....... can you actually turn things around with your bunnies??
From a young age Dizzi and Rascal decided that they didn't like being held, which is fair enough, a lot of bunnies don't. So I didn't force them into it and only picked them up when absolutely necessary (health checks, grooming, vet trips etc) but now I feel they associate me with only 'bad' things that they don't like!
Whenever there's anything going on in their vicinity that I feel may stress them (loud noises from people working on their properties, people letting off fireworks before/after bonfire night etc etc) I go and sit with them ..... which thinking about it, again, they probably associate me being in there with something unpleasant.
Whenever I take them to the vets, I always hold them whilst the vet examines them ...... again, maybe they associate me with being at the nasty vets!
Don't get me wrong, they let me give them nosey rubs (on their terms of course) and they'll quite happily be hand fed or eat from my knee, and if I go and sit in with them, they always come over for a nosey at me ..... but I do feel that I should get them used to be being handled more.
I took them to the vets today for their myxi jabs and the vet said she'd never seen two rabbits quite so stressed, they were literally shaking!! I just feel if I get them used to being handled, then it will cut down their anxiety a little in these situations.
So, having decided that I've probably been doing all the wrong things for the last 18 months ........ is it too late to change it??
From a young age Dizzi and Rascal decided that they didn't like being held, which is fair enough, a lot of bunnies don't. So I didn't force them into it and only picked them up when absolutely necessary (health checks, grooming, vet trips etc) but now I feel they associate me with only 'bad' things that they don't like!
Whenever there's anything going on in their vicinity that I feel may stress them (loud noises from people working on their properties, people letting off fireworks before/after bonfire night etc etc) I go and sit with them ..... which thinking about it, again, they probably associate me being in there with something unpleasant.
Whenever I take them to the vets, I always hold them whilst the vet examines them ...... again, maybe they associate me with being at the nasty vets!
Don't get me wrong, they let me give them nosey rubs (on their terms of course) and they'll quite happily be hand fed or eat from my knee, and if I go and sit in with them, they always come over for a nosey at me ..... but I do feel that I should get them used to be being handled more.
I took them to the vets today for their myxi jabs and the vet said she'd never seen two rabbits quite so stressed, they were literally shaking!! I just feel if I get them used to being handled, then it will cut down their anxiety a little in these situations.
So, having decided that I've probably been doing all the wrong things for the last 18 months ........ is it too late to change it??