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.
Rabbits often become stressed when being handled and should never be handled excessively. It is important to monitor the rabbit's behaviour and identify if the rabbit is becoming stressed.
Remember that rabbits are ground dwelling creatures and liken being picked up to being captured by a predator – they are, after all, prey animals. Be prepared for it to take several months before they become comfortable with being handled.
If you have trouble, you could try resting your hand on his chest, then raising the treat upwards so your rabbit naturally lifts his front feet to reach and keeping your hand in position as he moves so you are just supporting his movement not making it. To pick up a rabbit you'll need to lift the back end too.
If you're a new rabbit owner, try to make the first few interactions with your rabbit as positive as possible which means lots of gentle petting, treats and quiet bonding time. This way they'll grow more comfortable with you - and you'll be able to pick them up and hold them with better success.
What are rabbits afraid of? 'Rabbits are naturally fearful of anything coming from above, like their predators would. If we bend down to pick them up, that action is scary,' says Rosie. 'They also dislike being lifted up, as that's what happens when they're in a predator's mouth.
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.
Many rabbits find handling frightening. As prey animals, their survival instincts are strong. While being handled and cuddled, they sense that they cannot escape. You'll need to build a bond of love and trust to help them overcome this instinctive fear.
Gently pat your rabbit on the head while giving them a treat. Touch your rabbit on the forehead with one hand while giving them a treat with the other. If your rabbit gets spooked and runs away, don't chase them. Wait for them to come back for the treat and try again.
It can take months before a new rabbit warms up to his owner. Rabbits are prey animals and very independent, and even after a rabbit settles in, he may never enjoy being cuddled like a puppy would. That doesn't mean he doesn't like you.
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.
Try to refrain from holding them every single time you interact with them. If you are trying to gain the trust of a shy rabbit, you will want to completely stop picking them up until your rabbit is very comfortable around you. Otherwise keep the cuddles to a minimum so that your rabbit doesn't become afraid of you.
Most of the time rabbits will not be territorial toward humans, but it does happen occasionally. The first way to try to fix this behavior is to get your rabbit spayed or neutered. This will help to calm down a rabbit's hormones, making them much less likely to be territorial.
Rabbits are small and low to the ground. They are also primary prey animals. So anything coming from above is a big threat, and their instinct is to race away. Even if they can see YOU are the thing coming from above, that instinct is so strong, and so ingrained, that they really can hardly help themselves.
Can rabbits have anxiety? Anxiety can be a common problem among pet rabbits. Their ancestors in the wild they had to constantly be on the alert for predators and dangerous situations. Pet rabbits still have these wild instincts and can become chronically anxious even when they live in a safe environment.
Abnormal rabbit behaviour
Signs to look out for include biting the bars of their hutch, nipping at you, fur pulling or reduced grooming, changes in eating, drinking or toilet patterns, aggression, circling their run, sitting hunched up and hiding more than normal.
We must not forget that rabbits are prey animals, and however much we domesticate them, we cannot get rid of the innate instinct to be afraid of the unknown. This means that a pet rabbit will still show fear over anything it feels threatened by.
Rabbits might nudge, push, or toss things around as a form of play, to solicit attention from you, or as a territorial behavior meaning “mine!” or “get out of the way!” Rabbits can be very territorial and particular.
Most of the time rabbits won't come out to play because they are scared or shy and need time to learn to trust you. However, other reasons your rabbit might not be coming out include boredom, depression, illness, old age, and even sleepiness.