I'm afraid the NIPPING has started to my Bunny ... too!!!

[Sox]

:cry1::cry1: I've read that bunnies do nip but I seriously thought that it would never happen to mine!!! :X

I've had Sox for 5 weeks and it has never been a problem. She is not afraid of me or my hand and takes veggies and fruits straight off my hands. She doesn't like being held but will come for a pat/scratch when I call out "scratch" however on occasions she won't but she understands the word. Right from day one I have been cleaning her cage with her inside and she doesn't have a problem with that. She will run around following my hand when I clean the cage.

In her playpen when I sit in there to play with her she will come and peck on my hand and clothes. However in the last week, twice now she came towards my knee and nip at it. I yelled at her and said no, she ran off and then came back looked at me and nipped the other knee (I seated crossed legged on the floor). Another time, she tried to squeeze behind me and nipped me on the bottom.

However she has never nipped me when I am playing, feeding or patting her. Since her nipping started I have been kind of scared and nervous in case she tries it again, can't seem to get it out of my mind!

What should I do? I don't understand what she wants; she is very comfortable with me. Is it my favourite jeans that she doesn't like, the material she wants to nip on not me?

Any advise appreciated. Very desperate for advise!

Thanks in advance :bunnydance:

 

[kirbyultra]

Do you smell different? Scent? Perfume? Detergent? Maybe she is trying to tell you something she doesn't like and get your attention. My usually sweet as sugar Kirby nibbled my ankles while i was standing because I fed him late one night.

how old is Sox? Maybe reaching puberty

 

[Amy27]

I don't know if this is the same issue. But my one bun has an issues with my butt and hips being in her way. Sometimes when I am sitting she will nip at my hips or butt. It seems to be a "your butt is in my way, I would like it to move". I have learned the way she acts when she thinks my butt is in her way so I quickly move out of her way and I haven't been nipped in along time. She will usually nudge me first and then I move fast. I wonder if your bun is wondering what this thing (your knee) is doing there and doesn't want it there. I know that sounds weird but that is the issue with my bun. If I move a few inches away from her, she is fine. If I don't move away, she will nip me.

 

[kirbyultra]

Mine do that too. Especially my skittish one and if I am covering his exit routes. If he feels closed in and trapped I'll get a little nudge of the nose or nip.

 

[hok9]

Mine used to do that to my hands when i cleaned the cage so i just started to wearing leather gloves to stop them. They stoped after a while realizing they were not affecting me.

 

[elrohwen]

When mine was younger he loved to nip at clothing. I really don't think he meant to get skin, he just wanted to taste my jeans and shirts. I tried the squealing method which worked most of the time and I would also push him away gently. Sometimes he would get very excited about it and was obviously playing, so at those times I would leave his area and sit right outside the gate where he couldn't get me. He seemed to learn that biting my clothes made his playmate go away. Either that or he grew up a bit and realized biting clothing is a no-no. (neutering may have helped because some of this could have been mating type behavior)

Very occasionally he'll nip to make me get out of his way, but he always gives plenty of head nudges first so I just move out of the way before he tries to nip. In your case it doesn't sound like your bunny was trying to make you move, but it's a thought.

Good luck! It really doesn't sound like aggressive nipping, just a bun who doesn't understand that there is skin under that clothing that hurt when bitten.

 

[JadeIcing]

I just read your post in another thread. Sox is 12wks? Hormones are coming in. Hormones can cause Sox to become territorial. She could continue like this or get worse as she gets alittle older.