Should I practice picking my bunny up, or avoid it altogether?

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rita1234

rita1234

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This is my first bunny, so please forgive my noobishness:)



I want to know if picking her up at a young age is a good idea or if I should avoid it altogether. Right now I'm spending a good two hours in her cage with her everyday and she's really warming up to me. She crawls across my computer while I'm on it and loves to come up and sniff me.

Petting is still a little shaky at this point, so I don't know if I should start picking her up yet. Any reccomendations on the first month or so of bunny bonding?
 
If petting is still shaky then I would avoid picking her up. Rabbits have a great fear of being off the ground. That being said after Fraggles was brought home we carried her everywhere and she loved it. She would take long naps in my husbands pocket. Now at a fully grown 14 pounds we rarely pick her up. She hates being picked up and will struggles if we try to hold her. Its completely fear based.
 
Okay, I've never bonded with a bunny before and she seems kind of disinterested in me? I don't know how to start petting her, mostly the issue is that she won't stay in the same place long enough because she's so busy exploring! She's playing in an enclosed play area I made for her it's about ten feet by ten feet, and I think she's happy, I just want her to know she's safe around me!

Is nudging a type of bonding? She loves nudging me:D
 
Try putting your hand up in the air close to where her head would be, then wait for her to come and she should be interested. Rabbits really like being pet on their "muzzle" their head from the nose to right before the ears.
With the bunny bonding try lying on the floor on your stomach and letting her come to you, don't move or twitch or do anything. She should be rather interested at a point. Also check out a PIN called "Bonding With Your Bunny" or something like that, search it up it's on RO
Jj
 
She is a baby and babies love to explore and play. But the nudging is a good sign. What Jj said about laying on the floor and letting her come to you is good advice. Rabbits also love to have there cheeks massaged.
 
We got Q-tip used to being petted by giving her a little treat. I'd hold out a little piece of cilantro and she'd come over to explore it and would eat right out of my hand. Then she'd sit and let me pet her head. I worked on picking up and snuggling after I'd had her about a week and she was really used to me. I'd pick her up several times a day. I found that she feels most comfortable if she's on her back in my arms like a baby. Eventually she'd come up to me, hop into my lap, and roll over on her back and look at me like "okay, pick me up now".
She's an unusually snuggly bunny, but I got her used to handling when she was 4 weeks old, so now she not only loves her cuddle time, but has come to expect it. ALL the time.
 
That's so cute! She sounds very snuggly, I don't think little minnie would appreciate being held at this point:) I want to give her some celery, but I was told by the lady I got her from that she's too young for treats and she will get diarrhea and it could threaten her life.

I want to pet her muscle so badly! But she won't even let me touch her to give me a chance to pet her:(
 
My personal oppinion on the matter is holding from a young age is the best thing you can do. I hold my bunnies every second I get to keep them comfortable with humans. The younger they get used to it in my mind, the better. Also, I can't stress enough how important a good routine is. They like to know what to expect. I think you'll find your bunny alot more trusting if she knows what to expect daily. For example, my 5 mo. holland lop Ripley is fed every day at the same time, and comes out of his cage to hop around the house for the same amount of time every morning. Sometimes I'll bring him in later for the afternoon, but as the weathers cooled down, I don't think bringing him in too frequently is good. In warmer months, they come in 2x daily same time and amount of time daily.
 
That's a good point. I think I'll try but I'm concerned it will have a negative effect on our relationship since she doesn't even like being pet yet!
 
Just take it the speed that you and the rabbit agree on. It's different for evrybody, me and my rabbit Pembrooke are learing what to expect from one another, she's not comfortable with being held but will accept pets. She's 4 years old and is a rescue so. I'm taking it at the pace that she wants and right now that's just making her comfortable and being able to trust me. I do hold her but only for short amount of times and it's only when I absolutely need to.

Jj
 
Nancy McClelland wrote:
All bunnies need to get used to handling or you'll have problems when it's time to lip nails or clean glands.
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

You have to get bunnies used to handling or routine grooming or emergency situations will be a lot harder to work with. If something were to happen where you needed to rush to a vet, you need that rabbit to be comfortable with handling.

I agree with taking a slow pace, but it really should be done. I can't really comment, though, because I've never had issues with a bunny not wanting to be picked up... except for Buttercup, and that's only about half the time. The other half, she standing on her back feet to make it easier.
 
I just tried and oh my gosh it was horrible! She wouldn't stop kicking and i ended up having to put her down and she seems scared of me now? Did I ruin whatever bonding we had? Ugh it's so sad I know it's nothing personal but gosh it's depressing
 
I would try to get her used to it, because there may be a time when you have to for her safety. It will take her some time getting used to you but hear is a method to pick her up that will work... Put your hand on her back she will lay on the floor under your hand once she does this lift her gently and she won't kick her back legs to get a way. I promise it works give it a try.
 
I know. I know I have to stop taking it personally and get her used to it it's just so sad when you want a bunny to feel safe around you to see them run away from you and cower like that! I'm going to try bonding with her since I've only had her for a week or so and maybe get her used to me then start with the handling process. Thanks for the reccomendations everyone:)
 
She'll get used to it. Once she's used to being petted and snuggled, it won't freak her out so much to be picked up. Q-tip liked to nap in the crook of my arm when she was still little enough to do so, and so she got used to seeing my hands and being near my arms. You won't hurt the bonding process...don't worry! You still provide the treats, so she still loves you!
 
I think you should be patient. Let her get complete use to you petting her first. Start by petting her back. Til she gets use to that than progress. I would try feeding her small treats to when she does good with that and shell get the idea that being petted is a good thing. And slowly work your way up. I would eventually try to pet her on her sides and stomach and see how she reacts to that. Give her treats to after so she knows she did go. I bet eventually shell want you to pick her up. But it really goes on her time not yours. I got soup use to me first and made sure she knew im not here to hurt her and started to pick her up. she loves being picked up! she hates it when you dont pick her up. But thats my advice.
 
thank you for the advice, I think she loves eating oats out of my hand so thats really good and I'll work with that. It's funny because I think she likes being pet on the muzzle because she'll rub it on my hand but as soon as I reach for her she runs. She needs time probably :)
 
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