help!! picking up!

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sheridan

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Hi,

I'm still totally new at this. When I got my 2 rabbits from the petshop, they were easy enough to pick up. since I have broughtthem home, any attempt I have made to pick them up results in themwriggling a lot, so much that I have to let them go.

They are 11 weeks old.

Is this normal? Should I be doing something else?

Any help would be great :(
 
yes, that is normal, rabbits are not likepuppies that can be picked up alot... lots of rabbits have fear ofbeing picked up cause they are prey animals

you could get down to their level, on the floor

there is rabbit handling at the rabbit 101 section of this rabbit forum

Evenstar
 
I'm not expert, but I think you should keeptrying so that they get used to you. The floor thing is good especiallyas youre getting to know them. I lay on the floor and let them crawl onmy arms and my ankles. They seem to love it. I justfigurethey're getting to know me.

If I try to pick them up when I'm on the floor, they can easily get amove on. But if I bring them to the couch and give them a couple oftreats. They seem to stay on my lap. Just a suggestion. I've been doingthis exerciseonce a day. Its easiest on the young one, but onthe one who is 6 weeks old, she's a little bit of a tough egg to tame.But its is better now than when they are an adult. Still,I amtrying to gradually get into that, because I'm just getting to knowthem.

It's hard to tame a rabbit into liking to be held. It's probably notpossible in a true sense. But if you can create even a little comfortzone, I think it is good, because lets say you ever need to grab themin an emergency or you are at the vets, they will stay in your arms andbe more tame. they will feel safe with you. I found my older rabbit wasincredibly tame. I think its because I took a lot of time in buildingher trust and things like that. It takes a lot of patience, but it canbe done.

Good luck.
 
Cool! Thanks for the suggestions! I will try thetrust thing and hope they get more used to me. They havestarted licking my fingers if I put my fingers infront of them sohopefully wih a bit of time, they will get used toit. :brat:
 
Maisie was the type of bun that would BEG for meto pick her up when I brought her home, but since a couple weeks afterbeing home (meaning when she was about ten weeks old), she just won'tlet us pick her up. I suspect it might have been her hormonesstarting up, or maybe it's just that younger buns are more comfortablebeing held until they are not so afraid of their environment anymore.

I'm sure with our newest addition, Flower, I'll find that she wants tobe held like Maisie did...especially with all she's beenthrough! I haven't the courage to try just yet, though, notwith the urine scald on her hind legs. :)

But, from what I've read, it's normal...don't worry. Itdoesn't hurt to try maybe once every few days (not very often) butchances are, they're old enough that they don't feel they need thatparticular comfort anymore. Maisie has taken to loving beingpet on the head, though (between the ears and nose)! Both sheand Flower will sit there and let me pet them like thatFOREVER!! :)

P.S. I know...it isn't the same as holding your babies inyour arms...I miss it, too. But I have to take comfort in thefact that she still lets me pet her quite a lot. She likes meto pet her body, too, but now that she's four months old, and thehormones have REALLY set in, petting her body makes her a taduncomfortable.
 
That sounds familiar. Tried picking up againtoday but they struggle a lot. Makes it difficult trying to get themback in the hutch.

1 of them does like getting stroked. he just tends to lie there unlesshe wants to do something. The 2nd one is becoming more friendly but isstill a bit wary. ButI guess it will take time.

I think they were happy today. I let them out of the hutch and theywere running about and kind of jumping and twisting in the air. Iassume that means they are happy?:bunnydance:
 
Yup! thought he might have been scared or tryingto get away from something, but now that I know its becuase hes happy,you're right, it is soooo cute!

Now I just need to get them hapy enough to allow me to pick them up!!:inlove:
 
My newest shelter rabbit ( I mean I adopted him)Peewee aka Pudgey has been with me since last Sept.(both at the shelterand here at home). He literally adores me to the point that he jumps incircles when he sees me com ing up the stairs. he loves to be pettedand is the sweetest creature on earth BUT he is terrified of beingpicked up. I do respect whatever he is feeling (which must not be goodas his breathing increases and he tenses up). I feel that occasionallyI will sit on the floor . pick him up and hold him to my chest and thenallow him to crawl back down on the floor. In time he may be OK withthis but if he isn't then I will pet him on the floor. I know that heis frightened and I don't want to do anything to make that worse forhim.
 
Dont know what I did but they were morereceptive to getting picked up this morning. They still struggled a bitbut calmed down a lot quicker.

I found I could actually scoop them up this time instead of struggling.

I guess they just got used to it. Lets hope it lasts!! :highfive:
 
sheridan wrote:
Tried picking up again today but they struggle a lot. Makesit difficult trying to get them back in the hutch.
Click to expand...
When you have to put them in the hutch, try putting them in back-endfirst. They may struggle less if they can't see where theyare going.

My first rabbit's cage was on a shelf at first and she always tried tojump in before I was ready, struggling and scratching me in theprocess.She would try to jump out of myarms. She nearly fell many times, so I started putting her in"backwards" and it worked like a charm.




 
They tend to struggle before I even get near thecage. I've been trying something else. When I used to get my hand underthem, they would squirm and run away. I have now started to put my handon their back as if I am going to pick them up, be a bit firmer andthen with the other hand stroke their head. They tend to calm downquite a bit. As soon as they do, I scoop them up and they seem ok forabout 10-15 secs which is progress. 1 of them has even let me put aharness on him, after a lot of convincing, so I think I am gettingthere..... slowly!

what does everyone else think about that? will what I am doing cause more harm than good ? :shock:
 
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