Food/cage aggression?

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middleman1982

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Has any one else had an issue with a bunny being food or cage aggressive? When I'm in the room his cage is in, all my rabbit wants is head scratches and out, but as soon as I go in his cage to fill the hay feeder or food bowl, he goes ape poop on me. If I touch either feeder, he's on my hand, hasn't bit yet but acts like he wants to, and has growled at me. If growling is the correct term. And just opening his door, he seems like he'd rather I didnt, but once he's out of the cage, he's the sweetest thing you've ever met, playing around your feet as you move about the house, jumping on to the couch to play in your lap and get some head scratches. Just as sweet as can be.

Now, I'm sure someone's advice will be to nueter him, that's a last resort for us, and this behavior being the only issue I have at the moment, is not worthy of the procedure. He'll have to be much worse before we go that route. So, thanks in advance!

DJ
 
Some bunnies just happen to be possessive of their cage. I'd suggest not fighting it, but save the cage cleaning and re-stocking of hay to those times when bunny is out of the cage or otherwise distracted.

I like to view a rabbit's cage as their personal space, their safe space, the one place they should have in which they know they will not be disturbed.

Outside the cage is mutual territory so he understandably is fine when he's out of the cage.

I had one female that would want to pounce when I put her evening pellets in the bowl. I resorted to distracting her. My current male tends to grunt when I put more hay in his litter box. These reactions are relatively mild. I have seen others who have had much more cage aggression. Neutering may help, but if you don't plan to do that, just try to avoid doing those activities when bunny is in the cage.
 
Before I got my Lukey neutered back around the end of October/early November, he would race around my feet and whatnot whenever I went into his pen. He'd sound like he was buzzing non-stop as he did it, and I honestly didn't feel comfortable going in without sneakers on my feet (even though he had never bit me, or so much as even nipped). I didn't feel like I could trust him to not nip or bite. He would try to grab the little sweeper/mini broom or the mini dustpan whenever I was doing stray poop pick up in there. (I could have likely dealt with it, but he was also spraying his whole territory so the neutering had to happen.)

I did a lot of distracting with little toys and jingly things I could get him to toss around while I was in his pen. At the time, I didn't want to leave him unattended because of his spraying tendency. So he had to be in there when I was in there. He was a nightmare, in all honesty. If I had him in my arms, he was sweet as can be.... But forget about anyone else.

I understand neutering can be costly. Luke got neutered because he was already going in for surgery (mass at his ribcage-- wasn't connected to it but it had to go), and I was told it would be $100 more for the neuter and save me hundreds. I won money on a radio station, which funded both procedures; I would have had much more saving to do in order to get him neutered- let alone get a mass removed.


But I've seen that it isn't uncommon for rabbits to be a bit territorial, especially when unaltered. It's their space; their smell is everywhere... and we're the intruder to their space. You're certainly not alone on it.
 
Thank you both for the advice, the reason for not neutering is a mix of possible showing him, and a conversation with our vet. But we will see, try a couple different ideas, the advice from you guys is greatly appreciated. He does love his cage, and hates when I try to get him out, until he's out and he's just as happy as can be.

I never realized an adorable herbivore could be so possessive and aggressive. Which is almost entertaining.
 
He does love his cage, and hates when I try to get him out, until he's out and he's just as happy as can be.

Oh. This could be part of the source of the problem. If you are ever "trying to get him out," that could explain some of his cage possessiveness. One should not "try to get" a rabbit out of his cage. Just open the cage door and allow him to go out (and back in) as he desires.

As I mentioned earlier, the cage should be the one place that he knows he will be left undisturbed. That safe space is violated if he is forced out.
 
Update on the situation, rearranged his room, took your advice and quit "getting him out", and situated his hay feeder and food bowl towards the front of his cage so I can get in and out quickly, over the weekend we will be gutting the spare bedroom he's in so he can have full roam in and out of his cage while we're not home. While he's still possessive of his home, we're running into much fewer instances when it's affecting our relationship. Thank you all again for The input.
 
One other tip I have would be not to react when he does bite/growl at you. Both my buns were on euthanasia lists for being so darn aggressive (now I literally use one to teach groups of young children how to behave around rabbits) and often when they are aggressive, they want you to pull away. I always have left my hand in the cage in the EXACT position it was after he/she bit me and only remove it after he/she has calmed down (so they are rewarded for being calm rather than biting). Further, putting a hand in a cage with a treat can help fear aggression rabbits (both of my current ones were fear aggression, so this was the key to breaking their habits)-but it sounds like your little guy is more of a territorial than fearful case.
 
The doe I have is really cranky, she "attacks" anyone as soon as they put a hand in her cage. Also a friend of mine had a doe too and she would do the same, even with her owner. I think it's common in females, I don't know. Be careful with your hands because they can bite really hard. We learned that the hard way.
 
From my experience, growling doesn't necessarily denonte aggression; it may just be a vocal utterance of annoyance.

My little guy will growl when he's annoyed, doesn't feel like being petted, or is trying to get a treat that I'm not dispensing fast enough. He's never been violent, lunged, or bit. Once he actually over-growled to the point of snorting & coughing, after which he had to hop away to regain his composure (or hide his embarrassment). I've found it to just be part of his personality.

Not that my bun is representitive of all buns, mind you. Maybe your rabbit's trying to communicate to you in the only manner he can. ("GRR!!! MINE! MY HOUSE! STAY OUTTA MY HOUSE! GRR!!!")
 

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