Angry rabbit that biting and not eating - pregnant

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Rubyrose75

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I just got this rabbit 4 days ago and she horrible. She bites me every time I stick my hand in the cage. She charging and stomping at my hand. When I put food in the feeder she digs it out. So I put it in a bowl she stomped the bowl n knocked it over. I tried putting the bowl in her box so it wouldn't spill though the cage and be wasted... She pulled the bowl out of box and stomped on it purposely knocking it over. Then she went into her box and tossed out all of her fresh bedding. What is her problem! Tried contacting there person I got her from but no response yet. The rabbit is 2 yrs old. I believe had one litter before. And was bred from the breeder may 30th. I paid extra for a pregnant doe. But she behaving horrible... The other pregnant doe I got from same breeder is sweet as pie with no issues. What's going on?
 
Rubyrose75 said:
I just got this rabbit 4 days ago and she horrible. She bites me every time I stick my hand in the cage. She charging and stomping at my hand. When I put food in the feeder she digs it out. So I put it in a bowl she stomped the bowl n knocked it over. I tried putting the bowl in her box so it wouldn't spill though the cage and be wasted... She pulled the bowl out of box and stomped on it purposely knocking it over. Then she went into her box and tossed out all of her fresh bedding. What is her problem! Tried contacting there person I got her from but no response yet. The rabbit is 2 yrs old. I believe had one litter before. And was bred from the breeder may 30th. I paid extra for a pregnant doe. But she behaving horrible... The other pregnant doe I got from same breeder is sweet as pie with no issues. What's going on?
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Hello, welcome to the forum. Rabbits need a place they can call their own, and female rabbits can be very territorial. Try to do things in the cage when they aren't in there. My rescue also used to knock over her food dish, i then switched to something heavier, a small ceramic bowl, which seemed to do the trick. I can't help with the tossing of the bedding, maybe she is bored? How does she do with the other bunny? Do they get along? Have no not introduced them. She could be sensing the other rabbits hormones. Couple things could be going on. Hope someone more experienced then me comes in :)
 
All rabbits are different. Just because one pregnant doe was sweet, doesn't mean they all will be. Pregnant does can be quite moody. It doesn't mean she won't be a nice doe after the babies are born. But you won't know until after she actually has her babies. Years ago I got a new 1 yr old doe that was pregnant. She was a moody little thing. Grunted, lunged and boxed my hand. Even got a nasty bite from her one time. After she had her babies, she was the sweetest rabbit, and continued to be my friendliest bunny, always running up to lick me, until she passed from old age at 9 yrs.

You're also dealing with this being a new place to her, unfamiliar, with new smells, new rabbits around her(?). It can be unsettling for some rabbits, to have all of these changes, and to be pregnant on top of it all. Give her some time to settle in and get used to her new home. Try and keep stressful things at a minimum. And make sure she is eating and drinking well.

Use a heavy crock for her food or a bowl that latches onto the pen she's in. She may be digging at her food if you have changed her pellets from whatever she was used to being fed at her previous home. She would be digging out the new food to try and find the food she's used to and likes. If this is the case, it's always best to have two weeks of the pelleted food from the person you got the rabbit from(or buy the exact same brand and type of pellets). This is so you can transition slowly, from their old food to whatever pellets you feed. This is to minimize digestive issues that can occur with sudden food changes.
 
Blue eyes said:
Could you provide more context please? It sounds like you purposely bought 2 pregnant does. They are both pregnant? Where are they housed? Are they near each other? Why did you want pregnant does? Are they purebred?
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I bought two pregnant does on purpose because we are getting set up to do meat rabbits to help battle the groceries issue. They are housed in hutches outside. Not purebred. Just meat rabbits.
 
JBun said:
All rabbits are different. Just because one pregnant doe was sweet, doesn't mean they all will be. Pregnant does can be quite moody. It doesn't mean she won't be a nice doe after the babies are born. But you won't know until after she actually has her babies. Years ago I got a new 1 yr old doe that was pregnant. She was a moody little thing. Grunted, lunged and boxed my hand. Even got a nasty bite from her one time. After she had her babies, she was the sweetest rabbit, and continued to be my friendliest bunny, always running up to lick me, until she passed from old age at 9 yrs.

You're also dealing with this being a new place to her, unfamiliar, with new smells, new rabbits around her(?). It can be unsettling for some rabbits, to have all of these changes, and to be pregnant on top of it all. Give her some time to settle in and get used to her new home. Try and keep stressful things at a minimum. And make sure she is eating and drinking well.

Use a heavy crock for her food or a bowl that latches onto the pen she's in. She may be digging at her food if you have changed her pellets from whatever she was used to being fed at her previous home. She would be digging out the new food to try and find the food she's used to and likes. If this is the case, it's always best to have two weeks of the pelleted food from the person you got the rabbit from(or buy the exact same brand and type of pellets). This is so you can transition slowly, from their old food to whatever pellets you feed. This is to minimize digestive issues that can occur with sudden food changes.
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Ok thank you
 
Rubyrose75 said:
I bought two pregnant does on purpose because we are getting set up to do meat rabbits to help battle the groceries issue. They are housed in hutches outside. Not purebred. Just meat rabbits.
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Aaah. Thank you for that explanation. I believe our member @Preitler breeds some of his rabbits for meat as well. He may also have some suggestions. As @JBun explained and as you are finding out, individual rabbits can have very distinct personalities... and can be quite moody at times as well.

I get it about the groceries issue. I'm currently working on building a chicken run/coop for the same purpose.
 
Blue eyes said:
Aaah. Thank you for that explanation. I believe our member @Preitler breeds some of his rabbits for meat as well. He may also have some suggestions. As @JBun explained and as you are finding out, individual rabbits can have very distinct personalities... and can be quite moody at times as well.

I get it about the groceries issue. I'm currently working on building a chicken run/coop for the same purpose.
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Thanks everyone for the info. I was able to get ahold of the breeder as well n she said this rabbit is normally friendly. So thinking she just needs time to adjust and de-stress. Also found out the breeder used a different type of bedding then what I bought so that's probably why she keeps tossing it out of the box. She told me what the rabbit likes to eat so I'm going to the store to pick up what she use to. Maybe then she will eat and stop wasting food. As for the aggressiveness... I'm thinking of putting a door over her box hole. So I can trap her in the box long enough to put food in the feeder without her attacking me. Then raise the door up when I'm done to let her out. Also thinking of buying a pair of decent gloves just in case to protect me from her bites since she already broken skin a few times. And other then feeding, watering n changing bedding we will just leave her alone. Hopefully she will be nicer over time.

@Blue eyes I got chicken and ducks too. The ducks can be messy but their eggs are great for baking. And the chicken eggs are nice for breakfast. It comforts me knowing we will have something to eat.... We may get sick of eating eggs but it keep us going. We also planted a garden to help battle the food crisis. Idk I'm trying to prep for it but I'm still worried about the food issue.
 
Rubyrose75 said:
@Blue eyes I got chicken and ducks too. The ducks can be messy but their eggs are great for baking. And the chicken eggs are nice for breakfast. It comforts me knowing we will have something to eat.... We may get sick of eating eggs but it keep us going. We also planted a garden to help battle the food crisis. Idk I'm trying to prep for it but I'm still worried about the food issue.
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I've also been working on getting some gardens going! Hopefully soon I'll be ready to fill with garden soil the 3 elevated and raised garden beds (each one 3' x 6') that I've been making.
 
More resources on aggression. People often say somebun is sweet and docile, just to move the aggressive hormonal behavior into someone else's care.

A 4 yr. old Unspayed female at the shelter was docile with us socializers who understood her. Large, agouti unspayed female named Sandy. Us socializers knew rabbit speak, and knew hormones would cause territorial reaction.

On the morning of her spay procedure, she bit and lunged at the stinky smelling surgical hand of the snip clinic person reaching into her cubby to remove her for spay surgery. Immediately euthanized. // Female hormones and aggressive behavior, territorial behavior, is well-documented.

In our years of rescue and care, we always see the dramatic difference once hormones are out of the picture and/or a rabbit can feel safe in their environment. - Trust concerns of these vulnerable beings is extremely important.
 
Problem is : hormones and trust. Feeling safe. All rabbits have personalities for sure. They are not a pair of shoes, fancy bling, or a stuffed toy.

An outdoor environment factors into the dangers they hear and see.

OTOH, a forum member and I were discussing the sassy behavior of our spayed or neutered lionhead buns. That little dwarf size and genetics is very reactive to approaching hands, smells, or threats to their well-being.
 
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