Rabbit Handling

Although there are several ways of handling rabbits,there is no occasion on which a rabbit should not be handledgently but firmly. To allow a rabbit to feel insecure, andthus to cause it to struggle will often result in damage bothto the animal and the handler The cars alone should never be used as the sole means ofholding the rabbit. The most common method is to graspthe ears close to the head with one hand, whilst the other handtakes the full weight of the rabbit. In fact the hand holdingthe ears is really used for restraining and balancing the animal,the other hand taking the weight.

To pick up a rabbit by grasping the loose skin over theshoulders is not to be recommended, although often advised.If for some reason it is used, then again it should be used onlyas a means of balancing the weight of the animal on the otherhand placed underneath it.

For young rabbits up to about 3 or 4 months, a suitablemethod of handling is to grasp the animal across the loins.This requires some practice, and is not suitable for largerabbits, and particularly, does in kindle. The fingers graspthe muscles on one side of the spine whilst the thumbgrasps the muscles on the other side. Care must be takenthat the internal organs are not damaged. It is sometimesdesirable to pick up a rabbit, particularly Lops, by placingthe hand underneath the belly. Here again the weight ofthe animal will be taken by placing the other hand over therump.
Rabbits should be removed or returned through smallopenings (for example a pen door at a show) in such a way thatits claws cannot be caught in the side of the opening. Carelesshandling in such cases (for example by dragging the animalthrough the opening head first) may easily cause damage.The rabbit should therefore always be put through such anopening hind quarters first.

If a rabbit has to be restrained when there is the possibilityof struggling, for example when a wound has to be dressed,or when claws have to be clipped, it is advisable to wrap theanimal securely in a cloth or sack. The rabbit must bewrapped up firmly otherwise the procedure is worse than notdoing it at all.

To examine the belly or breast, the rabbit should be heldfirmly over the rump, with the other hand holding the ears inthe normal fashion close to the head, the thumb lying acrossthe skull in front of the ears. It can then be turned over quiteeasily. In the same way, when sexing a large rabbit it is thismethod which is employed, but the animal can be laid on itsback on a table, or on the lap of the attendant, or, if the handleris accustomed to stock, the animal can simply be balanced onthe open hand whilst the fingers evert the sexual opening asdescribed below.