Handling and Carrying Your Bunny

How to Carry Your Bunny:

1. Place one hand beneath your bunny's chest. Pet your bunny and talk to him/her soothingly.
   
   
   
2. Place your other hand under your bunny's furry bum. Your hand should be between the tail and bum - bunnies don't like it when you seem to squash their tails in the carrying process!
   
3. Lift your bunny up slowly.

The key to safely carrying your bunny is to fully support your bunny's weight with both of your hands under his/her chest and bum.

DON'Ts when Handling Your Bunny:

• Do NOT touch your bunny's tail and hind feet - it annoys them! And that cute, wiggling nose? That's a no-no, too.

• Do NOT pick up your bunny by his/her ears!
• Cartoons often feature bunnies being picked up in this manner - this is horribly wrong. 
• A bunny's ears are very delicate, consisting of a large number of blood vessels. Picking up a bunny by his/her ears could result in severe damage to this vital hearing organ.

• Do NOT pick your bunny up by the scruff.
• This is a common misconception. As other animals such as kittens are picked up by the scruff by their mothers, many assume it's the same for bunnies. 
• Picking up your bunny by the scruff is similar to pulling his/her skin. This method does not secure the bunny properly and clearly, it's uncomfortable and painful.

• Do NOT lift your bunny by supporting his/her stomach OR chest ONLY.
• It's not secure enough if you carry your bunny up like this. Over time, this method also causes harm to your bunny's spine.

"What If My Bunny Struggles?!"
As bunnies, by nature, do not like to be handled or lifted off the ground (especially when you're still a stranger to him/her), they often kick and struggle with surprising power when carried.

In such cases:

1. Stay calm and immediately kneel down.

• Endure the painful kicks and scratches for just those few seconds and kneel down quickly. DO NOT throw your bunny off and assume that he/she is going to land gracefully like a cat - a bunny's fragile back could break from the impact.

2. Let your bunny hop away

• Do not attempt to carry your bunny again right after. Simply let him/her be. 

• If there is a need to move your bunny to a certain place (eg: returning to the cage), try using a small basket with a solid bottom to transport your bunny instead of carrying him/her in your arms all the way.