can’t touch this

[vicshen]

Hi we adopted a pair of nethies and they have been with us for about 2 weeks now but they still hate being touched. Admittedly, I have had to pick them up to be groomed cause their nails were way too long when we got them and they were getting caught on a lot of things, they hated this and screamed when we picked them up to go to the groomers. They have also been moulting and I know grooming prevents blockages, how do your groom bunnies that don’t want to be touched? They zoom and binky around us and have climbed on top of us or tried to, and will take a sultana from our hand and mouths but will sniff our hands when we try to pet them and move away.. do they not like being touched? or are they still getting used to us? We have also noticed that they tend to eat far less for an hour or more when we let them out for play time.. is this normal? and should we restrict their floor time so they eat more?

[Mocha]

Are they fixed? Bunnies usually don’t like being touched, or picked up, but you can offer your bunnies treats to get used to you. Also, you don’t need to take your bunnies to the groomers, just do it yourself.

Let them eat, and then let them run around. How much floor time do they get (should be 3-4 hours).

[BunnyBrigade]

I would give the buns sometime. It took two of my boys a while before they let me snuggle and pet them. Spending floor time with them and bribing them with treats really helps with gaining their trust.

[Eepster]

Unless they are severely underweight, I would not restrict exercise b/c they eat less when playing. They may actually be overeating out of boredom when restricted to their cage.

Screaming when simply being picked up suggests either they were badly abused in the past, or you aren’t picking them up correctly. Bunnies very very rarely scream, they are mostly silent. I’ve only heard a rabbit scream twice, and it was under extreme circumstances. So, even though disliking being picked up is normal for a bunny, screaming is highly unusual, and mild discomfort shouldn’t lead to it.

If you are picking them up by the ears or scruff, that would be hurting them, or if you are grabbing at their feet that would hurt them. Basically if you’re not sure if you are picking them up correctly, you should check out some instructions for handling them.

If the problem is that they have been deeply traumatized by an abusive past, it’s going to be much harder to fix. It’s just going to take a lot of time and patience.

I wouldn’t worry too much about daily grooming on a short haired bunny, they don’t get blockages that easily, just make sure they get lots of fiber.

[vicshen]

hi everyone, yes, both the buns are fixed. We got a vet nurse to show us how to hold them, but I think they must just not enjoy being picked up. Definitely not picking them up by their ears or scruff. I have been told it could be because of their breed that they do not enjoy being held/touched. They came with long nails and being the first time grooming a bunny and clipping their nails, we wanted someone to show us how to do it properly before we attempted it. They are getting 3-4 hours of running around daily, might consider attaching a run for them too.

[Author]

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