Where should I go from here?

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Bunnykinz

Bunnykinz

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Location
, Washington, USA
I've had my ND Bryn for a year now. We haven't exactly bonded and I am trying to figure out where I stand with him. He isn't afraid of me. He'll take food out of my hand and if I lay down he will jump on top of me and explore and he's perfectly fine when I reach in and clean his hutch.
The only thing he's terrified of is being picked up. If I reach for him, he will run away, but if I pet him he somewhat flattens himself (what does this mean?). Since he's scared of being picked up I try to avoid that as much as possible. What should do I now???
 
Most don't like being picked up. Ours have gotten used to it over the years as it's the only way out of their hutch and we do have to clean them or clip nails on occasion. Everything takes time and not all will be co-operative. The best way we've gotten ours over shyness problems is to spend a lot of time with them till they are totally comfortable.
 
Never pick him up again. He's flattening himself because he thinks you're going to pick him up, which, it sounds like, he is one of those bunnies that cannot tolerate being off the ground.

I'd spend a good half hour minimum a day laying on the floor with his favourite treats. When he comes for a treat, make him not only take it from your hand, but eat it while you're holding it. do this a few times, and then next time he comes, give his nose a little rub. Slowly build up the pets and he will start to associate your hands with good things like treats and pets, and stop associating them with bad things like being picked up.

Good luck!
 
Good for you. Benjamin runs when he thinks I am going to pick him up. If I want to check his ears or whatever, we play a chase game until I get him cornered. He is such a big guy that he must feel insecure when I pick him up.
 
I would just add that since rabbits are prey animals, it makes sense that many do not like being picked up. Perhaps flattening out (which one of mine does, too) is a sort of reflex response to being snatched by a predator. Flattening out might make it harder for a predator to scoop them up.

I don't think it necessarily means the rabbit cannot tolerate being off the ground. I do pick mine up after she flattens, and once I've got her she does not seem upset. The flattening seems to be more of a reflex response.

I think the treat idea is good, but I would not avoid picking him up, if you want to eventually be able to handle him a lot. I would pick him up even more often, because that is the only way to desensitize him and get him used to it. It's pretty much the same for any animal. The more you handle them, the more quickly they will get used to it, and eventually enjoy it.

If you don't mind having a pet that you cannot pick up, that is totally fine, too. As long as he and you are both happy with your relationship.
 
Iagree with Lagomorph. Rabbits do need to be handled to clip their nails, take them to the vet, administer medication, etc. etc. A rabbit that cannot be handled will not do well in a medical emergency! :(

I recommend picking him up a few times a day, holding him briefly, then putting him back down. This is what we did with Gus and in a few monthshe went from being a complete spazz to actually tolerating being held for a several minutes (he still doesn't like it, but at least he doesn't act likes he's been swooped down upon and grabbed by a hungry eagle! :p). The key is to put him back down beforehe starts to panic and scratch or kick. That way he learns that being picked up isn't the end oftheworld. He may never enjoy being picked up, but he should learn that's it's not going to kill him! ;)

Hope that helps!

Rue
 
I agree with the others that the majority of rabbits just don't like to be picked up and will never enjoy it, so no point in trying to force it on them.

The flattening when you pet him is a good thing! I think one poster commented that he's afraid of you picking him up, but in my experience it's just the position they get in when enjoying pets. A rabbit afraid of being picked up will run away, not flatten out.
 
For explanation of flattening behavior, see:
http://fohn.net/rabbit-pictures-facts/rabbit-behavior-anatomy.html

Scroll down and read the sentences between references #81 and #82.

Running is one way to deal with fear; flattening is another.

Yet a 3rd strategy, not mentioned on the above site, is freezing. This can thwart a predator which is attracted to its prey's movement. However, it can also mean the rabbit's end, if the predator is already aware of the rabbit's location. In Richard Adams' beautiful novel, Watership Down, this is splendidly described as "going tharn". (I saw one of my bunnies do this once, and it did confuse the predator in that instance.)
 
Both my little ones do this flattening. Does this mean they are scared to death when I am petting them? They seem to love it. They both come to the cage door when I approach and wait for a head scratch (so I thought) they the flatten themselves on the floor of the cage and close their eye as I gently rub their wittle perfect heads. If they were scared, why would they come to me first then flatten after I start petting. This is all confusing me. LOL. They dont seem scared at all but in complete bliss.
 
I tend to think of flattening as just a reflex which evolved as a response to getting snatched by a predator. It does not necessarily indicate any subjective sense of terror or that they cannot tolerate being picked up. It's just a physical response to the threat of being snatched, which evolved because those who do flatten, more often escape predation, and survive to pass on their genes, compared to those who do not do it.

In the wild, flattening might better conceal them in the vegetation. In terms of survival, it makes no sense to do it in a house or a cage, because there is no vegetation to hide in. But they do it automatically anyway, because it is a reflex (or so I suspect), whether they are terrified or not.


 
Thanks everyone! I am going to continue working with him with treats as he allows me to stroke his nose while I'm holding a treat. When he's in his run I think I' will gently scoop him up every few minutes and hold him a few inches above the ground for a few seconds before letting him go so he will learn that being picked up isn't scary! :bunnyheart lots of treats included of course! :eats:
 
I personally pick my rabbits up every day. We have individual cuddle time watching tv for about 30 minutes per bun. At first I would have to chase them around their house and they would look terrified. I would stroke them and talk gently, then they get a treat before I put them down. After a couple months of this they stay still for me to pick them up. When we are snuggling the ears are up and most of the time I get kisses. I also spend group time with them laying on the floor, but I want them to be comfortable with the handling in case there is a medical issue. The one is also an angora so he needs to be brushed regularly.
 
"The one is also an angora so he needs to be brushed regularly."

I am in the same boat. I absolutely must groom mine, so the more I handle her, the less she will fear I have plans to eat her when I pick her up to groom her.
 
I used to have trouble with my rabbit, as his was a top-opening hutch so I had to pick him up to get him out. For a long time I struggled with picking him up because I knew he was going to struggle and I hated stressing him out. What I ended up doing, was I would pet him in his hutch, and I would slide my hand under his front legs and lift those up while either continuing to pet him or giving him a treat, and then after a short time, I would simply put his front half back down again. When I transitioned to picking him up completely I would have one hand at his front legs to lift them first, then once he was settled in that position, I would scoop the rest of him. It was over too quick for him to think about it. Once you pick him up, try to hold him against your body as soon as possible to give that extra security. And only put him back down once he is relaxed, otherwise you just reinforce the struggling as a means to get free from being picked up.
 
I'm noticing that now that I have been petting him a lot when he is in his bunny run, he seems to run away less now. May I also mention that I can pet him when he does the dead bunny flop! :biggrin2:
 
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