AAAGGGHHH!!!

[Floppy]

It’s my fault I didn’t handle Floppy enough when he was younger, now when I need to trance him — it’s a nightmare.

I take him to get his nails trimmed now because I didn’t want to even attempt handling him myself anymore. I figured

when he was younger that I should just let him hop around and be his hoppy self, knowing that buns don’t like being

handled…ugh my MISTAKE. Just a moment ago, I tried to first get ahold of him, when I was doing so, he just had the

feeling that I was up to something so he was avoiding me…then he peed!!! He has been SO good with using his litterbox

It took me by surprise. Then when I finally got ahold of him to check his feet…when I was done he was so upset he

went back into his cage and peed in the opposite corner of his litterbox!!! Again I was surprised and cleaned it up immediately.

Is he peeing because he is upset? UGH!!!!

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

Yeah, he’s probably peeing to piss you off, pardon the pun I swear it’s like some defense mechanism, spraying pee at you…that’s what Kibou does to me when I’m trying to catch her. The whirl-n-pee…

[Sarita]

Even handling a rabbit at a young age doesn’t guarantee that you will be able to easily trance him – some rabbits are just more difficult to trance so don’t blame yourself. Most rabbits are what they are no matter about being handled or not when they are young.

[Floppy]

aww thanks guys…that made me feel better…and that whole pissed off pun …haha I was still thinking about the
incident this morning when I was preparing Flops morning greens and that whole pissed off/ peeing pun totally
crossed my mind! lol…”I really pissed him off!” I think he has forgiven me this morning…besides, I went
to cut in some of those yummy herbs I’m growing for him! me=bunny slave.

[bunnytowne]

thats funny and cotton was pretty mellow and easy to trance other buns even when young will not cooperate so the issue of handling when young doesn’t matter. watch that p o’d bunny lol

[MarkBun]

Yup, some buns trance easier than others. Sometimes it also is the person doing the trancing. I am always surprised when the vet and shelter workers can trance both my buns but they won’t let me even begin to turn them over.

Because we are the parents, we tend to be more gingerly with the buns.  They take this as apprehension and, in turn, are afraid that you are afraid.  I found that the one time Maryann let me trance her it was when I thought she had bit her tongue and I went from Dad mode to Dr. mode and she immediately became compliant.

[MimzMum]

My daughter dropped my jaw for me last night when she took Pippi and ‘swept her off her feet’ literally! Scooped her straight up on her shoulder. Pip was just looking at me over her shoulder like, “Huh? Whahappen?”
My daughter is so skittish about picking up her bun and Pip senses that. She gives her all sorts of heck over it. I am SO not looking forward to the next nail trim on either her or Mim.
Mimzy is also this way. Only when I try to get him into my arms and he’s not in the mood, I get the thumpy dance. But he does seem to understand better now that I’m just picking him up to put him in the xpen, or to give him cuddles and such. But he still doesn’t appreciate traveling about in my arms, just not secure enough.
Now that I think abou tit, one time I was trying to get him back into his cage, he went straight to teh Cuddl-e Cup and dug at it and peed all over it and then gave me the stink eye. I guess that message was for me…too bad for him it came back ‘return to sender.’ (in other words, I didn’t get it, not that I peed on him back…lolz)

[Lion_Lop_Lover]

Hahhaa Mimz :p

[babybunsmum]

for me personally it all has to do with my confidence level.  when baby had her surgery & i had to give her all kinds of meds i had to pick her up 3 times a day to do it.  before this i dreaded having to pick her up… her nails were atroscious as a result… but after the surgery i was on a mission & it HAD to be done.  she was suddenly so compliant.  i mean she still struggled occasionally but it didn’t throw me off plus she would no longer run away from me when i approached her which was simply amazing.  with pinky things are also progressing as i feel more confident picking her up.  i still have to ‘wrangle’ her into a corner but i’m getting better at scooping her while she’s kicking and not taking no for an answer.  i think it’s translating slowly but surely.  yesterday i picked her up & she gave my neck kisses   she took her post-spay meds as easy as pie & would run upto the syringe & suck it right up which was great for conveniance but didn’t give us much ‘pick-up practise’  

[Floppy]

I guess that message was for me…too bad for him it came back ‘return to sender.’ (in other words, I didn’t get it, not that I peed on him back…lolz)

funny!!!

[Gravehearted]

I completely agree with babybunsmum – they pick up on our emotions. If you are nervous and freaked out about picking them up, they know.

Did you cover his eyes when you tried to trance him? I find that’s a big key to it as well. I cover the eyes and slowly ease them backwards. It’s true that not all bunnies trance easily though, but most will. But, if you’re totally freaking out it may not be so easy. I also find that sometimes taking them out of their element will help – like when I need to bunny burrito i do it on the kitchen counter instead of the living room. Even on the couch they won’t stay put.

[Deleted User]

I do all my bunny doctering outside … I set up a pen on the grass and bring him out wrapped up in a towel.  He is ok and generally does not budge much as he is unaware of his surrounds. I put him in a trance and do his nails and scent glands.

I also do inside if its just too hot to go outside or the grass is wet (no good getting a wet butt).  I will cover Luey with a towel (he’s on the floor) and I hunch over him with my body (yeah I know strange position!) and gently pull his paws out and trim his nails.  The scent glands I have not tried though but both need doing NOW.

I hope it is fine on the weekend so I can retreat out in the pen with Luey.

[Author]

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