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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

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.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Holding Help

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    • OldBunter
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      33 posts Send Private Message

        I’ve seen people holding a rabbit in their lap or in their arms and talk about petting them that way. My two rabbits will come up to me for pets and lay down next to me but abhor being held. (I am making sure to hold them close, give support to their natural curve, but not tight enough to squeeze) How do I get them more accustomed to being held? Only for the sake of grooming, nail trims, and vet visits?  


      • Wick & Fable
        Moderator
        5771 posts Send Private Message

          Mitigating the fear and squirm breaks down to establishing a connection between being picked up and still feeling secure. The rabbit may use a variety of senses to pick up on security/insecurity:

          1) Feet – Are they on a solid object, or are they in the air? If they are properly supported, this will help instill security.
          2) Bottom – Same deal as above; if it’s supported that’s good.
          3) Vision – Thinking about it from the rabbit’s perspective, being held then moving can be vary jarring— the rabbit can see it’s moving, but it’s not in control of that action. Moving slowly while offering reassurance can help, or starting really low and slowly raising.

          Another item is the setting down— if a rabbit knows it will land safely, it will feel better. I find it’s best to put the rabbit down once it’s calm; if you put it down while it’s squirming or struggling, it will associate that that’s the only way it can get down, and that landing is very frantic, making the entire chore of being picked up more terrifying. What I did with Wick is, upon putting him down, I’d keep him there and pet him, to assure him he’s safe on the ground. If he’d squirm out, I’d pick him back up a few centimeters and set him back down gently to try again.

          Small sessions of practice may help, but depending on the rabbit’s personality, tolerance has its limits, and will differ based on each individual rabbit. Most rabbits will not tolerate being picked up for very long/at all, while others will tolerate it. Early exposure can be a big influence, but that does not mean someone with a rabbit who tolerates being held for a long time did a better job than someone who’s rabbit only tolerates it for a few seconds.

          For practice sessions, I suggest just small pick ups, a few inches then feet off the ground, to get the security piece across.

          The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

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      Forum BEHAVIOR Holding Help