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Best way to pick up rabbit

spinecho

Warren Scout
Hi,

Please can you bunny gurus out there settle a dispute between me and my daughter's friend's family regarding the correct way to pick up a bunny?

I say to lift them from below and hold them securely when picking up.

The other family say they pick up the bunnies by the scruff (like cats). I'd've thought that this could be painful for the poor bunny.

Any thoughts?

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Hi,

Please can you bunny gurus out there settle a dispute between me and my daughter's friend's family regarding the correct way to pick up a bunny?

I say to lift them from below and hold them securely when picking up.

The other family say they pick up the bunnies by the scruff (like cats). I'd've thought that this could be painful for the poor bunny.

Any thoughts?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I would never ever scruff a rabbit. I wouldn't let a vet do it either, when they wanted to lift him out of his carrier :shock:

It's a very bad idea to dangle a bunny just by the skin at the back of it's neck. They can kick out in fear and injure themselves and possibly break their backs.

I always have the rabbit facing me, and scoop them up into my arms, supporting the hind quarters firmly. I always face them so they know exactly what's happening (if they are blind, I talk as well. I talk anyway :D)

Grabbing them and lifting them from behind triggers a fear response that you are a predator.

I hope this rambling helps you a little :D
 
I maybe a bit rough, I used to hold their 2 front legs and drag them closer. As soon as pick it up and put hand round their bottom to support their weight. Have to hold them tight because they like wriggle. Sometimes do hold them like a baby with belly up to check the bottom. Just have to remember support their weight all the time.

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My Pete would never let me pick him up so it was always more of a chase and grab situation which was not ideal. With new rabbits coming I've been looking on utube and there are lots of videos. The one most professionals appear to use is have the bun side on, put one hand under front legs and hold, scoop the other hand firmly under the bottom and bring immediately to your body so they are not left waving about and feel secure. I shall be experimenting on Sunday when I collect my two. Happy Days!
 
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Boys rabbit don't like to be picked up but girls rabbits are more willing to be picked up, in both mine and my sister's pair. So I needed to grab Cookie by some force and held him very tight. The only one time he didn't struggle was he was poorly (pts at the end).

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It is very hard to chase round a bun. I've seen my sister use a bath towel put on top of the running bun to stop him run then grab him asap

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My Ginger girl has no problem to preform this perfect method but my Cookie boy there is NO way. Once got him still had to use whatever method to pick him up then held very tight, he was so wriggly

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Thanks for all the replies!
Cuddles our boy is so laid back we could pick him up by his tail (we wouldn't!!!!)
Clover our girl is a bit more skittish and it's chase and grab all the way!!!!

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There are need to pick them up sometimes eg check their bottom, grab them for the yearly vaccine or simply think they are too cute. [emoji8]
 
It depends on where the are. If the are on the floor then I put one hand either side of them and lift and bring them into my chest so that I then have one hand free in case I need to use it to do something. This more than likely wouldn't work on a large rabbit though as mine are all fairly small. If they are instead at the height of my knees or above then I bend down, put my arms around so they are held tightly into me and put my middle finger behind the front leg that isn't against me and my index finger in front of the same leg. (I say 'they', but really I should say 'he' as Storm is the only one that let's me pick him up. The others it is a chase and grab situation)
 
If someone ever attempted to pick Petra up by the scruff of her neck I can't even go into detail in writing what i would do to them but it wouldn't be pretty i can assure you. I always scoop her into my arms if she's on the floor. Normally she'll try and crawl up my leg to be picked up though.
 
If someone ever attempted to pick Petra up by the scruff of her neck I can't even go into detail in writing what i would do to them but it wouldn't be pretty i can assure you. I always scoop her into my arms if she's on the floor. Normally she'll try and crawl up my leg to be picked up though.

The time a vet attempted to scruff my rabbit I raised myself up to my full height, put on my deep booming voice, and said 'Nobody scruffs my rabbit!'. The vet was genuinely afraid, and backed off saying "OK, OK!" :lol:
 
The time a vet attempted to scruff my rabbit I raised myself up to my full height, put on my deep booming voice, and said 'Nobody scruffs my rabbit!'. The vet was genuinely afraid, and backed off saying "OK, OK!" :lol:

I genuinely think I'd go for someone if they tried it!
 
The time a vet attempted to scruff my rabbit I raised myself up to my full height, put on my deep booming voice, and said 'Nobody scruffs my rabbit!'. The vet was genuinely afraid, and backed off saying "OK, OK!" :lol:

I love that though "nobody scruffs my rabbit" hahahahaha
 
Mother cats 'scruff' their kittens to move them, but mummy rabbits don't - they can actually run into trouble as if the kits get knocked out of the nest they have no way to get them back in. So it's natural for kittens and their skin can cope with it, but rabbits skin is much thinner and you can cause damage.
 
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