# Rabbit HATES to be Picked Up!



## Kittiebot (Apr 24, 2013)

Hi everyone! My 3 month old mini rex Mordin HATES to be picked up. I know rabbits hate to be picked up in general, but Mordin is such a struggler! Even if I have him securely tucked under my arm with his feet supported he kicks and squirms and claws me to death to get away to the point where I have to put him down or he will jump out of my arms even if I'm standing! I'd like to have him not struggle as much, so that I can pick him up if there is ever an emergency or for when we have to go to the vet. 

Any suggestions to get him to at least tolerate being picked up? :anotherbun


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## whitelop (Apr 24, 2013)

Maybe you're not picking him up the right way or holding him the way he wants to be held. I think rabbits like to be picked up and held in certain ways and sometimes their different from other rabbits. 
So maybe you could play around with holding him in different ways and see if there is one that he is more comfortable with. 

Like my mini lop Foo, I would pick her up and hold her like a baby with her head in the crook of my arm or I could hold her against me with one arm like a cat. But with Ellie, I have to scoop her up with my hands on either side of her body and I have to get her to my body as fast as possible. She has to be under my arm or she will let my husband pick her up and put her on his chest on his arm (like more in the front, rather than under his arm) and she only lets HIM do that. haha. She actually prefers him picking her up over me. 
Anyway, different rabbits, different ways to be picked up and held. 

You could try giving him treats when you're holding him. You said he's young, so I don't know if you've given him any fruit or anything but if you have, you could try to give him a tiny piece of fruit after he's settled down. Or you could give him a pellet after he's settled. Thats what I would do if I were having an issue with that. 
Someone else might have a better suggestion!


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## cheezling (Apr 24, 2013)

Tell me about it! My bun hates being picked up, too. I thought he'd get used to it after 4 weeks of picking him up TWICE a day to give him antibiotics. But no. It's a struggle every single time. But with me it's the picking up bit that's the main problem. After I do pick him up, he settles down quite nicely. He's around 4 months old (hard to say as we've been told he's younger by the vet).


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## majorv (Apr 24, 2013)

You might try covering his eyes. Some of our rabbits tolerate being held as long as they can't see. Some of our rabbits do fine with them on our chest and some are held against the body facing forward. We had some that we held in the crook of our arm against our body with their face towards our elbow. Just depends...like someone said, try different ways and see what your rabbit is more comfortable with. They need to feel secure and some of them don't like to see what's around them when your walking with them.


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## woahlookitsme (Apr 24, 2013)

I think that they way you hold and how you hold makes a huge difference. My young ones are quite the strugglers and will kick out for a good 1-2 minutes before they finally calm down. Picking them up and setting them down ONLY when they calm is how I do it. It shows them what you want from them and that their way is not going to get them any release. I will wear sleeves if I must. Repeating the exercise of picking them up waiting for them to calm and then only putting them down when they don't try to jump out of your arms works very well with all of my young babies. They get better and better within two to three days. The important thing is to make sure they are secure. A firm grip will usually stop struggling because they know they are safe. Or even changing how you hold like others have suggested. Short intervals where you just practice picking them up and putting them down works best and of course giving them a treat for desired behavior helps. It takes patience. Trust me


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## waite.sarah89 (Apr 24, 2013)

In order to pick B up (which she hates & acts mad at me for hours after) I have to wrap her in a thick towel with her head poking out, otherwise she kicks and bucks, tearing me up in the process.


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## wendymac (Apr 24, 2013)

Try scooping him up, and tucking his head under your arm....with your hand under his butt. That gives you a free hand to place on his back (if he struggles to get loose). I just tuck my French Lops with their head under my left elbow, their bodies across my stomach, and my left hand supporting their butts. NOT their feet...the last thing a squirmy bunny needs is a secure launching pad. LOL Some of my really big does I have to use my right hand at their butt, too, just because they get heavy. With time and patience your bunny will learn to tolerate being picked up and carried, although he may never like it.


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## Azerane (Apr 24, 2013)

Bandit was a big struggler, but I simply refused to let go/put him down until he was settled. I pick him up two or three times a day, it took perhaps a month, but persistence really paid off. I pick up bandit with a hand at each end, then I twist him to face me and hold him against my chest. Wear thick clothing and long sleeves to help you keep control if hes scratching. I like to give bandit treats while I'm holding him if he's calm too.


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## J.Bosley (Apr 24, 2013)

Murphy used to HATE being held, which was a pain since his cage was high up, so to let him outside in the yard he had to be picked up. How I got him used to it is I would pick him up, and then set him in my lap and reward him with his favorite patting or a favorite treat! Now he knows when he is picked up, that if he remains calm, he gets put down on the ground or my lap and gets rewarded. I ALWAYS hold is front and back feet and almost football carry him under my arm! This way his feet aren't flailing, hanging out or scratching me. It seems to make him feel more secure.


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## Kittiebot (Apr 24, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the ideas! I will give them a shot!


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## JBun (Apr 24, 2013)

Some of my rabbits I have to scoop up quickly and get them right to my chest, once there, they are fine. Some of them, once held at my chest, I have to hold fimly so they can't struggle and kick, and then they calm down. Another one I have to put a hand under his belly and one around his butt, then I have to pick him up VERY slowly and bring him up to my chest. And when I am holding him against me, he is fine. He just gets really scared in being picked up quickly, and will start to struggle. So as long as I do it slow from floor/cage to chest he feels safe. Just experiment to find the right thing for your bun.


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## Troller (Apr 24, 2013)

Everyone gave great advice and I'll come in with a bit of mine own. Confidence! I have large buns who struggle, and they struggle more when they sense your not confident and stubborn enough to do the job. I think practice is a good idea since its not only them getting used to it, it's you making it a no thought action. I pick up my rabbits now whenever I want, and even my wife has stopped over-analyzing doing it. Sure my buns struggle a little bit if I don't have the best hold (Xena nipped my neck today) but they eventually settle down because they know I mean no harm.


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## Kittiebot (Apr 25, 2013)

Last night the husband and I wrapped Mordin up in a towel and held him. He eventually stopped struggling so we rewarded him with a craisin (his first one! He LOVED it!) and then lots of head skritches and ear rubs. Hopefully this will encourage him to not fight so much!


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## Azerane (Apr 25, 2013)

Great to hear you had some success! Just persist with it, repeat it multiple times a day if you need to, and when you feel comfortable progress to not using the towel.


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## cassnessxox (Apr 25, 2013)

All I can say is persistence pays off. I have had Cleo for over a year and only now is she tolerating being picked up and put down without kicking. Bambi still kicks, particularly on the way down. They just take a long time to trust the sensation of falling and knowing that they will be safely placed on the ground.


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## J.Bosley (Apr 25, 2013)

Kittiebot said:


> Last night the husband and I wrapped Mordin up in a towel and held him. He eventually stopped struggling so we rewarded him with a craisin (his first one! He LOVED it!) and then lots of head skritches and ear rubs. Hopefully this will encourage him to not fight so much!



Wahoo! Step 1, a success  Great job


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