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!

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

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

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.