He won’t let me pick him up, but…

[MimzMum]

Last night while Fiver was having his bed-er-cise, he went zooming back and forth and in circles and wound up jumping right on my chest and then just sitting there looking at me like, “You’re in the way of my Bunny 500’s you know.” Then hopped off and charged into his pen.

 

Weird rabbit. 0_o

 

What IS the best way to get a skittish bun to put up with you holding him? I can’t remember how I did it with the other two. Or even trying to pick him up? Mimzy is pretty mellow about it, and Pip just kind of gives you this look like, “Okay, fine, get it over with.”

But Fiver is still not interested.

[BunnyLiz]

I put hammer up on my chest and shoulder ( like you would to burp a baby lol) and one hand under/over his bum and the other over his eyes. Hope that helps but im far from an expert lol

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Pick them up full of confidence and securely. If you are nervous they will be worse!! Pick them up every single day, sometimes twice or more. Give a treat afterwards. Always set them down gently and firmly.

((A good way to set them down so they don’t freak out and bolt out of your hands is to set them down ‘backwards’ ie. They are facing you, bum is facing direction of being put down…this way they can’t anticipate the landing and jump loose/hurt themselves)

Just practice and always always be gentle and firm and don’t let them flail from your grasp. They’ll grow to trust you…Even Chuck lets me carry him easily now!!!

[MarkBun]

I have found two ways that buns like to be held. One is with the paws up towards your face or shoulder – like BunnyLiz mentions. The other is holding them like a football with their head in the crook of your arm – that way they can ‘hide’ while you do it.

[bunnytowne]

Ah the football bunny. Touchdown.  YIppee the pick up was easy this time Hurrah for the team

Just being silly.

[Lightchick]

The over-the-shoulder thing works for Robbie, who is SUCH A GOOD BUN! What kind of person would think he is too much trouble and dump him in a park?! He actually doesn’t really mind me picking him up…

Lizzy won’t talk to me for days if I pick her up. And if I try the against-the-shoulder approach, she scratches me like crazy, and people give me funny looks for days over the scratch-marks. I’m sure I’m picking her up wrong, because I can’t seem to get her in any position that she doesn’t flail in.

But the worst is putting her down…

K&K, how do you get them spun around backwards to put them down? Pretend I can do one of Markus’ methods correctly (I’ll work on it)…then what?

[MimzMum]

I WAS trying the rear-first technique, but found it rapidly sussed out as the way mommy picks up bun…now Mimzy and Pip insist on going just about anywhere head first. >.<
Although Mim will put up with the football method. Funny little pigskin bun. ^_^

I just thought it was so funny because if I even make a move towards Fiver, he is off like a shot. Knows what’s coming I guess. At the vet he’s terrific and shames me because my vet doesn’t understand why I can’t handle this little guy and get him on his back and hypnotized….well DUH! I’m not the one coming at him with the long, sharp needle!

I think I need to invest in a lab coat. Maybe that will quiet him down. ^_^

Thanks for all the ideas, guys, I will keep trying. Hopefully his trust will grow more. He’s already VERY comfortable with his out of pen times to the point where he flops down in a number of places on the bed and closes his eyes. For only having him for three weeks (?) no, not even that; I think he’s come great strides. He’s a clever bun too…probably a lot smarter than I’ll ever be.

And he made another one of his little sighing sounds last night. I imitated it and he looked me straight in the eye with such interest. Gosh it’s so great to have a bun who actually TALKS to me! *fwee!*

[Cassi&Charlie]

Thanks for the ideas People must think I live with a thousand cats or seomthing because now that I have Layla I’m always covered in scratches! I think she trusts me just a little bit now, I’m trying to hold her everyday for a moment…scratches all over my face & chest are testimony to our current level of success.
Labcoat – now thats a good idea! I actually have one around somewhere but the immunology lab I was working in last year was experimenting on myxamitosis (or how ever u spell it) and thats why I’m now doing a politics major not an immunology major!

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