If you ever had to pick up your rabbit and your rabbit didn’t want to be picked up, then you know how painful it can be when your resists.  It is very important for you and your rabbit’s safety to pick up your rabbit in a particular way and to take precautions when picking up your rabbit.  Small children should not pick up rabbits for the child’s safety and older children should be showed how to carry a rabbit.  Here are some safety tips for picking up and carrying your rabbit:

• The most important thing you can do to prepare to pick up and carry your rabbit is to trim your rabbits nails.  If your rabbit has long nails, then it likely that you will be scratched severely if your rabbit kicks while being picked up.  Use a clipper like the Clip & Trim Bunny Nail Trimmers to easily clip your rabbits nails.  This clipper is specifically designed to cut your rabbit’s nails and comes with a clipper holder that magnetically sticks to the wire cage.
• It is also important to wear long sleeves and shirts that cover up your body when picking up your rabbit.  Never wear a short sleeve, sleeveless or midriff baring shirt when picking up your rabbit if your rabbit is not comfortable or not used to being picked up.  Your rabbit’s scratches can cut deeply into your skin and cause severe pain.
• To get your rabbit used to the idea of being picked, it is a good idea to get your rabbit used to being held by you while sitting on the floor.  Let your rabbit hop into your lap and gently hold your rabbit for a short period of time  in your arms.  If your rabbit seems to be comfortable with this step, gradually increase the height of your hold and the length of time.  Reward your rabbit with a little treat, such as the Vitakraft Nibble Rings, for good rabbit behavior.
• If your rabbit doesn’t like to be picked up and carried at all, even after some time spent training your rabbit, it is a good idea to use a rabbit carrier.  Your rabbit can be persuaded into the carrier with a little bunny treat and will feel more secure when carried inside the carrier.  A carrier also helps prevent you from being scratched by your rabbit and also allows older children to safely carry a rabbit.  A great soft-sided carrier to have is the Super Pet Come Along Carrier.  This soft carrier is comfortable for both you to carry and your rabbit to ride in and may be used for short or long trips.