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Best way to pick bunny up?

Pie Eyed

Young Bun
Hi guys.

I need some advice on capturing and picking up Lola-Rose.

She used to be OK with it, when she was younger, but over the past 2-3 months, she has started to dislike me picking her up.

I need to do this, to bring her inside, take her back outside, take to the vet, check her bum, etc..
However, she will evade me as best she can and then when I do get her, she will try to run for all she's worth, once I have hold of her.

I generally go under her stomach with one hand and the other over her back.
If she feels me moving my hand underneath, she immediately jumps over the hand and moves away from me.

I know some people use the scruff of the neck, but I don't feel that I could do this. It might be how her mum would pick her up, but it just feels cruel.

So how can I start to reassure her and "train" her to allow me to pick her up without struggle?

Thanks
Craig
 
You need to stoop beside her, put your right hand under her stomach and the other under her bottom and sort of scoop her up, turning her round so she is snuggly against your chest - but keep her very close to you and keep low to the ground until to you have her securely against you. She needs to feel secure and her bottom supported. Hope that makes sense. Many rabbits don't like being picked up but, as you say, sometimes it has to be done.
 
If a lot of the times you're picking her up to put her away, go to the vets or do a bum check (which I assume she doesn't like), she's going to run away and struggle, instead you need to make being picked up a positive thing.

Try not to chase her round, and especially don't stand right over her (that's what a predatory bird would do and as you can imagine it stresses most rabbits out). When you pick her up do it quickly and hold her really securely, bum and legs completely supported, I personally wouldn't hold her vertically (so her heads on your chest), do it so she's sideways and her front paws are resting on your arm, or put your elbow over her her head so her bum and legs are supported but her head is tucked under your arm, it doesn't look the comfiest but it's very secure.

I'd also try pick her up more so she gets used to it, but each time give her some food she likes (be it pellets, treats, fruit, veg or leaves) and then put her back down, don't keep her for too long or mess around with her, just pick up, let her eat a small amount of food, put down and she'll learn it's nothing to be scared of and in most cases it ends in something positive. Keep 'bum checks' swift and minimal (providing she doesn't have a problem and really needs regular checks) and also give her a treat after

I personally think most rabbits respond really well this way, I have a rabbit, Baby, who's kind of shared between me and my grandma. When she comes to stay with me, when she's picked up it always means something positive, like being taken to get food or to have a run around, and so she's very easy to catch and follows me around a lot of the time. When she stays with my grandma, she's an absolute nightmare because my grandma insists on picking her up every time she gets close to make a fuss of her (which Baby's not keen on) and any other time she's picked up is when she's being shut away in her hutch at night
 
You need to stoop beside her, put your right hand under her stomach and the other under her bottom and sort of scoop her up, turning her round so she is snuggly against your chest - but keep her very close to you and keep low to the ground until to you have her securely against you. She needs to feel secure and her bottom supported. Hope that makes sense. Many rabbits don't like being picked up but, as you say, sometimes it has to be done.

This is they way I have always picked bunnies up too, that way they are less likely to injure their backs if they kick out too.
 
Thanks all.

It sounds like I am trying to use the right technique, but maybe just need to move my hands more quickly.

I tend to be very gentle/slow when putting my hand under her tummy, so as not to stress her, but it seems that I might be having the opposite effect.

Cheers for the swift responses.
 
Ah, yes, forgot about moving her so that she is resting with her head sort of under your arm - very difficult when writing things down rather than actually demonstrating!
 
I must have a good read at this thread. My Spenser HATES being picked up. I do support him, but he wriggles and kicks free within seconds, then spend ages washing as if he has been contaminated. :roll:
 
I forgot to ask before, is the kicking whilst you're lifting her into the air or when you're actually holding her on you?

Some rabbits are fine to be scooped up with no bum support and just go floppy, some stiffen up and kick like hell, if she's doing that then you need to put one hand under her chest/stomach and the other under her bum and scoop her up as close to you and as quickly as possible so she's not dangling in the air
 
I'd experiment with different positions once you've actually picked her up too as she may have her own preference. Bubbles always preferred being vertically, usually quite high up against my body, but with a fairly tight grip so she couldn't scoot off over my shoulder whereas Alfie prefers to be sideways on.
 
Ah, yes, forgot about moving her so that she is resting with her head sort of under your arm - very difficult when writing things down rather than actually demonstrating!

This is how I pick mine up now if they're in a kicky mood or I need my other hand to carry something, if your rabbits are small it's really easy to keep them incredibly secure with just one arm, their feet on your hip, hand supporting their bum and their head tucked under your elbow but so their front paws can still rest on your elbow (so it needs to be tight into your body).
 
This is how I pick mine up now if they're in a kicky mood or I need my other hand to carry something, if your rabbits are small it's really easy to keep them incredibly secure with just one arm, their feet on your hip, hand supporting their bum and their head tucked under your elbow but so their front paws can still rest on your elbow (so it needs to be tight into your body).

Yes, keeping them tight to your body is so important for security.
 
Or, if a bunny is really difficult I use a pet carrier and a small piece of wire and catch him that way. Less stress.
 
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