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So, if you feel like so far you've handled it all wrong .......

Bitzy-B

Mama Doe
....... 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??
 
It's never too late but it will take time and effort and a lot of awareness of rabbit behaviour.

I'm not sure it's related to being handled or not though, what your vet said. I tend to handle mine only when necessary but all the vets and vet nurses have, at one time or another, comments on how friendly and relaxed they are, even when being held. They said they don't get many in like mine.

I take them all to the vets together for their myxo and again, my vet comments most of the time, how they are so relaxed (and they really are).

I had one vaccination session in January and the vet commented that he had never, ever seen my bunnies act the way they had. He said they felt more stressed than they had ever been. In the same breath he then said that in that morning, prior to my crew coming in, they had had dog traumas everywhere. He had had a puppy come in and wee everywhere, and then later, an unneutered dog just drowned the room in urine. Obviously it was cleaned, but for a bunnies sensitive nose, they would still have known. My vet knew this.

When they all went back 2 weeks later for their VHD he commented on how relaxed they were compared to last time.

So I would say don't automatically think that you have done something wrong. It could just be that the room or the vet smelt of dogs or similar and the bunnies couldn't cope. Also, the way you were feeling will play a part too. If you're anxious and/or stressed and/or worried about holding them, then they will feed from that too.
 
To be honest I think some rabbits don't like being handled. Spenser now spends much more time with me, and although he loves being petted when he is in the mood, he resists handling to the extent that I would actually be worried if he allowed me to pick him up and showed no resistance.

It is obviously in any rabbit's best interests to be able to tolerate at least minimal handling, but we can all only do out best.
 
I agree with all thats been said...mine are different to each other and will let me handle them but dont like it....however Ive worked on this and they will jump into my arms at the vets if they are scared. Id try sitting with them at all times and when they are scared talkt to them and be relaxed yourself as they def. do feed off your energy.
Id also pick them up somedays just to sit on your lap and to give them a treat....and then after a fuss then sit there and almost ignore them...obviously still hold them but when they realise that you are actually just sitting there with them on your lap they tend to stop freezing and start to investigate how to escape:lol:...re-assure them in ahppy voice and give them anothe rlittle treat before putting them down or letting themhop away...after a while they will realise its not always bad things when they are picked up;)
 
It's never too late but it will take time and effort and a lot of awareness of rabbit behaviour.

I'm not sure it's related to being handled or not though, what your vet said. I tend to handle mine only when necessary but all the vets and vet nurses have, at one time or another, comments on how friendly and relaxed they are, even when being held. They said they don't get many in like mine.

I take them all to the vets together for their myxo and again, my vet comments most of the time, how they are so relaxed (and they really are).

I had one vaccination session in January and the vet commented that he had never, ever seen my bunnies act the way they had. He said they felt more stressed than they had ever been. In the same breath he then said that in that morning, prior to my crew coming in, they had had dog traumas everywhere. He had had a puppy come in and wee everywhere, and then later, an unneutered dog just drowned the room in urine. Obviously it was cleaned, but for a bunnies sensitive nose, they would still have known. My vet knew this.

When they all went back 2 weeks later for their VHD he commented on how relaxed they were compared to last time.

So I would say don't automatically think that you have done something wrong. It could just be that the room or the vet smelt of dogs or similar and the bunnies couldn't cope. Also, the way you were feeling will play a part too. If you're anxious and/or stressed and/or worried about holding them, then they will feed from that too.

great post :thumb:
 
Thanks for your replies ...... I'm feeling much better about it all today - especially as Rascal let me give him a full body massage this morning complete with tooth purring.

I think I get myself all stressed about vets visits and so they pick up on it and it makes the situation even worse. Rascal jumped into my arms at the vets yesterday so hopefully at least he recognises that I'm not the biggest threat in the room!!

I'll continue spending time with them whenever I can (I usually hand feed them their pellets at tea time and now the weather's getting better it'll be easier to spend time in there in the evenings - without freezing to death) and hopefully it will help things.

I like Chelle's idea of sitting with them on my knee and giving them a treat, at least they will associate it with good things (in time)!

Great post from Sky-O as always.

Thanks a lot, you've really helped me feel that maybe I'm not as useless as I was feeling afterall!!

Jo x
 
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