Handling tips needed

I have booked my two in for their vaccinations this week - but I am beginning to dread it :evil:

They hate being handled; I am socialising them slowly, spending time with them, letting them explore me and feeding them by hand; but they are not yet "handleable" by any means

I have a cat carrier with a door on one end, and a wire carrier which opens from the top. I know that once we get to the vets, it will be easier for me to get them out of the wire carrier, but it will be a lot harder to get them into it in the first place :roll:

Any tips? Topsy has already bitten me once; I now have a decent pair of gloves...but I don't want to cause them more stress than necessary

i get the same with Alvin, i corner him in his cage and shepard him into his carrier (i do this everyweek because i like to keep an eye on the weight).

i find i can pick him up out of the carrier cus he has no idea its going to happen, but otherwise he binkys around the room knowing ill never be as fast as him :evil:

ste does it the hard way and take twice as long to get the little demon in his carrier by insisting on catching him :lol::lol::lol::lol:

pop some tempting tasty treats in it and see if bun will make his own way in.

Carlton gets excited when he sees his carrier because he knows there will be something nice in it. he's so stupid that it doesn't even dawn on him that he's going to the vets!!

I used to keep hamsters for years and would always suggest a good pair of gardening gloves in order to handle the less "handleable" with minimum injury.

I would suggest, if getting them into the carrier by their own will fails, rubbing the gloves between your hands (so that it smells of you) and then offering them a treat to nibble in your arms before placing them in carrier.

WISHING YOU LUCK AT THE VETS!

TP

Teepee said:

WISHING YOU LUCK AT THE VETS!

TP

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Thank you

It went "not too bad" - I had to grab them in the end to get them in the carrier, getting my t-shirt ripped by claws in the process :roll:, and then Topsy nipped Flopsy on her bum which made her scream, all before we had even got out of the garden :shock:

I popped some carrot in the carrier which they nibbled happily, but the 5 minute car journey stressed them out and they were really panting by the time we got there

The vets were running late, so we had a bit of a wait, which gave them time to calm down, and me feed them a few raisins through the bars of the carrier (one laced with rescue remedy to help calm them down).

When we eventually went in, Flopsy was an angel and let the vet give her a tickle behind the ears while she was being examined, but Topsy grumbled and growled her way through the entire process - I think that the trainee in the room was a little shocked at how such a sweet wabbit could be such a beastie :lol:

The vet also complimented me on my knowledge regarding feeding, housing and health - Thank you Rabbits United

The less good news was that the Receptionists knew nothing about the Vaccination Vouchers - so I had to leave them without confirmation that I would get a free vaccine in 6 months time :? Oh, and I found out that a Spay costs £72 + VAT; so I may have to have one girl done this summer and one next year, as OH will certainly object to a £150 + bill :?

I've got to do it all again in two weeks for the VHD vaccine

I have the same issue with my cat. He is a rescue and was found in a box with his dead mummy and his brothers and sisters.........so as you can imagine he FREAKS when he sees the box! I tried everything for years, which generally resulted in my covered with scratches and blood, to the point the vets usually gave me bandages to stop me bleeding!

Then about 6 months ago my 6 year old son asked why instead of picking Bilbo up and putting him in the cage, why didn't I just put the cage on top of him and slide the lid on...............

And do you know what, it only worked! I cannot believe I never thought of that in all of the 8 years of trying!

Sorry, not really related but it made me

Glad the ordeal is over!!!

TP

ETA: And GOOD LUCK for next time!!!

Teepee said:

WISHING YOU LUCK AT THE VETS!

TP

Click to expand...

My turn this weekend... Rambo is off the Vet for the first time to get his Vaccinations...

Rambo has been well behaved in the last two days, he's even let my mum pick him up when she scruffed him while i was stuck under the couch after he ran in under there...

I haven't even had to heard him back into the cage, when he goes back, I shut the door, and feed him and that's that. The only time I pick him up is to take him out (to associate it with something good), gets a quick cuddle and a treat, and then some treats after he lets us pat him for a bit.

The trip to the Vet this weekend will either undo all that, or make it a whole lot better... :?

Wishing You The Best Too Paul!!!

TP

The best thing for getting animals into cat carriers is to use a cat carrier which opens from the top not the front. This is so much easier for rabbits and cats.

Our cat refuses to go into a front opening cat carrier and the whole operation was very stressful. Putting her into the top opening cat carrier is a stress free easy operation. Same goes for the buns, I've only had them for three days and I got them to the vets last night with no problem as they had already gone in the box stress free.

The only thing is I can't remember where I got the top opening cat box from, but I'm sure a quick google would find one.

Glad you got your buns to the vets ok, good luck for next time. (We have to get the boy to the vets on Monday to be neutered so will have to do it all over againg too)

I leave the carry case out sometimes so my buns can have a sniff and explore it - occasionally Selma will even go in there for a snooze! That way going into the case when it is time for the vets (or a trip to the Bunnery) it isn't such an ordeal for them - I just pop a couple of pellets in to lure them!

we leave the carriers out as toys so they get used to them and put in a towel that smells of home

My biggest cat Ewok hates the box so i put him in bum first so he dosent know whats coming! works everytime :lol:

rabbitmum said:

we leave the carriers out as toys so they get used to them and put in a towel that smells of home

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i do the same i often leave a treat peice of carrot in there so they see it as a good place and when its really rainy they come in the house for a bit to play and i bring in the carrier as their safe place to hide so they dont see it as a scary thing. in saying that they dont like the car or vets either!!!

I would corner and pick up quickly and put into the open top one i think this will be easiest by far. to make them feel safe in the top opener put a towl over it so its nice and dark and cosy.

i guess i am lucky as my carrier opens at front and can be split in half and has a top opening bit so its very very bunny friendly, i herd them into the front door shut and then take them out the top at vets and put them in that way when i let them back out at home i let them out the front door of it.

I have a tiny puppy pen which I use to block off doors and stuff. If I do need to lift Buu I put this little pen around her hutch or run door and let her out, then lift her and put her straight into the carrier The pen is so small she cant run away from me :lol:

Also I used a clicker to train them to jump in and out of their carry basket, it was so easy to do and didnt take long at all It saves so much time chashing them around when I can just tell them to get in now x