# Why won't she let me pick her up?



## Arwen (Mar 31, 2010)

I am a first time rabbit owner. Its been a few months since I got her and she's been fine. She let me cuddle her, pick her up, etc. I went out of town for 8 days and had a friend come over to take care of the animals. Since my friend is allergic, she only made sure she had food and water. She couldn't take her out or play with her.

Since I got back she won't let me pick her up. She lets me pet her but she doesn't run toward me to get petted liked she used to do either. If I try to much to pick her up she grunts.

Will she ever let me hold her again? If so, will she do this every time I go out of town?


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## elrohwen (Mar 31, 2010)

Most rabbits don't like being held. Sometimes when they're young they allow it, but as they get older they realize that they don't have to put up with it anymore  

How old is she? She's probably getting hormonal and deciding she's just not into cuddles anymore. She may enjoy cuddles again after being spayed.

It could also be that she's not comfortable with you since you've returned. Sometimes it takes buns a day or two to get back in the groove after their owners return. 

I would rebuild her trust by laying on the floor with her and letting her approach you and check you out. Don't pick her up for a few days, but see if she'll let you pet her while you're on the floor.


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## kirbyultra (Mar 31, 2010)

Like elrohwen said, some bunnies do hold a little grudge against you when you leave for a period of time. It may take a little extra TLC but she will probably warm up to you again if you spend some time with her on the floor regaining her trust. They might in the meantime give you "the butt" by turning their backs to you to show their disapproval of you leaving them for several days 

When my Toby was a tiny baby I'd pick him up all the time hoping it would help him "get used to being picked up". I think it totally backfired on me because to this day he knows when I'm about to pick him up and he is now big and old enough to fight being picked up. Most people don't pick up their bunnies every day because it is a generally unpleasant experience for bunnies and they let us know they don't like it. As a prey species they are scared of being off the ground because it usually means they are about to be food for something. 

So, will she ever let you hold her again? Probably - but just be prepared that as she gets older, she _may _exert her authority over the matter. For me and Toby, after neutering him, Toby now likes to run around and sit with me. We have an enjoyable time together even without being picked up except when I absolutely have to.


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## elrohwen (Mar 31, 2010)

Similar to Kirbyultra's Toby, my bun also hates to be picked up. However, he's a cuddle machine while I'm lying on the floor with him. So there are definitely ways to enjoy time with her without having to pick her up if she really hates it.


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## hartleybun (Apr 1, 2010)

roxy and hartleybun are the same - hate being picked up. there are times when i have to do it but they hate it. i can pet them and interact with them at floor level tho'. roxy is 5 and likes things on her terms....or else being a bunny servant takes time and patience - you can do it!:bunnydance:


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## jcottonl02 (Apr 1, 2010)

As has been quite rightly said, some rabbits just don't like being picked up, which I can totally understand. They are prey animals, and being picked up can bear an uncanny likeness to been grasped by a predator and swooped away, which would be terrifying!!!!

My Pippin absolutely hates being picked up, so I do it as little as possible. If I HAVE to pick him up, I scoop him up like a baby, hold him very tightly- he goes into a trance which gives me about 20 seconds to do what I need to before he "wakes up".

The only thing that I'm thinking of, is that your bun let you hold her quite calmly for "a few months". Then you go away for 8 days, and suddenly she doesn't like it any more.
I understand that younger rabbits are probably more tolerant of being picked up than as they grow older, but surely a few days isn't going to make much of a difference to months of previous behaviour?

Try getting her used to being picked up again. Maybe when you are on the sofa, lift her up to sit with you etc and stuff like that.
If she really doesn't like it, then perhaps she's just decided she's had enough.

I wouldn't worry too much about it- lots of rabbits just really hate being picked up. When I want to give Pippin a big squishy hug with bunny kisses etc. I lie on my back, and he leaps onto my chest, and gives me showers of kisses etc. and I still get my squishy hugs


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## Arwen (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks all for replying...she seems to be calming down. I am back to doing lots of cuddling on the floor and she enjoys being petted. She is coming to me again and she now lets me put my hand under her chest and lift her half way off the ground. Seems like she is coming back around.

Being that I am new to the rabbit world, I bought a "rabbit cage". Well by my standards, I think it is too small for such a large rabbit. I don't know, maybe they are kept that way, maybe they don't need a lot of room? Anyway, I take her out of her cage everyday to put her in a play pen which is why I need to pick her up. I've managed to get her in and out but if I could pick her up, its much easier  

I'm glad I joined this forum and got all this info from you nice people. I'm learning. If she doesn't let me pick her up, oh well, I still get to cuddle on the floor! I visited a link from a moderator and she does all those things they say a comfortable rabbit does so I must not be doing too bad!


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## Mrs. PBJ (Apr 3, 2010)

Arwen wrote:


> Thanks all for replying...she seems to be calming down. I am back to doing lots of cuddling on the floor and she enjoys being petted. She is coming to me again and she now lets me put my hand under her chest and lift her half way off the ground. Seems like she is coming back around.
> 
> Being that I am new to the rabbit world, I bought a "rabbit cage". Well by my standards, I think it is too small for such a large rabbit. I don't know, maybe they are kept that way, maybe they don't need a lot of room? Anyway, I take her out of her cage everyday to put her in a play pen which is why I need to pick her up. I've managed to get her in and out but if I could pick her up, its much easier
> 
> I'm glad I joined this forum and got all this info from you nice people. I'm learning. If she doesn't let me pick her up, oh well, I still get to cuddle on the floor! I visited a link from a moderator and she does all those things they say a comfortable rabbit does so I must not be doing too bad!



Are you able to maybe attach the pin to her cage so she can some and go on her own? That way you don't have to pick her up but can cuddle with her. 

What type of cage do you have?


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## Arwen (Apr 3, 2010)

She just turned 1. At what age might she not want to be picked up?


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## jcottonl02 (Apr 3, 2010)

I think that at 1 year old, she'll have pretty much established whether she likes/hates being held.

When they are very young, like 8 weeks-ish, they are much more likely to tolerate the holding, and grow out of it pretty quickly- 5/6monthish?

My Pippin was SO easy to hold when he was very young and very tiny, like my Benji is now, but as Pippin grew, he started being able to kick and scrabble, and show me he really doesn't like it. When he was a bubs, he was so so teensy that he couldn't really show me how much he hated being carried.

Your bun should be about fully-sized now, and quite able to show her opposition to being held. If until very recently she has been fine with it, then I wouldn't imagine it would suddenly become a hated thing for her.

Jen


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## Arwen (Apr 4, 2010)

Pinning the cage is a good idea but I don't have room to do that. She isn't litter trained so she's in the office where there is no carpet. But that's what I did was put the cage and play pen door to door.

Yesterday I was able to pick her up but after a few seconds I put her back down because I didn't want to push it. I think Kirby was right that she was just holding a grudge because I gone


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## elrohwen (Apr 4, 2010)

You're right that pet store cages really are not large enough for most rabbits and play time outside of the cage is so important. I second the idea of attaching the pen to the cage if you can, mostly so she can come out of the cage on her own. As we said, some rabbits just do not like being picked up, so it can make their playtime stressful if they have to be picked up to leave or go back to their cage. 

I'm glad she's doing better with being picked up though. Jen is right that by 1 year old she'll have decided if she's ok with being picked up or not.


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## Arwen (Apr 4, 2010)

Well I think she's decided that she doesn't mind it! I picked her up again without a problem. I have also ordered a big bunny hutch for her. Thanks all for the insights on bunny behavior!


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## elrohwen (Apr 4, 2010)

That's great! You're lucky to have a bun that doesn't mind being picked up. Mine are so bad I can't even do nail trims :-(


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## jcottonl02 (Apr 4, 2010)

*elrohwen wrote: *


> That's great! You're lucky to have a bun that doesn't mind being picked up. Mine are so bad I can't even do nail trims :-(



You know- it's so odd with my rabbits- the one that doesn't mind being picked up any which way has a REAL problem when I do the nail clipping. He snatches those little paws away and tucks them deep into his fluff lol. I have to try and bribe him with carrot treats!! But the one that HATES being picked up and will do anything to avoid it, I can lay him on his back, trance him, and have absolutely no problem in the slightest with clipping his nails- or doing anything else!

That's always made me very confused lol!


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## kirbyultra (Apr 4, 2010)

*jcottonl02 wrote: *


> *elrohwen wrote: *
> 
> 
> > That's great! You're lucky to have a bun that doesn't mind being picked up. Mine are so bad I can't even do nail trims :-(
> ...


Can't have it all, can we? :biggrin2:


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## Arwen (Apr 4, 2010)

Nail trimming? Haven't thought of that yet. Her nails seem to be fine at the moment. Hmmm wonder if she'll let me do that. Are there rabbit clippers or can I use the same kind I use on my dog?


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## jcottonl02 (Apr 4, 2010)

*kirbyultra wrote: *


> *jcottonl02 wrote: *
> 
> 
> > *elrohwen wrote: *
> ...


Lol I wouldn't change them for the whole world


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## jcottonl02 (Apr 4, 2010)

*Arwen wrote: *


> Nail trimming? Haven't thought of that yet. Her nails seem to be fine at the moment. Hmmm wonder if she'll let me do that. Are there rabbit clippers or can I use the same kind I use on my dog?



Any animal nail clippers should do fine. I have specific rabbit ones, but there's no reason you couldn't use human nail clippers either.

When you cut the nails, remember there is a quick inside them (a blood vessel). It doesn't reach all the way to the end. If you cut the quick, it will be slightly painful for them and it will bleed like billio (it looks horrific but it's not that bad, and everyone has done it once).

Rabbits with light-coloured nails are very easy because you can see the quick easily, and so can avoid cutting too low.
With those dark nails on some buns, you can shine a torch underneath them to try and see the quick.

After you get used to cutting them yourself, you won't really need to look for the quick- you just know how long they are etc. and which bits need to be chopped.

Perhaps next time you go to your vet get them to show you if you aren't sure. If not- it's not very hard at all, and you'll pick it up.

If they don't need cutting, then obviously don't. Just if they are getting very sharp, or looking curled etc. then try it. Once you're used to doing it you will find it second nature to spot nails that need clipping.


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## Arwen (Apr 5, 2010)

I do my dog's and never made him bleed so it shouldn't be a problem for me thanks!


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