Picking up a bunny

[VelvetLion7]

I pick my bunnies up by scooping their bottoms with one hand and placing my other hand under their forelegs.  I know it is a big no-no to pick rabbits up by their ears . . . but what about their scruffs?  I have seen many people pick bunnies up by the bunnies scruff and claim that it doesn’t hurt them, but I’ve never been sure if that’s true.  I’ve felt my bunnies and it doesn’t feel like they have scruffs. . . soooo . . . It it ok to pick them up that way? 

[Monkeybun]

Everything I have read says a big No, their skin is quite think, and they aren’t picked up by their scruffs like kittens or dogs are by their mama’s when they are babies.

[katie, max & penny]

negative on the scruff. its not natural like it is for doggies and kitties, like monkey said.

a vet tech did it once and penny grunted at her. i haven’t been back!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Nope-not the scruff or the ears. I don’t agree with doing it do dogs/cats/kittens/puppies either. Mom does it when they are VERY small.

There is no magical skin on their scruff with no nerves and no veins that can break, that won’t bruise or hurt. Their entire weight hanging off it is not ok.

People claim all kinds of things about animals. That putting an elastic on a dogs tail until it falls off doesn’t hurt. That castrating cows with no drugs do not hurt. Putting a ring in bulls nose doesn’t hurt. …. For some reason people like to think that animals can’t feel pain, especially when it’s convenient for them to do something. *steps off soap box*

Anyways-
*Always support ALL four legs-they can kick and break their backs.
*Hold them tight and confidently-if your nervous they will be too.
*Practice often and give treats or nose rubs so it’s pleasant for them. Dont’ always pick them up to do something unpleasant like nail clipping or giving meds
*Always put down gently and properly-drop/fumble them once, and your back to square one to earn their trust holding them agian

[VelvetLion7]

Ok.  I’m glad to know, cause I personally thought it would hurt them.  I’ve never done it but I’ve wondered.  And any bunny I’ve seen that’s been picked up like that has grunted or struggled.    Poor bunnies.   

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I was at a breeders house, I know her (I got Kahlua from her and we stayed in touch) she invited me over to see her litters…she picked up every bunny by the scruff.

I don’t recommend her to people anymore and I don’t stay in touch anymore. The buns looked upset but used to be picked up that way….

[Karla]

This website here has really good information on how NOT to pick up a bunny and why:

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Surgery/Restraint/Handling.htm

“Carrying by the scruff only, without support of the lower spine and posterior limbs is dangerous. Dangling of the body can lead to vertebral column luxation or fracture at the sacor-lumbar level (more particularly the 7th lumbar vertebrae).”

“Carrying a rabbit by the ears is particularly cruel, causing needless pain, as well as damage to the cartilage supporting the ears. Dangling of the body or violent struggle can lead to vertebral luxation or fracture of the spin of neck.”

Also, I read somewhere else that being carried by the scruff can only mean one thing to a bunny = that an animal has caught it and is about to eat it.

[VelvetLion7]

Awww. All the pets store people pick bunnies up by their scruffs. . . Ruby doesn’t like to be picked up any more even though we pick her up the safe way because she used to be picked up by the scruff all the time. =(

[Pebble and Dante]

What about tips on how to put down a bunny?

Pebbles will start to kick when I’m about 3 feet from the ground, and sadly I accidently dropped her because of this once. But since, I make sure that we both are ready, 1, 2, 3 I keep her body close to mine while I’m bending over, then extend my arms/hands supporting her – thenplace her on the ground. AND she still will start kicking – so I continue a gentle but firm hold until she calms down (she is on the floor and I have my hands holding her in place) and then let her go. I hope this is the right way to do it.

But I never pick her up my the scruff – there’s nothing there but boney little shoulder bone and silky furs – nothing to get a good hold of.
I just love the bun.

[Karla]

When I put down a bunny, I bend down while leaning forward with my upper body – I look stupid! I let the bunnies down on my lap and then they jump down. I think it is a good way to avoid them jumping from my arms (I’m 6 ft, so it’s a loooong way to fall), because they will jump into my lap instead if I loose them.

But they are not really that difficult to carry around. They just pant and jiggle a bit. But I hardly ever carry them. Molly is the only one, I carry, and that is only to carry her down the patio stairs if Karl has gone out in the garden, so she can be with him.

[VelvetLion7]

Velvet used to kick like that when I put him down too, and Ruby still does. I used to get really nervous about putting him down cause I dropped him a few times, and I think he picked up on my nervous vibes cause he would get more and more angsty as I bent down. I started to hold him more confidently later and more frequently just for petting so it wasn’t always for unpleasant stuff like nail clipping. It helped a lot just because he was so much more used to it and when I wasn’t so nervous about picking him up. Now I just do it calmly and slowly just in case and he doesn’t kick at all. (If he does though I hold him more firmly but still gentle and close to my body and then lower us both down so I’m sitting and he can hop off.) And I’m working with Ruby about this too actually. . .

[Monkeybun]

Monkey has been getting better lately about getting touched. I think because she’s so tiny she thinks anything touching her is gonna eat her, even me But lately due to raisins on the couch, shes gettign better

[Adalaide]

Freya still doesn’t like being picked up. She never has and can’t wait to be put down. She’s not huge on being pet either, I think she just doesn’t like being touched. It took forever to teach her not to try to catipult off of me when I’m standing. She’ll still do it when I’m kneeling with her, but since she’s as low as if she were jumping off her 2nd level of her condo I figure she’s ok doing it. My vet taught me to hold Freya the way they show on the link Karla provided. I put one hand under her arms and the other under her butt curling her enough to keep her from kicking and breaking her spine. The odds of ever getting her in a burrito are about zero, so that’s how we do her nails. Good thing there’s two of us lol.

[Adalaide]

Freya still doesn’t like being picked up. She never has and can’t wait to be put down. She’s not huge on being pet either, I think she just doesn’t like being touched. It took forever to teach her not to try to catipult off of me when I’m standing. She’ll still do it when I’m kneeling with her, but since she’s as low as if she were jumping off her 2nd level of her condo I figure she’s ok doing it. My vet taught me to hold Freya the way they show on the link Karla provided. I put one hand under her arms and the other under her butt curling her enough to keep her from kicking and breaking her spine. The odds of ever getting her in a burrito are about zero, so that’s how we do her nails. Good thing there’s two of us lol.

[BinkyBunny]

One tip about putting a bunny down: Many times I will cover their eyes as I get them closer to the ground otherwise they’ll try to leap out of my arms as they are lowered.

[Adalaide]

Do I have the only bunny in existence who FREAKS out if I cover her eyes? Been there, done that, have the scars to prove it. I’ll just let her catipult off my lap. It’s no higher than the couch she won’t stay off of.

[VelvetLion7]

Lol. Nope. Velvet hates for his eyes to be covered, if I want to do a bunny burrito I have to do it really fast before he can do anything about it. . . Otherwise he goes CRAZY and sulks in a corner for ages.

[Pebble and Dante]

I’ve never tried covering her eyes… it’s a good idea. We’ll have to give that a go and see what happens.

[Pebble and Dante]

I’ve been workig with Pebbles on putting her down and covering her eyes at the same time. She doesn’t care for eyes covered,but she isn’t having an all out fight when I put her down. So, I think the more her and I work on this the better it will get. Thanks

[RabbitPam]

Velvetlion7, it sounds from your description that you’re picking up your bunny in a good way, so I would continue with that.
You can also consider tucking her into the crook of your elbow nose first to carry supported by your whole arm like a football.

Consider squatting first as you hold the bunny to put a bunny down. If you lean back against your heels, so the bunny is always tipping into your body rather than away from you into space, as you lower yourself, then release to your lap or legs the jump down won’t be at all far. If they begin to struggle, don’t tighten your grip, just get to the lowest possible point and let them go.

[VelvetLion7]

=) Ok. That’s good to know. Thank you all!

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