How to pick her up

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This topic has 14sd replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 11 months ago by KOKKINIKLOSTI.

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- 09/25/2006 at 7:39 AM
  wendyzski
  Participant
  1312 posts
  I know that rabbits often don’t like to be picked up. (OMG It;s gonna EAT MEEEEE!!!)
  
  But I have to be able to restrain Pepper to clip her nails and give her ear drops.
  
  I have been getting her used to pettings, and even just rested both hands on her back/sides while she is distracted by food, hoping that she will get used to being held.
  
  But I have not been able to successfully pull her onto my lap. I’ve tried twice, and she panicked and wriggled away – she’s VERY strong.
  
  Do I just need to be more patient and keep going as I am going (I’ve had her 3 weeks) or does anyone have any suggestions to methods or techniques?
  
  I know about the bunny-burrito and will use it if I have to, but I’d rather try to avoid stressing her if I can.
- 09/25/2006 at 11:25 AM
  Cuddles_Momma
  Participant
  59 posts
  I know with my bun, if Im sitting, she wont sit on my lap, but if Im standing and have her cuddled against my chest, like a baby, and walk around she loves that! Try that, maybe your bun will get used to being held a little better.
- 09/25/2006 at 4:27 PM
  Gravehearted
  Participant
  2428 posts
  I’d recommend giving the bunny burrito a try, since it really isn’t all that stressful. I find if the bunny can’t see what’s going on it stresses them out less. Weird, huh?
  
  Putting bunnies in a trance can be very useful when you need to trim toenails, give medicines or calm a panicky bunny. To trance a bunny, you need to flip them over on their back and pet their cheeks and nose area at the same time, and they should start to go out.
  The easiest way to get a bunny on its back is if you pick it up with your right hand under the front legs and your left hand on the butt and then you kind of stick the bunny into the crook of your elbow as if you are cradling a baby. Once there, you use your right hand and start petting the bunnies face and you should start to see them relax and the head start to fall backwards and then they are in a trance.
- 09/26/2006 at 7:08 AM
  wendyzski
  Participant
  1312 posts
  Oh she trances pretty well – at least at the shelter. It’s GETTING her up an on her back that I can’t manage.
  
  Sigh – guess in a week or so it’s burrito time.
- 09/26/2006 at 12:04 PM
  ea hurse
  Participant
  102 posts
  L.O.L!! Its so difficult for us with bunnies who are fierceley anti-picking up, i feel for you wendyzski- not that that helps on a practical level, but you know you’re not the only one in that boat! I have been through the bushes and back with Lollo; he is so strong (and that’s the problem, the muscular strength not just weight) and that combined with a dislike of being restrained makes it an ordeal.
  
  I can have my hands on Lollo and keep him totally still whilst his feet are on terra firma, but he won’t stay a second on my lap. He is however getting much better at being picked up as long as my arms are fully around him with one hand rubbing his body – i have managed to get him on his back a couple of times by doing that first for a minute or two until he is relaxed and unsuspecting. also being firm and confident i think is important so they feel safe; don’t make any half-efforts as i think it can spook spooks and confuse them. i’ve had Lollo for 3 months and its only in the last one really that i’ve felt i’m making progress. just now i picked him up, petted him. put him down- and he came back for more! its the first time i’ve picked him up twice in one day without it being a struggle.
  
  what i’m saying is, although each bunny is an individual, you will probably find that even if it takes what seems like an age (only 3 months?!!) perseverance and patience is what is needed. also an area of concrete for them to wear the nails down naturally helps!
  
  p.s is there any way Pepper could still be hormonal? i think partly Lollo’s progression is down to him growing up and out of his stroppy (and in his case unfortunately rather precocious) teenager phase…
- 09/26/2006 at 2:22 PM
  wendyzski
  Participant
  1312 posts
  Oh she’s not hormonal – just ornery.
  
  She was spayed in early February.
  
  She’s just touchy about her fuzzy little dignity!
- 09/26/2006 at 2:52 PM
  BinkyBunny
  Moderator
  8776 posts
  Jack, my big white 9 pound bunny, also hates being picked up. I’ve gotten pretty good picking up bunnies since I volunteer at the rabbit rescue. (but even so, there are some real wranglers, that I have to keep low with at first.)
  
  I run my hands first over the bunny a few times, starting from head to bum, to keep them calm. I position facing my bunny’s face. Then as I swoop up my bunny with my arms, I make sure that my hands have a secure hold on the bunny’s backside, including the legs. Then I quickly position him in my arms like a football (U.S. football – not soccer for all you U.K.ers) with his bum tucked between my elbow and side, and my hands holding the front part of his body.
  
  This takes a little practice of course, so always stay low to the ground, kneeling etc, until you feel you have your bunny secured. You might start off kneeling, sitting on your calves, so that when you swoop him up, you can also use your lap to help secure him until you get the hang of it.
  
  Another tip is to be quick and confident about it. If you linger too long, or are too gentle the bunny will always use that as an opportunity to escape. EDIT: Eh, I just noticed Loopy-Lop said the same thing about this part so I say "DITTO!"
  
  Here are some pictures of other methods: Just do whichever you feel most comfortable with.
  
  Let us know how it goes!
  
  http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-11/lift.html
  
  http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/handling.asp
- 09/26/2006 at 5:41 PM
  Anita Stark
  Participant
  194 posts
  Hmm, after reading these posts, I’m all of a sudden glad that my bun is so small. He’s still pretty wiry and surprisingly strong, but it doesn’t take too much to wrangle him. And, like BinkyBunny said, stroking his body during the process makes him settle a lot quicker.
- 09/27/2006 at 9:05 AM
  wendyzski
  Participant
  1312 posts
  BinkyB – the second like was perfect – it suggests techniques for training a bun little by little to accept the touches that lead to pickups. Pepper will pretty much let me do anything while she’s got her nose in a pile of greens, so this sounds like a great way to proceed!
- 12/25/2006 at 4:52 PM
  poopy
  Participant
  684 posts
  Posted By Cuddles on 09/25/2006 11:25 AM
  I know with my bun, if Im sitting, she wont sit on my lap, but if Im standing and have her cuddled against my chest, like a baby, and walk around she loves that! Try that, maybe your bun will get used to being held a little better.
  
  how do you get her on your chest though?
- 12/25/2006 at 7:31 PM
  Gravehearted
  Participant
  2428 posts
  Posted By poopy on 12/25/2006 4:52 PM
  
  Posted By Cuddles on 09/25/2006 11:25 AM
  I know with my bun, if Im sitting, she wont sit on my lap, but if Im standing and have her cuddled against my chest, like a baby, and walk around she loves that! Try that, maybe your bun will get used to being held a little better.
  
  how do you get her on your chest though?
  
  I also tend to hold my bunnies on my chest, with all paws planted – it tends to make them feel more secure than dangling paws. To pick up my bunnies I will put one hand under their belly and scoop under their butt with my second hand and then bring them to my chest.
  
  this has some more explaination of how to pick up your bunny and pictures: http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/handling.asp
- 12/27/2006 at 6:56 AM
  Faye Perry
  Participant
  114 posts
  i really wish my bunnies liked being picked up… with Booboo I can pick her up but she’s only happy for about 30 seconds – tops, then she wriggles free. (she also isn’t that bothered about being stroked and fussed so doing this is not much help)
  
  As for Mable…. she looks so cuddly and soft and loving its only natural to want to pick her up and cuddle her but as soon as she feels you start to pick her up she fights to get free! (and i mean really fights)
  
  If only she’d twig that getting cuddles means more fuss she’d love it i’m sure cause she’ll sit for hours on the floor being stroked…
- 12/27/2006 at 10:05 AM
  poopy
  Participant
  684 posts
  i can’t even get close to picking Medusa up….and its a problem! For instance when its time for her to get in her travel carrier she absolutely will not get in even w/ luring. I can’t pick her up either, so I have to wait hours to corner her somewhere.
- 12/27/2006 at 2:23 PM
  Gravehearted
  Participant
  2428 posts
  Viktor is the only one of my bunnies who likes to be picked up, and with the girls I generally grab em when they’re not expected it. yes it’s mean, but the element of surprise works :-O
- 12/31/2006 at 5:40 AM
  KOKKINIKLOSTI
  Participant
  60 posts
  Surprise does help! Whenever i pick up Aftias while he is grooming or just laying around he give me that "what are you doing now" look! I also found out that it is easier to pick him up after i have let him run around for a while, because this way he gets tired and feels too tired to do anything! Yes, i know i have a lazy bunny!!!
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