Picking Up Your Rabbit
Never, ever, pick up your rabbit by the ears or scruff of the neck. You’ll hurt them and can cause permanent damage.
You want your bunny to be well supported and held firmly, which helps them feel safe.
You want your bunny to be well supported and held firmly, which helps them feel safe.
The position in which you’ll hold and carry your rabbit is with their side against your chest, pointed towards the left, with your right hand around the front shoulders and your left arm and hand supporting the underside and hind feet. (If you are left-handed, reverse these instructions for left and right.) In this way, if he/she struggles, you have a good hold. Hold your rabbit firmly enough so that they know they won’t fall. Now, to get them into this position!
Approach calmly and slowly. Stroke his/her head or back a bit. Then, put your hands around the front shoulders. Lift them up and against your chest and, once he/she is there, slide your left hand down to support the hind feet, with their underside resting on your left arm. Keep your right hand on the front shoulders and your right arm against the body, pressing in slightly. This way, if they try to squirm away, you have a secure hold.
Approach calmly and slowly. Stroke his/her head or back a bit. Then, put your hands around the front shoulders. Lift them up and against your chest and, once he/she is there, slide your left hand down to support the hind feet, with their underside resting on your left arm. Keep your right hand on the front shoulders and your right arm against the body, pressing in slightly. This way, if they try to squirm away, you have a secure hold.
An alternative to holding him/her with their side against your chest is to have their underside against your chest, while you have one hand supporting the hind feet and one hand around the front shoulders.
If they keep running away from you, reach your hands in front of them. Frequently your hands will get there when they do and you can catch them at the front shoulders, which is the easiest and safest way to stop them.
Your rabbit won’t like being held in the air as it will feel unsafe. So, prior to picking them up, get down as close to your rabbit as you can, to minimize the amount of time he/she is in the air. Likewise, when you put them down, don’t hold your rabbit out in front of you in both of your hands, facing away from you. From this perspective, your rabbit is just facing open air and will feel very vulnerable. Get down as low as you can and move your rabbit down from your chest, but don’t rotate their body away from yours. Keep a firm grip and support them for as long as you can.
If they keep running away from you, reach your hands in front of them. Frequently your hands will get there when they do and you can catch them at the front shoulders, which is the easiest and safest way to stop them.
Your rabbit won’t like being held in the air as it will feel unsafe. So, prior to picking them up, get down as close to your rabbit as you can, to minimize the amount of time he/she is in the air. Likewise, when you put them down, don’t hold your rabbit out in front of you in both of your hands, facing away from you. From this perspective, your rabbit is just facing open air and will feel very vulnerable. Get down as low as you can and move your rabbit down from your chest, but don’t rotate their body away from yours. Keep a firm grip and support them for as long as you can.
If your bunny struggles when you are picking them up, it’s not unusual that you end up with your hands around their middle or hind portion. Don’t increase the pressure of your grip in an attempt to restrain them. It is easy to damage your rabbits back or hind skeletal structure. Their bones are actually quite delicate as nature has built them for speed. If they slip in your hands from the position you want, it’s frequently better to just let them go and try again.
Always make sure you are supporting the bum, as they have delicate spines and may try to kick their back legs if their behind is not properly supported. A stressed rabbit can struggle and kick its hind legs strong enough to actually break its own spine. Avoid this situation entirely by remaining calm, and always providing the back and butt support they need while carefully carrying them close to your chest and shielded by your arms in the manner described above, for maximum safety and support.
You also never want to risk dropping them, as they can injure themselves with a bruise or worse - broken bone. Safety first. They are ground-loving creatures, and they are looking to you for the mood reading -- remain calm, soothing, and loving toward them, and they will feed off your calm energy as well when trying to pick them up. They may still not like being picked up (and actively disagree with you), but by remaining calm you'll be able to gently convince them and accomplish this safely.
If your rabbit is in its pen, you’ll need to first get them outside of it. The best way is to open the door and let them come out on their own. If you need to remove them from the cage, it’s usually best to do so hind end first. Put your hands around the front shoulders and middle section area. Lift him/her as little as possible and bring them through the door - hind end first. If they struggle too much, or they slips forward so that your hands are around only the middle or hind end, it’s usually better to let them go and try again. If that happens, gently pet your rabbit and talk reassuringly, then try again.
Always make sure you are supporting the bum, as they have delicate spines and may try to kick their back legs if their behind is not properly supported. A stressed rabbit can struggle and kick its hind legs strong enough to actually break its own spine. Avoid this situation entirely by remaining calm, and always providing the back and butt support they need while carefully carrying them close to your chest and shielded by your arms in the manner described above, for maximum safety and support.
You also never want to risk dropping them, as they can injure themselves with a bruise or worse - broken bone. Safety first. They are ground-loving creatures, and they are looking to you for the mood reading -- remain calm, soothing, and loving toward them, and they will feed off your calm energy as well when trying to pick them up. They may still not like being picked up (and actively disagree with you), but by remaining calm you'll be able to gently convince them and accomplish this safely.
If your rabbit is in its pen, you’ll need to first get them outside of it. The best way is to open the door and let them come out on their own. If you need to remove them from the cage, it’s usually best to do so hind end first. Put your hands around the front shoulders and middle section area. Lift him/her as little as possible and bring them through the door - hind end first. If they struggle too much, or they slips forward so that your hands are around only the middle or hind end, it’s usually better to let them go and try again. If that happens, gently pet your rabbit and talk reassuringly, then try again.