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To handle or not to handle - what are your views?

Bitzy-B

Mama Doe
:wave:

Bunnies that don't like being handled ....... what are you views on the best way to deal with it?

Leave them to it and handle them as little as possible so as not to stress them??

Orrrrr

Insist on handling them daily so that they'll get used to it and get over their dislike of it??

Orrrrrr something else??

:D
 
My fluff monster hated being picked up when I got him, I persevered with him and would pick him up everyday and increase the time every week. He now no longer struggles as he knows he is either going home or outside/inside. I can't hold him for long lengths of time like I can with my other one so he gets put down ASAP to avoid stress.

I say persevere unless they really cannot accommodate it
 
Only handle for meds and nails etc.. Try and avoid picking up if unneccesary so not to cause stress- i prefer to honour the animals wishes. There is a reason some buns like being picked up and others dont and that is entirely down to the individual bun. Also some buns may become better with handling some may not and that is individual too. I personally limit contact and try to make things stress free.
 
I only pick up Chloe when absolutely necessary like when she has to go to vets to be vaccinated. But I'd like to be able to check her bottom daily - just in case. Problem is, I get to a point where she'll let me stroke her while she is eating pellets (treat) , but if I try to pick her up, she won't let me near her for a week!
 
Only handle for meds and nails etc.. Try and avoid picking up if unneccesary so not to cause stress- i prefer to honour the animals wishes. There is a reason some buns like being picked up and others dont and that is entirely down to the individual bun. Also some buns may become better with handling some may not and that is individual too. I personally limit contact and try to make things stress free.


On the whole I agree with Ambience, and would let the bun dictate how much contact there was but - if the bun became ill it may be that reacting badly to handling/syringe-feeding etc could worsen its chances of successful treatment, so that would be a dilemma :?

So all you really need is a crystal ball to dictate a) if it will become ill and need medicating in later life and b) if it will stay handling resisitant or would improve with more handling.

Guess I'm not much help :oops:
 
I only pick up Chloe when absolutely necessary like when she has to go to vets to be vaccinated. But I'd like to be able to check her bottom daily - just in case. Problem is, I get to a point where she'll let me stroke her while she is eating pellets (treat) , but if I try to pick her up, she won't let me near her for a week!

This is just what my two are like.
 
I pick up smudge daily so that when he needs Meds or nail clips it's not such a shock for him. I know how long I can hold him for before he gets stressed, so I never let it go past that point.
 
Buddy really doesn't mind being picked up, however the only times that I will lift him is when I check his bum (twice a day) or carrying him inside. Even though he doesn't struggle or try to run away when I pick him up, I'm pretty sure he doesn't like it anyway so I refrain from doing it too much. :)

I never really have to pick him up to put him into his carrier if we go the vets since he goes in there himself (strange bunny), however we've only made two trips to the vet for vaccinations so far, so I bet he will start to associate his carrier with the vet soon enough :roll:
 
It depends if you really want snuggly bunnies or not.

I'm happy for my bunnies to be look-but-don't touch pets, and I generally leave them to do their own thing. It's easy enough to get them when I need to do nails or take them to the vet just by luring them in to a carrier with some pellets.
 
My other 3 are snuggly bunnies, so I don't really mind that Chloe isn't - but I'm very paranoid about flystrike - even though I know their walk in run is clean, their litter trays are cleaned regularly and they are not confined to a small space so flystrike is unlikely. So for self re-assurance I'd like to be able to check her bum without stressing her.
 
I tend to leave them to it. One of my pairs are unhandable. I try to be friends by handfeeding them treats and stroking their heads a little. In future I will try to get my rabbits better handled before they reach the stage a couple of mine have as for vets visits etc it makes things difficult. Though one of them is a p@h rescue who had 3 homes before I took her.

Helen x
 
I try to have a cuddle for about 2 mins a day, neither of mine are that bothered either way. Lola doesnt really like me walking with her in my arms and Buster doesnt like to be picked up for too long but i can check their bums easily and move them from one place to another etc with out any struggles
 
I would handle. It has taken me a year and a half but I have finally won with reggie but only recently. He runs off and acts scared when I try and catch him but one caught I can carry him around quite happily for a few minutes and often take him for a walk round the garden in my arms. He let's me cuddle him now too.:love:
 
I handle all mine as I've found it really difficult when I take the buns to the vet if they aren't used to being touched by humans. My vet can tell mine are regularly handled and he lets me hold them rather than a nurse.

I also need to pick mine up to put them in the garden if it's a nice day and I am home. I could pop them in a carrier but I use the time to check their bottoms and nails.

Their hutches are in their concrete runs so I don't need to handle them daily. I don't hold them for long if they aren't enjoying a snuggle as I try to balance respecting their wishes with the need to be able to check and medicate them as and when necessary.
 
Milly doesn't like being picked up, but I still do it every day to check her bum.
I give her a little treat when I put her down and she's pretty much ok with it now
 
Only handle for meds and nails etc.. Try and avoid picking up if unneccesary so not to cause stress- i prefer to honour the animals wishes. There is a reason some buns like being picked up and others dont and that is entirely down to the individual bun. Also some buns may become better with handling some may not and that is individual too. I personally limit contact and try to make things stress free.


I'd go with that point every time!! I'd let everything be on their terms and just handle when necessary (which really isnt often at all for most buns) :)
 
Surely all buns should be handled twice daily for bum checks, etc. I always handle the buns, no matter how adverse they are to it. I find it makes them trust me more over time an even though they may never be cuddly, they allow bum checks, teeth checks, nail trims and are fairly well behaved at the vet.
 
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I would prefer to be able to pick Jenson up but he really struggles and hates it. I had hoped he would get better when he was neutered but no.

I need to find someone who is experienced to help me handle him more.

So long as I don't lift him, he's ok, hops up on my lap for pellets and next to me for fuss. So long as I don't actually lift him!
His nails will need doing soon, I have no idea how we're going to do that, vets have done it before so thats my fall back plan.
 
Neither of my girls were overly handlable when I got them, particularly not Indi, but over time (about a year) they got progressively better. I think the main things that made a difference was making sure they were ideally positioned to lift them - facing towards you, not awkwardly bending around something or being dragged out of a hidey hole etc - and doing lots of very short handlings with benefits at the end - mine were mainly into the run (benefit = grass & exercise) and out of the run (benefit = dinner!) so that it creates positive associations. As they got better I would pause part way there just to give them a few seconds stroke before carrying on, and this got longer and longer so that they can be held for a few minutes now without struggling. Also very important to put them down correctly - facing towards you and held firmly until all 4 feet are on the ground, so they they can't panic and struggle, which creates negative associations and risks injury.

As others have said, I think its important to be able to reasonably handle a bun if they become ill, and if you only do it for vets and nail trims they always think being handled leads to bad things happening.

Feeding out of your hands, stroking them while they are eating etc also creates good associations with your hands being around them and on them too.
 
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