Lesson: Using a Rabbit Sling
Lesson: Using a Rabbit Sling
An unhappy rabbit
A happy rabbit
In this Lesson: Using a Rabbit Sling we need to learn quite a few facts about rabbits and the lagomorpha family of animals. Care of rabbits is pretty easy, as they are pretty hardy animals. But they do love to dig and that means they have sharp claws.
The Claws And Panic
Even though these guys are really cute and small, they have strong fear instincts. When you hold an animal like a rabbit, and it does not feel safe, the claws come out. And they are both strong and fast.
I have been cut up by rabbits so many times. I had to learn a few lessons to avoid the terrible, potentially dangerous scratches. These include wearing gloves, long sleeves, and properly using a rabbit sling.
The Rabbit Sling
This device was invented for small pets like cats and little dogs. It keeps them secure and helps them calm down so you can safely treat their claws or a paw wound. It does not work this way with rabbits though.
Rabbits are underground creatures. They live in burrows naturally and travel very close to the ground at all times. They do NOT like to have their paws dangling.
Thus the way the sling was designed to be used is not appropriate for rabbits. You are likely to get even more scratched up and potentially hurt the rabbit if you use it the way it was designed. You need to understand what calms a rabbit down.
Calming a Rabbit
There are two ways to quickly and safely calm a rabbit down. The first is to cover its eyes or restrain its ears back. The second is to expose its belly.
When you place a rabbit on its back, it's heart beats slower. Also because its eyes are on the side of its head, when it is upside down, they see the ground. This calms them down immediately.
The sling also hangs from the neck.
So the best way to use a rabbit sling is to place the rabbit on its back in the sling. It will not panic. And you can actually hang the rabbit sling around your neck and keep the rabbit close to your body.
