Evilmonkey
New Kit
Hello,
I'm after a bit of advice from you guys if thats ok. I've just bought a rabbit (a 1 year old un-neutered (or is it spayed) male blue rex). We bought him from a breeder, and one of the reasons we bought a slightly older rabbit was because the breeder assured us they'd litter trained him / aclimatised him to people.
We've only had him 3 days now, but he REALLY doesn't like being picked out of his hutch. We've tried a few different methods, but mainly the "one hand on his chest, the other under his bum" one. He just fights to get out of your grasp and till you've tucked him right into you, and even then he's been known to struggle. He fights so hard and struggles to get away so much its really quite difficult to get him out of his hutch at all and I get worried that he'll hurt himself. Its about the same going back in, unless he's just been out and on our laps then its a bit of a chase \ struggle. (I've taken to leaving the pet carrier with its door open and when he wanders in lift him up to the door in that...)
I'm guessing that the change of scenary and new people are big factors, but I just wanted to see if there's anything we're doing wrong? Anything to make him more at home?
One thing I've just thought of is that we bought a hutch where the lid opens, we've been getting him out from the top. Is this a mistake, would he be happier if we fetched him out of the cage door instead???
Any advice to some stressed newbie owners would be much appreciated...
Thanks
Luke
I'm after a bit of advice from you guys if thats ok. I've just bought a rabbit (a 1 year old un-neutered (or is it spayed) male blue rex). We bought him from a breeder, and one of the reasons we bought a slightly older rabbit was because the breeder assured us they'd litter trained him / aclimatised him to people.
We've only had him 3 days now, but he REALLY doesn't like being picked out of his hutch. We've tried a few different methods, but mainly the "one hand on his chest, the other under his bum" one. He just fights to get out of your grasp and till you've tucked him right into you, and even then he's been known to struggle. He fights so hard and struggles to get away so much its really quite difficult to get him out of his hutch at all and I get worried that he'll hurt himself. Its about the same going back in, unless he's just been out and on our laps then its a bit of a chase \ struggle. (I've taken to leaving the pet carrier with its door open and when he wanders in lift him up to the door in that...)
I'm guessing that the change of scenary and new people are big factors, but I just wanted to see if there's anything we're doing wrong? Anything to make him more at home?
One thing I've just thought of is that we bought a hutch where the lid opens, we've been getting him out from the top. Is this a mistake, would he be happier if we fetched him out of the cage door instead???
Any advice to some stressed newbie owners would be much appreciated...
Thanks
Luke