I can’t pick him up!

[Fluffybunny84]

Hi there, so we have had Ralph for well over a month and he pretty much spends most of his day out of his cage, doing his own bunny thing. He is really inquisitive and is always hopping round us (doesn’t hang around long to be stroked but hey, that’s just how he is) I’ve always known he doesn’t like being picked up and have only done it when really necessary. He absolutely panics and it is so hard to keep a hold of him as he is so silky he just slips out my hands whilst kicking like crazy. I don’t put him through it and just get him where I need using treats and gentle herding!! So tomorrow He goes to the vet for the nurse to take a look at him to see if he is big enough to be castrated. I’m am so worried! Mainly how on earth am I going to keep him on the table for her to look at him, he will be so, so stressed! I can just imagine him leaping away and me having to catch him. I tried to pick him up as a bit of a practice this morning and I just couldn’t get a hold of him…I didn’t want to chase him round so have left it for now. Any advice from anyone with similar experience? Thanks!

[Tony's Mum]

I can’t really speak from experience, because I haven’t tried it out yet, but Tony is the same and has his first vet’s visit today. I have a plan to keep him secure.

I bought a pet carrier with a leash attachment inside, and a little bunny harness/leash that I will put on Tony and attach to the carrier. He will NOT be happy, and getting the harness on him wasn’t easy the one time I tried it (had to be quick and kind of push him down by the shoulders a little to hold him in place on the floor while I scooped it under his front paws (I actually practiced putting it on my foot a few times first so I’d be as quick as I could lol), but at least this way he can’t fly out of the carrier the second I open it and end up falling off the table or something, plus I think it’ll make the examination easier because he won’t be able to run off as easily.

I find it easier to hold Tony still than pick him up, so I figure once I hold him long enough to get the harness on, I can just (hopefully) walk or bribe him into the carrier on the floor, and when he gets to the vet’s he’ll be secure inside and if he does try to escape, he shouldn’t get too far.

My biggest fear is him escaping and getting hurt so I’m hoping my prisoner-transportation style plan works! His appointment is later this afternoon, so I’ll let you know how I get on

[Beatrice]

I had the same problem! When i got her I was so afraid to pick her up because she was so tiny, naughty and she was kicking of course and i couldn’t stand the thought that she might slip from my hands and fall down … When i had to take her for the first time to the vet the night before i was sooo nervous that i couldn’t sleep… I had the same thoughts as you have…Fortunately when we arrived the doc was so mild and his moves where so smooth that she stayed still…He put her upon a velvet cloth and everything went well…All the time i was speaking to her and petting her head.When he checked her genitalia he asked me to hold her front legs up and my hands were shaking…He observed that and at the end he advised me to gain a little confidence as a pet owner. He was absolutely right. He show me ways how to hold her safe when i pick her up and since then everything is fine…Imagine that now I lift her with one hand 😀
It’s pretty reasonable to afraid when we hold in our hands something so fragile, so petite as these little cutties<3<3!!!

[Vienna Blue in France]

Hi Tony’s mum and welcome

I used to have to herd my bun with an open transport carrier into a corner and the only way she could stop being ‘squashed’ against the wall by the carrier was to take a step forward into the carrier… d’Oh ! Much less stress. Yay!
Luckily since bunny bonding camp where the lady picked her up (almost as a surprise and with no fuss and didn’t take any nonsense), I can now pick her up with the minimum of fuss to transport her somewhere -like into a cage, or the garden!).

I am a bit concerned about a leash attachment inside the carrier, or maybe I’ve misunderstood…. does this mean the animal is attached with a leash insde the carrier ?? Surely not…. Sounds very dangerous to me, turning aruond in the carrier and it getting twisted.

Just saying – though more than likely I have misunderstood..

Fluffy bunny – vets are used to non-co-operating bunnies and cats and your bun will prob surprise you by being good as gold in the new, strange environment !!

[BunnyFriends]

Prisoner transportation LOL

Fluffybunny – You just described Licorice.

Getting them in the carrier is hardest, but you didn’t seem concerned so I guess you have a plan for that. Anyway, when I took Licorice to the vet for mites he was super stressed and mostly stayed in his carrier with the top open till the vet needed him out. I just stroked him while he was in the carrier and if he peeked out I gently pushed his head back down. When they wanted him out the vet lifted him (Miracle worker!!) and put him on the scale. He did wiggle a bit but they had him very under control and actually restricting him with their hands wasn’t necessary.

So basically, at the vets it’s quite simple and you probably won’t need to deal with it. Just keep him in the carrier till needed out, then the vet pretty much has it. And you could always explain you can’t pick him up. Lots of rabbits are like that and they vets have experience with them.

[Limit]

I must be lucky, both mine go straight in the carrier when I put it down Trained bunnies? I think yes!

[Mikey]

Im not sure if this works for all rabbits, but my vet found a way to calm my panic bun. She would secure him in her arms, then cover his eyes with either her arm or her hand. When he couldnt see anything, he calmed down. She would spend the next few minutes petting him and reassuring him that it was ok, and when she uncovered his eyes, he would be as calm as normal

[Fluffybunny84]

Thank you so much for your replies everyone. So I’m glad I’m not the only one at least! Great ideas and suggestions, I am hopeful that once he is up and held against my chest he will be still…but it’s just getting him up there!

Thankfully he is a greedy boy and happily follows a couple of treats into his carrier! Wish me luck everyone!

[Tony's Mum]

Hey ViennaBlue; no, it’s a little leash inside the carrier, but he’s not attached to it when he’s inside. It’s kind of hard to describe. It’s attached to the roof of the carrier and just before you open the carrier, you lift a panel and stick your hand it and pop it on to his harness so that when you open the door he can’t bolt. I guess you could leave it attached while he’s moving too, but I didn’t, I was already worried enough about him getting tangled in the harness. Lucky for us, the vet is literally about three minutes away so he wasn’t inside for long.

The real issue with Tony is he’s quite nervous and really hates being handled (unless it’s on his own terms, like headrubs etc), so I knew the second I opened the door of the carrier he would make a break for it, and I was extremely worried he’d fall off the table, or escape the room and a dog would get him. He’s extremely strong and big and fast, and we live in a fairly rural area so there’s a lot of people with big hunting dogs around here. It might be extreme paranoia on my behalf, but rather safe (and under lockdown) than sorry!

We just got back from the vets (which was full of dogs- we waited in the car until the vet was ready for us- on her recommendation), and my prisoner transportation unit thing worked pretty well, the vet thought it was hilarious at first but after he tried to bolt and she realised how strong he was, she decided it was actually a pretty genius idea lol. She handled him very well and he calmed down a little, although he was still very wriggley when she was examining his bum and legs and sexing him. He was a lot easier to keep hold of with the harness though, but I’m not sure if that was a mental thing. I feel like he didn’t try to struggle as much with it on because he knew he wouldn’t get far… But also, it’s a lot grippier than his fur, so he didn’t slip as much as he does when you try to hold regular silky bunny. I wouldn’t put it on him in any other situation, but when the alternative is him falling off the vet’s table and getting really hurt, I think it’s worth it.

[Azerane]

Just warn the vet before you let him out that you have trouble handling him and struggle to hold him. For me, I’ve always found the most effective way to keep them on the table is one hand on the head (so they can’t go forward) and one hand firmly on the butt (so they can’t go backwards). Then you can also give their head a little scratch at the same time too

[Fluffybunny84]

Hi everyone, just thought of update…the visit to the vet nurse went quite well really! He panicked at first and was difficult to hold while she tried to sex him and check him out down there, we ended up crouched in the floor so he couldn’t fall. Once I had him cradled with his head in my arm he totally calmed down and she was able to cut all his nails, check his teeth and weigh him…amazing! Would never have thought we’d get all that done! Thanks for all your help and advice!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Glad he made out well My bunnies are usually so freaked out at the vet they just freeze on the table and I have no problems.

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