Letting me hold him now?

[Lacy]

My rabbit, a 5 yr. old holland lop, has suddenly let me hold him? You have to understand, I’ve only dared to hold him twice before. The first time: when I got him and it resulted in him flicking at me like a murderer and me bleeding. The second: me jamming a syringe (his antibiotics) down his mouth when he had a case of UTI. 

Now, he came up to me being his totally adorable self and asked for petting. I playfully stuck my hand under his stomach and he just continued to purr. After licking my face, he jumped on my back and refused to get off. Even when I rose off the ground slightly her continued to sit on me for a good three minutes until I literally to lean to the side so he would hop off. Two days later, he was chewing something he shouldn’t and I moved him aside literally picking him up. HE DIDN’T REFUSE my near-carrying-to him. 

THREE days ago, he jumped on the couch with me and hopped on my lap. I started to pet him and he situated himself on me. I started getting worried that he might pee on me (it’s happened before when I pet him for more than 30 minutes-he just lets it out). So I lifted him off me and said, “Okay, it’s time for you to use your potty or something.” 

He let me carry him. I was mentally freaking out when he didn’t jump out my arm. 

Yesterday, after he finished his veggie plate and finished using his toilet, he ran up to me and requested for me to pet him. I cuddle up to him and cautiously dared to pick him up. He didn’t protest and instead started to lick my face once I picked him up. 

Woah, this is just a total personality change. I know there isn’t anything wrong with him-just had a vet check up and my little holland lopety is in perfect health. 

So, I thought rabbits don’t generally like being carried after they begin to harbor a dislike to it. So…WOW. Has anything like this happened to you? 

[RabbitPam]

That’s wonderful.
At age five and over, it does seem like some sense of security and familiarity clicks in their heads and they get better with us. They are more laid back, or at least about who and what they recognize. If you hadn’t just seen the vet, I would wonder, but it sounds like a nice new memory was created with you recently that was able to override the initial fear he had when he was younger.

I would just advise you to keep low when carrying him, or make the distances very short before you sit with him again. He may suddenly struggle, and you want to release him from a lower height quickly so he doesn’t twist and hurt himself on landing. Firmly support his bottom, and keep him close to your body. But it sounds like he’s feeling secure.

Sammy used to run off dramatically when I went to cut her nails, but the last half dozen times she lets me do it. I am the one who forgets she’s cooperating more, not her. She’s five, and hates to be picked up also, so you give me hope.

[BunnyLady1989]

Aw how sweet! My girl went through something alittle similar last year, when she turned three. She’s also a holland lop and was always somewhat affectionate, mainly on her terms only. Now she is so lovey dovey all the time. Got to love it when that happens, even though it is shocking at first!

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