picking up...

hello!
I was wondering if you could give some advice about picking up my bunny...

I'm scared to lift him as I've read you can hurt them a lot if they kick out... When you try and pick him up he always kicks, the last time I almost dropped him because he tried to climb over my shoulder and bit my ear!

He is quite big - about the size of a cat - and is a little over a year old. When I groom his belly etc. I usually just roll him onto his side, which he doesn't seem to mind - the main problem I have is when I need to clip his back claws. Is there a method of doing this without picking him up?

thanks,
Kate

and Jack...

There's a good guide on rabbitrehome here http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/care/handling.asp

As for clipping claws, I've not tried doing this without picking a bun up. It's always a two-person job at our place, one to hold the bun with it's back against the 'holder's' chest for support to the bun's spine and to hold the legs still, and I do the clipping.

Others here might be able to give you the methods they use, hope this helps :wink:

Jack is gorgeous by the way

Yes he sure looks a scamp. Re the clipping, I leave that to the pro's but them I am a wuss.... and paranoid.....

I do clipping from the side the same way it sounds you groom his belly. I sit him on my lap and just fish out a paw from underneath.

Tam

Clipping for us is a two person job. With bunny on their back on a lap, feet wiggling in the air. Most undignified. As for picking up bunny, a firm hand under the bum and one under the belly makes it quite trick to kick, and if they do flail out they're kicking at air. To stop him climbing over you and escaping him hold him facing away from you, so his back is held to your belly.

So, bunny facing away from you, your hand on his belly holding him against your belly, and then your hand under his bum so he doesn't fall. And be firm. Then he can kick out without hurting you and he can't get a purchase to escape. Try picking him up when you don't need to check him over or put him to bed or anything. Don't be afraid of him. Just reach down, scoop him up, hold him a short while, maybe a few seconds, and then pop him back down again. Follow this up with a little food treat and with a bit of luck he'll start associating being picked up with getting food. He'll probably never liked being picked up, but he should stop struggling with you at least.

Edit: Curse this word filter! For bum read bottom.

thanks!

Thanks for your help: we're finally making progress! I think he'll be going to the vets to get his back claws clipped this time though, but he is beginning to be happier about being handled - and I'm not so scared of dropping him

The other thing I've found seems to keep 'em a bit calmer when you've picked them up is to hold their front legs (not too tightly) with the hand on their belly. They do seem to struggle less if you've got their front legs slightly restrained.

Just thought I would put my two pennies in!

I have to say that I do think one of the big issues with bunny handling is confidence. When we first got Harvey I was a bit scared of picking him up and he used to kick out (still does) and I used to put him down cos I didn't want to hurt him. Now I have a lot more experience I will pick him up and ignore his protestations. I do the one hand round the back end holding the legs and one hand under the belly approach.

With Honey our new bunny I found I was a bit under confident in picking her up to start with as she was a lot bigger and the first time I held her she made a dive over my shoulder and hubby had to grab her. But now I am more confident with her and she seems better with us and doesn't struggle.

Clipping is a two person job in our house too. I hold the bunny and hunny clips. We often has to pause if Harvey is struggling too much but he is very good and calms down and let's us go again. We haven't done Honey yet but I suspect that will be more of a battle.

Love Louisa xx

P.S Sorry went on a bit!

Our bun did'nt like being picked up but gradually he got used to it because I used to sit on the floor when I picked him up so if he did kick out he was not that far from the floor so would not hurt himself.

I never managed a hands on bunny check of him though but he was happy to let me check everything when he was lying on his side on the floor :roll: He must of thought I was wierd always checking his rear end etc

I have found that with my bunnies they all have their own ways of letting me clip claws. Some I have to craddle like a baby on their backs and others I have to do it how Tam does but I have a towel over my lap to avoid having chunks taken out of my thighs :lol:
Some of them even prefer to have me hold onto them round their ribs and hold up their front paws and when they are standing on their hind legs I can get to their claws that way, probably one for the more experienced though as its a bit akward and you no hands free to see where to clip to miss the quik.
Angel the fluffter prefers to lie on his back between my legs, so they are at either side of him propping him up :lol:

Angela

I wimp out and get the vet to check and clip when we go for vaccinations.