Bun is SUPER weird about being picked up

[Alyssa]

Does anyone have any tips for getting a bun to stay calm while being picked up? Cinnamon is SO weird about it. If I try to pick him up to clip his nails, take him to a different room while I clean his cage, other etc reasons he just absolutely freaks out. I’ll try to sit with him for a while and pet him, put two hands on him so he knows he can stay calm while I’ve got both hands on him, but as soon as I show any intention of lifting him he runs away. Which is normal, that’s not the weird part. What’s weird is if he goes somewhere he’s not supposed to (there’s one spot in my room where he chews the carpet, so I block it off but he can easily hop my sad barricades) and I come over and tell him no and lift him out of there he doesn’t even squirm at all. It’s like when I’m mad at him for doing something he’s not supposed to, that’s the only time he’s calm about being lifted off the ground. 

I’m so frustrated about it because he desperately needs his nails clipped, but won’t let me clip them because that involves him getting picked up. Has anyone else experienced this? Also, does anyone have any tips about nail clipping? 

[Sarah]

Hi there! I used desensitization training to get my rabbit used to being picked up. It envolves using a clicker(I use my voice) and clicking everytime he does the right behavior and giving food right after so he know the click=food. To desensitize him to it, you start small and click everytime he is calm and lets you touch his side, then both his sides at the same time, then his bum, then his side and bum together at the same time etc. Once he gets use to one motion and stays calm(you must reward only calm behavior) you move onto the next one. And every bun is different, a more skittish bun may take a few months on each stage, and a more confident bun may only take a few weeks, but dont rush it. This does obviously take a lot of time though, so this does not help you for right now, but it may be something you could try after you get his nails clipped.

For his nails, you could try taking him to a rabbit savy vet. Many do nails trims for like $10-15, that way he gets them done and you don’t have to struggle with him.
Hope this helps! I can also further explain the desensitization if you want

[Asriel and Bombur]

Clip his nails on the floor or go to a vet. If you need to transport him, do it with a litter box.

[Alyssa]

I’ll try to work on this with him. I’ve tried in the past but he doesn’t really take his food pellets as treats, and if I pull out his treat bag he loses his mind and won’t sit still for me to work with him. 

[Sarah]

I would use very tiny peices of a treat, like tiny silvers of a carrot or apple etc and just wait until he calms down to give him the treat, trying to reward that calm behavior. After a while he will realize that he gets that treat when he is calm. He will still get excited seeing the treat, but he will calm down faster. That would be my first step to the desensitization

[DanaNM]

Most bunnies hate being picked up, so your bun is totally normal.

The key to safe handling is to make sure they know they will not be dropped, otherwise they will struggle.

Squirmy buns usually need a helper to trim nails (one can hold, the other clips). This vid shows a great technique for clipping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9KemnaTGIs&t=7s

I tend to use this technique but I do use a helper anyway. Bertha is like 9 lbs so it’s hard to hold her up with 1 hand, even though she isn’t squirmy.

To learn to trim nails on the ground without any restraint, this vid shows a great training technique! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEFrHZbw6tQ&list=PLn9xVcGXrVa5t-XUXErt_cTmjBPRKPnGZ&index=2&t=0s

. . . 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.  

[Author]

Messages