I pissed my bunny off =(

[ravishing]

I've never been good at picking penny up. I took her to the vet last week and the Dr. didn't seem to impressed that I couldnt pick her up very well. Dont get me wrong somedays she lets me and others she doesn't. Well I decided that this had to change b/c if there was an emergency I would never leave her behind.. I need to be able to pick her up and save our lives.

I spent the afternoon practicing picking up penny. I did make progress with her but she is SO upset and scared of me right now. She's making tiny little squeey sounds like a mouse. She was growling at me. She'd dart at my hands. I WAS ACTUALLY SCARED OF MY 4 POUND BUNNY! She bit my index finger andddd also bit my left love handle =(. My finger bled like a paper cut. I hate when she gets aggresive b/c usually she is sooo loveable and sweet.

I'm feeling so discouraged and sad. I dont want to make her angry or scared of me =( but I really do need to be able to pick her up.

I've read every single "how to pick up your bunny" tutorial, watched yt videos, and most importantly had a lesson from the vet on how to pick her up. I know im not doing anything to hurt her. She just doesn't like it when i 1st grab her. But after a few pets she melts like butter in my arms and lets me pet her =(

Now that my vent is out of the way...


how quickly do bunnies get over things? I hope she isnt angry with me in the morning

 

[JadeIcing]

Bunnies can hold grudges but the best way to work with them is bribery. Make picking her up a good thing.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat: It works for us. They do have to get used to a small amount of handling anyway.

 

[SRGBUGS]

I've had my rabbit for 2 months, and I still have trouble picking him up. Lol, he's learned to trust me a little (e.g. jumping on my lap, eating food off of my hand), but whenever I give him a treat, he runs to the far end of the room to eat it. He does jump on my lap, but as soon as I try to wrap my arms around him and try to make it safe for him, he leaps out quicker than a heartbeat.

 

[gmas rabbit]

Be glad that she is only 4 pounds. Benjamin is 15 pounds and also hates to be picked up. He will sit beside you ( when he feels like it ) come for pets ( when he feels like it ) and jump of the bed and spoon and snuggle ( when he feels like it) Some bunnies just like to be in control, and are not overly keen on being picked up. I think they are partically cats and have that cat mentality. Bribe her with treats and get her to eat them out of your hand. Set beside her on the floor when you are doing this and gently get her to sit on your lap. Be patient and don't force the issue. She will eventually realize that things are not so scary. Being abrupt and picking her up suddenly, can put them off. Some rabbits are never able to be just "picked up". If it is an emergency you will be able to do it, just pick her up quickly from behind around the tummy, supporting her feet right away. Watch out for the kicks, if you don't latch on quickly to them feet, as not only will you get a wicked boot to the arms, but she can hurt herself. I have had deep scratches on my arms from Benjamin. He is calming down with age, so will she.

 

[golfdiva]

I always pet Hershey first, then when I'm about to pick up Hershey I always say, "Can I pick up Hershey?" He knows what that means and if he doesn't want to get picked up he scoots away. That way if there is an emergency, I just won't tell him I'm picking him up!

Also, I used to always pick him up by holding him around the middle behind his "arms", like you would a little kid. I felt guilty eventually and started picking him up the "correct" way - by scooping under his butt with one hand. Apparently he doesn't like that way! I noticed he was letting me pick him up less and less, then hardly ever.
I went back to the "wrong" way, and he is much more cooperative!

Go figure!

Maybe experiement a little and see if a certain way Penny prefers to be picked up.

 

[MiniLopHop]

I think consistantly picking up once a day is better than 20 times in a single day and then needing a week for them to cool off. My personal view with my little zoo, is that everyone with fur (exclude fish, birds, and reptiles) need a hug every day. The buns get at least 30 minutes of focused attention of being held and stroked.

At first they were not so thrilled with this idea, but before I put them down they get their papya enzyme tablet, which is sweet so they love it. Over time they have learned that when I pick them up the hands are nice and they get a treat at the end. Becky gets mad when I put her down now and the others are relaxing. Cindi gives me uppy ears and kisses on a regular basis. Houdini is still more nervous, but he's not digging or niping as he did before.