New rabbit and guinea are terrified and won't be held.Help!

[AngryBeaver]

Our mini lop passed away and we replaced her with a Dutch rabbit and a guinea pig. This has conincided with Xmas, visits, holidays etc and as a result, they haven't been handled very much.
My dd is 6 and keen to hold her pets.
However, they are petrified the guinea cries and runs away as soon as we approach.
The rabbit freezes and gets low to the ground, and if we pick it up he kicks out and scratches terribly.
I am actually typing this whilst bleeding!!
Dd has scratches all over her chest and arms.
I am at a loss. Don't know much about furry things.

Dd wants them to be placid and floppy like the mini lop. She was lugged around everywhere and sat licking dd. She was a lovely thing, but handled everyday since the beginning.
What can we do?

when the rabbit goes low to the ground try stroking his head, he needs to learn to trust you.

two rabbits of the same sex will fight, (Unless they are from same litter and neutered as soon as they can be) The best combination is a neutered male and spayed female. rabbits are very social and love company.

I have 7 rabbits and they all hate being picked up. they much prefer you to go down to their level.

maybe get your daughter to sit out with them and 'read' them a story, after a while curiosity will get the better of them and they will investigate her

Agree with squiz - there's nothing current bun likes more than when my DD's play 'dead' on the floor. They are then climbing frames for him. Rabbits are very curious.

On the free aggressive rabbit - it was probably an unspayed female - they're fairly bad-tempered. Personally, I love an aggressive, grumpy bun - they're usually pretty intelligent and can be trained (missing my previous bad-tempered, aggressive rabbit who charged at anyone she didn't like).

We have two rabbits, one who is very friendly and always wants to jump onto your lap, lick you, snuggle up to you etc - we have had him for two years. Our more recent rabbit came from a rescue and was very shy and anxious to begin with, thumping at us and not liking to be picked up, scratching etc but now after 3 months she is pleased to see us - will come up to us and will allow us to stroke her, and if she is feeling very brave will climb on to a lap - but has yet to start grooming us. It has taken time... At the moment due to the cold weather they are living in a large playhouse with lots of small hutches to sit on and in, windows to look out of etc, but once the weather is warmer they will go outside in their outside run during the day again - I now need to train the new rabbit to come when called and be picked up so that I can put her to bed. I think to get the most out of rabbits you just have to spend time interacting with them - I spend quite a lot of time just sitting and talking to them and letting them communicate with me.

Lots of good advice here. Yes separate the guinea pig and the rabbit. I've never had a guinea pig, but I do have an awesome rabbit, who is a real character. I think sometimes they are just like humans, each with their own personality. When we first got her she was small and scared and wouldn't be held. We used to just sit near here, let her smell the back of our hand and let her come to us. She will be picked up and stroked but only by DH and I. She is a very headstrong rabbit who will only do her own thing. She patrols the garden and we are the only house in the street that doesn't have any bother from cats or cat mess, they won't come near the garden for her.

Many years ago I had a rescue cat (I got her as a two year old).
My next door neighbours had a rabbit. It was free ranging in their garden.
Moggie goes over for a recce.............(she was a hunter/gatherer cat)

Next thing I saw was the cat tearing up the garden and over our fence
Rabbit just charged at her.

Rabbits can be scary - my mum was terrified of my previous bun. Bun would charge at her, grunting aggressively, whenever my mum came in the room. Bun was lovely with me and DD's and would cuddle up in bed at night. She just didn't like anyone else.