Holding my bunny?

[bubblethebun]

Hi everyone! I have a question I would like your insight on.. So, ive had my bun for 3 weeks now. he is 12 weeks old and super smart, already picked up litter box training, I just transitioned him to free roam my bedroom, he knows what to chew and what not to chew. (I have all my wires covered with flextubing), he has a huge litter box with unlimited hay, he gets fed twice a day (greens) since he is a baby I add some alfalfa hay mixed with his timothy hay, and his pellets mixed into his hay or greens). he is always soooo happy! he binkies everyday when I wake up, when I walk into my room he comes running up to me and waits for me to pet him. I just built him a ramp so he can climb up onto my bed (because my bed is really high up).. so needless to say he has a very happy bun life! BUT, when I try to pick him up (properly of course) he just never seems comfortable, he always squirms and is never calm when I go to pick him up, but it confuses me because anywhere I go he follows me and wants to be pet! but as soon as I go to pick him up he instantly becomes untrusting! (understandable, I know they are prey animals). any insight or advice is very appreciated!! he is not YET neutered. I just feel so bad when I pick him up because the last thing i want is for him to become scared of me or untrusting of me! thank you all if you read this far! haha

 

[hasek39]

, but it confuses me because anywhere I go he follows me and wants to be pet! but as soon as I go to pick him up he instantly becomes untrusting! (

Many bunnies don't like being held. As you mentioned they are prey animals and I would believe that is why.

Of course being petted is completely different than being picked up. If he doesn't like being picked up, then don't unless necessary.

I'm new to bunnies and there may be ways to acclimate a bunny to being held that I'm not aware of and the experienced people may chime in either way.

 

[Hermelin]

Bunnies often don’t like to be picked up in the beginning. Myself have trained all my bunnies to at least tolerate or like being picked up.

I do everything in steps and do it slowly with positive reinforcment. Some bunnies will just accept a short minute and other can stay far longer up in the arms after you trained the picking up and being held.

Also bunnies like different routines and how to be held.

At least this is what I have noticed with all my bunnies I have owned. But I’m only up on owning 6 bunnies. Never met a bunny that don’t tolerate being picked up after training them. But it take different long time, one of my bunny took over a year to be used with picking up and I took time every day to train him.

I think it’s essential to teach my bunnies to tolerate handling and being picked up. It will make it a lot easier for the vet to handle the bunnies and minimize the risk that they get hurt

 

[bubblethebun]

Bunnies often don’t like to be picked up in the beginning. Myself have trained all my bunnies to at least tolerate or like being picked up.

I do everything in steps and do it slowly with positive reinforcment. Some bunnies will just accept a short minute and other can stay far longer up in the arms after you trained the picking up and being held.

Also bunnies like different routines and how to be held.

At least this is what I have noticed with all my bunnies I have owned. But I’m only up on owning 6 bunnies. Never met a bunny that don’t tolerate being picked up after training them. But it take different long time, one of my bunny took over a year to be used with picking up and I took time every day to train him.

I think it’s essential to teach my bunnies to tolerate handling and being picked up. It will make it a lot easier for the vet to handle the bunnies and minimize the risk that they get hurt

Thank you so much!!! The breeder i got him from was always handling him and the other buns, she told me to always be picking him up but i didn’t feel like that was right haha maybe i am wrong. If you don’t mind me asking, how do you train them to being used to be handled/picked up?

 

[Hermelin]

If you don’t mind me asking, how do you train them to being used to be handled/picked up?

I do it in steps:

• Building a bond and get a bit of trust with the bunny

• Teach the bunny that being touched is nothing dangerous and make sure the bunny won't react aggressive or get scared if touched some specific place. So the bunny need to accept being touched on the stomach, paws, tail and so on. They don't need to like it just tolerate it and not get scared when it happens. It often help giving a treat, cuddles and talking calmly. If your bunny run away, wait and let them come up to you again. Give a treat to reward that they came back.

• Lifting the front body up from the ground, you can lure with a treat and let the bunny rest the front legs on your hand. Then you just pet them and touch them every where. While their front body rest on your hand you can raise it a bit up and down. Don't have to be a long time but it will make them being calm.

• Lifting them up from the ground while you sit on the ground, hold them how you want them and make sure to give the treat when you have placed the bunny correct in your arms. If your bunny struggle let them jump out and just keep doing it. You can make the bunny climb up into your arms and hold them. Always reward them with treats or cuddles depend on what they like. If you know your bunny and feel they will soon struggle, take out a treat and they will often become distracted and calm down again.

• You later train the bunnies to be calm in the arms and reward all the calm behaviors and when they are still. The longer they are calm the more yummy treats they can eat. '

During the time you train your bunny, you will learn what your bunny likes and how they want to be held and picked up.

You dont need to give treats all the time later on when you pick them up but they will always expect to get something good. Which make it that you can give the treats irregular. Myself used the daily pellets ratio as reward and training my bunnies. Sometimes it's dried fruits, herbs and so on but always something I can make into smaller bits, so I can have a lot even though it's not much. You don't need to do train for long times every day, it's enough just doing short sessions every day around (5 to 10 mins) . You should never force yourself on your bunny and doing everything in their own tempo will make sure you won't scare your bunny or break the bond you have built up.

Depending on the bunny I skip some steps and some steps take longer to train than others.

But have patience and let the time take it course, before my bunnies are used with being picked up I will avoid it. I will use travel cage and only pick them up if I truly need to pick them up.

I just find that you come a long way with positive reinforcment and doing it in the bunnies own tempo. I love watching how the bunnies slowly change and see how much they develop over the years.

For example my bunny Toste, when I'm going to pick him up I let him come to me. I talk with him calmly and see if he will let me to pet him, if he run away I go and get treats. So I lure him with a treat and he will let me pet him, when he's calm and accept my hand go to his tail I will get in postion to pick him up. Toste have a trigger point on the right side of his bum which before would make him attack me if I touched that spot.

I always do the same routine with Toste before I pick him up, he need to know that it's nothing dangerous and he need to get cuddles before he accept being picked up and he won't struggle. Most of the time he won't run away from my hand and let me pet him, so it's easy to pick him up. I don't do this routine on my other bunnies, this is only how to make Toste allow being picked up.

While my other bunny Odin I can just pick him up without doing anything, even kids can pick him up and he won't struggle or get scared. Even though they can hold him wrong. Just how different it can be between the routine of picking a bunny up.

But I have not owned as many bunnies as other in the forum have done. They might have other tips and tricks

 

[bubblethebun]

I do it in steps:

• Building a bond and get a bit of trust with the bunny

• Teach the bunny that being touched is nothing dangerous and make sure the bunny won't react aggressive or get scared if touched some specific place. So the bunny need to accept being touched on the stomach, paws, tail and so on. They don't need to like it just tolerate it and not get scared when it happens. It often help giving a treat, cuddles and talking calmly. If your bunny run away, wait and let them come up to you again. Give a treat to reward that they came back.

• Lifting the front body up from the ground, you can lure with a treat and let the bunny rest the front legs on your hand. Then you just pet them and touch them every where. While their front body rest on your hand you can raise it a bit up and down. Don't have to be a long time but it will make them being calm.

• Lifting them up from the ground while you sit on the ground, hold them how you want them and make sure to give the treat when you have placed the bunny correct in your arms. If your bunny struggle let them jump out and just keep doing it. You can make the bunny climb up into your arms and hold them. Always reward them with treats or cuddles depend on what they like. If you know your bunny and feel they will soon struggle, take out a treat and they will often become distracted and calm down again.

• You later train the bunnies to be calm in the arms and reward all the calm behaviors and when they are still. The longer they are calm the more yummy treats they can eat. '

During the time you train your bunny, you will learn what your bunny likes and how they want to be held and picked up.

You dont need to give treats all the time later on when you pick them up but they will always expect to get something good. Which make it that you can give the treats irregular. Myself used the daily pellets ratio as reward and training my bunnies. Sometimes it's dried fruits, herbs and so on but always something I can make into smaller bits, so I can have a lot even though it's not much. You don't need to do train for long times every day, it's enough just doing short sessions every day around (5 to 10 mins) . You should never force yourself on your bunny and doing everything in their own tempo will make sure you won't scare your bunny or break the bond you have built up.

Depending on the bunny I skip some steps and some steps take longer to train than others.

But have patience and let the time take it course, before my bunnies are used with being picked up I will avoid it. I will use travel cage and only pick them up if I truly need to pick them up.

I just find that you come a long way with positive reinforcment and doing it in the bunnies own tempo. I love watching how the bunnies slowly change and see how much they develop over the years.

For example my bunny Toste, when I'm going to pick him up I let him come to me. I talk with him calmly and see if he will let me to pet him, if he run away I go and get treats. So I lure him with a treat and he will let me pet him, when he's calm and accept my hand go to his tail I will get in postion to pick him up. Toste have a trigger point on the right side of his bum which before would make him attack me if I touched that spot.

I always do the same routine with Toste before I pick him up, he need to know that it's nothing dangerous and he need to get cuddles before he accept being picked up and he won't struggle. Most of the time he won't run away from my hand and let me pet him, so it's easy to pick him up. I don't do this routine on my other bunnies, this is only how to make Toste allow being picked up.

While my other bunny Odin I can just pick him up without doing anything, even kids can pick him up and he won't struggle or get scared. Even though they can hold him wrong. Just how different it can be between the routine of picking a bunny up.

But I have not owned as many bunnies as other in the forum have done. They might have other tips and tricks

Omg thank you SO much! This is soooooo helpful. I really like how you use the pellets as treats as well, that’s a perfect idea for me right now! I’m so thankful you posted this! Thank you thank you thank you

 

[Hermelin]

Omg thank you SO much! This is soooooo helpful. I really like how you use the pellets as treats as well, that’s a perfect idea for me right now! I’m so thankful you posted this! Thank you thank you thank you

No problem hope it will help you and bare in mind it can take a lot of time. Just don't stress it and having small goals will make you see how much your bunny develop. The small changes can otherwise be hard to see and make you loose motivation.

Myself got tired of reading every where that all bunnies hate being picked up and there no use training them. I understand some bunnies can be harder and some bunnies will never like being picked up. But it's always worth trying to train the bunny and see where it goes.

If I gave up after 6 months of owning Toste instead of keep on training him, he would never accept being picked up or even touched by humans. I got bitten and scratched a lot by him but he's a different bunny now. While my previous girl Lilja would always shake when being picked up and scratch, she would later jump willingly into my arms and snuggle up. Just a few of my bunnies and how they reacted.

So it's always worth trying, do it with baby steps and positive reinforcment and see where it lead you. If you see that you bunny do small progress there a chance your bunny will accept being picked up one day. So don't give up too early without given the bunny a chance to learn

 

[bubblethebun]

No problem hope it will help you and bare in mind it can take a lot of time. Just don't stress it and having small goals will make you see how much your bunny develop. The small changes can otherwise be hard to see and make you loose motivation.

Myself got tired of reading every where that all bunnies hate being picked up and there no use training them. I understand some bunnies can be harder and some bunnies will never like being picked up. But it's always worth trying to train the bunny and see where it goes.

If I gave up after 6 months of owning Toste instead of keep on training him, he would never accept being picked up or even touched by humans. I got bitten and scratched a lot by him but he's a different bunny now. While my previous girl Lilja would always shake when being picked up and scratch, she would later jump willingly into my arms and snuggle up. Just a few of my bunnies and how they reacted.

So it's always worth trying, do it with baby steps and positive reinforcment and see where it lead you. If you see that you bunny do small progress there a chance your bunny will accept being picked up one day. So don't give up too early without given the bunny a chance to learn

I think it will deff take some time for him to really trust me. He’s always by my feet and when i sit on the ground he hops up on my lap and i give him like one pet then he hops off hahaha but anytime i walk anywhere he’s right there at my feet!

 

[Hermelin]

I think it will deff take some time for him to really trust me. He’s always by my feet and when i sit on the ground he hops up on my lap and i give him like one pet then he hops off hahaha but anytime i walk anywhere he’s right there at my feet!

He seem to feel safe near you and your bunny is really cute

 

[Black Otter's Mom]

2 years ago I was asked to adopt a bunny from a coworker whose kids, now teenagers, no longer had time for him.
Multiple issues were at hand, he was a cage bunny and mine were free range house bunnies, he was raised with dogs and never seen a bunny.. and he was gigantic and was a kicker. Sight unseen I said yes.
To gain his trust I would do bunny moves. He was terrified of bunnies. I let him out by himself and would kneel on floor near him with my head touching the floor. It was a submissive gesture and after several days he would hop near me. Eventually I would inch closer with my forehead still down. We worked up to laying foreheads together and staying like that for a minute.
When I then picked him up he was herky jerky and so put him on back and in soothing voice and rubbing his forehead, tranced him. A bunny will stay like that for minutes after trancing. When he came to, his whole body relaxed. Then he let me hold him but I held him like baby in crook of my arm. I would then put foreheads together again. He was so big and heavy. In no time he too was free range house bunny who loved to be held and snuggled. He fell hard for my boy rabbit which is an entirely different thread!
Full circle, he passed away 6 months ago, cradled in my arms like baby in his blanket, so peaceful, he took a deep breath and exhaled and that was it. He was relaxed, toasty, loved and peaceful.

 

[Mehidk]

I think it will deff take some time for him to really trust me. He’s always by my feet and when i sit on the ground he hops up on my lap and i give him like one pet then he hops off hahaha but anytime i walk anywhere he’s right there at my feet!

Each rabbit has their own unique temperament. For me, I can never get Trixie to sit on my lap, but she will let me hold her for a few mins. Meanwhile with my boyfriend, she will jump on his lap no problem, runs to him, but does not like how he holds her. I've had her since the end of November 2019. It's really interesting to see what a rabbit likes and doesn't like. Like @Hermelin said, it takes time and patience! You will get there soon enough

 

[bubblethebun]

2 years ago I was asked to adopt a bunny from a coworker whose kids, now teenagers, no longer had time for him.
Multiple issues were at hand, he was a cage bunny and mine were free range house bunnies, he was raised with dogs and never seen a bunny.. and he was gigantic and was a kicker. Sight unseen I said yes.
To gain his trust I would do bunny moves. He was terrified of bunnies. I let him out by himself and would kneel on floor near him with my head touching the floor. It was a submissive gesture and after several days he would hop near me. Eventually I would inch closer with my forehead still down. We worked up to laying foreheads together and staying like that for a minute.
When I then picked him up he was herky jerky and so put him on back and in soothing voice and rubbing his forehead, tranced him. A bunny will stay like that for minutes after trancing. When he came to, his whole body relaxed. Then he let me hold him but I held him like baby in crook of my arm. I would then put foreheads together again. He was so big and heavy. In no time he too was free range house bunny who loved to be held and snuggled. He fell hard for my boy rabbit which is an entirely different thread!
Full circle, he passed away 6 months ago, cradled in my arms like baby in his blanket, so peaceful, he took a deep breath and exhaled and that was it. He was relaxed, toasty, loved and peaceful.

You are amazing! I teared up! Thank you for sharing that, i am going to work on submissive gestures for sure. That must have been so rewarding for you, i am sorry to hear he passed away, however I’m so happy that he was with you when that happened and not in a cage! Again, thank you for sharing and thank you for your advice

 

[bubblethebun]

Each rabbit has their own unique temperament. For me, I can never get Trixie to sit on my lap, but she will let me hold her for a few mins. Meanwhile with my boyfriend, she will jump on his lap no problem, runs to him, but does not like how he holds her. I've had her since the end of November 2019. It's really interesting to see what a rabbit likes and doesn't like. Like @Hermelin said, it takes time and patience! You will get there soon enough

Lol! Yep! It’s crazy how loveable they can be in one way but timid in an another. Thank you!

 

[Black Otter's Mom]

So true. Bunnies are very sensitive and eventually they all come around.

 

[Black Otter's Mom]

So true. Bunnies are very sensitive and eventually they all come around.

I once had a baby doe who was very floppy, whatever position I put her in she stayed like that. I rushed to vet.. something is wrong with her. If they vet put her on her back she stayed like that. I was sure she was dying. After long exam the vet said shes just a shy, passive bunny, its just who she is. She might grow out of that or stay like that. She stayed like that. When she was old lady we were laying on couch watching movie. Gave her yogurt treat. Hour later we switch positions and she finally got around to chewing her treat. She was just sloth bunny. Loved anyone that held her, the vet was right, she just was who she was.

 

[zkeaton]

missy doesn't like to be held like at all. she'll let me quickly move her if i need her to be somewhere else but she absolutely hates being picked up . I don't really think its because she doesn't like us she just doesn't enjoy it. and if we picked her up she will squirm around a ton telling you to put her down. She was a stray at first, olivia said, so i think she just always has that thought in her mind she may not be safe. I don't mind tho, not everyone likes everything! she will come hop on our laps and make us pet her tho lol

 

[zkeaton]

So true. Bunnies are very sensitive and eventually they all come around.

I once had a baby doe who was very floppy, whatever position I put her in she stayed like that. I rushed to vet.. something is wrong with her. If they vet put her on her back she stayed like that. I was sure she was dying. After long exam the vet said shes just a shy, passive bunny, its just who she is. She might grow out of that or stay like that. She stayed like that. When she was old lady we were laying on couch watching movie. Gave her yogurt treat. Hour later we switch positions and she finally got around to chewing her treat. She was just sloth bunny. Loved anyone that held her, the vet was right, she just was who she was.

wait yogurt is safe for bunnies? i did not know that

 

[Mehidk]

wait yogurt is safe for bunnies? i did not know that

No, they're not. There are lots of treats out there that advertise that it's safe for them but they're really not.

 

[Black Otter's Mom]

Not yogurt, bunny treats that had that in the label. Blueberry and there were carrot flavored too. In a package in bunny section at pet store.

 

[Mehidk]

Not yogurt, bunny treats that had that in the label. Blueberry and there were carrot flavored too. In a package in bunny section at pet store.

Did you mean the yogurt drops? If so, those are not good for them either. There are companies out there that advertise things to make it seem like its ok for a small animal, but they're not. Rabbits' stomachs are not equipped to handle dairy like us and it can cause bloating and gas. Think of like how those vape companies that are targeting the younger generation. Just because a company is advertising it, doesn't mean that it's safe.

When giving treats, try something more natural like dried berries, banana (can be fresh too), or even veggies. Fruits need to be limited though because they are high in sugar also.