A few handling observations

Today was the best vet's visit we've ever had. I got a minimal scratch on my midriff from Lopsy and I never felt like the buns were about to die by e.g. flinging themselves off the table. They're getting 'fat', up to 2.4kg each, that's a whole 100g since August and a total of 250g since I got them! Matt's forage feeding might need to be curtailed... They're good as gold for the actual injectiomns themselves though, and Aboleth did admirable for her full claw clip: the bunny-savvy vet nurse did it today, and told me how to best hold Aboleth, although the vaccs were done by less-good-vet but she's alright for that sort of thing Told them about Aboleth's slow gut when she's full of (Lopsy's) fur but agreed nothing to really worry about. Got thumped at three times for my trouble and Lopsy even refused a carrot top, so I'm definitely not in the good books. And it's raining so much I've not bothered opening their playhouse door because I don't want them to get really wet feet and then sit in their own wet. Going to be in the super bad books when it does stop and I go outside :S :lol:

Which gets me on to handling. I tried the 'recommended' way to pick them up today as I wasn't completely stessed from getting them in the carrier lastminute. It worked, sort of. I felt good about it anyway. Lopsy is just a though: any minute chance he thinks he might have of not being restrained (generally, including on the table) he goes for it. Even if it might kill him. Aboleth, well, she struggled once and tends to try and go for it when I get her closer to the ground (they're both excellent jumpers! I reckon they could make it off the table safely if they were careful and I think they know it :S) but she's alright if you've got her OK. She only struggled a couple of times when having her nails done, I was very proud. There is NO WAY we'd ever try that with Lopsy: he's got superstrong back legs and would be all over everyone's faces with them :S He's a twister too, he'll wriggle as much as possible. But for the actual vaccination? Still as a stone. And if you just let him sit with food, you can administer ear stuff, and if you hold his body when he's sat down comfy he'll let you put eye drops in. But he won't do syringes, not even nice ones with just apple juice in. Weirdo.

I'm hoping to sit down with him (and Aboleth) and get them better handled over the next year or so (post-thesis), as I think some time put in now and practiced over the next few years will go a long way to medicating them in later life, should we need to (although I'm really hoping they go suddenly like Charlie did!). I mean, he's easily touched: I can stroke his belly if he's lifting up for food, it's mental! it's just forced movement he doesn't like :lol:

It's odd how they behave differently in different situations isn't it?

None of my three like being held, but they seem to realise that it's better to be held by me than try to jump off into the unknown. They used to try to jump back into the shed before I'd opened the door though In the vets they are completely still and have never tried to jump off the table.

It's strange with Tan having her evening syringe of Metacam. She has it in the shed. I pick her up and have her on my knee facing the same way each night and stroke her and talk to her for a while. She tolerates it and doesn't move. I then turn her round to face the other way to do the syringe-feeding. Mostly she will sit still until the last drop has gone and then immediately tries to jump down. Occasionally, and I don't know why, she objects to the syringe and throws her head around like a baby would trying to avoid being spoon-fed

It's all interesting though isn't it