnies will get up onto a couch/sofa to sit with their owners. They jump up there themselves though. Not every bunny does that though. Leopold will happily come up the dog’s ramp onto the couch to say “hi”. But then he’s off again. LOL

              I did work on getting Leopold used to being picked up though because you don’t want your bunny to be insanely difficult to catch in an emergency situation. Of course this was probably a little easier for me since Leopold is deaf. I can sneak up on him, no problem. What I would do is put my hands on his sides so he knew he was caught. Then I would quickly scoop him up with one hand on his chest and the other on his rear. I would turn him so his feet were on my chest since that seemed to make him feel more comfortable. I would hold him like that for a few seconds, give him a treat, and then I would put him down. I also found a trick to keep him from struggling as I went to put him down. I would kneel down while still holding him to my chest. My thighs became a little platform and I would let him down onto there. Then he would hop down to the floor on his own. Much safer, in my opinion.


            • Flopsie
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                generally speaking, you’ll never get a bunny to like it. You’ll get some of them to tolerate them at best. Note, the ones you see online or instagram in pictures are exceptions to the rule.

                I can’t give you too much feedback because I think bunny temperament is different so it might be different for every bun, but I will say this, when you pick your bun up, make sure you have a firm hold on her. If you hold them too lose, then they will not feel secure and flail. I”m not saying that you need iron grip, because that might harm as well. But they need to feel that they are supported. If you have too loose of a grip, they will likely struggle and fall out of your hands.

                Bring the bunny close to your chest and let the bunny feel secured.

                I find that supporting the legs is a must. Some people cradle the legs, for me, I pinch them together. Not sure if that give a good visual. Basically, I use one hand and wrap my thumb and fingers around the ankle area. When I don’t support their legs, I tend to see her flail. Please make sure you aren’t hurting the bunny as well.

                Lastly, if your bunny struggles, I have found the best thing to do is set her down immediately. If you are struggling and she is flailing and you don’t have a good hold she will get loose and maybe hurt herself.


              • merebear
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                  Thanks everyone. We have had some success with the bunny burrito when trimming his nails. Probably a good option in an emergency too. We had a feeling though that he probably would never like being picked up, which is okay. He is very friendly and does get up on the couch with us from time to time and loves to be pet. We will try some of the tips mentioned to see if we have more luck, if only just to have a more reliable method for moving him when needed.

                  Thank you!


                • Whisky The Bun
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                    Okay, so apparently my bun, Whisky, is really odd in the fact that she loves being picked up and snuggled. Sometimes. I’ve learned (after being scratched badly a couple times) how to get her to relax for being picked up, and how to sense when she’s just not in the mood for snuggles. Since figuring this out, she hasn’t scratched me when I pick her up in weeks. We’re still working on the not scratching when I go to put her back down, but we’re getting there.

                    So what I do, is pet her down her sides with both hands a couple of times before trying to pick her up. She’s getting so that she recognizes this as a signal that I’m going to try to pick her up, and nine times out of ten she puts her chin down on the floor when I do this, like she wants me to keep petting her. Then I slip a hand under her to pick her up. Probably 75% of the time, she lets me pick her up. If not, she hops away a little bit. At that point I try a second time (petting her down her sides a couple times before trying to pick her up), and she almost always lets me pick her up then. If she still hops away, then I leave her alone for a bit.

                    She really is a little snuggle bug though. She loves to snuggle and groom me a couple times a day. She also likes to snuggle with my elderly German Shepherd on the floor.


                  • Jo Leigh
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                      Merlin HATES being picked up. I definitely find that if I cradle him to my chest he feels more secure and doesn’t freak out as much


                    • merebear
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                        Good to know! We will try some of those tips too. It’ll probably just take time for him to get accustomed to it. Thanks!


                      • Usagi1618
                        Participant
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                          I hold my boys for 1-2 two minutes every morning so they got used to being up so high for emergency maneuvering reasons (fire, storms etc). My eldest Charlie’s heart beat doesn’t even race any more but my little one is still getting used to it and nips me still, so I’m still in the OW phase with him so he knows it hurts. my boys love their dried strawberry yum yums. I crinkle the bag and they race to me and i scoop them up and give them a treat. Maybe if you train your bun bun to know the sound of a yum yum nearby? Works for me every time.


                        • merebear
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                            That’s a great idea. He loves parsley and cilantro so maybe we’ll see if that distracts him enough. Thanks!


                          • BunLife
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                              I found that most buns don’t like their feet dangling. As-long as you are not making fast movements you can start by petting them, getting them calm. Then slowly scoop them up with one hand under the bum and the other under there front two paws. NO PAWS DANGLING lol they hate it! which will cause them to freak and try to jump potentially hurting themselves.
                              If you have managed to get them off the floor but are having trouble walking any distance without bunny freakouts then try to keep petting them with your other hand while keeping your hand over their eyes. I do know my girls get less scared when they dont realize whats happening and they are lost in head pats lol


                            • merebear
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                                We have found him to be more calm when his eyes are covered. A good tip for when we really need to pick him up. Thanks!

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                            Forum BEHAVIOR Tips for picking up your rabbit?