Help????

We are at our wits end!!! Here's the situation in a nutshell...we got our bunny, Cheerios, from a reputable breeder (all 5 of our bunnies are from her) at. 8 weeks old...he was the sweetest, most wonderful bunny...and THEN we had him neutered! He got a slight infection following his surgery, treated with 10 days of antibiotics (vet is very bunny savvy). Since his surgery, he has become MONSTER bunny!!! He is a spazzy, nips, bites, possessive of my 13 yr old daughter...just all around unpleasant to deal with...my daughter is beside herself...she loves him to pieces...he is out of his cage numerous times a day, he has a balanced diet, 24/7 access to hay...he has the life...at a loss!!! What do we do??? We have tried all the tricks about biting that have been suggested on here...I am NOT okay with him biting my child every time she takes him out! I don't want to leave him in his cage all the time, but she is not his personal chew toy!!! HELP??????

How long has it been since he was neutered? I understand that it can take a month or more for the leftover hormones to leave their system.

My Conan was and is again a gentle and relaxed rabbit but after his neuter he became a bit rebellious. Nothing serious, it was just out of the ordinary with him. He's back to normal, in some cases sweeter then before so it might just be hormones on overdrive after the neuter (which I hear is a possibility).

What's his cage setup like? Can you make it so he can come out of his cage without being picked up (like a cage on the floor)? Is he possessive of your daughter and biting other people or is he possessive of his territory and biting your daughter?

Cheerios thinks my daughter is "his" and he bites her...he has even peed on her a few times! The other night , he bit her hard enough to leave a mark!

Cheerios was neutered long enough ago, that I don't think hormones are an issue as he was neutered on March 13th, over 2 months ago!


I also consulted with my vet yesterday. He suspects Cheerios may have an adhesion from his surgery that is causing him pain...hence, causing the behaviors. We are going to try him on pain medicine for a week and see if his behavior changes...and then we'll go from there. I will keep you all posted! Thanks!

So we are on day 5 of pain medication, per recommendation of our vet...no significant change in Cheerios behavior (huge sad face and big sigh...)

I would LOVE any suggestions or thoughts as to what you all would do if you were in my situation??


Just waiting to hear back from our other bunny savvy vet...(who was out when I called) to see if she has any suggestions.

First you want to rule out any medical issue causing pain or discomfort, and causing the biting. Once that is ruled out, it may just be a behavioral issue he has picked up, and needs to be corrected. There are different methods you can try. You just have to find what works for your rabbit. There is the momma bun discipline method. A dominant or mother rabbit, will press down on the head/shoulder area of her babies, to discipline them. So you would just press gently, but firmly, on the head/shoulder area for several seconds after any squirming has stopped. You don't want to be too firm as you don't want him to get hurt, you just have to be firm enough that he can't wiggle loose. You can also try time outs. It's better to not use his regular cage, but maybe a carrier, and it doesn't have to be for very long, just long enough that he settles down, isn't throwing a fit, and gets the point. Another one is to clap loudly and say something like 'no', or 'a_a', to get his attention and stop the behavior. Then there is positive reinforcement, and using limited treats to reward good behavior, and not reward undesirable behavior. It's just a matter of trying them out and finding what works for your bun. It's important that the discipline immediately follows the bad behavior.

Thank you for your suggestions...unfortunately we have already tried ALL of the things you have mentioned. I have read everything I can get my hands on in the past few months since he was neutered. We are currently ruling out "pain" as we have a couple more days of pain medicine...unfortunately the pain meds have not worked either as his behavior has not changed in any way. It is almost like flipping a switch...before his surgery he was sweet wonderful cuddly...just an awesome bunny!!! Then his surgery...we let him lay low for a week...and he was a different bunny! We did nothing differently...he just started biting, nipping, chewing and being spazzy and difficult to handle. I am sure that at this point, some of his behavior is just that behavior! Unfortunately, in our attempts to address his behaviors, he has bitten my 13 yr old so many times (she loves him and we have kept trying) that now she is almost afraid of our other bunnies...all of whom have NEVER bitten anyone! A couple of them are lickers and she half expects them to bite because that is what Cheerios has done! She has been handling bunnies since she was 6...she knows what she is doing...so I know it is not anything she has done or is doing...

We are waiting to hear back from our other bunny savvy vet...and see if she has any suggestions...then not sure what to do :

Maybe he has ptsd from the neuter :? The only other thing that I can think of is to basically give him a little break and don't handle him a whole lot, and use thick gloves when you do. If handling him more isn't working, then maybe the opposite, and handling him less will. I have a girl bun that I've had since a tiny baby, held her all the time, was used to people. But at one point she started getting scared of things and started biting when I reached into her cage. Spaying didn't change the bahavior at all. I tried the other methods of discipline too, and they didn't work with her. The just made her more scared. So I started to desensitize her to my hand in her cage. Wearing nice thick leather gloves, I would reach into her cage and she would react and bite, but I wouldn't withdraw my hand. I would hold it there and when she would hold still for a few seconds, and not react and lunge or bite, I would give her head rubs, which is something she LOVES. So I would repeat this over and over, reach in, wait for her not to react, then pet her. Once I could do that without her biting, I started moving my hand around a little, when she wouldn't react, I would pet her. She's not perfect yet, but she's a lot better than she was. She doesn't bite as much now. She'll start to lunge but then stop and think about it instead, then I will pet her. I don't know, maybe the neuter experience was traumatic for your bun, and it really freaked him out, and it will just take some time and patience til he can recover from it. These behavioral things can be a little difficult to figure out sometimes.

i like jbuns suggestions.

I also have a question. Does he get any exercise time or mental stimulation? Could he be frustrated from too little and have some pent up energy?

edit: Sorry didnt see he is out of his cage numerous times a day. Is there a particular time he bites. In or out of the cage? Is there a certain hand movement she is or isnt doing or is there any sudden movements that make him feel threatened. Maybe try to be more aware of what your daughter is or isnt doing will be able to let you see his behavior and understand it from his perspective. Usually with animals there are always signs or reasons why an animal bites or kicks or scratches etc. You could also try getting a video of what yall are doing when he does bite. And re watch it to try and get an idea or see something that you didnt see before? That would be my suggestion.

Thank you both for your suggestions...Cheerios has NEVER bitten my daughter or anyone while reaching in his cage or putting a hand in his face for the matter. His biting is on her chest, on her arm, her leg while holding him. I have watched them together a LOT, racking my brain try to see if there is a precedent...example: the other day, my daughter picked him up within 5 seconds he bit her on the chest...I watched the whole thing....there was NOTHING that Eliana did that warranted being bitten. He bit her hard enough to leave a mark! With tears streaming down her face (from physical pain AND her feelings being hurt) she put her hand on his face....held him for a few minutes after that and then put him back in his cage. She LOVES Cheerios and she just wants the "old" Cheerios back...She has been through A LOT in her short 13 yrs of life....her bunny is her indoor (she has 2 goats and horse) therapy! Her old bunny (we lost her last fall) was a cuddler. When we got Cheerios...we thought she had another Caramel. With Cheerios behavior, he is adding to her stress! NOT helping her in anyway! I really don't want to rehome him and have him bite others or risk him being mistreated. I really don't want to have him put down...I really don't want leave him in his cage all the time...but I REALLY don't want my daughter bitten every day!!! So frustrated and heartbroken...just don't know what to do!!! UGH!!!

If he is just biting when being held then perhaps she should stop trying to hold him for the time being. Maybe before the neuter he was fine being held as he felt she was his mate and now that he doesn't have the hormones he doesn't feel as strongly. It could be that he associates being picked up with the fright of the trip to the vets and the neuter and the pain of the neuter. Maybe someone that handled him at the vets frightened him a lot or maybe even caused him some pain. Or maybe if your daughter picked him up before he was healed and still hurting. That you will probably never know unless we learn to speak to animals or how to read their minds.

Sometimes you have to adjust to an animals personality. I might prefer a dog that could be trusted to be left free roaming the house when I'm not home but if the dog chewed on everything while I was gone I would have to either train the dog not to or adjust to it's personality and pen it while gone. Not all buns like to cuddle. He may have been fine with it before but apparently not now. Your daughter is old enough to learn that having a pet is not just about what we want but also about what the pet wants and what is best for them.

I am not saying she should never pick him up again but that for now maybe she should stop trying since she is getting upset over it. I would give both her and the bun a chance to calm down. I think then you or she should start slow and work with him to be comfortable being held again. Treats may help with this. Or you may just need time and patience.

PaGal said:

If he is just biting when being held then perhaps she should stop trying to hold him for the time being. Maybe before the neuter he was fine being held as he felt she was his mate and now that he doesn't have the hormones he doesn't feel as strongly. It could be that he associates being picked up with the fright of the trip to the vets and the neuter and the pain of the neuter. Maybe someone that handled him at the vets frightened him a lot or maybe even caused him some pain. Or maybe if your daughter picked him up before he was healed and still hurting. That you will probably never know unless we learn to speak to animals or how to read their minds.

Sometimes you have to adjust to an animals personality. I might prefer a dog that could be trusted to be left free roaming the house when I'm not home but if the dog chewed on everything while I was gone I would have to either train the dog not to or adjust to it's personality and pen it while gone. Not all buns like to cuddle. He may have been fine with it before but apparently not now. Your daughter is old enough to learn that having a pet is not just about what we want but also about what the pet wants and what is best for them.

I am not saying she should never pick him up again but that for now maybe she should stop trying since she is getting upset over it. I would give both her and the bun a chance to calm down. I think then you or she should start slow and work with him to be comfortable being held again. Treats may help with this. Or you may just need time and patience.

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I agree with what you are saying...however, the other part of the "problem" is that we have not figured out what his personality is....almost like Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde....one time he is fine being held and will sit and cuddle with her and be sweet...the next time, he is spazzy, jumpy and will scratch and bite. She is holding him less and giving him space. She has been handling and showing bunnies since she was 6 yrs old...so she knows what she is doing. I think it would be easier to accept if he was one way or the other...she is "old enough" (she is also gifted and bunnies are one of her passions and she probably knows more about bunnies than a lot of adults) and I like I said, she has been through a lot in her short life...so yes, she is old enough and smart enough to know that she can't make him something he's not...but when adults...including myself and our bunny savvy vets don't completely understand what is going on with him...it is hard to expect a 13 yr old to...one of our vets is getting back to us on Monday or Tuesday...so will share any info she shares with us!

personally.... I'd give him an extended time out and let someone else handle him for a while with your daughter OUT of the picture.

Different cage, different room, and just tell him to chill out. NO free time, just stay put, be fed and talked to by someone OTHER THAN your daughter.

1. could still be hormones in his system, just taking longer to settle than normal.
2. could be a "I've learned this trick with this person but they are gone, so now what?"
There's a third thing niggling....
3. was the operation a complete success? no little bits left within that could cause a hormone issue?

Hope you get him settled soon.

another thought:
Have you considered that he might be reacting to something she is wearing or bathing herself with?

ladysown said:

personally.... I'd give him an extended time out and let someone else handle him for a while with your daughter OUT of the picture.

Different cage, different room, and just tell him to chill out. NO free time, just stay put, be fed and talked to by someone OTHER THAN your daughter.

1. could still be hormones in his system, just taking longer to settle than normal.
2. could be a "I've learned this trick with this person but they are gone, so now what?"
There's a third thing niggling....
3. was the operation a complete success? no little bits left within that could cause a hormone issue?

Hope you get him settled soon.

another thought:
Have you considered that he might be reacting to something she is wearing or bathing herself with?

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Thank you for your help as well! We have put him in a different cage...not a different room, but a different location in that room...have also thought about what my daughter is wearing. Sheis 100% tomboy...no perfume or make up ever...no change in shampoo, deodorant or laundry detergent...have also thought about "was the surgery a success?" I don't know for sure, but my vet who did the surgery is bunny savvy...and so I feel confident that the surgery itself is not the problem.


Again, thank you for your suggestions...we will keep everyone posted!

mochajoe said:

no perfume

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Is there anything with the horse or the goats that may have changed? She might smell "funny" (from bunny's perspective) from something you aren't aware of. No fly repellents or liniment, or anything? No new clothes (polar fleece can have a strange smell when it's new)? Also, her smell might be different as she is growing up. Hormones can affect stuff like how much you sweat, and things like that that can change your smell.

The trouble with this sort of thing is it can become circular. He bites her once because he's sore, next time she tenses up thinking "maybe he's going to bite me!" he tenses up thinking "why is she tensing up? is she about to hit me? drop me? something bad? I'll react to that "threat" whatever it is....." She gets even more tense because he's bitten more than once.... and so it goes.

I'd just rug up so if he bites he can't hurt. I'd just carry on and ignore him if he does it. If he doesn't settle, I would give up trying to handle him and just leave him be.

We had racked our brains about anything that had changed...had thought of shampoo, soap detergent, horse fly spray...none of those things have changed...had NOT thought of hormones with Eliana...she has had her period for two years...but I wonder if that is part of the equation with Cheerios.

I COMPLETELY agree with you on the cyclical thing...she is more tense when she holds him as she expects him to bite her. She has continued to pick him up...and she addresses the bite using strategies we have read about... She holds for a little while longer and then she puts him back. Time will tell...thank you for your insight!!!

Maybe something unpleasant happened to him at the vets, he got a fright from another patient or somebody turning lights on suddenly or something that's made him hypervigilant and jumpy. It could be nothing, or it could be everything/a combination of things. I'd just try really really hard not to get upset with him, or transmit any fear when picking him up. My dog is a rescue with "issues". I just keep working with him and hope that he'll overcome his fears one day, but I don't think he ever will. I just accept him for who he is.

Something could have happened at the vet clinic...however, my "second" mom just retired after working there for almost 20 years ...and 3 of the vet techs who are still there have worked there even longer...I have known for all these years...and two of the vets are very bunny savvy...one of whom has done a lot of work with the House Rabbit Society. That is not to say that something couldn't have happened...but I tend to think it very unlikely..the critter in the cage next to him was his "sister" who we had spayed the same day. Funfetti is fine. We will never know...we have moved him to yet another room and we are trying to do our best, be persistent and "break" the cycle! Thanks again !

Another thing that occurred to me overnight. He would be feeling the same as you. His life was fine. Suddenly he's sent to a strange place, he has some pain, horrible smells, strange people coming and going.... then he goes back and all his people are "different", tense and fearful. That bite might have been a reaction to pain and he's just repeating it because it got such a reaction (understandably). I'd try to relax and not be trying to get him back the way he was, but just treat him as a completely new relationship and take it slowly to get him to "know" you again, ie stop "trying", give it time and just see how it goes.