Rabbits are very cute and soft, so it’s no wonder you want to pick yours up and give them a cuddle. You may find you also need to pick them up to clip their nails, groom them, or put them in their carrier. However, there is a right and a wrong way to do this, so keep reading on to find out how to hold your bun properly.
The Correct Way To Hold Your Rabbit
Start Handling Early
While some rabbits like to be held, others do not. It is not uncommon for bunnies to be a little wary of being picked up, and you may find that yours even struggles a bit or tries to get away.
We recommend you start handling your rabbit from an early age. However, if your rabbit is nervous or hasn’t been handled before, you’ll need to work up to this. Start off by letting them come to you, and offer them a treat. You shouldn’t attempt to hold your rabbit until they are comfortable with you touching them all over.
If your rabbit finds handling very stressful, lots of petting and strokes over time will help to calm them down. This will also get them used to your touch and allow them to understand you don’t want to hurt them.
Don’t Pick A Rabbit Up By Their Ears
We cannot stress this point enough — never pick up a rabbit by their ears, the scruff, their legs or their tail. Not only could this very easily harm the rabbit, it is also painful and just plain cruel. There is never any need to pick your bunny up in this manner.
Be Gentle
Rabbits are pretty fragile animals, with weak skeletal systems. You will need to be gentle with them to ensure you don’t hurt them while handling them.
When picking your rabbit up, approach them slowly and try to get down to their level. Picking them up closer to the ground will not only scare them less, but will prevent your rabbit being dropped from a height.
Once you are holding them (tips on that below), ensure you don’t squeeze them too tight. As we mentioned, they are fragile and their bones can snap easily, which can pierce their internal organs. We know you love your bun, but gentle cuddles are best!
Ensure They Are Safe
When holding your rabbit, make sure one hand supports their back and hindquarters at all times. Ensuring that all four of their feet are pressed against your body will help them to feel safe in your arms.
You should hold your bun securely against your body so they can’t wriggle, but ensure you don’t squeeze too tight otherwise you could hurt them or even break bones.
If they are trying to get away from you while in your arms, be ready to place them down on the ground. Safely placing them down is the much better alternative to having them jump from a height from your arms.
Don’t Lay Them On Their Back
When rabbits are placed on their back, they go completely still, like they are in a trance. This is actually very dangerous for rabbits, so we heavily advise against doing this. When in this state, the rabbit is scared and “playing dead” incase they are caught by a prey animal.
Not only does this panic and frighten your bun, but it can cause them to go into shock which can have serious or even fatal consequences. Instead of handling them in this cruel manner, hold them close to your body on their front — they’ll love you a lot more for it!
Place Them Gently On The Ground
When putting your rabbit back on the ground, you need to be sure they don’t jump from a height, as this can seriously damage their back. Hold your bun securely and squat close to the ground, like you did when you picked them up. You can then lower them to ground safely.
If your rabbit thumps their feet and kicks their back paws up at you while hopping away, don’t panic. This isn’t anything serious — they are just trying to tell you that they weren’t the biggest fan of being picked up!
