How can i tame my rabbit?

Question

i have a rabbit who's about 3-4 years old and is a male lop who lives in a large run outside.

he's been neutered but whenever i try to pick him up he struggles and scratches me and runs away from me the next day.

i pick him up properly - the way the vet showed me. putting my hands underneath him and picking him up, and cradling him like a baby.

How can i make him less distressed when i pick him up?

Answer 1

use a towel to cover her...that is how I picked up mine..most rabbit don't like to be picked up, you have to let her to be used to be picking up by human..try to pet and comfort her at the same time when you are picking her up.

Answer 2

because he has been use to living in a large run his natural instincts of fight or flight are showing.

Anything that alarms him will make him run away.

If the run is large enough for a human to sit in i suggest that you sit in therunwith the rabbit and let him come to you. Picknig a rabbit up from above is like a predator going to grab him therefore scaring the h**l out of him.

You rabbit will learn to come to you,especially if you  have some fresh veg to offer to him.

Some rabbits do not like being picked up and prefer to come to you in their own time so do not rush the process. This process must be done twice a day every day for you rabbit to gain your trust in his run.

If lucky you will get your rabbit to naturally climb on your lap to eat his food.

I have tried this with nervous and temeperamental rabbits and this has been successful.

It is important that you are able to pick your rabbit up to check for ailments daily. So once he is on your lap after a few weeks of getting him to gain your trust, start to pick him up while you are sitting in the run. Doing this at his level and with the trust will be less stressful to the rabbit.

Answer 3

how long have you had him for? my rabbit used to be the same. but we got him from the rspca..i dont think he was used to us yet or being picked up maybe your is the same.

just sit with him and stroke him for a while before picking him up... stroke it on its forhead to calm him if he jumps out of your hands stroke him again and wait a bit before trying again.. hopefully this works for you to!

Answer 4

If you want a tame rabbit you have to work on building his trust with you.

Get an X-pen that you can set up in your house.  Someplace where you can be present with him for several hours a day.  That way you can talk to him a lot and go inside the pen with him and just sit quietly - reading a book or listening to music, etc.  You can do that outside too as it sounds like his large run will hold the both of you.

You can also get a bottle of Bach Rescue Remedy from a health food store or pharmacy for under $20.  Shake the bottle well and put a dropperful in his water bottle.  When you want to pick him up put three to four drops on his head between his ears (sort of like blessing him with holy water) five minutes or so before attempting to pick him up.

For a rabbit being "picked up" is equivalent to death as they are prey animals and being snatched up is frequently their last experience of life.  It's best to start with just being quietly with him as he runs and plays - giving him a few gentle strokes when he is near enough to you to do so.

Your rabbit may have a long way to go in accepting human companionship so patience and taking the socialization in small baby steps is the way to go.

Answer 5

Some rabbits just don't like being picked up as they can be scared of heights. I had a house rabbit that would follow me around the house and was very tame but if i tried to pick her up she would struggle, scratch and run off.

Answer 6

Metal music, that worked with an old friend