Bunny massage

[Karla]

I got the book “The relaxed rabbit” and I’ve been reading quite a few chapters and have tried working my magic on the bunnies…but alas, they don’t want any of it.

Do any of you guys have luck in massaging your bunnies? And what do you do to make them keep still? I don’t want to force them to be on my lap since the massage is not supposed to be forced upon them.

 

[Deleted User]

What type of massage is this book talking about? Rabbits are so delicate you’d have to know their anatomy well not to hurt them. For relaxing them to allow a massage, I would groom them in their favorite way, for mine this involves gentle nudging between their ears at the back of their heads. It makes my rabbits very relaxed. I do this during nail trims.

[jerseygirl]

That book, I remember looking it up and reading about the authors rabbit that she saved. I can’t recall which one but he’d been in a metal trap!

Rumball is quite happy to settle in for a massage if I approach at the right time. There seems to be certain times in the evening he is more receptive to it. He likes his fur being moved forward then back. Likes shoulder massage and the cheeks. Jersey is sometimes receptive and will flatten out for head massage. She used to come for this most evenings when she was on her own. Now she gets groomed by Rumball a lot and only wants my attention for food!

I usually start with a nose pet for her and she’ll stretch into it, then if she wants to stay she’ll lay down and I work on her head, ears and scratch the cheeks. With Rumball, I ask by stroking one finger at the top of his ear closest to his head. He’ll lie down too if he wants a petting session. I don’t know if this is massage as the book refers to it though.

[RabbitPam]

Jersey, I think the medical term for that is “pets.”

[Karla]

RP, LOL

JG, the massage you mention, with Rumball is the type there is in the book – well, lots of other stuff as well like having the bunny on its back and massaging it. Her rabbit really seems to enjoy it on the pictures, but I guess mine don’t like me enough to let me massage them like that for an hour. Buhuu.

[jerseygirl]

There’s no way mine would settle for having massage while put on their backs! I just did glands and nails the other day and have scratches to prove it.

@RP *pokes out tongue*

[angie-la]

my buns love getting a massage between the ears on the back of their head, but they will only allow it for a couple minutes. they are still way too hyper to let me pick them up, let alone get them on their backs… as a matter of fact, they have trouble staying in one place for more than a few minutes, period. lol. I’m hoping it will be easier when they get older =/

and as I type this, rorschach is now running laps around his playpen.

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