Part of pet ownership is the occasional grooming bit, i.e. brushing the fur and clipping claws when necessary. For rabbits, I've recently learned the claws should be clipped about once a month.
The beast is naturally thrilled when this happens.
We've established something of a routine. I go over by the cage, open it up, and start to pet her, trying to calm her down. She knows that I'm trying to butter her up for something, so she grudgingly tolerates the petting.
Then, I extract the beast from the cage. This happens after she bolts to a corner of the cage. After the cornering, I push her toward the cage door. She tries to dig in, but I'm usually able to secure her. She flails around a bit, bracing herself against the cage to prevent the extraction. Finally, I'm able to remove her.
Then, she sees the clippers.
That's when the fur flies.
I try calming her down, but she doesn't believe me at all. So, she goes into panicky bunny mode, squirming every which way, trying to get away.
At this point, I figure it's best to let her tire herself out before the clipping. I do this by picking her up by the scruff. Naturally, she doesn't like this and she tries to get away, squirming even more. This usually takes about 30-60 seconds, after which she pretty much gives up.
Tired bunnies are better to deal with.
Upon tiring the bunny out, I cradle her in my left arm while clipping the claws with my right hand. I have a flashlight nearby to more closely examine the claws, ensuring I don't harm her by cutting the quick along with her claw. Cut the nail too short, and the animal will bleed and feel pain.
Though tired, the bunny will still try pulling her paw away just as I'm about to clip the nail. This results in several failed attempts to clip the claw.
After every clip, I'm sure to tell the rabbit just how she's been, what a good bunny she is.
You'd think I'd be good with this lie by now.
After the ordeal, I let the rabbit go. Naturally, she hops away quickly. Often, she'll leave about a dozen little turds near the front door for her troubles. Can't say I blame her. At least it's easy to clean up.
Upon returning to her cage, I give the beast a treat, you know, as a reward for flailing about and making the job of clipping her claws such a joy. She snatches it away with proper bunny glee, then lets me know it's time for me to pet her.
Rotten little beast.
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