Aggression Questions...

[Jenk]

My bunny, Zoe, never likes to be put back into her cage. And she's been touchy about her litter box for a few months now (i.e., if I touch the hay in it, she nudges the hay and/ or my hand, as if to say, Outta my private potty).

Today was a first, though: I ushered Zoe into her cage before runningan errand. She jumped into her cage litter box and turned to face me with a grumpy look and a defiant stance (whichshe normally does in this case). But when I tried returning dropped hay toher box, she actually lunged and grunted (more than once) at me.

Normally, she's ulra-sweet; but what appears to be a litter box territorial issue is certainly getting worse. Can anyone recommend what I could try to help curb this behavior?



Thank you,

Jenk

 

[naturestee]

Is she spayed yet?

Also, how do you get her back into the cage? I give mine their daily veggies, so they expect to go back when it's supper time and they get really excited about it too, instead of being grumpy about being put back. You could use a small treat too, just something so that they pay more attention to the reward than to the fact that they're being put back in the cage.

 

[tonyshuman]

I have one bunny who's not very socialized toward humans. She likes to hide in her litterbox whenever she feels threatened. It seems that this place is the most "safe" to her. It's possible that your bunny is litterbox territorial because that is her safe place, so you might not want to mess with it while she's in there. Does she have a hidey box in her cage or some other place that she likes to hide? I think the smaller size of the litterbox makes it feel more secure for bunnies, and a hidey box could take the place of that so you could clean the litterbox/add hay/etc without bothering her. Bunnies need a place that is "theirs" and is safe from humans--for my free-rangers, it's under the bed or couch. Probably over-analyzing bunny behavior, but meh.

Also, my other bun will grunt and box at me if I try to pick him up and he can't run away (if he's backed into a corner or something). It's pretty normal behaviour, but definitely not a happy sound. She might be hormonal (like naturestee said), or just a sassypants bossy bunny (like my Tony!):grumpy:

 

[naturestee]

Good points! I generally try not to pick my rabbits up or mess with them when they're in their "safe space." The only one here who isn't a sassypants bossy bunny is my darling Fey. I think sassypants will be my new nickname, especially for Loki when he tries to kill me for giving him his meds!

When I volunteer at the shelter I have to pick them up in their cages, and they're generally unsocialized or have been improperly handled. One thing that helps is what we call being the Big Kahuna Bunny. You can use a gentle show of dominance to calm a bunny down. Try gently placing your hand over her ears and neck and letting it rest there for a little bit. It might make her upset- my own rabbits hate that because they think their human slave is getting toouppity. But it does settle most of the shelter rabbits down and then I have an easier time picking them up.

 

[maherwoman]

Flower is like this in some respects. She grunts at me when I give her hay, and even MORESO when I pick up a piece that fell out to put it back in. Flower, though, is not yet spayed, and quite hormonal, so I just chock it up to that.

If she's not spayed, it could be hormones...

Not that others' ideas aren't also possible.

Hugs!

Rosie*

 

[Jenk]

naturestee wrote:

Is she spayed yet?

Also, how do you get her back into the cage? I give mine their daily veggies, so they expect to go back when it's supper time and they get really excited about it too, instead of being grumpy about being put back. You could use a small treat too, just something so that they pay more attention to the reward than to the fact that they're being put back in the cage.

She was spayed in early January.

Today, she really didn't want to go back into her cage (at 10:30 am), even though I'd just filled her manger with hay. She backed her butt into a corner of her x-pen, from which position I tried picking her up. She darted around the pen before I could lay hands on her, then wound up leaping into the cage, straight into her litter box.

I wondered if someone would mention the idea that Zoe needs her private space and that I should treat her litter box as such. And since several of you have stated as much (thank you for the advice, btw), I will definitely respect Zoe's litter box time.

 

[maherwoman]

Here's another question:

How does she go into and out of her cage? Do you pick her up, or let her wander out on her own?

If you pick her up, maybe she's not liking having to be held everytime? Could you possibly figure out some way to let her come out on her own?

Another thought: maybe getting her to go into a carrier on her own, and then putting the carrier on the floor? (In thinking that perhaps her cage isn't right on the floor.)

Just more thoughts.

 

[Jenk]

Zoe's cage sits directly on the floor, and Iallow herto always exit on her own for two reasons: 1) I know that most animals don't like feeling as though they're home's being invaded and that they're being air-lifted against their will ; and 2) I believe in giving them the freedom to display healthy decisions/ behaviors.(I won't allow certain actions, like chewing on woodwork; but I do offer my caged pets the option to exit their cages at their leisure.)

Zoe has never been thrilled about being picked up and held, though my husband's been making a point to pick her up and cuddle her nightly. (I'm slightly more awkward about catching/ holding her.)

On one occasion when I needed to lift Zoe, she backed herself into a corner and grunted at me several times. This last time, though, I didn't pick her up toreturn her to her cage. (I normally don't.) Rather than be picked up, she went into her cage but, apparently, under duress (in her mind);she clearly was upset about being put backfor her daytime siesta. :?

 

[maherwoman]

Ah, ok gotcha. Never know, eh?

You sound like you do a lot of the same things I do with mine. I like to let them do their natural things...let them come out on their own for playtime, etc. And if they wanna build a pretty hay meadow, I'll let them do that, too. I figure that if it makes them happy, and they're not peeing in it, I'm all for it!

I like that you have that view of your buns...I think it's the best way to do things, really.

Hugs!

 

[naturestee]

Naughty bunnies, but they're so cute when they're spunky! The snottiest ones are always my favorites.

My best recommendation is just to reward her for going back in the cage when you want, and make sure you do it immediately. And if you need to pick her up and she's getting aggressive, do the Big Kahuna Bunny trick. She won't be happy but it will be easier to pick her up without getting hurt or without her getting hurt by kicking too much.

 

[Jenk]

maherwoman wrote:

Ah, ok gotcha. Never know, eh?

You sound like you do a lot of the same things I do with mine. I like to let them do their natural things...let them come out on their own for playtime, etc. And if they wanna build a pretty hay meadow, I'll let them do that, too. I figure that if it makes them happy, and they're not peeing in it, I'm all for it!

I like that you have that view of your buns...I think it's the best way to do things, really.

Hugs!

My girls make messes of their hay on the floor, too; I just pretend that my (dream) hobby farm exists indoors. :biggrin2:

I agree: Letting bunnies be bunnies (as much as an indoor setting allows) is the best way to go. :thumbup

 

[Jenk]

naturestee wrote:

Naughty bunnies, but they're so cute when they're spunky! The snottiest ones are always my favorites.

My best recommendation is just to reward her for going back in the cage when you want, and make sure you do it immediately. And if you need to pick her up and she's getting aggressive, do the Big Kahuna Bunny trick. She won't be happy but it will be easier to pick her up without getting hurt or without her getting hurt by kicking too much.

I laughed aloud at your opinion of "the snottiest ones." I can admit that it's almost funny, the fact that a 4-lb. bunny can make me feel a bit fearful. And she's actually cute when she grunts (though I'd never tell her that).

I gotta ask: What exactly is the "Big Kahuna Bunny trick?"

 

[juliew19673]

Not to hijack this thread - but... When I took Baxter! to my office for the first time - he being about 4lbs at the time and so dang cute - all the employees kept coming into my office to pet him - he ended up biting 3 of them (he's apparently a "little" territorial).

I took him into the office again yesterday - and again, all the employee came in, but this time they were all slightly frightened of him - a 4 pound fuzzy bunny - lol!

I have a Tshirt that I wore that day that has a little cartoon bunny on it and the caption reads "I'm not mean - your just a sissy".. LOL I like the snotty ones too..

 

[Jenk]

juliew19673 wrote:

...I took him into the office again yesterday - and again, all the employee came in, but this time they were all slightly frightened of him - a 4 pound fuzzy bunny - lol!

Thank you, Julie, for making me feel less silly. It may be twisted, but I do feel better knowing thatprofessional vet personnel will shy away from a 4-pounder, too. :biggrin:

 

[naturestee]

The Big Kahuna Bunny trick, from my earlier post:

naturestee wrote:

When I volunteer at the shelter I have to pick them up in their cages, and they're generally unsocialized or have been improperly handled. One thing that helps is what we call being the Big Kahuna Bunny. You can use a gentle show of dominance to calm a bunny down. Try gently placing your hand over her ears and neck and letting it rest there for a little bit. It might make her upset- my own rabbits hate that because they think their human slave is getting toouppity. But it does settle most of the shelter rabbits down and then I have an easier time picking them up.

 

[naturestee]

OMG! I need that shirt! I'd wear it to the shelter all the time, LOL!

juliew19673 wrote:

I have a Tshirt that I wore that day that has a little cartoon bunny on it and the caption reads "I'm not mean - your just a sissy".. LOL I like the snotty ones too..

 

[Jenk]

naturestee wrote:

The Big Kahuna Bunny trick, from my earlier post:

naturestee wrote:

When I volunteer at the shelter I have to pick them up in their cages, and they're generally unsocialized or have been improperly handled. One thing that helps is what we call being the Big Kahuna Bunny. You can use a gentle show of dominance to calm a bunny down. Try gently placing your hand over her ears and neck and letting it rest there for a little bit. It might make her upset- my own rabbits hate that because they think their human slave is getting toouppity. But it does settle most of the shelter rabbits down and then I have an easier time picking them up.

Egads...I read your previous post but somehow forgot that you'd called this tactic "the Big Kahuna Bunny."

I've used this method before picking Zoe up (since she hates being lifted), but she's always been in a civil mood at the time. I'm uncertain as to how she'd react to it, though, when in a less-agreeable mood. :?