Help! My bunny has such an attitude

I got my female bunny when she was a baby and she was so sweet and I could stroke her in my lap for hours, but now she doesn't even want to be touched and when I get too close she will growl, charge, and scratch/bite. I got her spayed in Feburary, but the behaviour has not improved. From Nov-March she was living with another family because I was in the hospital, and I just recently got her back. Could these behaviours have developed while she was with the other family? I have her in a large x-pen when I am at work and I let her free roam for 2-4 hours a day for excersise before putting her back into the pen at night. Any ideas?

She is just mad that you left her for a while. Rabbits can hold a grudge! You just need to rebond with her. It will take some time, but if you always have treats on hand to reward her for coming near you she will learn to trust you very soon!
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-with-your-bunny.html

Mariam+Theo said:

Rabbits can hold a grudge!

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Boy can they ever!

But they can also forgive, so don't give up on her! ☺

helena175 said:

I got my female bunny when she was a baby and she was so sweet and I could stroke her in my lap for hours, but now she doesn't even want to be touched and when I get too close she will growl, charge, and scratch/bite. I got her spayed in Feburary, but the behaviour has not improved. From Nov-March she was living with another family because I was in the hospital, and I just recently got her back. Could these behaviours have developed while she was with the other family? I have her in a large x-pen when I am at work and I let her free roam for 2-4 hours a day for excersise before putting her back into the pen at night. Any ideas?

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I think your rabbit’s attitude changed when they grew up and became a adult. Getting the spay surgery should of helped a lot.

how much time do you physically spend with your bunny? What is their behavior like after spending time with a family while you were sick?

We had a temperamental bun adopted from the shelter (our 1st adopted) who was very challenging in the early years. She would nip and bite when she smelled my clothing, socks, shoes after I returned from my rabbit socialization shift at the shelter. She was spayed at the shelter prior to us adopting. Likely an easter bunny unwanted. -- It took time to understand her disruption/aggravation factors or what caused her defensive behavior. -- I was ready to return her due to behavior, but I'm forever grateful I did not. Actually while describing her challenging aggression at times to a person at a pet supply store I was urged to buy a rabbit from her, or she had numerous rabbits she was trying to sell.

She became bonded to a n/male. As she aged she became one of the sweetest buns in our home, lavishing on kisses after her bondmate passed away.

Oh yah, she bit my nail and fingers and her reaction to scents on my hands, including rabbit urine from somebody she didn't know, caused blood to leak outta my fingers.

Takes time for hormones to dissipate and for rabbits to trust. Trust factor.
We've been thru this a lot considering the strays and unwanteds who are part of our family.

The temp move may have disrupted trust factors. Did you take her in for spay procedure, or the other humans where she was temp living.

Rabbits are typically sweet and kissy before hormones & puberty arrives. Yes, they'll have trust issues if mishandled or coming from an unpleasant background.

-- Please allow her to reestablish trust, is my suggestion. Yes it's very possible she got attached to a situation in the other home when you were at the hospital.

Compassion and patience in humans is in short supply these days. So-called mutts or mixed breeds or purebreds, they all have personalities and trust factors. Behaviors can be modified. Buns mellow as they age, as temperamental rabbits who came to us turned into cuddlers.

When we moved here from California, our Avatar bunny, Nikki, acted like a turd for almost 6 months till she finally went back to normal, for her anyway--they do hold a grudge, but I held veggies and treats!

We took in a Tan surrendered to a high-vol, high-euth, over capacity shelter in Illinois, 2007.

- He despised being handled or picked up for many years. Had to pick him up when he went for his neuter appt. and admin' post-op meloxicam. With trust and understanding, after his neuter, he gradually turned into a love bun about 5 years later. Took patience. He also got attached as a bromate to a bonded pair in our home. Gradual trust and modified behavior in a safe home environment.

Didn't help things with his past experiences at high-vol shelter. Or the mice that were seen running across the basement pipes in a temp foster spot, the flood that occurred, and loud conversations taking place in previous foster spot home, likely all factors caused him to be on high alert and very wary, untrusting. i.e. "Don't touch me b/c something bad will happen, my life will end"!

I hope your girl will gradually reestablish trust and not react in a defensive manner. We also pick up our rabbits a lot, those who don't mind, or go into their quadrants (xpens) and stroke their heads. This was needed for our backyard bred FG from yucky background who came our way. He is now developing more trust. He prefers hubby. Hubby didn't take him to neuter appt. (wink) and his previous home involved a busy female ...