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ooo how do i get Daisy to relax when i hold her?

rianne23

Mama Doe
i have a bunny with seriously lethal claws...prob from being stuck in that glass tank for weeks....
i cant do it myself so she is having them done at the vets, plus her hutch/run is on concrete but oh dear i look like a mini edward scissor hands has been at my chest lol :oops: :lol: covered in bright red scratches, some are quite deep they have drawn blood...:shock:

she struggles so much when i hold her, she hates me holding her..she is ok sometimes, and seems to like me i think? but i obviously have a lot of work to do with her to gain her trust..
 
It'll just take lots of time, and some will never like being picked up. I find it helps to put a hand over their head to cover their eyes sort of thing.
 
is it possible she is sore? from the fact of milk production and babies? or just mainly she is not used to it?
 
She may be. I don't know about lactating buns. It's still probably all scary and new regardless. I think the general idea is that as rabbits are prey animals picking them up triggers their flight or fight instinct, making them think they're about to be eaten. So struggling is just trying to get away.

Mina is very squirmy when picked up, and I don't think she had been used to it at all. But the ones I have that have been held regularly from babies are fine with it.
 
tbh neither of my buns are overly keen on being held, they will occasionaly come and clamber onto my lap (if i have food :roll: :lol: ) but dont like acually being held so i dont bother i obviously stroke them and that but dont really pick them up so much any more just for bun checks and to go in the carrier etc i do as much 'maintenance' type stuff like claws, grooming eye/ear checks etc with them on the floor and a hand across their shoulders just to steady them and they are quite happy to let me do that. i sometimes see piccies of people cuddling their buns and feel a bit sad that i cant do that with mine but i knowit would only stress them out so i dont bother.
 
She hasn't had time to get to know you yet. Try to avoid picking her up at all for a week (i realise youhave to in order to do bum checks though) and when you do, don't stand up with her at first. Hold her close to you while you are sitting on the floor, and if you have to carry her any distance then use a carrrier until you(and Daisy) are more confident. Build up slowly..spend time just sitting in the same area as she is...don't approach her, let her come to you. Contact in the intitial stages should be on her terms. Patience is the key.:lol:
 
don't approach her, let her come to you. Contact in the intitial stages should be on her terms. Patience is the key.:lol:

this is good as i have been doing this so i am already gettina bond with her which is fantastic :D
she has had me beaming from ear to ear today just watching her in that run, knowing she is happier,.....binkying, running....just alert and so full of beans!! :lol:
 
when i held Daisy today, she came out to me, she weed all over me :shock: i dont think she likes me....she also bites my tops...?
 
She might have just really needed to go? Or she was marking you as 'hers'. Which must mean she likes you or she wouldn't want to own you. :)
 
Audrey bites my clothes if I pick her up- I think she's just telling you she's not happy.

but if i dont hold her she will become completely uncontrollable to handle....i have to for cleaning her out and checks and getting her used to me.
its only been a little while i think i have to accept she is a bit scared and also she will calm down after she has been speyed :rolleyes:
 
but if i dont hold her she will become completely uncontrollable to handle....i have to for cleaning her out and checks and getting her used to me.
its only been a little while i think i have to accept she is a bit scared and also she will calm down after she has been speyed :rolleyes:

Audrey really loves me on the ground and is friendly - she just hates picking up. I don't agree with picking them up for cuddles- only if really necessary.
 
Audrey really loves me on the ground and is friendly - she just hates picking up. I don't agree with picking them up for cuddles- only if really necessary.

well i have to pick her up to bring her in and i cant really let her run around till kiddies are in bed, and because of that i sometimes wit with her on my lap in front room...

tilly used to like having cuddles like that, she used to fall asleep, and Tiger used to lay on her side for me to do it lol!! soppy things!!

Daisy likes it in the kitchen with me but at the moment she just likes to hide under the kitchen table...she is still very wary but that is ok, i think though that she definatly needs a companion x
 
i don't pick Audrey up unless absolutely necessary as she hates it, as most rabbits do.

Same here :D I have to lift Trip and Scarlett out of their hutch but Buu can get in and out herself and hates being lifted so I dont do it to her :D Beau hates it too and for moving him about I trained him to jump into a basket so I can cover the top and carry him in that. Nobody lifts Buu though, even the vet checks her over on the floor. She is easy to check over at home too because she loves getting massages and will just flop on the floor and let me check her over.
 
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