• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

9yo Chewie still doesn't like being handled!

smudgiebun

smudgiebun

Alpha Buck
I feel bad that we've had Chewie for 9 years and he still doesn't like being touched. I feel like we've failed him!

I can stroke him if I'm giving him food but even then he is jumpy and cautious. Picking him up is a big no no and he will hate you even more for a few weeks afterwards if you try.

He will come over and say hello but is so scared of a hand coming towards him.

I'm worried about what will happen if he ever needs medical treatment, it's going to stress him up so much if he doesn't like being touched.

Every day I try and sit with him at least once and offer food and try and stroke him. He won't come downstairs at all so I have to go into their room to see him.
 
Aw! I have a few like him. Peter is 9 and his Wifebun is 8 and they do not like being handled but they came from a family who didn't know a lot about Bunnies. You haven't failed him, it's just how some of them are like.
 
Awww it's such a shame isn't it! Chewie had a bad start to life, he was found outside and taken to a rescue. God knows what he has experienced!

So do you think some bunnies will always be like this?
 
smudgiebun said:
Awww it's such a shame isn't it! Chewie had a bad start to life, he was found outside and taken to a rescue. God knows what he has experienced!

So do you think some bunnies will always be like this?
Click to expand...

I think so. As long as they are happy it doesn't matter to me.
 
My two girls are almost thirteen and still hate being handled.

My advice would be to try not picking them up at random times. You should pick him up at least once a day for a checkup. If you do it at the same time every day and pick them up carefully they will get used to it and won't struggle so much, but will never like it.

If they have a bunny friend for sunggles, it's unlikely they will ever like being fussed over by a human.
 
Stator said:
My two girls are almost thirteen and still hate being handled.

My advice would be to try not picking them up at random times. You should pick him up at least once a day for a checkup. If you do it at the same time every day and pick them up carefully they will get used to it and won't struggle so much, but will never like it.

If they have a bunny friend for sunggles, it's unlikely they will ever like being fussed over by a human.
Click to expand...

Yikes, I don't think I could get away with picking him up once a day! You have to pick him up fast and swiftly, because if you do it slow he manages to get away and then it becomes a chase.

He hates it so much, he will struggle to get away and then hide and hate us for ages afterwards :( It's bad enough when we have to trim their claws.

I honestly think he has some trauma he can't get over, but I don't know how you'd even address that. He was handled quite roughly at the rescue when we went there.

He also lost his brother after being brought to the rescue, so that must have been sad for him :( This is all before he was even 1 yr old though and he's 9 now.

He's the polar opposite of Smudge who loves affection and 99% of the time doesn't mind being handled and picked up.
 
Yesterday he let me stroke both ears at the same time without flinching! He even started licking his own front feet while he was doing it - that must be a good sign??

I'm taking this reeeealllly slow. I basically get him to come over with food, then if he seems relaxed I'll stroke his head. If he flinches I go back to just giving him food, then try again when he's relaxed again. I've been able to build up to stroking his back this way sometimes. I've not tried touching his bum or under his belly yet as I think it's way too soon!

I just feel it's important to do this, I need to get him to the point where I can pick him up in case he ever needs treatment :( We've had to do a lot with Smudge lately, checking her leg, medication, bandages, and I know if we tried to do any of this with Chewie it would just freak him out :(
 
Last edited:
I understand why you'd like Chewie to get more comfortable with handling. I had a bunny who needed daily penicillin injections for weeks on end. Problem was that he wouldn't let me touch him (he was diagnosed with ear abscesses not long after I rescued him). The only way I could do the injections was to chase him round every morning and out him in the (empty!) bathtub and do the injections in there. It was a huge faff and a lot of stress for both of us. If I'd been able to at least stroke him I could have done them on the floor very quickly and with little fuss!

Sounds like your plan to take things slowly is a good one. Hopefully Chewie will start to come round.

Sent from my SM-T585 using Tapatalk
 
Scrappy's Little Helper said:
I understand why you'd like Chewie to get more comfortable with handling. I had a bunny who needed daily penicillin injections for weeks on end. Problem was that he wouldn't let me touch him (he was diagnosed with ear abscesses not long after I rescued him). The only way I could do the injections was to chase him round every morning and out him in the (empty!) bathtub and do the injections in there. It was a huge faff and a lot of stress for both of us. If I'd been able to at least stroke him I could have done them on the floor very quickly and with little fuss!

Sounds like your plan to take things slowly is a good one. Hopefully Chewie will start to come round.

Sent from my SM-T585 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Thanks yeah that's what I'm worried about!!

I've just been to lie on the floor in their room and he came up to me to take food and accepted ear strokes. He will quite happily flop nearby so that's something I suppose.
 
I've been surprised by Lopsy: he's mellowed in his older age XD He used to thrash about at the first sign of being picked up, but he gives it a few seconds now. I'm so proud of him :D He's always been fine with any kind of touching as long as all four feet are under his control and he has his face in food, and he loves being stroked to sleep, so we had a much better starting point! I totally need to get him used to being manhandled though: I plan to every summer and it just never happens! The very best of luck with Chewie, sounds like you're making really good progress so far :D
 
keletkezes said:
I've been surprised by Lopsy: he's mellowed in his older age XD He used to thrash about at the first sign of being picked up, but he gives it a few seconds now. I'm so proud of him :D He's always been fine with any kind of touching as long as all four feet are under his control and he has his face in food, and he loves being stroked to sleep, so we had a much better starting point! I totally need to get him used to being manhandled though: I plan to every summer and it just never happens! The very best of luck with Chewie, sounds like you're making really good progress so far :D
Click to expand...

Aww how old is Lopsy?

Chewie is hit and miss, some days he will let me do more than others. For some reason today he's more skittish, no idea why ☹️
 
smudgiebun said:
Aww how old is Lopsy?
Click to expand...
Only 7 :) We got him at almost 1.5 (we're his second home) and he was a nightmare at the vets the first three years! But he's always been outgoing and friendly :)

Chewie is hit and miss, some days he will let me do more than others. For some reason today he's more skittish, no idea why ☹️
Click to expand...
I think that's normal: we all have good and bad days!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

keletkezes
Barrie has lost a lot of weight
Replies
17
Views
458
a reader of books
a reader of books
X
Stasis stress!! :( Day 5 - still no poops!
2
Replies
27
Views
812
xEMMAx
X
D
Young bunny to old bonded pair
Replies
5
Views
445
dollyanna
D
Back
Top