Is it bad when...?

[equestrian<3]

So, I have a lot of problems picking up my rabbit. I have figured out some methods that work and he is starting to let me handle him better, but it's still a fight. When he I put him down after attempting to pick him up, his breathing is very fast and if I put my head near him I can hear his heart beat and feel it when I touch him because he is in such a panic. What doesn't make sense to me is he loves being petted and snuggled, but he gets so scared when someone tries to pick him up. Is it bad that his heart is beating so fast like that? I have heard people say rabbits have died from heart attacks because they panicked about something, and I'm just really worried about him. He calms down and all is fine after, but I don't want to kill him because I try to pick him up and he reacts the way he does. Do all rabbits do this? I have tried putting a towel over him, but he still panics and slips through. Another thing I heard was people picking up their rabbits and the rabbit struggling and kicking and twisting and breaking its back. That's exactly what my rabbit does when I pick him up and I just don't want him to hurt himself, but I know I have to show him that I am dominant. It's very frustrating... :x

 

[MaggieJ]

I think the problem may be how the bunny interprets your actions. When you pet him or snuggle him, he equates this with the grooming that friendly bunnies give each other. When you pick him up, he equates this with being grabbed by a predator. Bunnies don't grab each other (except during mating).

You may find some answers at this site:

http://language.rabbitspeak.com/

 

[eco2pia]

I do think most rabbits get anxious when picked up at first. I don't think you are likely to kill him by picking him up.

I find with my own rabbits that if I tuck their head between my arm and my body as I carry them they seem to find it soothing, they quickly learn to hide their face there by themselves if they feel anxious, say if there is alot of activity. As they calm down, they take their faces out and look around.

It also helps if I can be very calm--after all, they can hear my heartbeat, too.

There are simply situations where you must hold your rabbit, it is worth it to make him accustomed to the procedure.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I have found with ours, they really are only calm when we pick them up by the scruff with one hand, and put the other hand under their bottom, to support so they don't feel like they are falling. They don't seem to like any other way of being picked up and will struggle like crazy if I try another way.

 

[dark.lapin]

For smaller breeds I hold the rabbit close to my chest and support the battom of rabbit with my hand.For larger breeds i grab the rabbit by scruff because larger breeds tend to be harder to pick up. After awile your rabbit will get used to you holding it. Just try to hold it for at least a couple minutes each day eventually the rabbit will become more used to you and acually like being picked up.

 

[hoodat]

The important thing is that they feel safe. Make sure the rabbit is well supported and Never move fast, either when picking it up or putting it down. You'll save yourself some scratches if you return it to the cage rump first. A lot of rabbits try to get away at that point and if it shies from you those powerful hind legs are inside the cage.
It is also a bad idea with a shy rabbit to come at it from above. They associate that with a predator swooping down on them. It's best to approach from their own level, even if it means stooping down to reach into the cage.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

It's best to approach from their own level, even if it means stooping down to reach into the cage.

You must be young--for some of us, stooping means not being able to get up!!!

 

[Pickles]

Some buns just need time to get used to being lifted from the safety of having all their feet on the ground. My bun, Pie, took a month or so to really start to feel comfortable with it. At first he was very kicky and nervous. But I never gave up. Every day, a few times a day, I would lift him, hold him to my chest for a second or two and then immediately put him back down. After a while I noticed he would let me hold him longer & longer. Now when he see me he begs to be lifted and snuggled. Its like night & day compared to how it was before.
Everyones approach is different... and unlike some suggestions on here, for me, I have never held or lifted Pie by the scruff, or used a towel, etc... My goal was never to frighten him into submission or to dominate him, but to win him over with gentleness & trust. Its worked wonders and now I can not only pick him up and hold him, snuggle him, carry him around, etc... I can also touch him anywhere on his body without him getting jumpy or upset in anyway- he trusts me completely.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Everyones approach is different... and unlike some suggestions on here, for me, I have never held or lifted Pie by the scruff, or used a towel, etc... My goal was never to frighten him into submission or to dominate him, but to win him over with gentleness & trust.

I wish my buns would let me hold them like that...we are slowly moving that direction. I scruff them to get them out of the cage, not for any submission/domination reason, then I sit with them on my lap and pet them. I usually put my arms down to give them somewhere to snuggle into. The few times I tried to lift them without scruffing, they struggled so much I nearly dropped them and I was worried they would hurt themselves or me. Maybe when they have kits we can start early with them, so they will tolerate it better. I did actually hold Padme (Bunnicula) last night for the first time since she bit me. I feel bad that I am scared of her now...it really did not hurt much when she bit me, just the idea of being bitten. And she has been much better since then. No biting or even trying to bite. She started trying to nibble on my shirt, and I told hubs, uh, time for her to get back in the cage!

 

[Pickles]

Everyones approach is different... and unlike some suggestions on here, for me, I have never held or lifted Pie by the scruff, or used a towel, etc... My goal was never to frighten him into submission or to dominate him, but to win him over with gentleness & trust.

I wish my buns would let me hold them like that...we are slowly moving that direction. I scruff them to get them out of the cage, not for any submission/domination reason, then I sit with them on my lap and pet them. I usually put my arms down to give them somewhere to snuggle into. The few times I tried to lift them without scruffing, they struggled so much I nearly dropped them and I was worried they would hurt themselves or me. Maybe when they have kits we can start early with them, so they will tolerate it better. I did actually hold Padme (Bunnicula) last night for the first time since she bit me. I feel bad that I am scared of her now...it really did not hurt much when she bit me, just the idea of being bitten. And she has been much better since then. No biting or even trying to bite. She started trying to nibble on my shirt, and I told hubs, uh, time for her to get back in the cage!

I wont kid you, with Pie it required alot of patience at first. I did not get him until he was 6 months old and he was already very used to his breeders touch, and the way she held him, etc... I had to work hard to get him used to being held by me... But he was always a very loving bun right from the start, and I wasnt new to rabbits, I was just "new" to him. I understood it was just a matter of time & consistency to win him over. So I kept plugging away at it. I pick Pie up with one hand under his chest (kinda up by his armpits) and the other under his rump. Sometimes now I dont even need a hand under his rump, he is happy just to dangle. In the beginning, though, I used to have to hold his thumpers between my fingers when my hand was under his rump- this kept him was getting away from me & hurting himself should be start to kick out as I had control of his feet & rump area).
Must say, I always had a fear of picking a rabbit up by the scruff anyway- they arent meant to be lifted that way like a kitten can be...a rabbits skin on the back of their neck and over their shoulders is very thin and its too easy to cause tissue and muscle damage, so I just wont do it.

 

[hoodat]

It's best to approach from their own level, even if it means stooping down to reach into the cage.

You must be young--for some of us, stooping means not being able to get up!!!

I'm 79 going on senile but I still stoop pretty good.