When Rabbits Attack

[Sarah]

Pauly hates to be held. He loved it when he was ababy. Every night he liked to be held and cuddled. He still likes tocuddle and give kisses, but not on our laps or in our arms. I try toonly pick him up when I have to and I'm careful to do it properly, sohe feels secure.

Lately everytime I've had to pick him up he's kicked like a madman andscratched me. Tonight I noticed that he was standing on a board I useto paint crafts on. I was worried that he had paint on his feet so Itried to check his feet and he kicked me hard repeatedly leaving hugescratches on my arms and literally bringing me to tears. I couldn'tbelieve it. Does anyone else have this issue with their rabbit? Isthere any advice anyone can give me?

 

[gjsara]

how much dose your bunny weigh???? rabbits areanimals of prey so when you pick them up the tend to kick and flailaround because they think that you are a bird swooping them up . lylascratchs sometimes when i pick her up suddenly .i belive that it is avery commen accurance with bunnys i hope your arms are ok,lyla has gotten me pretty good. i would just recomend that before youpick up your bunny hes aware that you are around that shouldhelp a bit! good luck let me know how things go.

sara

 

[Carolyn]

Hi Sarah,

How old is he?

Is he neutered?

-Carolyn

 

[Sarah]

Pauly is 9 months old and has been neutered. Hehad the operation when he was about 5 months old. He only weighs about5 lbs. I always pick him from up from his level...the floor . So hecan see me coming. I try to be sensitive to his natural instincts. Iwould be really surprised if he was afraid and demonstrating a flightsort of reaction. I suppose that could be it, since he is a bunny anddoesn't posess the ability to reason, (though i have a tendencytotreat him like a little person)but this is afairly new reaction.

 

[Buck Jones]

Sometimes, picking them up rear end first andtucking their head into the crook of your elbow helps to calm themdown. You might try that.

Buck

 

[Dolores Lindvall]

That's a very good suggestion, there,Buck. I call it the "football carry". They have their noseburied in the security of your arm, that arm also under them, and yourother hand sort of across their rear end. Just take afootball and tuck it like the players carry it.....only use bothhands. Works pretty well.

From when I raised so many rabbits, I have scars all over my arms thatwill be with me the rest of my days. Some of them went prettydeep. Seems to be a natural reaction for a rabbit to startkicking with those hind feet when he gets picked up.

 

[Cher]

I do aslight modificationofthe "football" carry~since Jade is notto sure of the whole pick up situation (as opposed to when she was ababe) I pick her up by scooping one hand under her bum, cradling herlegs in between the right hand with my left hand securely under herfront legs, while her back is pressed firmly into me. By doing this,she still see's what is going on. This is only a point A to point Bcarry, for the actual holding her, I just scoop and trance..

Sometimes though, I still end up looking like a scratchingboard

Cher

 

[BunnyMommy]

Poor Sarah, I know just how youfeel. Sherman was steadfast in his assertion that he didn'twant to be picked up when we first adopted him.

Now he's mellowed out a little bit and lets me pick him upevery now and then. Night before last he even hopped up in mylap and demanded that I pet him. I was knocked off of myfeet! He laid in my lap for about 20 minutes or so before hehopped away.

Continue to be patient, show love and affection, and maybe oneday he'll change his mind again and at least let you pick him up everynow and then.

P.S. If you keep in the back of your mind thatbunnies are ground-loving animals and as a general rule don't like tobe picked up it helps to lessen the disappointment.

P.P.S. When I have to pick Sherman up to tote himfrom point A to point B (which on a second read of your post is what Ithink you were really asking)I generally do a bunny "burrito"in a towel. It helps him to feel more secure and he rarelykicks at all this way; even if he does kick, my poor pitifularms are spared the scars of his wrath.

 

[Sarah]

Thanks for the advice. After Pauly hurt me lastnight, my boyfriend said he thought I better post something on therabbit forum because I needed "[my] community to comfort [me]" He saidif Pauly and I were mad at eachother, he wasn't sure what he and Mellawould do. (he likes to make fun of me)Of course I can't stay mad long.Pauly is too cute. And what would Carl & Mellado?!

I will definately try the football hold. Hopefully that will work. Iread about it in Rabbits for Dummies but have yet to try it.

 

[Carolyn]

Hi Sarah,

It's that air-time between picking up and putting down that's thehardest. Personally, I hate puttinghimdown the most.

I get a firm grip on the rabbitwith both hands around hismiddle.As quick as I can, get his four feet plantedon me and support his butt with one hand and his behind his shoulderswith the other. (You can also pick him up by grabbing the furby the top of his back and lifting him that way.) Once hisfeet are planted on you or you have him near, cover hiseyes.That usually calms them down a bit.Pet him and talk to him.

You have to keep your thinking strong when you pick him up.If he senses you're unsure or not the boss, he'll be happy to takeover.

Hope he is just going through a stage and will get back to cuddling you.

-Carolyn