How to Hold a Rabbit

As a rabbit breeder, I've sold dozens of baby bunnies to eager guardians. Most of them have been well-prepared for adventures in rabbit-raising. They come to me with a basic understanding of how to hold, pet and care for a pet rabbit. However, many would-be rabbit owners know very little about rabbits, and come to me without even understanding how to hold them. I have even seen prospective buyers try to pick up rabbits by their ears before sheepishly admitting that they don't know what to do.

There's no reason to let embarrassment get in the way of responsible pet ownership. If you're interested in owning or even handling a bunny, you should be aware of how to hold a rabbit. Handling bunnies is a fairly simple task but does take a bit of practice. Here are the basic steps involved in correctly holding a pet rabbit.

1. Be gentle. Improper handling of a rabbit can cause the animal to suffer a spinal cord injury, which is paralyzing at best and fatal at worst. Rabbits' spines are relatively delicate and it takes just one strong movement to permanently snap the pet's backbone. Understand that it is dangerous to "rough-house" with a rabbit; you can not jostle them like puppies.

2. Keep the rabbit calm. A panicked bunny can easily hurt itself or you. If you pick up a scared, rabbit, he may kick so hard that he knocks his spine out of alignment. Frightened bunnies are also prone to aggressive behaviors like biting and scratching. If your pet rabbit is resistant to being held, don't pick him up. Pet him gently until he is ready for you hold him.

3. Find a quiet area. This is particularly important if you have a new rabbit who isn't accustomed to being held. Your pet bunny may struggle out of your arms if he gets frightened while you're holding him. Handle your bunny in a room free of dogs, children, radios, televisions or other potentially distressing noise sources.

4. Cup the bunny's butt in one hand. Hold the rabbit so that most of his weight, in the hindquarters, rests in one of your hands. Use the other hand to support his other half. Unless you have the bunny supported against your chest or lap, don't let go with one hand in order to pet him. Keep both hands under the rabbit at all times.

5. Supervise children carefully. A child under the age of ten should never, ever hold a rabbit without assistance. Young children are not only too small to have enough hand-space for a rabbit, but they lack the know-how involved in unsupervised bunny care. If your child wants to hold a rabbit, sit down with her on a floor or sofa while she does so. Then demonstrate the two-handed bunny hold.

6. Look into getting a harness and leash. My pet rabbits have a harness that they wear any time that I am holding them in an area where they should not be loose. When we are outdoors or in a room that isn't bunny-proof, I keep them leashed even while holding them. This way, should they escape, I can easily catch them. If you have a skittish bunny with a tendency to run away, check out your local pet store for leash-and-harness sets.