ouchy subject!! tattooing!!!

[huntress86]

OK so last Friday we needed to tattoo our 3 buns for the show on Saturday morning with the kit I recieved for christmas.. yay.


My dad, mother, brother, step daugher, and boyfriend are all gathered 'round to see the display. I am tattooing indoor on my dining room table, carpet down, alcohol, wipes, kit, and vasaline ready. Everyone's nerves are on end, this is the first time we've tattood as a family in our lifetime long rabbit adventure. Its a big deal.

First rabbit up my boyfriend is going to do.I said honey, squeeze hard, dad's got him, ill get the ink in. This goes on for the first two rabbits. Ink doesnt take.

I opt to do it again, literally no ink has taken. I clean them up, and on both rabbits they scream. OMG.

I do all three, im left handed, its upside down to me(tattoo is not) so i used both hands and squeezed like holy h*ll!!! rubbed ink in and it took.

Any tips on making this a less stressful situation next time????? Between everyones' opinion and the fact that this was our first time, I needed a glass of wine promptly....

 

[caroline]

I use a 2x2 with alcohol to wipe the ear first.
I'm left handed too so I sit the bun in my lap and face it to the right.
I hold the left ear up with my right hand with light shining through from the front of the rabbit so I can see where the veins are and avoid them as much as possible.
I wrap my right arm around the rabbit and use my right hand to hold the left ear as I position the clamp.
When I'm ready to clamp I squeeze the bun against my belly and squeeze the clamp as hard as I can at the same time. It's over in a second.
I turn the bun around and use my index finger of my right hand behind the ear and roll the ear open so I can rub a Q-tip with ink into the punctures.
THEN I USE PREPARATION-H, NOT VASELINE, on another Q-tip to cover over the ink. It helps minimize the swelling from trauma.
I do this all by myself and occasionally I have a screamer but it's over in a second.

 

[SarahMelisse]

Oh man, sorry to hear what a rough time those little buggers are giving you. I had a good screamer from one of my spring litters, but of course he waited until it was all over to scream at me.. Lol! Sometimes it helps to hold an ice cube to the back of the ear first, but the most important part is to squeeze very FIRMLY and release QUICKLY. If you don't squeeze the clamp hard enough, the pins won't go deep enough to hold the ink as you mentioned.

 

[akane]

All of mine scream. I've just gotten used to it. Tattooing day is full of screaming flailing bunnies. I'm just waiting for one of those wounds to get infected so I can explain to the doctor that no I don't cut myself and I'm not trying to commit suicide. I just tattooed rabbits. That's after the idea of confining them to a box and sticking their ear out the top. prior to that rabbits kept ending up on the floor.

 

[skysthelimit]

I prime the ear by inking the spot before I clamp and after I clamp.

 

[Random Rabbit]

With the change that i am Right handed... i use the same protocol as Caroline.
Prep H and a Single wipe with the cotton ball...only enough to be certain the ink is in the holes. I let the rest of the ink wear off on its own...so far they have stayed very well.

 

[huntress86]

Thank you guys, hearing others' ways of doing things gave me an "ah ha" moment. I had the rabbits facing my left, no wonder lol...

I will be implying a few of the techniques shared next time we tattoo. Thanks again!

 

[Asinaway]

I have tried a couple diff things, but i found not restraining them works the best for me at least. They seem less stressed and upset. I do about the same prep as others, and I place ink before and after. Usually I leave it in until it wears off. Almost everytime it stays.