NEED HELP

[Kitkatebarr]

I really need help with grooming my bunnies. I have two lop girls both 5 months (live in the same house, different rooms, never come in contact). Currently they are both unspayed, but will be spayed in the next couple months.

I’m having a terribly hard time handling them. I’m completely unable to pick them up. I can’t cut their nails, brush them, anything. I have tried EVERYTHING. Any method that has ever been posted on YouTube or forums, I have tried and failed.

They aren’t agressive bunnies. Nova is free roam and loves to snuggle with me for hours, Nala sleeps in a pen but spends hours a day free in her bedroom. The second we try to cut their nails, they just won’t let us or won’t come near us.

What I don’t get is we’ve been able to cut their nails and what not in the past and it was fine. It’s become such a problem so abruptly. I’m seeing signs of hormones raging in both girls. Is if possible this aggression towards nail trimming is hormone based and will get better once they’re spayed?

They both came from the same breeder. Very nice lady but maybe didn’t keep the best care. We had to treat them both for mites. I don’t know if maybe a neglectful breeder could have something to do with a bunny that refuses to be handled.

I’ve watched hundreds of YouTube videos and get so frustrated when I see someone making a tutorial on how to groom a bunny that stays calm and still. Where are all the videos about the bunnies that refuse it??

I love my bunnies so much. They’re my world. I just feel so terrible I can’t get this right. Does anyone have any advice or input? Ways to try to cut the nails? Thoughts on if this behavior is hormonal or not? Any advice at all would help.
Thanks.

[mimimomo]

I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time. I also struggled a lot with handling my bunnies, especially when it comes to nail trims. I think what works for one bunny doesn’t necessarily work for another (hence the zillions of methods on youtube), so hopefully if you keep trying different things you’ll eventually hit on something that works!

For my bunnies, we discovered that nail trims are ABSOLUTELY a two person job. My boyfriend holds the bunny while I do the actual trimming. Usually he sits in a chair and holds them on their back at a bit of an angle so their head is still up. (I was worried about this position at first but my bunnies don’t seem to “trance,” and it gives me a good view.) My boyfriend holds their top paws with one hand and the bottom legs with the other, except for whichever limb I’m working on at the time. One of my bunnies tends to kick a lot, so it’s nice to only have to worry about one leg at a time! In this position, I can see exactly what I’m doing and take my time.

As far as brushing, the only time my bunnies let me do it is while they’re eating. Even then, they won’t tolerate it for very long so I do frequent but brief brushing sessions.

When I have to pick them up (e.g. to put them in the carrier and go to the vet), I always pick them up from their cage because they can’t run away. Whenever I try to pick them up outside the cage, it’s an exercise in futility and usually just stresses them out and frustrates me! I make sure they associate their cage with positive things (that’s where they get their pellets and lots of treats) and try not to pick them up unless I have to.

The fact that your buns used to tolerate handling makes me think that the change is definitely hormone related, which means hopefully it’ll get better after they’re spayed! In the meantime, I’d definitely try recruiting a second person to help with nail trimming if you haven’t already – there’s no way I could do it on my own!

[Bam]

I too think this coud be hormone-related. It’s normal though for any young being to “grow up” and not be a baby anymore, spayed or not spayed. It happens to us all, we become teenagers and start to express our independence. Then we mellow out when we mature, but we never go back to being babies – of course.

Clipping nails is, as mimimomo also says, a two-person job with practically all bunnies. I just did my bun’s nails for the first time. It would’ve been very, very hard to do it without another person. There are bun’s that readily accept having their nails clipped, but I’d say they are a minority. If I had a bun that let me clip his nails without any fuss, I’d be tempted to make a YouTube video of it just to brag =D

Some people put there bun in a burrito on a table and clip their nails. I use the method Mimimomo describes, although the bunny is rather sitting on its little behind, supporting its back against my SO’s tummy. For the hind feet, a little bit of leaning backwards is necessary, just so I can work on one foot at a time. Supporting the behind is the most important part, the bunny must not be able to kick out. After the business is done, there’s always a treat or two. My bunny Bam used to hate having his nails clipped, but always stuck around and waited for his treat, chomped it down, then turned 180 degrees and foot-flicked me in dismay =D

[kurottabun]

If it’s such an abrupt change then it could definitely be hormones (5 months sounds about right)!

They do tend to get quite aggressive when the hormones kick in, so if you really can’t handle them you might wanna wait till they are spayed to try again – meanwhile perhaps you can take them to the vet for nail trims? I know people whose bunnies absolutely cannot tolerate nail clips so they just take said buns to the vet to get it done lol! Vets always seem to have a way with the most difficult bunnies

[jerseygirl]

Kitkatebarr, do you have a Rabbit Rescue in your area? Sometimes they have volunteers that do grooming service for a small fee. The proceeds go back into the Rescue. They might even offer to come to the home so the bun isnt less stressed. If you have a service like that available, it could be worth doing a few times and working with the person to build your own confidence. Hopefully then you’ll get to a place to be able do it yourself.

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