So I've been spending the better part of the evening conducting youtube research. I find youtube videos to be pretty helpful when it comes to rabbit care. For example, I learned that you can actually pretty much fix stained feet simply by changing the litter more often (seems obvious to me now, but I wasn't thinking about it before!)
I just got my paycheck, so I'm planning on getting some things for Linus including wood pellets to use as his bedding, feline pine for his litter, and a few toys and things from binkybunny.com -- I'm going to be (gradually) switching over his food soon, so I need to look into that too (of course, after his vet appointment Monday).
Anyway, onto the real point of this post -- I think I have BHSD -- Bunny Handling Stress Disorder.
I know it's important to pick up your bun at least once a month to do a quick health check, check teeth, and trim nails, but I am beyond traumatized by the horror stories I've heard about squirming bunnies, broken backs, and emergency trips to the vet ending in that horrible phrase, "we had to put him down."
I've picked Linus up a few times, but obviously, he hates it, and he usually manages to squirm away before I can even get him secure. I know how to pick him up properly (front end first, then immediately supporting the back end, and hold firmly to chest), but I'm just so frightened of something going wrong -- which I know probably doesn't help anything at all.
How have you guys handled this? Please tell me it gets way easier, or at least less scary? Also -- I've heard of people routinely picking up their rabbits in order to get them used to being handled... recommended or not?
I just got my paycheck, so I'm planning on getting some things for Linus including wood pellets to use as his bedding, feline pine for his litter, and a few toys and things from binkybunny.com -- I'm going to be (gradually) switching over his food soon, so I need to look into that too (of course, after his vet appointment Monday).
Anyway, onto the real point of this post -- I think I have BHSD -- Bunny Handling Stress Disorder.
I know it's important to pick up your bun at least once a month to do a quick health check, check teeth, and trim nails, but I am beyond traumatized by the horror stories I've heard about squirming bunnies, broken backs, and emergency trips to the vet ending in that horrible phrase, "we had to put him down."
I've picked Linus up a few times, but obviously, he hates it, and he usually manages to squirm away before I can even get him secure. I know how to pick him up properly (front end first, then immediately supporting the back end, and hold firmly to chest), but I'm just so frightened of something going wrong -- which I know probably doesn't help anything at all.
How have you guys handled this? Please tell me it gets way easier, or at least less scary? Also -- I've heard of people routinely picking up their rabbits in order to get them used to being handled... recommended or not?