Rabbit Image Not Accepted Please Try Again With Another Image

Download Article

Download Commodity

Domestic rabbits make great pets because they adjust well to an indoor surround and litter box train easily. However, when yous live with a house rabbit, it's important to learn how to safely choice up and restrain your pet. Rabbits have very muscular and powerful hind legs, then when they kick out with them, in that location is nifty gamble that their spine or back volition be injured.^[1] It is not difficult to pick up a rabbit safely and properly, you just need to acquire how.

1. 1

   Help your rabbit become comfortable with handling by petting the rabbit gently. Start with brusque intervals and increase the time with the bunny. Consider placing a dainty plate of greens out for the rabbit to eat while you lot stroke the rabbit to subtract whatever potential anxiety.

   • Don't make sudden moves or sounds that might warning your rabbit. Be gentle and soothing when you pet the rabbit. Rabbits are prey animals, so when they feel threatened, they run and hibernate if they tin can.
   • Sit on the floor to minimize your size and avert towering over the bunny.

2. two

   Know how not to pick upward a rabbit. Never pick upwardly a rabbit by his ears, legs, scruff, or tail.^[2] Rabbits are very delicate and yous could severely injure them if y'all choice them up incorrectly.^[three] Grabbing on to limbs, tails, or ears will cause the rabbit to react past pulling away. Doing and then may cause a fracture or a dislocation or tearing of underlying musculus and soft tissue.^[4]

   • A bunny new to the household should exist picked upwardly and restrained past adults at starting time. Children can pet the bunny while it is on the floor or while sitting in the child's (or adult's) lap sitting on the flooring.
   • Staying close to the ground for a while is a expert preventative measure. Should the rabbit try to escape, they will not fall a long distance and potentially injure themselves.

   Advert

3. 3

   Practice placing your palm under the rabbit's chest and gently lifting its front legs off the ground, and so setting it back down. Advantage the rabbit with a treat afterward. This volition aid it get used to the feeling of being picked up.^[5]

4. iv

   Gently utilise the loose skin behind the rabbit'south cervix to hold onto its scruff. Do not pick the rabbit up by the scruff alone, merely use this as a handle to prevent forrad motion while you employ your other hand arm to tuck the hind legs under the bunny and scrunch the bunny in a gentle "bunny ball."

   • Your free manus that is not property the scruff should exist placed on the bunny's rump. You should roll the back legs underneath, toward the front of the bunny, property the feet up with your hand. This will prevent the rabbit from kicking out and potentially injuring itself.
   • At that place are differing opinions on whether or not to scruff a rabbit. Scruffing, done gently, does not injure the rabbit.^{[6] [7]}

5. 5

   Apply two hands to lift the rabbit up. Identify i under his chest and 1 under its behind. The positioning should be comfortable for both you and the rabbit. Make certain you take a firm (only not tight) grip on the rabbit'southward body so that information technology doesn't leap from your hands when you lot lift.

   • Make certain to incorporate the hind legs deeply, by keeping your hand on the rump and scrunching the hind legs upwardly toward the bunny's caput. Remember, you are belongings the hind legs so that they bespeak forward, toward the caput, the opposite direction of where the hind legs would be should the bunny kick out.
   • Information technology may help to kneel to get closer to the rabbit, and so y'all don't have to curve and lift. Go down on the ground with the rabbit.

6. half dozen

   Use the right arroyo. It's all-time to lift a rabbit either from a top-opening cage or a confined area in your firm. It can be much more hard to elevator a rabbit from a side opening cage. Rabbits volition frequently run and hide when approached, so trying to option up a rabbit in a room with lots of furniture will besides exist hard.

   • When removing a rabbit from a side or front opening carrier, do so with the hind legs start out of the opening. That way, if they get out of your grip, they will jump dorsum into the carrier and not downwardly to the ground.^[8]
   • Utilize one manus to hold the bunny's head away from you, toward the back of the muzzle, while gently holding on to the scruff. The other hand is used over the bunny's rump to scrunch the hind legs up into the "bunny ball" hold. Then lift the bunny out, hind legs toward you, and place nether your arm and so the bunny'due south head is given a place to hibernate.
   • If you are getting the bunny out of a top-opening carrier, you lot can use the same technique, but think not to dangle the bunny by the scruff.
   • If this is a well handled and calm bunny, you are likely to exist able to safely option up the bunny with ane hand under its chest and one hand scrunching the rump, without holding on to the scruff.
   • Be aware, that if the bunny feels like information technology might fall, it will struggle and kick and attempt to become downwardly. If this happens, place the bunny back in the carrier and re-grip or go back to using the scruff to help with restraint.

7. 7

   Coax the rabbit out of a hiding identify, don't drag it out. If your rabbit tends to run under furniture, coax it out with a treat before trying to choice it up. Better however, manage the expanse to prevent the rabbit from existence able to become away and hide and so that it doesn't take access to hiding places that are difficult for y'all to access. Try using an practice pen to confine the bunny, but notwithstanding allowing them an area large enough to hop around.

   • Never pull on a rabbit's legs or tail to get it to move closer to you. It is amend to gently go a hold of the scruff to prevent the rabbit from getting away, and so you can get an arm around the rabbit's body and contain the hind legs. Never forcefully scruff a rabbit or dangle it by the scruff. This will crusade the rabbit injury.

8. 8

   Await for warning signs that the rabbit will not allow you to pick it up. If a rabbit thumps a hind leg when you arroyo, exist enlightened that this is a warning to you that you are in their territory and they are not thrilled with your presence. The rabbit may exist more than difficult to handle, so be prepared.

   • Over again, recall to use confinement within an exercise pen or other area to help you manage the rabbit's access to hiding places and allow you find and restrain the rabbit more easily.

   Advertising

1. ane

   Hold the bunny with the head slightly higher than the hindquarters. Practice not betoken its head down because the rabbit may then try to leap down, out of your arms, and may hurt itself.

2. two

   Lift the rabbit carefully to your side (or in front of your mid abdomen), nether your arm. The rabbit volition feel more secure beingness able to hide a bit. Your rabbit should be held and carried deeply under your arm, nestled comfortably nether your "fly."^[9] Some people call this the "football hold."

   • If yous are right handed, identify the bunny's caput nether your left arm. Wrap your left arm around the outside of the rabbit while using your left hand to continue to securely concur the rabbit'southward hind legs under information technology.
   • Place your right hand gently over the bunny's neck, ready to get a hold of the scruff should the bunny move suddenly.
   • Do not agree your rabbit extended outward or swing it through the air.

3. iii

   Laissez passer your rabbit to another person correctly. Ideally, place the rabbit on a table and restrain information technology while the other person gets a hold of the bunny. Don't try to laissez passer the bunny in mid air. This could lead to the rabbit getting loose and falling from a bang-up acme.

4. 4

   Limit possible injury. If you ever experience similar you are losing control when conveying the rabbit, immediately crouch down to the footing or to a table to decrease the distance that it might fall. This will too give y'all a surface upon which to regroup and re-grip the bunny.

5. v

   Use a carrying case or a wrap for extra-wriggly rabbits. Some rabbits actually dislike beingness handled and no corporeality of treats or petting will modify their personalities. For these types, information technology's best to utilize a carrying example to move them from one place to the next, rather than attempting to option them upwards.

   • Employ one paw to concord the scruff to restrain the rabbit and get your other hand on the rump and "scrunch" the bunny in a "bunny ball" to transfer to the carrier.

   Advertisement

1. 1

   Lower the rabbit carefully to the ground (or a top-loading carrier) while belongings the bunny in the "football hold." There is a risk of releasing the rabbit when it is in your arms and the rabbit landing on the ground poorly and injuring itself. Be sure to keep a firm grip the entire time, because rabbits tend to endeavor to jump once they can see the floor.

2. 2

   Place a rabbit in a front loading carrier by putting it in hind legs start with the rabbit facing y'all. This method decreases the chance of the bunny boot out and injuring itself.^[ten]

3. 3

   Reward the rabbit with a care for. After spending time in your artillery without biting or leaping away, your obedient rabbit deserves a treat. Gently pet it as yous give it a reward. The rabbit will realize that existence picked up isn't so bad, and next time information technology may fifty-fifty go more than smoothly.

   Advertisement

Add New Question

• Question

  My rabbit struggles hard to escape when I pick her up. What should I do?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of feel in veterinary surgery and companion brute do. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinarian medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinarian

  Expert Answer

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert reply.

  Exist particularly careful that you lot have a firm (but gentle) grip on the rabbit. Roofing her with a towel and scooping her up will help her feel safer and reduce the gamble of her jumping out of your arms. You may demand to go back to basics by sitting on the footing and encouraging her to jump up onto your lap for a tasty treat, so that she's more comfy with human contact, before being whisked up into the air.

• Question

  Is it normal for my bunny to be 'shivering' a lot? Nosotros just got her and she seems okay when I choice her up.

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of feel in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal dispensary in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinarian

  Expert Answer

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this adept answer.

  Shivering can be a sign of stress or unease. Whenever possible, leave her to settle and provide a hiding spot to which she can retreat and feel safe. Put some nutrient in the hibernate so that she can crumb without coming out, and then when she is feeling bolder and the room is quiet she may venture out.

• Question

  Can I selection a rabbit up under its front legs?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over xxx years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practise. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the aforementioned animate being clinic in her hometown for over xx years.

  

  Veterinary

  Expert Answer

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert respond.

  It's best to support the entire length of the rabbit, and your aim is to hold the rabbit with their courage parallel to the ground. It is non advisable to choice upward a rabbit past either the front end or dorsum legs alone, since the weight of the rabbit will pull on the shoulders or hips and could crusade fractures or dislocations. Nevertheless, scooping i hand between the front legs and one hand under the bottom is perfectly fine.

• Question

  I need to grip my rabbit's back legs firmly or she flips out. What should I practice?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of feel in veterinary surgery and companion creature practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinarian

  Expert Respond

  

  Back up wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

  Some rabbits prefer to be held firmly, as it helps them experience secure. Equally long every bit the rabbit is properly supported both at the back and forepart stop, then a firm manus is the all-time pick, since wriggling could twist her dorsum and damage her spine. You may detect covering her caput with a towel has a calming effect, which ways you can grip less tightly.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertizement

Video

• Rabbits should be handled when they are very young to get them accustomed to restraint and existence picked upward off the floor and out of carriers and cages.

• Don't reward bad bunny behavior. If your rabbit scratches you, unremarkably with their hind legs, Exercise NOT put it directly dorsum into their enclosure or cage, if you tin can. You probably were non holding the rabbit firmly enough against your body. As long equally yous are non as well desperately injured, gently hug the rabbit closer to you, nether your arm, until it settles downwards and and then permit it down carefully and calmly. The idea is to prevent rewarding bad behavior by giving it liberty. Of grade, you will demand to proceed working with the bunny and consider protecting your arms with long sleeves while continuing to train the rabbit to have restraint and handling.

• Be patient. Rabbits are basis-dwelling, burrowing animals. They won't exist comfortable being high off the ground at first because it'south just not in their nature.

• Consider having an experienced rabbit handler help you with the more than challenging pet to prevent injury to both yous and the bunny.

• If your rabbit seems agitated, covering the eyes can help at-home it.

• Using treats may help with training your rabbit to accept handling and restraint. Use treats, in addition, to gently stroking or petting the bunny.

Advertisement

• If you are outside or in a public identify, be very careful to not let information technology become abroad. If it does DO NOT try to tackle it as yous may injure the rabbit.

• Do non drib the rabbit. Rabbits tin be seriously injured if dropped.

• Ever contain the hind legs so that the rabbit cannot jump out of your artillery. This volition also foreclose the rabbit from scratching you with its back legs also.

• NEVER try to pick upward a wild rabbit, they are more likely to scratch or bite you.

Advert

Nigh This Article

Article Summary X

To choice upwards a rabbit, place one hand under its chest, and the other under its rump while pushing its hind legs forward. If the rabbit is in a side-opening cage, use one hand to concur the rabbit's face abroad from you while gently belongings onto the skin behind its cervix. Identify your other hand under the rabbits rump and push its hind legs forward. This volition make a "bunny ball" where one manus forms a seat while your grip on its pare keeps it from falling off while you have it out. For communication from our Veterinary reviewer on safely treatment the rabbit, read more!

Did this summary assistance you?

Thank you to all authors for creating a page that has been read 217,872 times.

Did this commodity help you?

franksuniere.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Pick-up-a-Rabbit

Share this post