Bunnybites :(

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

CrazyB

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Location
NULL
Hey everyone! My little Brownie is my first bunny & I raise him together with my boyfriend. We're a little.. happy.. family. We got Brownie when he was 2 months old (got him in June 2016). He was the sweetest, cutest little bun ever (eventhough he liked destroying everything he wasn't supposed to)!

Things started changing when he got to around 6 months. He started peeing on the couch, overall spraying EVERYWHERE (we had pee on the floors and walls and just everywhere.. it was gross) & he also started lunging and biting us (Mainly in his little cage area). My boyfriend got bit countless times & I got bit a few times as well. I learned not to touch him in the cage.. because these bites are crazy painful and bloody. And frankly I was overall scared of touching him. My boyfriend on the other hand.. didn't :nono, which is why he had many more bites than I did. My boyfriend was absolutely fed up with everything and wanted to give him away, but I pushed on getting Brownie neutered instead.

He was neutered last month some time (can't really remember), so he was 8 months old at that point. His behavior has changed so much for the better since! He has absolutely stopped spraying (we don't let him on the couch just yet.. tried once and he just went ahead and peed) & for the most parts, seems to be less aggressive towards us as well. However my boyfriend got bit the other day trying to show off that he isn't biting anymore & he also got bit today.

Now here's the thing.. He's absolutely a doll overall (he has started chewing more stuff again though but that doesnt matter) & he has even let us pet him more than a couple of times! And today he went to my boyfriend and lowered his head for the pets, so my boyfriend naturally pet him & then it happened.. Brownie just bit him out of nowhere and there was blood everywhere and my boyfriend was cursing and..
It's just upsetting because I love Brownie & I believe we can live with him, but my boyfriend has had it up to idk where with the biting (He has suffered A LOT).

I was actually just wondering.. if anyone knows how to behave or what to do about this and/or why Brownie would just up and bite while being cuddled? I asked my boyfriend if it could have been a nip gone bad, but he said that Brownies teeth were way in there (he wasn't even letting go right away, when trying to pull finger away).:cry1:

Thanks in advance! :) Hope you all have a nice day :)
 
Sounds like, by putting himself in a position where he was bitten often when the rabbit was hormonal (which was completely normal, by the way - rabbits with hormones are generally monsters and my boys always get neutered around 4 month old to put a stop to it), your boyfriend created a habit.
Your boyfriend might also touch the rabbit incorrectly - never pet a rabbit by putting your hand in front of his face, which is a blindspot : he can't see you and that scares him. You should always approach slowly from the side (in front of his eye) so he knows your hand is here and has the possibility to evade the contact.
There is also the fact that hormones can take up to 2 months to completely disappear from the rabbit's system. And last but not least, the fact that even if he is neutered, your rabbit is still a teenager. Keep in mind that teenagers suck, no matter the species - they are temperamental and destructive and altogether hard to live with ^^. My dog was unbearable when he was at that stage, my sister's cat made her cry countless times because he would bite everyone and jump on you and bother you while you tried to sleep... I couldn't stand him at the time and he is now the sweetest, most cuddly cat ever. This is why some people like to adopt adult animals.
So, be patient. Your rabbit will probably mellow as he ages, but he is still kind of a baby right now.
I suggest your boyfriend stops touching the rabbit completely for a while. Like a month. Just to break the habit and to let a chance to the hormones to be eliminated and to the rabbit to calm down. Don't touch the rabbit in his cage if he doesn't like it (how many hours does he spend inside? The longest he is inside, the more territorial he will be). Then, you will have to begin the 'bonding' process anew. You and your boyfriend will be sitting on the floor with treats, letting the rabbit come and decide when he wants to be petted. You will pet him after showing your hand and doing it slowly. Don't force it. Rabbits are prey animals, they react instinctively and don't like to be forced. They aren't cats or dogs. They teach you a lot of patience and getting their trust is a slow process - I have an extremely skittish doe, born in a burrow and who had barely seen a human before I got her. It took about 3 years before I could move into a room without her getting up ready to flee. Now she's 8 and I can pet her without her moving and carry her and she licks my nose sometimes (she still stays hidden when there is a stranger in the house and won't even let the vet hold her). I find extremely rewarding that she trusts me that much now. But I had to learn to let her set the pace. Of course, she was an extreme case. Nevertheless, I had several bunnies and time, leaving them their space and a calm environment did wonders for all of them.
I don't know if it helps, but I'm sure it will get better, don't give up!
 
Thank you so much for your reply! It calms my heart knowing that it's not a lost cause (Eventhough I didn't necessarily feel like that myself to begin with, but having someone else say it.. just helps :) )
We try and have him out as much & often as possible, always under supervision, but I think he could be out even more.
We will try and do as you suggest - leave him alone for a while (specially my bf) and try and start bonding again afterwards.
I know it will be a slow and probably long progress, but it will also be worth it and I can not wait for what will come after! :) :)
Thank you again for replying! <3
 
Just so you know, he will probably always pee on that couch now that it smells like his pee (no matter how well you cleaned it unfortunately). We went through that too and it only stopped when we bought a new couch. As for the biting, what a little sh*t lol. Hope it improves with time and bribery.
 
You're very welcome! I hope your werebunny calms down soon (I had a bunny who bit everytime you touched his tail - there was nothing to do, touching The Tail was just not allowed... but at least, he had the decency to growl before biting you, so you had a warning ^^).
 
There are lots of YouTube videos on how to deal with an aggressive rabbit. Here is my favorite

https://youtu.be/HxV0j7SwBbk

Rabbits are prey animals. When they feel threatened they will bite. It takes a lot for a rabbit to feel comfortable around you, but it's so rewarding.
I worked with my rabbit for a while and I was very patient. Now she is comfortable with me. Not my husband though because he isnt patient with her, he just grabs her and touches her even when she doesn't want him to. He hasn't learned yet lol.
 
Ah well in that case he wont be getting up on the couch ever xD ! & I hope so too :)


I hope he calms down soon as well.. I just don't get him sometimes x_x''


I've looked quite some of them up & overall looked around the internet. I'll make sure to check that video out as well though!
My boyfriend isn't the most patient person either.. and then he wonders why he gets bitten.. (tho yes, I know he shouldnt bite him to begin with).
 

Latest posts

Back
Top