Once you have brought your new
bunny home, introduce him/her to his/her new hutch and leave him/her to settle
in for 24 hours. This is less important with adult owners but
it is preferable when moving to a family environment with lots of noisy,
excitable young
children.
Many young bunnies, including ours, are not used to this and it
could be stressful while they adjust - so it's worth allowing settling-in
time. It also helps young children learn their new family member is a
living animal and not an animated toy! Later, as they adjust, they'll
probably enjoy the greatly increased attention and affection- and enjoy being
the centre of attention!
The more you handle, cuddle and snuggle your bunny - the better for you and your bunny. Ours love being handled, cuddled, held, snuggled and fussed and we encourage our adopters to continue with this, several times daily following adoption.
If you are adopting your first bunny from us - you might be very surprised by just how rewarding they can be to own - and how much character and personality they have!!
Although our bunnies are
very used to human
contact and regular handling, rabbits bought from pet shops (which you are
strongly advised against) might be totally unsocialised and unused to
human contact making them nervous leading to fear, aggression and scratching, hence the
settling-in time and gradual contact is much more important. After this time, gradually start introducing your hand to
him/her and stroke him/her gently to allow him/her to get to know you.
He
or she might learn to enjoy being snuggled but, if not, then it's best not to
stress your bunny but simply sit/lie on the floor with him and let him come to
you. Reward and encourage all approaches and ensure that all contact ends
on a
In the case of our rabbits, however, you'll probably find your bunny wants your attention immediately and will give you a gentle nudge if you end his/her fuss and stroking before he's given his permission for you to go to bed!
Above: How to handle and pick up your bunny securely.
Once he/she seems confident with you, he/she can be picked up. To do this, support the rabbit's chest (not stomach or abdomen) and rear end. Grasping the scruff of their neck and supporting their rear end with your other hand may be easier for larger rabbits or pregnant does. Then hold the rabbit close to your body for support.
Please NEVER PICK UP ANY RABBIT BY ITS EARS AS THIS CAN CAUSE INJURY.
Some prefer to
snuggle up to your chest while others stand on your bent forearm and 'hide'
their head between your arm and ribs. Most of ours like to sit on
our shoulders and nibble our ears. Our larger bunnies stretch across our
shoulders and drape themselves behind our necks like a head-rest - but we
recommend sitting down before tackling this with a generously-proportioned
French Lop!
Especially tame rabbits will lie on their backs, cradled into your elbow, with their head back and mouth dropped open - almost like a hypnotic trance, allowing you to rub their chest and nose.
Illustrative video clips and instructional videos showing how to pick up your bunny and roll him onto his back, complete with commentary, are included on the Rabbit Owner's CD.
Please click HERE for details of the CD.
Most rabbits
enjoy a nose-rub (either using the backs of your fingers or rubbing his nose
with your own - be warned: it tickles!!) or neck massage behind their ears.
All our bunnies are used to regular handling and many younger rabbits like to sit on shoulders and nestle into human necks. Many of our babies will happily sit on your shoulders and remain there while we walk around the garden, clean out hutches, greet the Postman....
We just have to try to remember not to head into town wearing our furry fashions!
