Don't pick me up!!!

My bunny, pippin, hates being picked up + it's getting increasingly difficult to check his bum! I think that's just the rabbit he is but I was wondering if anyone had any advice about how to make it a little easier? Thanks!

All you can really do is be confident and as quick as possible. When you pick him up you need to make sure you're supporting him and making him feel as safe as possible.
You could also try getting down low and encourage pippin to periscope with a pellet or treat, that way you might be able to get a look without having to pick him up.

My Annabella gets really stressed out by being picked up, so as a compromise I got her rearguarded so flystrike was less likely and I get her to periscope for treats so I can have a quick look. It's not as good as a proper check but it got to the point where I had to consider her quality of life, and I can at least see from that that she isn't crawling with maggots or anything.

When my boy really struggled when handled, I made it a point to pick him up to put him in and out of his hutch at least twice a day. When I had hold of him, I held him securely against me, and held him down gently, but firmly his shoulders and ears if they were against them against my chest and spoke to him. Once he stopped struggling, I put him down on the grass and left him to it, which was a reward to him. Or he'll be put in his hutch with veg treats. Then I waiting until he stopped struggling for a longer time and increased it. Then when I was confident that he was used to it, I'd hold him longer before putting him against me, so eventually I could lift him to see his bum briefly while supporting him without him struggling.

He eventually became calmer when handled, even though he doesn't like it, it made it easier for both of us.

He is a dutch though, so a bigger rabbit may prove harder to do this with, but I'm sure it's still possible.

Another option is buy a cat cage with a wire bottom so you can pop him in and lift the cage up to see his bum.

I think at the end of the day you just have to be firm and keep picking him up to get him used to it. One of my bunnies was so terribly traumatised when I took him on and even hated being looked at let alone picked up. But now he actually asks for cuddles. I don't really agree with not picking them up, because what if he had an accident or was ill, and you had to pick him up and do things with him, giving him meds, maybe having to wash him or change dressings etc, then isn't really the time to start getting him used to being picked up, and he could potentially do himself more damage if injured by struggling so much. It's the same with travelling. I take my bunnies for a half hr. drive every week, and now they start of madly excited, periscoping trying to look out of the windows on the way out and sleeping like babies and sometimes snoring on the way back, and it is now like a fun different thing for them to do, which also means that when they have to go to the vets, they haven't got all the additional stress of not being used to travelling.

I've even taken Bodger and Paddington in trolleys round supermarkets. In Asda the Manager came up to me and said I couldn't have a bunny in the trolley, but as I rightly pointed out, it says 'NO DOGS' not 'NO RABBITS', and so he did have to let me continue doing my shopping. Very embarrassing though when Paddington made a lunge for the broccoli. Good job he had a harness on, or he would have landed right in the middle of it, and I guess we could have been thrown out then :lol::lol:

Mine are not fans of being bottom checked its a bit of a game every day but now as soon as they are down you can hear the sniffing ... Err hello treat NOW please !

On another note why on earth are you taking your buns to asda Rodger ?

Love the image of Paddington lunging for the broccli!!! I have always been a righ wuss about picking mine up (as they all dislike being handled) but it does make sense to get them used to it. Did you bribe them with treats?