Having trouble with mini lop..........???????????

Question

I have a 3 month old mini lop that i keep in the house.

I let her run freely round my living room all day and only put her in her cage at night before bed time.

She used to go into her cage on her own when you called on her but now she is getting wise to it a refuses to go in.

The big problem i have is that she will not let me pick her up. She either scarpers away and hides behind the settee or when i manage to get a hold of her she goes crazy and i'm scared she's going to kick so much she'll get hurt.

This is becoming a big problem as i'm spending an hour at night trying to catch her.

I've tried everything to get her to become used to being handled but she is having none of it.

Is there anyway that i can turn this behaviour around ????

Answer 1

I have french lops and we obviously can't pick them up. They hate it, and they're about as heavy as a small dog each. They squirm everywhere.

What I do is feed them just when I want them to go in and they will usually go in for their food. If your little mini isn't tempted by the food bowl, put something really nice there like a treat, a few raspberries or some banana. They love it.

Good luck! Btw, what colour is your little one and what is her name?

Answer 2

I've had this problem with my bunnies. Your best bet is to put her fav food inside her cage and see if she jumps in to eat it. You may find that chasing her around for an hour at a night is potentially frightening her and making her harder to handle. When my bunnies are hard to catch try crouching down to her level on your knees or even lay on the floor so you can get close to her to stroke her and then gently pick her up if you can. She'll probably find that a lot less intimidating then you standing over her.

Answer 3

Your bunny is only a baby- you could have only had her for a month or two!

Sounds like she is trying to test you- my loppy boy used to do that when I would let him out to play in the backyard.

Why dont you try putting her in the cage during the day for short periods of time? When she behaves herself and is easier to catch let her out earlier.

When you do handle her dont put her back down until she behaves.

You may have to put her down and pick her back up 10 or 20 times before she can be put down without stuggling- but she will soon learn that she can be free sooner if she behaves herself.

You should consider getting her desexed- she will be sexually mature soon and that could present some more behavioural issues.

Answer 4

Do you hold her durring the day? rabbits do not like to be held. I wouldstart to socialize with her again. Sit in the living room with her, and play with her a little everyday. And she shouild go back to normal.

but then again, sometimes rabbits go bad. They will turn all of a sudon with no warning, and there is nothing you can do about it. I hope that is not the case! I have a rabbit that did that, and he tried to bite me when i give him food sometimes. And we take the best care of him!  

Answer 5

Rabbits are a prey animal, when they get picked up they feel like it's their last moment. Always carry your bunny snug against you cradled in your arms.  They have very fragile bones have been known to break their own backs by kicking their powerful hind legs.  Maybe something you could try is a play pen for your rabbit. It offers a safe place to exercise away from electrical cords and hiding spots. Or section off an area of your living room. For my rabbit, I leave his cage door open, and put some fresh parsley or other favorite treat inside. When he is done exploring and doing "binkys" he gladly goes back to his home.  As for turning around the fear of being picked up, mine is still nervous when I pick him up. He will let me hold/pet him in my lap. Hope something here may help!

Answer 6

your rabbit is reaching the stage where it is bcoming mature and its behaviour will change a lot. this can go on for the month  but when its over the changes it should be fine