Remember: Hold rabbits gently but firmly - ensure one hand supports their back and hindquarters at all times. Help them feel secure by holding all four feet against your body. Never pick rabbits up by their ears - this would be extremely stressful and is highly likely to injure them.
You should never hold rabbits by the ears or the scruff of their neck since these are painful and likely to result in injury. It's important to learn how to properly hold your rabbit. You may need to handle them for any number of reasons, from grooming them to checking them for any signs of a medical condition.
Rabbits generally have a few sensitive spots where they dislike being touched - their dewlap (under the chin), whiskers and feet. Some rabbits are also extremely sensitive about their ears or tail.
Whilst you may like to give your bunny a nice big cuddle every time you see him, this really isn't advised at all. Rabbits are prey animals and can become easily spooked and scared. They don't really like to be picked up and handled too often, even by humans that they like!
If they are sitting upright and their front paws are 'boxing' at you, they are likely very unhappy. Vocalising. Rabbits don't tend to make much noise and when they do it's a sign they're feeling very threatened. You may hear them grunting or growling and in extreme cases, they can scream.
Like lots of pets, bunnies need plenty of exercise and stimulation. While it's often necessary to cage your rabbit when you're gone or sleeping, confining it to a cage all day is detrimental to its well-being; it denies your rabbit vital exercise, prohibits socialization, and increases boredom and lethargy.
Rabbits enjoy being around people and can usually recognise their owners by sight and sound.
Little and often is the key, a couple of goes of whichever stage you are at a few times per day is plenty. Don't make all your interaction about learning to be picked up; grooming your rabbit, playing with toys and just hanging out in the same space will all help your bond and build trust.
It's important to remember that rabbits are prey animals. Prey animals interact with their environment very differently than predators like cats and dogs. In general, rabbits do not like to be picked up.
Anything longer than 24 hours is too long – and even that is pushing the solitude limits of rabbits. Rabbits are social creatures and require about as much, if not more, interaction and maintenance as dogs do and more than some cats need. Considering rabbits to be low-maintenance pets does them a grave disservice.
Always be careful to handle rabbits safely; a rabbit may wriggle, take fright, can kick out with its powerful hindlegs and can injure itself and/or you. Rabbits are generally nervous animals and care must be taken when approaching them to avoid startling them or causing unnecessary stress.
The best way to gain your rabbits' trust is by simply spending lots of time being near them, while allowing your bunnies to approach you in their own time. By sitting quietly with them in a safe enclosure, you'll show your rabbits that you aren't to be feared and that you can be trusted.
Because rabbits are social animals, they require daily interaction and attention. They aren't happy languishing in a cage day after day. For several hours daily, they need time outside the cage, to socialize, exercise and explore. To be comfortable with their people, they need frequent, gentle interaction.
Rabbits can live quite happily indoors and they should be provided with secure accommodation where they can feel safe, sleep, use a particular area as a toilet, and be confined to when unsupervised.
Even a house rabbit, that will live indoors and be free roaming throughout your house, still needs a hutch to hop back to at night time. Rabbit owners may worry it is cruel keeping a rabbit inside a hutch. But that isn't true, as long as the hutch is safe, comfortable and meets the welfare needs of your rabbit.
When a rabbit nibbles or bites you softly it is often accompanied with licking, which is a sign of love. He is trying to groom you and is simulating the grooming process (however, you have no fur to build up knots in so it results in just a little nibble of the skin).
Rabbits typically run away from people because they are afraid or angry. The rabbit has learned from past experiences that humans will chase them, pick them up, or trap them into a small cage. Naturally, their instincts will see people as dangerous predators that need to be avoided.
Keeping your rabbit happy. Rabbits are active and intelligent animals and will suffer if they get bored. As domesticated rabbits are usually confined for most of the day, freedom and choice are important. Interesting environments that encourage physical and mental stimulation will create a happy home.
Try different ideas and different ways of trying to get the rabbits together. And, have patience about it. We usually tell our adopters that we expect the average bonding is going to take about two and a half weeks.
It can take a few months for a rabbit to adjust to a new home and new people. Speak softly.