Help! My rabbit seems content while petting her, then she bites for no reason at all

[andydoll]

I just got an unspayed 1 1/2 year old lop ear bunny. She jumps up onto my lap while I'm sitting on the sofa and seems to really want to be with me. However, after about 10-15 minutes, she starts nipping at me. When I put her on the floor, she jumps right back up and keeps nipping. This will go on and on, with no change in her behavior. I end up putting her in her cage and she will lay down. Then after a while, I will let her out and after exploring around the room, she will leap up onto my lap and the whole process begins again. I would think that if she didn't like being with me, she would avoid me, but she wants to be cuddled. Even if I stop petting her, she nudges me and then starts biting. Can someone explain this behavior? I've heard from several sources that she may or may not calm down after being spayed. But that's an awful large expense to take on to find out that she is still the demon bunny. At this point, I'm thinking I should find her another home before I sink money into a sinking ship. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Margarita]

If its just little nips when you stop petting her shes telling you don't you dare stop petting me lol. My bunny does the same thing when I stop petting her and she wants me to still pet her.

 

[andydoll]

she nips while I'm still petting her. . . . almost like she' had enough, but jumps right back up on my lap when I put her down. She doesn't settle down on my lap until I start rubbing the back of her neck and top of her head, then like a switch, she starts nipping at me. I'm getting so frustrated cause I know she wants to be held, but nips at me and starts chewing my clothing.

 

[whitelop]

She isn't being aggressive. My bun does it too, she nips at my shirt, my sides, and my pants. I think a lot of the time they're trying to groom you put they don't realize that you're not a bunny and you don't like to be groomed like a bunny. But its not aggression, she's probably pretty happy and she's grooming you to let you know that she IS happy.

After she nips you, try pressing her head and shoulders down on the couch for just a few seconds and that is your way of telling her "thats not okay". That may help, but you may have to do it a few times for her to get the message.

 

[mochajoe]

She is older, so it may not have as much affect, but not only for health reasons, but possible behavioral/hormonal issues as well, I would get her spayed. We had a female rabbit that my daughter showed, so she was not spayed and she was awful....she was a nipper or a biter, she was an attack bunny and I have a scar on my thumb to prove it. I am convinced that it was hormonal/behavior based. She passed away shortly after my daughter stopped showing her, so I never got her spayed. Had she lived, that was the plan as the incidence of cancer in female rabbits is so high. Whitelop's suggestion of pushing her head and shoulders down is a good one! We did that with another bunny with success. Good luck!