At what point do you stop trying to pick up an unruly bunny?

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

That is a wonderful video and would be very helpful for me if Sophie actually allowed me to "handle" her. Ugh there's so much conflicting info, it's making me second guess how to go about this
I wish Sophie was like that rabbit in the video. They say in the video that you shouldn't chase your rabbit because then it makes them feel like prey...that makes sense...argh I don't know what to do. This whole thing I'm finding very emotional and I feel like I'm not being a good mom to Sophie...but then I think about how I would feel if something happened to her BECAUSE I didn't take the proactive approach with handling her... I'm sad and feeling very overwhelmed

 

[JBun]

Not chasing does make sense, but sometimes with some rabbits, some chasing has to happen to be able to get to that point of easier handling. Plus rabbits NEED to be able to be handled, checked, and cared for. And we can't always wait around as caretakers, until they decide that it is ok with them for us to pick them up. With skittish rabbits, you need to be able to handle them for nail trims and health checks. It's minimal and doesn't need to happen very often, then the rest of the time we don't need to be chasing them down and can work on slowly getting them used to being handled. That's for rabbits that are skittish about being held or being around people. Then there are the buns that see the chase as a game, or they are just being stubborn and don't want playtime to end. Then it's just 'too bad buddy' playtime is over, there's no harm done, and the rabbit is just fine back in it's pen/cage, and maybe just a little annoyed about it.

I know you didn't need to see yet another well behaved bun being picked up, but I figured being able to see different ways of picking up might be helpful, as some rabbits will squirm, wiggle, and kick if they don't like the way they are being picked up, but will be ok with another method of being picked up. It's just soooo different for each and every rabbit. It can take a lot of experimentation and trial and error, to figure out what works best for our particular rabbit. If the method that you are trying now just doesn't seem to be working out, then don't be afraid to try a different method.

The fact is that it is a necessity to be able to handle them at least a little bit. With rabbits that are scared of people and terrified of being handled or even touched, then a more gentle approach should probably be used. But Sophie is used to people, she's fine with you, so it's just being picked up that she doesn't like. As long as her behavior towards you doesn't change, just keep it up. She'll either get more used to it, or you'll get better at it where you can handle her even if she still doesn't like it much. Roo, my grunty bun, has never gotten used to being held. She still hates it, but I have to do health checks and nail trims, so it HAS to happen whether she likes it or not. And when I set her back down, I get foot flicked or thumped at, but then she hops up and wants her nose rubs. She's upset at me for two seconds then she's fine.

So just keep it up. If what you are doing seems to be going well, and she seems to be adjusting and getting used to it, then you are on the right track.

 

[aozora]

Not chasing does make sense, but sometimes with some rabbits, some chasing has to happen to be able to get to that point of easier handling. Plus rabbits NEED to be able to be handled, checked, and cared for. And we can't always wait around as caretakers, until they decide that it is ok with them for us to pick them up. With skittish rabbits, you need to be able to handle them for nail trims and health checks. It's minimal and doesn't need to happen very often, then the rest of the time we don't need to be chasing them down and can work on slowly getting them used to being handled. That's for rabbits that are skittish about being held or being around people. Then there are the buns that see the chase as a game, or they are just being stubborn and don't want playtime to end. Then it's just 'too bad buddy' playtime is over, there's no harm done, and the rabbit is just fine back in it's pen/cage, and maybe just a little annoyed about it.

I know you didn't need to see yet another well behaved bun being picked up, but I figured being able to see different ways of picking up might be helpful, as some rabbits will squirm, wiggle, and kick if they don't like the way they are being picked up, but will be ok with another method of being picked up. It's just soooo different for each and every rabbit. It can take a lot of experimentation and trial and error, to figure out what works best for our particular rabbit. If the method that you are trying now just doesn't seem to be working out, then don't be afraid to try a different method.

The fact is that it is a necessity to be able to handle them at least a little bit. With rabbits that are scared of people and terrified of being handled or even touched, then a more gentle approach should probably be used. But Sophie is used to people, she's fine with you, so it's just being picked up that she doesn't like. As long as her behavior towards you doesn't change, just keep it up. She'll either get more used to it, or you'll get better at it where you can handle her even if she still doesn't like it much. Roo, my grunty bun, has never gotten used to being held. She still hates it, but I have to do health checks and nail trims, so it HAS to happen whether she likes it or not. And when I set her back down, I get foot flicked or thumped at, but then she hops up and wants her nose rubs. She's upset at me for two seconds then she's fine.

So just keep it up. If what you are doing seems to be going well, and she seems to be adjusting and getting used to it, then you are on the right track.

I agree so much with this! Mocha may seem (relatively) well-behaved in the video I made about how I pick him up, but I've had Mocha since April and he maaaybe only just started growing more used to being picked up about two months ago, so it took a good half year. Even then, he would still kick up a storm the moment he sensed that I was going to put him back down. I'd say it was only a month ago or even less that he became a lot better about staying calm when I'm setting him down until he's less than a foot from the ground. I even asked a question here on RO about the best way to set him down once I've got him in my arms, and I was offered a lot of suggestions that didn't really work for me either until I somehow meandered my way to this particular method of setting him down butt first that actually works alright for Mocha.

But the six months prior to that, before I even got to that point? Oh man, I could barely keep him in my arms for more than a minute (while I'm sitting on the floor no less) without him struggling and kicking up a storm. It used to terrify me to pick him up because I was so afraid of hurting him-- and getting hurt in return, of course. I used to be so jealous of all the people online who would talk about how their bunnies love to be snuggled and held, and I never expected myself to get this far with Mocha. And like Jenny's Roo, while he still doesn't like it and will definitely let me know he did NOT appreciate being picked up through feet flicks and back turning, he would bunny loaf and tooth-purr the moment I start petting him as an apology.

So what I'm trying to say is it may seem impossible now, but it's a matter of time and persistence. Make a regular habit of it, give her a treat after if you want (I don't tend to unless I know he was really scared or mad; usually I just offer apologetic nose rubs), and keep experimenting until you find something she tolerates. There is no single "right" way to go about it, even if you wish there was-- just like how there's no single personality for bunnies!

 

[missyscove]

I had to go try it out and see how I hold her shoulders. You can definitely use 2 hands to do it too but I had my phone in the other hand.
You can even try that out while she's eating or something just to get her used to you touching her and the idea that just because you're touching her doesn't mean you're going to eat her.

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Thank you for there photo. What is the purpose of the hand over the head? Is that to cover their eyes? Should I be emulating both pics? I understand the shoulder onto but just want clarification on the other one.

Thank you

 

[missyscove]

Well I start with petting the nose and then sort of move my hand back to her shoulders so the hand on her head too I guess is like an inbetween step.

The shoulder restraining works well for doing physical exams on bunnies, guinea pigs, etc. because the tech/assistant can hold the shoulders while the vet works from the butt end keeping the rabbit from moving backwards and the tech can just move their hands out of the way for things like auscultation with a stethoscope.

What everyone else is doing isn't wrong, but if it's stressing you two out that much it just might be better to take some smaller steps.

Oh and both of my bunnies will flee from me when they think I'm trying to pick them up, Cricket (in the photo) moreso than Watson so I do understand what you're going through!

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

So my next question is, how much pressure are you using? I mean, I would think that it would have to be quite a bit to prevent them from escaping? And are you applying pressure down and by clutching the shoulder? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just trying to get as much info as possible before I attempt it

 

[missyscove]

Pressure down to keep them from leaping up in the air and pressure back to keep them from moving forward yes, but not so much that you're squishing them. When handling buns in general I find you have to be fairly firm so they feel secure rather than being so light that you're basically just tickling them.

If she doesn't even let you touch her if you want to pet her though, start there. I start with getting mine to take treats from my hands and then eating out of my hands, then sometimes I'll pet them under the chins while they're eating, then move on to between their eyes or their backs. If they don't like that and run off, well too bad because I'm the one holding breakfast in my hands so they do come back eventually.

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

She's ok with me petting her, I can even usually get away with touching front feet, back and rump as long as I don't try too much. She also is better with being touched in the late evening. She's ok with me keeping my hand on her head, back and also able to keep a still hand on her lower back/rump area.

So I tried to hold her down by the shoulder, I thought I was using enough pressure but apparently not because she had no trouble getting away from my grip.

I'll try again tomorrow.

 

[Imbrium]

I know it can be SO frustrating to work with an animal that is adamantly opposed to what you're doing... patience and persistence is the way to get results. I've got a glider, Hobbes, that was 9 months old and pretty set in his ways when he came to us... I got him in mid May and it's only in the last couple months that I could even pet him while he's in his sleeping pouch without him immediately trying to bite me if I didn't have his shoulders pinned down to sneak in a few gentle strokes. Even now, I still can't pick him up without getting bitten unless it's only for a split second and then I put him down before he "remembers" to bite me (sometimes I get him and Hurricane mixed up and grab him by accident, then have an "oh sh*t" moment). After 7 months, he's still not even remotely close to being fully bonded (we're maybe halfway there)... compared to my fastest bond, Tabitha, which only took about a month.

Every animal is different and some take a lot longer to come around than others. As I mentioned in the video and missyscove mentioned above, if one tactic isn't working, keep trying others - some bunnies have a certain method that they're less offended by than others.

 

[PaGal]

To get her used to being in your lap, if you feed pellets you can try coaxing her into your lap with the pellets. Since they should receive more pellets than treats she will stay there longer or come back more often. You could even try with hay depending. Thumper when young would happily sit in my lap and munch away at his hay. He only seemed to stop when he got bigger so I guess maybe my lap stopped being comfortable.

 

[Imbrium]

With how limited pellets are (at least for adults) and how tasty rabbits find them, hand-feeding them definitely makes for great treats and a good bonding ritual - I still hand-feed pellets to my girls sometimes and they love it.

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Just got back from the vet with Sophie for her nail trim. After talking to the vet tech about the different methods of picking up a rabbit she thought the best method would be the football hold with Sophie's eyes covered in the crook of my arm. I practiced picking her up three times while we were there and she didn't struggle once. She did struggle when her eyes weren't covered so the vet tech felt that if I didn't use the football hold when initially picking her up, she might hurt herself.

She said that once I have Sophie in the position, then I could allow her to look around but that it was really important that her eyes be covered while lifting, when she's in limbo so to speak.

However, though this sounds like progress, it's still going to be difficult applying the technique at home. The last time she was at the vet I was able to pick her up quite easily but at home she turns into a wild animal and I can't get a grip on her.

It was so nice, she was like those well behaved bunnies in the videos. Because she was petrified! That's inherently the problem. Fear from being at the vet makes her easy to handle.

I will try this technique again. I actually got some insight on where the hand placement is this time. Though I don't feel like I'm going to be able to use this technique at home anytime soon, it will be very useful for me when I have to take Sophie through airport security when I move.