PinchofGinger
New Kit
I have a wonderful "little" Flemish Giant who is 2 or 3 months old (according to the breeder I bought him from, he was not entirely sure).
I have only had him for a few days, and he has a great temper.
When I bring him inside and put him on the couch he spends quite a while playing, exploring, cuddling and sometimes when he is tired he´ll sleep next to me or even do a "bunny flop" and fling himself on his side and stretch before taking a powernap. He nips me at times, but I am working on it - He seems to be getting that it hurts because I "EEEEEK!" when he bites me, but he´s just a baby after all, and not all that quick on the uptake!
Anyways, my problem is the fact that I *have* to carry him to get him inside (His "home" is a 2,5 x 1,5 aviary in my garden with a 1,5 x 1,5 insulated indoor area) and he is not all that thrilled about being carried. In order to catch him, I have to lock him inside the indoor area and then grab him gently but firmly when he is cornered or he gives up and just presses himself against the ground in front of me, scared.
I feel like this is wrong because it is his home, and me invading it like that seems fairly rude (He thinks so too, he grunted at me today!) but I do not know how else to catch him: If I try doing it outside in the aviary, he´ll take me on a chase and work himself into a tiny fit, and it is no fun for either of us.
He NEVER scratches me or tries to bite me when I pick him up, and I do pick him up the right way, he just does not like it all that much.
I can sit/lie down in his aviary with him hopping all over me, and even reach down to pet him when he is in the indoor area, and I can put my hands on his sides, but when I go for the correct lift under chest and bum, he goes: "Oh god not again!" and flees to just outside my reach.
I think this may be because the breeder picked all the bunnies up by their hind-legs so they just hung there like a fish on a hook.. Bad experience?
My question is this: I have a carrying case for cats, should I teach him to jump inthere when I need to carry him inside, at least until we build more trust between us? Or should I keep carrying him and hope he someday gets used to it?
I do the "carry exercises" for him when he is inside with me - lift his chest and bum a bit until he get´s used to it, but so far he seems to think it means "Move backwards" and "move forwards" and not "let me lift you" .
I bring him inside twice a day for 15-20 minutes depending on his mood and he seems to enjoy the company.
Any advice would be more than welcome
P.S: Before you ask, no he is not walking on tiles, the outdoor area has metal plates buried under the walls and one big one buried 1 meter down, so he has 1 meter of pure earth to dig straight down into, and the indoor area is a wooden floor with rabbit safe-sawdust covering it.
I have only had him for a few days, and he has a great temper.
When I bring him inside and put him on the couch he spends quite a while playing, exploring, cuddling and sometimes when he is tired he´ll sleep next to me or even do a "bunny flop" and fling himself on his side and stretch before taking a powernap. He nips me at times, but I am working on it - He seems to be getting that it hurts because I "EEEEEK!" when he bites me, but he´s just a baby after all, and not all that quick on the uptake!
Anyways, my problem is the fact that I *have* to carry him to get him inside (His "home" is a 2,5 x 1,5 aviary in my garden with a 1,5 x 1,5 insulated indoor area) and he is not all that thrilled about being carried. In order to catch him, I have to lock him inside the indoor area and then grab him gently but firmly when he is cornered or he gives up and just presses himself against the ground in front of me, scared.
I feel like this is wrong because it is his home, and me invading it like that seems fairly rude (He thinks so too, he grunted at me today!) but I do not know how else to catch him: If I try doing it outside in the aviary, he´ll take me on a chase and work himself into a tiny fit, and it is no fun for either of us.
He NEVER scratches me or tries to bite me when I pick him up, and I do pick him up the right way, he just does not like it all that much.
I can sit/lie down in his aviary with him hopping all over me, and even reach down to pet him when he is in the indoor area, and I can put my hands on his sides, but when I go for the correct lift under chest and bum, he goes: "Oh god not again!" and flees to just outside my reach.
I think this may be because the breeder picked all the bunnies up by their hind-legs so they just hung there like a fish on a hook.. Bad experience?
My question is this: I have a carrying case for cats, should I teach him to jump inthere when I need to carry him inside, at least until we build more trust between us? Or should I keep carrying him and hope he someday gets used to it?
I do the "carry exercises" for him when he is inside with me - lift his chest and bum a bit until he get´s used to it, but so far he seems to think it means "Move backwards" and "move forwards" and not "let me lift you" .
I bring him inside twice a day for 15-20 minutes depending on his mood and he seems to enjoy the company.
Any advice would be more than welcome
P.S: Before you ask, no he is not walking on tiles, the outdoor area has metal plates buried under the walls and one big one buried 1 meter down, so he has 1 meter of pure earth to dig straight down into, and the indoor area is a wooden floor with rabbit safe-sawdust covering it.
